Adaptive optics is set to revolutionise the future of astronomy; this is the first book on the subject and is set to become the standard reference.

This book by one of the leaders in adaptive optics covers the fundamental theory and then describes in detail how this technology can be applied to large ground-based telescopes to compensate for the effects of atmospheric turbulence. It includes information on basic adaptive optics components and technology, and has chapters devoted to atmospheric turbulence, optical image structure, laser beacons, and overall system design. The chapter on system design is particularly detailed and includes performance estimation and optimization. Combining a clear discussion of physical principles with numerous real-world examples, this book will be a valuable resource for all graduate students and researchers in astronomy and optics.

The blossoming of adaptive optical techniques has brought about a revolution in the field of astronomical observation. Coupled with the new generation of large, ground-based telescopes, it allows us to achieve an unprecendented angular resolution in the analysis of faint astronomical sources at optical wavelengths. This book provides the basic concepts of adaptive optics, discusses the possible instrumental strategies and the state-of-the-art technical achievements of this development and presents the key astrophysical programs which will most benefit from it. Over fifteen well-known experts have contributed to making this volume a comprehensive one, with steady progression as well as full coverage of the various aspects of the field. Students graduating in optical sciences and astrophysics, astronomers, engineers interested in atmospheric turbulence compensation will find this book a reference text on the subject.

Adaptive optics allows the theoretical limit of angular resolution to be achieved from a large telescope, despite the presence of turbulence. Thus an eight meter class telescope, such as one of the four in the Very Large Telescope operated by ESO in Chile, will in future be routinely capable of an angular resolution of almost 0.01 arcsec, compared tot he present resolution of about 0.5 arcsec for conventional imaging in good condition. All the world's major telescopes either have adaptive optics or are in the process of building AO systems. It turns out that a reasonable fraction of the sky can be observed using adaptive optics, with moderately good imaging quality, provided imaging in done in the near IR. To move out of the near IR, with its relatively poor angular resolution, astronomers need a laser guide star. There is a layer of Na atoms at approximately 90 km altitude that can be excited by a laser to produce such a source, or Rayleigh scattering can be employed lower in the atmosphere. But the production and use of laser guide stars is not trivial, and the key issues determining their successful implementation are discussed here, including the physics of the Na atom, the cone effect, tilt determination, sky coverage, and numerous potential astronomical applications.

Adaptive optics systems and components have achieved a level of sophistication and simplicity that goes beyond traditional applications in astronomy and the military and into developments in medicine, manufacturing, and communications. This book was written for those interested in the multidisciplinary technology and those who need a broad-brush explanation without wading through thousands of journal articles. It follows the structure of a one-day tutorial taught by the author, including humor and sidebars of historical material.

Adaptive optics is a field which is coming into its own with new discoveries occurring almost daily both in astronomy and in applications of AO in applied fields. In an adaptive optics system, the output from a wavefront sensor is used to calculate corrections that actively remove distortions from an image. The applications of adaptive optics in vision science have received considerable impetus from the knowledge developed by astronomers about how to correct images using AO technology. It is expected that developments in adaptive optics will radically change the face of astronomy in the 21st century. These systems will largely overcome the main limitation of ground-based telescopes, namely the severe reduction in image quality caused by turbulence in the Earth's atmosphere. Intended for use at near infrared wavelengths, adaptive optics allow imaging and spectroscopy at the limit of resolution imposed by optical diffraction an advance in astronomer's ability to view the heavens unparalleled since the invention of the telescope. AO is now also entering clinical medicine in the field of ophthalmology and other related fields. This new book presents several hundred current abstracts in the field, each fully indexed, for ease of access and contains a CD ROM for further research.

Adaptive Optics (AO) is a technique allowing the manipulation of the wavefront of the light benefitting multiple fields like Microscopy, Optical Coherence Tomography, Visual Testing, Optical Communications, and Astronomical Optics, just to mention some examples. Handbook of Adaptive Optics contains a complete picture of the technique from the foundations to the most promising applications of AO in a variety of fields. Within this book, the reader will find different sections, including: a complete and rigorous introduction to the foundation of the technique from a general perspective, providing the reader a solid basis in AO with particular emphasis on wavefront sensing methods and aberration correctors. It also discusses state-of-the-art applications and industrial usages with their particular constraints and methods to incorporate AO, like in some imaging techniques of importance for Biomedical Optics, in Astronomy and for Visual Optics. Furthermore, it explores discussions of the future of AO together with some of the most exciting emerging applications, including quantum technologies, scattering correction, space telescopes, and discrete AO, among others. This timely handbook will be an important companion to those starting in the field, but it will also serve as a comprehensive resource for researchers and experts who are already working with AO.

Advances in adaptive optics technology and applications move forward at a rapid pace. The basic idea of wavefront compensation in real-time has been around since the mid 1970s. The first widely used application of adaptive optics was for compensating atmospheric turbulence effects in astronomical imaging and laser beam propagation. While some topics have been researched and reported for years, even decades, new applications and advances in the supporting technologies occur almost daily. This book brings together 11 original chapters related to adaptive optics, written by an international group of invited authors. Topics include atmospheric turbulence characterization, astronomy with large telescopes, image post-processing, high power laser distortion compensation, adaptive optics and the human eye, wavefront sensors, and deformable mirrors.

Principles of Adaptive Optics describes the foundations, principles, and applications of adaptive optics (AO) and its enabling technologies. Addressing the fundamentals of AO at the core of new uses in biomedical imaging, communications, high-energy lasers, and astronomy, this fully revised and significantly expanded Fourth Edition:Contains all-new

This handbook supplies analytical tools for the design and development of adaptive optics systems to enhance their ability to adjust for atmospheric turbulence, optical fabrication errors, thermally induced distortions, and laser device aberrations. It provides recommendations for selecting, testing and installing a wavefront compensation system.