Astronomy and Astrophysics

ASTR 136E Advanced Astronomy Lab: Adaptive Optics

Students use a laboratory optics kit to identify the major components of an adaptive optics system and explain the role of each one. Using a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor to examine aberrated and unaberrated wavefronts, students analyze the effect of closing the AO correction loop. Course is part of the ASTR 136 collection of 2-credit advanced labs. Class meets in person over a three-week period. All data acquisition will be in the laboratory, there is no nighttime observing component to this lab.

Requirements

Prerequisite(s): PHYS 133, and one of the following: ASTR 119, ASTR 19, or CSE 20. Enrollment is restricted to senior physics-astrophysics majors, and juniors by permission.

Credits

2