First Results of the Ground Layer Adaptive Optics System ARGOS - eScholarship

We present the first results of Argos, the multiple laser guide star and wavefront sensing facility for the Large Binocular Telescope. This system will deliver an improvement by a factor of two in FWHM over the 4′×4′ field of view of both Luci instruments. Luci 1 and Luci 2 are two near-infrared wide field imagers and multi-object spectrographs which capability and efficiency will be boosted by the increased resolution and encircled energy.The first on-sky ground-layer adaptive optics (GLAO) loop closure with Argos has been achieved in Fall 2014 on the right eye of the telescope. Stable operations in closed-loop have been demonstrated in May 2015 with hour-long integration and repeated good performances over several nights. Since then, the commissioning has been proceeding with the installation of the left system and the beginning of the left on-sky operations in this Fall 2015. The next achievements will be to strengthen the operational aspects and to perform science demonstration in both imaging and spectroscopic modes. We first present the current status of the project and review the operational aspects. Then, we analyze the first combined Luci and Argos observations and discuss the performances and the gains provided by Argos in term of scientific capabilities.