Laser guide star in adaptive optics: the tilt determination problem.

Abstract

The use of laser beacons to create artificial reference stars for adaptive optics has been successfully demonstrated by several experiments (Fugate et al., 1991, Nat., 353; Primmerman et al., 1991, Nat., 353). Nevertheless, laser beacons do not allow the global wave-front tilt determination, which relies then on the availability of a natural reference star. Taking into account the photon noise and the anisoplanatic errors, we compare the performance of adaptive optics correction using natural or artificial (laser) reference star