Efficiency of off-axis astronomical adaptive systems: Comparison of theoretical and experimental data

¹ Instituto de Astronomía, UNAM AP 70-264 Cd. Universitaria, 04510 Mexico D.F., Mexico
² Département d'Astrophysique UMRA 6525, Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis CNRS, Parc Valrose, 06108 Nice Cedex 2, France

Send offprint request to: V.G. Orlov

Received: 30 March 1998
Accepted: 30 June 1998

Abstract

 The efficiency of off-axis adaptive astronomical systems is estimated using both the theoretical Hufnagel model and recently obtained experimental profiles. The efficiency of interest is considered through the Strehl ratio of the corrected image. The experimental profile used in calculations is a result of measurements carried out at the Observatorio Astronomica Nacional at San Pedro Mártir (Mexico). It is found that there is a significant difference in the efficiency calculated from both profiles because they differ strongly in structure. The experimental one has a pronounced layered structure with a great amount of the turbulence strength concentrated near the ground, while the theoretical profile suggests more smooth behavior of with altitude.