2nd Laser Technology and Systems for Astronomy Workshop, March 26, 2007

2006 Workshop Fall 2007 Workshop

NOTE: The Workshop date has been changed to Monday, March 26, 2007 to accommodate more attendees.

Agenda

= = > Workshop AGENDA (pdf)

The CfAO Spring Retreat this year will be taking place at UC Santa Cruz March 26-29 (spring break week) and will consist of a series of topical workshops including a second "Laser Technology and Systems for Astronomy" one-day workshop, following on from the Yosemite meeting. The purpose of the workshop will be to foster information interchange between laser users and laser developers, discuss the challenging problems or limitations in laser performance, and create potential collaborations for CfAO research efforts in the remaining two years of the Center. Agenda topics might include

1. Status of the telescope LGS AO projects. 2nd generation laser requirements.
2. Sodium return signal measurements. Quantitative methods for characterizing the outgoing beam quality, spot size, and return signal, Laser to sodium coupling physics.
3. Key component technologies status (mixing crystals, fibers).
4. Methods of beam transport, projection, and uplink correction.
5. Lessons learned in field hardening for mountaintop operation.
6. Strategies for making the laser technology available to the astronomical community.

I welcome your ideas and suggestions! This is a follow-up to our November 2006 Sodium Laser Guidestar Workshop, at which we heard about some of the latest cutting edge developments.

Interactive web pages on Sodium Laser Guidestar research are now up and running. On these pages you will find: … table of lasers on-sky and reported characteristics … table of ongoing laser development projects … list of past and upcoming meetings … people contact list … blog area for commentary. The web pages are editable by everyone, just like “Wikipedia” pages. (To start editing or make entries to the blog, you just need to register, which is quick and easy. But you can peruse the pages without registering.)

As advance of the workshop, please send me or upload copies of your presentations that you are willing to share with your fellow colleagues. These should be prepared for general release to the public, since they will be posted to the workshop page. You might notice that I made an attempt to find the latest available reports and publications and put links to them in the tables on the SodiumLaserGuidestars page.

Invitees:

• • Sean Adkins, Keck Observatory
  • Roger Angel, University of Arizona Steward Observatory
  • Domenico Bonaccini, European Southern Observatory
  • Corinne Boyer, Thirty Meter Telescope Project
  • Jason Chin, Keck Observatory
  • Jay Dawson, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
  • Rich Dekany, Palomar Observatory
  • Craig Denman, Starfire Optical Range
  • Celine D'Orgeville, Gemini Observatory
  • Daren Dillon, Lick Observatory
  • Dan Eklund, NOAO
  • Brent Ellerbroek, Thirty Meter Telescope Project
  • Bob Fugate, New Mexico Tech and Starfire Optical Range
  • Don Gavel, Lick Observatory
  • Wolfgang Hackenberg, European Southern Observatory
  • Alan Hankla, Lockheed Martin Coherent Technology
  • Michael Lloyd-Hart, University of Arizona Steward Observatory
  • Paul Hillman, Starfire Optical Range
  • Masanori Iye, Subaru Telescope
  • Joe Janni, AMOS
  • Ed Kibblewhite, University of Chicago and Palomar Observatory
  • Ian McKinnie, Lockheed Martin Coherent Technology
  • Chris Neyman, Keck Observatory
  • Dee Pennington, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
  • Francois Rigaut, Gemini Observatory
  • Alan Tracy, Lockheed Martin Coherent Technology
  • Viswa Velur, Palomar Observatory
  • Peter Wizinowich, Keck Observatory

Again, my thanks to those who are participating in these workshops and I encourage you all to join in the discussions and planning for future workshops.

-- Donald Gavel

Presentations at the Workshop

• CfAO talk ii 03-07.ppt: Palomar, Ed Kibblewhite
• GeminiLaserProgram_CfAOspringRetreat2007.pdf: Gemini Laser Program Presentation
• CfAONeyman.ppt: Keck, Chris Neyman
• LickLaserGuidestar.ppt: UCO/Lick, Don Gavel
• CfAO 032607_TracyLMCT.ppt: Alen Tracy, LMCT
• CfAO Retreat March 2007_BonacciniESO.pps: ESO, Domenico Bonaccini Calia
• cfao spring retreat 2007_DawsonLLNL.ppt: LLNL, Jay Dawson
• Lasers for the Next-Generation Keck AO.ppt: Keck NGAO, Don Gavel
• TMT_laser_requirements_summary.doc: TMT first light laser requirements summary, Brent Ellerbroek
• broad_linewidth_CW_sources_guidestar_creation_efficiency.pdf: Laser Return Efficiency, Paul Hillman, SOR
• palomar_lgs_status_bouchez.pdf: Palomar LGS status - A. Bouchez