| Name: | Aparna Sekhar E R |
| Affiliation: | Cochin University of science and Technology |
| Conference ID: | ASI2025_328 |
| Title: | Modeling Optical Performance in Integrated Model of Segmented Mirror Telescopes |
| Authors: | Aparna Sekhar E R 1, Prasanna Deshmukh 2 |
| Authors Affiliation: | 1 Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kochi-682022, India
2 Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangaluru-560034, India |
| Mode of Presentation: | Oral |
| Abstract Category: | Facilities, Technologies and Data science |
| Abstract: | This project presents advanced modeling and simulation studies of the Large Segmented Mirror
Telescope utilizing the SMT Integrated Modeling Tool (codeSMT), currently being developed at the
Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA). A crucial focus of this study is the optical performance modeling
of the segmented mirror telescope under dynamic conditions of Atmospheric Seeing. This study will
aid in the optimal design and performance prediction of the National Large Optical Telescope
(NLOT).
In the first phase, we generated atmospheric turbulence phase screen to simulate the impact of
atmospheric conditions on the phase of light wavefront as they propagate through Earth’s
atmosphere. Our analysis reveals the effects of turbulence on point spread functions (PSFs),
providing insight into how atmospheric distortions can degrade image quality.
In the second phase, we modeled the adaptive optics (AO) system for the NLOT, specifically
addressing lower-order aberrations such as tip and tilt. By correcting for tip-tilt aberrations, we
demonstrate an improvement in the image quality. This correction is vital, as it effectively mitigates
a substantial portion of the atmospheric aberrations that distort incoming wavefront. To implement
this correction, we employed a zonal sensing method, which divides the wavefront into multiple
zones. The deviations from a plane wavefront are measured using quad-cell photodetectors, whose
dimensions are carefully selected to align with the expected PSF size. Our findings underscore the
importance of optical performance modeling in optimal design and performance prediction of the
large Segmented Mirror Telescopes. |
