title: Estimating the effects of structural vibration on adaptive optics system performance.
abstract: This paper presents analytical tools developed for estimating the effects of structural vibration on closed-loop adaptive optics system image quality. The general equation for the normalized intensity distribution of an image subject to structural vibration is derived. The resulting two-dimensional theoretical point spread function is computed numerically and compared with empirical data obtained on sky at the Multiple Mirror Telescope Observatory. A simplified analytical expression for the normalized intensity distribution is derived for long exposures and used to quantify the effects on Strehl and spot full width at half-maximum as a function of vibration amplitude, telescope diameter, and observation wavelength.
authors: Multiple Mirror Telescope Observatory, Tucson, Arizona 85721-0065, USA. kpowell@as.arizona.edu
authors: Keith
authors: K
authors: Powell