The Gemini North (GN) AO system, Altair, has been routinely operating in LGS mode since 2007. Due to the initial
optical design, the NGS field-of-view (FoV) is limited to a radius ~ 25" which limits the potential science. To improve
this, we have tested the AO/LGS operation using a peripheral wavefront sensor (PWFS) whose patrol field is ~ 4'-7'
from the target. This expanded NGS FoV permits greater sky coverage but with decreased resolution, FWHM ~ 0.1" -
0.2" making this mode very suitable for non-imaging spectrographic and integral field unit observations. We present the
hardware and software upgrades to PWFS and Altair as well as the software necessary for making this observing mode a
routine and integral part of GN operations. Characterization and performance of this new operation mode, known as
LGS+P1, are presented.
Since March 2005 Gemini North Observatory routinely propagates a 12W solid state sodium laser into the night sky as
part of Adaptive Optics imaging on dimmer portions of the celestial sphere. Gemini along with Keck and Subaru
telescopes have created aircraft spotting programs to meet the FAA's rules for aircraft avoidance for outdoor laser
propagation.
This paper reviews the GN laser safety protocol for the outdoor use of lasers and assessment of the risks considered as
part of outdoor laser propagation. We will show the results of Gemini's Aircraft Spotter program, and its continuous
development over the past 5 years.
As part of a continuous improvement activity Gemini in conjunction with the other laser equipped MK Observatories,
Keck and Subaru, is currently testing the use of an all sky camera (ASCAM) to monitor the night sky and shutter the
laser for air traffic over the Mauna Kea summit, HI. Use of the ASCAM is expected to increase the efficiency and
accuracy of the aircraft spotting program. Gemini not only complies with, but strives to exceed the strict FAA rules for
aircraft avoidance for outdoor laser propagation. The creation and implementation of the ASCAM is reviewed in this
paper.
We report on the successful delivery of a 30 W solid-state sodium Guide Star Laser System (GLS) to the W. M. Keck
Observatory in 2009, and the demonstration of a 55 W GLS delivered to the Gemini South Observatory in 2010. This
paper describes the GLS performance results of both the Keck I and Gemini South GLSs with an emphasis on the system
design and delivered performance. The 589 nm output was generated via Sum Frequency Mixing (SFM) of 1064 nm
and 1319 nm Nd:YAG lasers in a LBO (Lithium Triborate) nonlinear crystal. The Keck GLS underwent extensive
testing and has demonstrated consistent performance with a CW mode-locked output of > 30 W and measured beam
quality of M2 < 1.2 while locked to the sodium D2a transition. The Keck GLS was installed on the telescope in late 2009
and first light on the sky was achieved in early 2010. Factory testing of the Gemini South GLS shows a CW modelocked
output of > 55 W and measured M2 ~1.2 while locked to the sodium D2a line center. The Gemini South GLS has
produced a maximum power of 76 W at 589 nm with 85 W of 1319 nm and 110 W of 1064 nm as inputs to the SFM,
representing a single-pass conversion efficiency of 39%.
The Gemini North telescope has been providing Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics (LGS AO) regular science queue
observations for worldwide astronomers since February 2007. In this paper we comment on the reliability of the Laser
Guide Star Facility high-power solid-state laser during normal operations, and discuss progress made on various issues
that will enable a "turn-key" operation mode for the laser system. In this effort to produce consistent, stable and
controlled laser parameters (power, wavelength and beam quality) we completed a failure mode effect analysis of the
laser system and sub systems that initiated a campaign of hardware upgrades and procedural improvements to the routine
maintenance operations. These upgrades are discussed, including pump laser diode replacements, as well as sum
frequency generation (SFG) crystal degradation along with our detailed plans to improve overall laser reliability, and
availability. Finally, we provide an overview of normal operation procedures during LGS runs and present a snapshot of
data accumulated over several years that describes the overall LGS AO observing efficiency at the Gemini North
telescope.
A 20W 355nm DPSS Q-switched nanosecond pulse width laser, with external beam-splitting optics, was used to simultaneously ablate two 600μm deep, 140μm wide, 13.4mm long blind trenches in silicon using a five line wide cut strategy, achieving a 1.22x throughput improvement compared with a single-beam 20W laser configuration. Improved split-beam throughput was achieved because overhead time consisting of non-cut time during galvanometer retrace and turn-around movements and the time taken to ablate shoulder formations, were found to be approximately independent of laser power. With this split-beam approach, where two identical trenches are simultaneously cut, overhead time is split between the two trenches when cut time/die is calculated, halving the effective overhead time/die, and thereby improving throughput. Specific throughput improvement depends upon cut strategy, trench size, and insertion loss of the beam-splitting optics.
Beam splitting optics consisted of a half-wave plate, Glan-laser polarizing prism, and mirror. Making use of the linear polarization characteristic of laser light, rotation of the half-wave plate was used to adjust the relative power in each beam, and thereby equalize the ablation rate of each beam. Adjustment of the mirror angle determined the separation between the two trenches.
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