Characterizing Optical Turbulence at the GMT Site with MooSci and MASS-DIMM Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • In order to guide the adaptive optics design and aid in performance predictions, optical turbulence at the site of the future Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) is characterized using MooSci, a lunar scintillometer, and MASS-DIMM, a combination differential image motion monitor and multiaperture scintillation sensor. As a new instrument, MooSci, is verified as a reliable ground-layer turbulence profiler. The GMT can expect an improvement of approximately 0.1 over the site testing results as measured with a DIMM. Turbulence below 30 m is horizontally nonhomogeneous, dependent on wind speed and direction, and on average accounts for 60% of the full ground-layer (up to 500 m) turbulence. 2012. The Astronomical Society of the Pacific. All rights reserved.

published proceedings

  • PUBLICATIONS OF THE ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF THE PACIFIC

author list (cited authors)

  • Thomas-Osip, J. E., Prieto, G., Berdja, A., Cook, K. W., Villanueva, S. J., DePoy, D. L., ... Carona, D. W.

citation count

  • 8

complete list of authors

  • Thomas-Osip, JE||Prieto, G||Berdja, A||Cook, KW||Villanueva, S Jr||DePoy, DL||Marshall, JL||Rheault, JP||Allen, RD||Carona, DW

publication date

  • January 2012