GeMS: first on-sky results

GeMS, the Gemini Laser Guide Star Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optics facility system, has seen first light in December 2011, and has already produced images with H band Strehl ratio in excess of 35% over fields of view of 85x85 arcsec, fulfilling the MCAO promise. In this paper, we report on these early results, analyze trends in performance, and concentrate on key or novel aspects of the system, like centroid gain estimation, on-sky non common path aberration estimation. We also present the first astrometric analysis, showing very encouraging results.

[1]  E. Fedrigo,et al.  Multiple field of view layer-oriented adaptive optics Nearly whole sky coverage on 8 m class telescopes and beyond , 2002 .

[2]  Bernard Delabre,et al.  On-sky Testing of the Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optics Demonstrator , 2007 .

[3]  Andrew Serio,et al.  Gemini South multi-conjugate adaptive optics (GeMS) laser guide star facility on-sky performance results , 2012, Other Conferences.

[4]  Gustavo Arriagada,et al.  The Gemini MCAO bench: system overview and lab integration , 2008, Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation.

[5]  B. Ellerbroek.  First-order performance evaluation of adaptive optics systems for atmospheric turbulence compensatio , 1994 .

[6]  Francois Rigaut,et al.  Identification and calibration of the interaction matrix parameters for AO and MCAO systems , 2012, Other Conferences.

[7]  Francois Rigaut,et al.  Reconstruction Strategies for GeMS , 2010 .

[8]  Sylvain Oberti,et al.  High SNR measurement of interaction matrix on-sky and in lab , 2006, SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation.

[9]  Gustavo Arriagada,et al.  GeMS: Gemini Mcao System: current status and commissioning plans , 2008, Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation.

[10]  Gustavo Arriagada,et al.  The Gemini South MCAO laser guide star facility: getting ready for first light , 2008, Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation.

[11]  Francois Rigaut,et al.  Principles, limitations, and performance of multiconjugate adaptive optics , 2000, Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation.

[12]  Eleazar R. Carrasco,et al.  Results from the commissioning of the Gemini South Adaptive Optics Imager (GSAOI) at Gemini South Observatory , 2012, Other Conferences.

[13]  Francois Rigaut,et al.  A Sample of GeMS Calibrations and Control Schemes , 2010 .

[14]  François Rigaut,et al.  Gemini South MCAO on-sky results , 2011 .

[15]  M. Lombini,et al.  The Gemini MCAO System GeMS: nearing the end of a lab-story , 2010, Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation.