Development of a low-cost adaptive optics system in optical for small telescopes

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25287033
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Astronomy
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Minezaki Takeo 東京大学, 理学(系)研究科(研究院), 助教 (60292835)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): OYA Shin 国立天文台, TMT推進室, 特任准教授 (80399287)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 補償光学 / 光赤外線天文学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We develop a low-cost adaptive optics system in optical wavelength for small telescopes. It aims to obtain high angular-resolution images that are only achieved by the Hubble space telescope or by the giant telescopes with sophisticated and expensive adaptive optics systems in near-infrared. Commercially available components will be extensively used in our system for cost reduction, in particular, we adopt a inexpensive piezoelectric deformable mirror as a key component. The fabrication of a adaptive optics system for the optical observations using the telescopes with an aperture diameter of 1-1.5 m was completed. We are making an adjustment and examining its performance in laboratory, and after that, we are planning to carry out a test observation using a small telescope in Japan. We are also preparing an observation using a small telescope built at the site where the weather condition is excellent in the world to examine the real performance of our low-cost adaptive optics system.

Free Research Field

光赤外線天文学