Related papers: SHIMM: A Versatile Seeing Monitor for Astronomy
Atmospheric optical turbulence (OT) monitoring is crucial for site characterisation at astronomical observatories and optical communications ground stations. The Shack-Hartmann Image Motion Monitor (SHIMM) instrument implements a fast,…
Optimal atmospheric conditions are beneficial for detecting exoplanets via high contrast imaging (HCI), as speckles from adaptive optics' (AO's) residuals can make it difficult to identify exoplanets. While AO systems greatly improve our…
We report what is believed to be the first example of fully continuous, 24-hour vertical monitoring of atmospheric optical turbulence. This is achieved using a novel instrument, the 24-hour Shack-Hartmann Image Motion Monitor (24hSHIMM).…
A six-night optical turbulence monitoring campaign has been carried at Cerro Paranal observatory in February and March, 2023 to facilitate the development and characterisation of two novel atmospheric site monitoring instruments - the…
We present first results of a new instrument, the Generalized Differential Image Motion Monitor (GDIMM), aiming at monitoring parameters of the optical turbulence (seeing, isoplanatic angle, coherence time and outer scale). GDIMM is based…
We investigate how to quantitatively model the observed differential image motion (DIM) in relative astrometric observations. As a test bed we used differential astrometric observations from the FORS2 camera of the Very Large Telescope…
Astronomical seeing is quantified by a single parameter, turbulence integral, in the framework of the Kolmogorov turbulence model. This parameter can be routinely measured by a Differential Image Motion Monitor, DIMM. A new instrument,…
Several site-testing programs and observatories currently use combined MASS-DIMM instruments for monitoring parameters of optical turbulence. The instrument is described here. After a short recall of the measured quantities and operational…
Image degradation impedes our ability to extract information from astronomical observations. One factor contributing to this degradation is ``dome seeing", the reduction in image quality due to variations in the index of refraction within…
The Generalised Differential Image Motion Monitor (GDIMM) was proposed a few years ago as a new generation instrument for turbulence monitoring. It measures integrated parameters of the optical turbulence, i.e the seeing, isoplanatic angle,…
We present the Generalised Differential Image Motion Monitor. It is a compact instrument dedicated to measure 4 parameters of the optical turbulence: seeing, isoplanatic angle, coherence time and wavefront coherence outer scale. GDIMM is…
Atmospheric optical turbulence seriously limits the performance of high angular resolution instruments. An 8-night campaign of measurements was carried out at the LAMOST site in 2011, to characterize the optical turbulence. Two instruments…
Accurate characterization of atmospheric optical turbulence is essential for evaluating astronomical sites and optimizing adaptive optics systems. The Multistar Turbulence Monitor (MTM) infers the vertical distribution of the…
Real-time seeing and outer scale estimation at the location of the focus of a telescope is fundamental for the adaptive optics systems dimensioning and performance prediction, as well as for the operational aspects of instruments. This…
The next generation of adaptive optics (AO) systems will require tomographic reconstruction techniques to map the optical refractive index fluctuations, generated by the atmospheric turbulence, along the line of sight to the astronomical…
Monitoring turbulence parameters is crucial in high-angular resolution astronomy for various purposes, such as optimising adaptive optics systems or fringe trackers. The former are present at most modern observatories and will remain…
We present results from the first year of a campaign to characterize and monitor the optical turbulence profile at the SAAO Sutherland observing station in South Africa. A MASS-DIMM (MultiAperture Scintillation Sensor - Differential Image…
Whole atmosphere seeing \beta_0 is the most important parameter in site testing measurements. Estimation of the seeing from a variance of differential image motion is always biased by a non-zero DIMM exposure, which results in a wind…
The Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor is widely used to measure aberrations induced by atmospheric turbulence in adaptive optics systems. However if there exists strong atmospheric turbulence or the brightness of guide stars is low, the…
An adaptive optics system with a single deformable mirror is being implemented on the THEMIS 90cm solar telescope. This system is designed to operate in the visible and is required to be as robust as possible in order to deliver the best…