title: Estimating stochastic noise using in situ measurements from a linear wavefront slope sensor.
abstract: It is shown how the solenoidal component of noise from the measurements of a wavefront slope sensor can be utilized to estimate the total noise: specifically, the ensemble noise variance. It is well known that solenoidal noise is orthogonal to the reconstruction of the wavefront under conditions of low scintillation (absence of wavefront vortices). Therefore, it can be retrieved even with a nonzero slope signal present. By explicitly estimating the solenoidal noise from an ensemble of slopes, it can be retrieved for any wavefront sensor configuration. Furthermore, the ensemble variance is demonstrated to be related to the total noise variance via a straightforward relationship. This relationship is revealed via the method of the explicit estimation: it consists of a small, heuristic set of four constants that do not depend on the underlying statistics of the incoming wavefront. These constants seem to apply to all situations-data from a laboratory experiment as well as many configurations of numerical simulation-so the method is concluded to be generic.
authors.forename: Nazim Ali
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Bharmal
authors.forename: Andrew P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Reeves