Dome C site testing: long term statistics of integrated optical turbulence parameters at ground level

• Published in: Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union
• Main Authors: Aristidi, E., Agabi, A., Fossat, E., Ziad, A., Abe, L., Bondoux, E., Bouchez, G., Challita, Z., Jeanneaux, F., Mekarnia, D., Petermann, D., Pouzenc, C.
• Other Authors: 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), 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 Hippolyte Fizeau (FIZEAU), Laboratoire pluridisciplinaire de recherche en ingénierie des systèmes, mécanique et énergétique (PRISME), Université d'Orléans (UO)-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées - Centre Val de Loire (INSA CVL), Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA)-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA), Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille (LAM), Aix Marseille Université (AMU)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales Toulouse (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Observatoire Sirene
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2012
• Subjects: optical turbulence; atmospheric effects; site testing; [PHYS.ASTR]Physics [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph]; Canopus; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-02479109; https://hal.science/hal-02479109/document; https://hal.science/hal-02479109/file/aristidi_nots.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1017/S1743921312017036

International audience We present long term site testing statistics based on DIMM and GSM data obtained at Dome C, Antarctica. These data have been collected on the bright star Canopus since the end of 2003. We give values of the integrated turbulence parameters in the visible (wavelength 500 nm). The median value we obtained for the seeing are 1.2 arcsec, 2.0 arcsec and 0.8 arcsec at respective elevations of 8m, 3m and 20m above the ground. The isoplanatic angle median value is 4.0 arcsec and the median outer scale is 7.5m. We found that both the seeing and the isoplanatic angle exhibit a strong dependence with the season (the seeing is larger in winter while the isoplanatic angle is smaller).