First light for the sodium laser guide star adaptive optics system on the Lijiang 1.8m telescope

Abstract

A first generation sodium Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics System (LGS-AOS) was developed and integrated into the Lijiang 1.8m telescope in 2013. The LGS-AOS has three sub-systems: (1) a 20 W long pulsed sodium laser, (2) a 300-millimeter-diameter laser launch telescope, and (3) a 37-element compact adaptive optics system. On 2014 January 25, we obtained high resolution images of an mV 8.18 star, HIP 43963, during the first light of the LGS-AOS. In this paper, the sodium laser, the laser launch telescope, the compact adaptive optics system and the first light results will be presented.