World-wide deployment of visible and infrared robotic laser adaptive optics systems:
C. Baranec*1, R. Riddle2, N. Law3, J. Lu1, J. Tonry1, R. B. Tully1, S. Wright4, S. Kulkarni2, S. Severson5, P. Choi6, A. Ramaprakash7, M. Chun1, M. Connelley1, A. Tokunaga1, D. Hall1
*[email protected], 1Institute
for Astronomy, University of Hawai‘i, 2Caltech, 3UNC-Chapel Hill, 4UC San Diego, 5Sonoma State, 6Pomona College, 7Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics
Robo-AO (Baranec et al. 2014 ApJ 790L) is the first autonomous laser
adaptive optics system and science instrument operating on sky. The
prototype commenced scientific operations in June 2012 and more than
19,000 observations have since been performed at the ~0.12" visible-light
diffraction limit. The system uses a pilot-safe 12W UV laser guide star and
new de-confliction procedures for ‘all-sky’ space-asset avoidance. Target-totarget overheads are less than 60 s, enabling up to 25 observations per hour.
The prototype Robo-AO system is undergoing modifications in preparation
for a 3-year deployment at the 2.1-m telescope at Kitt Peak, Arizona. Caltech,
U. of Hawai‘i, and IUCAA, are currently seeking additional collaborative
partners to realize the system’s full scientific potential.
2.1-m Kitt Peak
Robo-AO has been used to execute many of the largest number adaptive
optics surveys ever (Law et al. 2014 SPIE 9148-0A), including over 3,000 stars
within 25 pc and every Kepler planet candidate system.
IR APD
IR APD camera:
initial imaging and tip-tilt
sensing tests at Palomar.
4”
Kepler
pixels
Robo-AO reveals multiple
sources contributing to
Kepler’s light curves, which
may be physically associated
and/or responsible for transit
false positives.
Over 450 sources have been
discovered by Robo-AO
within 4” of more than 3,300
Kepler exoplanet candidate
host stars.
KAPAO, a natural-guide-star only version of Robo-AO, was designed, built
and commissioned by Pomona and Sonoma St. undergraduate students for
the 1-m Table Mt. telescope in California.
Planned H2-RG camera
Adding to visible light capability, Robo-AO Kitt Peak will be augmented with
an infrared avalanche photodiode array (APD) camera (arXiv:1507.02680),
provided by U. of Hawai‘i, that will enable infrared tip-tilt sensing and
simultaneous visible and infrared imaging. This camera will eventually be
replaced by a Caltech and IUCAA developed Hawaii2-RG based camera.
Upgraded versions of Robo-AO are planned for the U. of Hawai‘i 2.2-m and
IRTF 3-m telescopes (Baranec et al. 2014 SPIE 9148-12). Both systems will
take advantage of the superior observing conditions at Maunakea to provide
better imaging at shorter wavelengths and deeper contrasts at smaller
angular separations. The UH 2.2-m Robo-AO will be equipped with a R~100
infrared IFU spectrograph for quickly obtaining spectra of transient objects
(asteroids, SNe, etc.) and low-mass objects. The adaptive optics boosts the
signal above the IR background by x5 - x9.
UH 2.2-m
Major science mission: Mapping dark matter
in the z<0.1 universe
http://fallingstar.com
Observation trigger
Identify 1,000s of supernovae
per year. Obtain peak and
slope of light curves.
2-m IGO telescope
Quickly obtain
infrared spectrum.
Observations
1-m Table Mt. telescope
Optical design
of iRobo-AO
Open loop
Closed loop
Undergrad AO!
A clone of Robo-AO, dubbed iRobo-AO, is being built by IUCAA for the 2-m
IUCAA Girawali Observatory telescope near Junnar town, India.
Commissioning is expected to commence in mid-2016.
The Robo-AO project is
www.PosterPresentations.c
om
POSTER TEMPLATE BY:
Reconstruct 3-D dark
matter map.
Combine
with
known
Galactic
redshifts.
Confirm Type Ia supernovae (SNIa).
Derive absolute brightness of SNIa.
Determine distance to host galaxy
from apparent brightness.
http://robo-ao.org
a collaboration between Caltech Optical Observatories and the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics. It is partially funded by the National Science Foundation under grants AST-0906060, AST-0960343 and AST-1207891, the Office of Naval Research under grant N00014-11-1-0903, by the Mount Cuba Astronomical Foundation, and by a gift from Samuel Oschin. IAU General Assembly, Meeting #29, #2255576, August 3-14, 2015.