GUIELOA, the Mexican adaptive optics system: expected performance and operation

We describe progress in the construction of an adaptive optics system for the 2.1 meter telescope of the Observatorio Astronomico Nacional on Sierra San Pedro Martir, in Baja California, Mexico. The system will use a 19 element bimorph deformable mirror mounted on an articulated platform and a curvature wavefront sensor with natural guide stars. It will have two modes of operation. In adaptive optics mode, it is expected to give excellent correction above 1.0 μm and good correction down to 0.6-0.9 μm, depending on the seeing, although the sky coverage will be limited. In fast guiding mode, the system should give images at or better than the excellent natural seeing of the site and have much greater sky coverage. The system is currently undergoing laboratory testing.