Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2008-01-19
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
8 pages, to appear in the SPIE proceedings "ELTs: Which Wavelengths?", from the Lund Symposium on occasion of Arne Ardeberg's
Scientific paper
10.1117/12.801279
The next generation of large ground-based optical and infrared telescopes will provide new challenges for designers of astronomical instrumentation. The varied science cases for these extremely large telescopes (ELTs) require a large range of angular resolutions, from near diffraction-limited performance via correction of atmospheric turbulence using adaptive optics (AO), to seeing-limited observations. Moreover, the scientific output of the telescopes must also be optimized with the consideration that, with current technology, AO is relatively ineffective at visible wavelengths, and that atmospheric conditions will often preclude high-performance AO. This paper explores some of the issues that arise when designing ELT instrumentation that operates across a range of angular resolutions and wavelengths. We show that instruments designed for seeing-limited or seeing-enhanced observations have particular challenges in terms of size and mass, while diffraction-limited instruments are not as straightforward as might be imagined.
Cunningham Colin
Evans Chris
Le Louarn Miska
Monnet Guy
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