Design and development of an adaptive optics system in visible and near-infrared for Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics 2-meter telescope

Abstract

Robo-AO is the first robotic autonomous laser-guided adaptive optics (AO) system operating in the sky. It is a very economical AO system especially suitable for observations with 1- to 3-m class telescopes. A second Robo-AO system, which works both in the visible and near-infrared wavelengths, has been developed to improve the image quality of the 2-m diameter telescope at Inter-university Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics Girawali Observatory in India. We present the optomechanical design and development of the Laser Guide Star Facility (LGSF) and the Cassegrain AO facility with various test results. Effects of different projection geometries of the LGSF have been discussed with modeling results. Comprehensive study of an atmospheric dispersion corrector with dispersion model and development of a generic software are elaborated with experimental results. Toward the end, AO loop test results in the presence of artificial turbulence generated in the laboratory are presented.