Ground-based spatial interferometers and atmospheric turbulence

The asymptotic and numerical analysis of the phase difference spectrum for stellar interferometers has been performed based on the development of models of atmospheric turbulence. Peculiarities of phase difference spectra as well as for a `small' and `large' baseline of interferometers are investigated. The influence of the outer scale of turbulence is under study. Different models of turbulence intensity, the outer scale of turbulence and wind velocity are used. The results of the fields measurements, carried out using stellar interferometers in different parts of the world, are analysed on the basis of the data available from the literature. In order for the results of measurements of phase difference fluctuations to become the basis for improving the model of a turbulent atmosphere the following parameters are required to be measured: initial altitude, value and direction of wind velocity relative to the orientation of the interferometer measuring baseline, as well as the value of contrast of the interference pattern (for estimating the Fried radius value at the operation wavelength).

[1]  M. Shao,et al.  Atmospheric phase measurements with the Mark III stellar interferometer. , 1987, Applied optics.

[2]  Claire E. Max,et al.  Modeling atmospheric turbulence effects on a ground-based interferometer , 1994, Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation.

[3]  Marc S. Sarazin,et al.  NOWCASTING ASTRONOMICAL SEEING: A STUDY OF ESO LA SILLA AND PARANAL , 1993 .

[4]  Christopher A. Haniff,et al.  Atmospheric phase fluctuation measurement: interferometric results from the WHT and COAST telescopes , 1994, Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation.

[5]  James W. Beletic,et al.  Measurements of the Angular Correlation of Stellar Centroid Motion , 1995 .

[6]  R. A. Silverman,et al.  Wave Propagation in a Turbulent Medium , 1961 .

[7]  C. Coulman,et al.  Outer scale of turbulence appropriate to modeling refractive-index structure profiles. , 1988, Applied optics.

[8]  Vladimir P. Lukin.  Optical measurements of the outer scale of the atmospheric turbulence , 1993, Defense, Security, and Sensing.

[9]  David F. Buscher.  A thousand and one nights of seeing on Mt. Wilson , 1994, Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation.

[10]  James H. Brown,et al.  Atmospheric Models Of Optical Turbulence , 1988, Defense, Security, and Sensing.

[11]  S. A. Collins,et al.  Outer-Scale Effects in Turbulence-Degraded Light-Beam Spectra* , 1972 .

[12]  Vladimir P. Lukin.  Investigation of some peculiarities in the structure of large-scale atmospheric turbulence , 1994, Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation.

[13]  Vladimir P. Lukin,et al.  Modeling of the image observed through a turbulent atmosphere , 1992, Defense, Security, and Sensing.

[14]  T. Mckechnie,et al.  Atmospheric turbulence and the resolution limits of large ground-based telescopes , 1992 .

[15]  V. Lukin,et al.  Optical wave phase fluctuations. , 1981, Applied optics.