Restricted Conjugate Adaptive Optics Rayleigh Laser Guide Star Project

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Restricted Conjugate Adaptive OpticsRayleigh
Laser Guide Star Project
University of Durham Astronomical Instrumentation
Group
Images from the Phase B(II) Run September 2003
The Restricted Conjugate project is part of the
University of Durham Astronomical Instrumentation
Groups rolling grant programme, funded by PPARC.
The project aims to demonstrate the feasibility
of using commercially available laser technology
to provide a Rayleigh back-scatter laser guide
star system for use with Adaptive Optics. In
particular the project investigates low order AO
correction over a wide field of view for use with
multi-object spectroscopy on the WHT. The
project is ongoing with the third (Phase BII) run
having been completed at the Isaac Newton Group
of telescopes on La Palma during September 2003.
Launch tests were conducted using a dedicated
30cm launch telescope mounted behind the
secondary mirror of the 4.2m William Herschel
Telescope. The laser itself was installed in
GRACE, one of the WHT gravity-stable Nasmyth foci
enclosures, with the 5W beam being relayed to the
launch telescope via dielectric coated mirrors.