title: Study on the precision of the multiaperture scintillation sensor turbulence profiler (MASS) employed in the site testing campaign for the Thirty Meter Telescope.
abstract: The multiaperture scintillation sensor (MASS) has become a device widely employed to measure the altitude distribution of atmospheric turbulence. An empirical study is reported that investigates the dependence of the MASS results on the knowledge of the instrumental parameters. Also, the results of a side-by-side comparison of two MASS instruments are presented, indicating that MASS instruments permit measurements of the integrated seeing to a precision better than 0.05 arc sec and of the individual turbulence layer strength C(n)(2)(h)dh to better than 10(-14) m(1/3).
authors.affiliation: Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, Casilla, La Serena, Chile. sels@ctio.noao.edu
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Els
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schöck
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Seguel
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tokovinin
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kornilov
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Riddle
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Skidmore
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Travouillon
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vogiatzis
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Blum
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bustos
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gregory
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vasquez
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gillett