Adaptive optics: a general purpose system for astronomy

Since approximately 5 years, several experimental Adaptive Optics Systems have been tested on different astronomical sites. This paper describes a general purpose AOS designed for new or existing telescopes for diameters ranging from 2 to 4 meters. Investigations on actually available Adaptive Mirrors and Wavefront sensors are made. The use of a bimorph mirror and simplified Shack Hartmann is proposed. Results of simulation to evaluate the Strehl ratios for different wavelengths are given versus seeing conditions and star magnitudes. This leads to the conclusion that low cost, turn key AOS are a new attractive possibility for Astronomy.