Nighttime Optical Turbulence Vertical Structure above Dome C in Antarctica
International audience During the austral winter 2005, the first astronomical site testing campaign were performed at Dome C, in Antarctica. Thirty-five meteorological balloons equipped with microthermal sensors were used to sense the vertical profile of the optical turbulence intensity above Dome C...
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Online Access: | https://hal.science/hal-02455065 https://doi.org/10.1086/528808 |
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ftunivcotedazur:oai:HAL:hal-02455065v1 2023-10-09T21:45:21+02:00 Nighttime Optical Turbulence Vertical Structure above Dome C in Antarctica Trinquet, Hervé Agabi, Abdelkrim Vernin, Jean Azouit, Max Aristidi, Eric Fossat, Eric Laboratoire Hippolyte Fizeau (FIZEAU) Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (1965 - 2019) (UNS)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)-Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Laboratoire Universitaire d'Astrophysique de Nice (LUAN) Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (1965 - 2019) (UNS)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Joseph Louis LAGRANGE (LAGRANGE) 2008-02 https://hal.science/hal-02455065 https://doi.org/10.1086/528808 en eng HAL CCSD Astronomical Society of the Pacific info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1086/528808 hal-02455065 https://hal.science/hal-02455065 BIBCODE: 2008PASP.120.203T doi:10.1086/528808 ISSN: 0004-6280 EISSN: 1538-3873 Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific https://hal.science/hal-02455065 Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 2008, 120 (864), pp.203-211. ⟨10.1086/528808⟩ [PHYS.ASTR]Physics [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph] info:eu-repo/semantics/article Journal articles 2008 ftunivcotedazur https://doi.org/10.1086/528808 2023-09-12T23:24:26Z International audience During the austral winter 2005, the first astronomical site testing campaign were performed at Dome C, in Antarctica. Thirty-five meteorological balloons equipped with microthermal sensors were used to sense the vertical profile of the optical turbulence intensity above Dome C up to 20 km. All the profiles of the 2005 campaign are statistically analyzed. We provide the median profiles and the mean potential temperature, mean horizontal wind speed, and mean direction profiles for the three seasons covered by this campaign (autumn, winter, and beginning of the spring). The structure of the optical turbulence in the atmosphere above Dome C is analyzed and compared with the well-known median profiles of midlatitude sites. Of the whole optical turbulence, 80% lies within the first 33 m above the ground and 9% in the upper part of the boundary layer, between 33 m and 1 km above the ground. The remaining 11% are in the free atmosphere. This is an extreme situation when compared with “classical” midlatitude sites where the surface layer extends up to 200 m. This strong and thin surface layer is the result of the kinetic turbulent mixing of air combined with a strong potential temperature gradient. The site is characterized from the adaptive optics point of view. Seeing, isoplanatic angle, and coherence time are estimated for each considered seasons. A four-layer decomposition for each season is provided for adaptive optics simulations. For high angular astronomy, a telescope at Dome C needs to be elevated over this surface layer, or a specific GLAO needs to be designed. Combined with the unique possibility of performing continuous observation from Antarctica, scientific programs such as microlensing, pulsating stars, and asteroseismology become feasible. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctica HAL Université Côte d'Azur Austral Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific 120 864 203 211 |
institution |
Open Polar |
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HAL Université Côte d'Azur |
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ftunivcotedazur |
language |
English |
topic |
[PHYS.ASTR]Physics [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph] |
spellingShingle |
[PHYS.ASTR]Physics [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph] Trinquet, Hervé Agabi, Abdelkrim Vernin, Jean Azouit, Max Aristidi, Eric Fossat, Eric Nighttime Optical Turbulence Vertical Structure above Dome C in Antarctica |
topic_facet |
[PHYS.ASTR]Physics [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph] |
description |
International audience During the austral winter 2005, the first astronomical site testing campaign were performed at Dome C, in Antarctica. Thirty-five meteorological balloons equipped with microthermal sensors were used to sense the vertical profile of the optical turbulence intensity above Dome C up to 20 km. All the profiles of the 2005 campaign are statistically analyzed. We provide the median profiles and the mean potential temperature, mean horizontal wind speed, and mean direction profiles for the three seasons covered by this campaign (autumn, winter, and beginning of the spring). The structure of the optical turbulence in the atmosphere above Dome C is analyzed and compared with the well-known median profiles of midlatitude sites. Of the whole optical turbulence, 80% lies within the first 33 m above the ground and 9% in the upper part of the boundary layer, between 33 m and 1 km above the ground. The remaining 11% are in the free atmosphere. This is an extreme situation when compared with “classical” midlatitude sites where the surface layer extends up to 200 m. This strong and thin surface layer is the result of the kinetic turbulent mixing of air combined with a strong potential temperature gradient. The site is characterized from the adaptive optics point of view. Seeing, isoplanatic angle, and coherence time are estimated for each considered seasons. A four-layer decomposition for each season is provided for adaptive optics simulations. For high angular astronomy, a telescope at Dome C needs to be elevated over this surface layer, or a specific GLAO needs to be designed. Combined with the unique possibility of performing continuous observation from Antarctica, scientific programs such as microlensing, pulsating stars, and asteroseismology become feasible. |
author2 |
Laboratoire Hippolyte Fizeau (FIZEAU) Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (1965 - 2019) (UNS)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)-Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Laboratoire Universitaire d'Astrophysique de Nice (LUAN) Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (1965 - 2019) (UNS)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Joseph Louis LAGRANGE (LAGRANGE) |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Trinquet, Hervé Agabi, Abdelkrim Vernin, Jean Azouit, Max Aristidi, Eric Fossat, Eric |
author_facet |
Trinquet, Hervé Agabi, Abdelkrim Vernin, Jean Azouit, Max Aristidi, Eric Fossat, Eric |
author_sort |
Trinquet, Hervé |
title |
Nighttime Optical Turbulence Vertical Structure above Dome C in Antarctica |
title_short |
Nighttime Optical Turbulence Vertical Structure above Dome C in Antarctica |
title_full |
Nighttime Optical Turbulence Vertical Structure above Dome C in Antarctica |
title_fullStr |
Nighttime Optical Turbulence Vertical Structure above Dome C in Antarctica |
title_full_unstemmed |
Nighttime Optical Turbulence Vertical Structure above Dome C in Antarctica |
title_sort |
nighttime optical turbulence vertical structure above dome c in antarctica |
publisher |
HAL CCSD |
publishDate |
2008 |
url |
https://hal.science/hal-02455065 https://doi.org/10.1086/528808 |
geographic |
Austral |
geographic_facet |
Austral |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctica |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctica |
op_source |
ISSN: 0004-6280 EISSN: 1538-3873 Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific https://hal.science/hal-02455065 Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 2008, 120 (864), pp.203-211. ⟨10.1086/528808⟩ |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1086/528808 hal-02455065 https://hal.science/hal-02455065 BIBCODE: 2008PASP.120.203T doi:10.1086/528808 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1086/528808 |
container_title |
Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific |
container_volume |
120 |
container_issue |
864 |
container_start_page |
203 |
op_container_end_page |
211 |
_version_ |
1779317820145795072 |