We describe the principle of the polychromatic laser guide star (LGS) to recover the tilt information in imaging through the atmosphere. Observations using the AVLIS laser at the Lawrence Livermore National Lab are discussed in terms of returned flux in the ultraviolet. The major items of the program ELP-OA, starting now in France, are briefly reviewed, as well as the organization of the LGS R&D in Europe. Finally the conclusion outlines the possible improvements of the polychromatic LGS to allow us to reasonably implement it at large astronomical telescopes.

Date Published: 14 September 1998
PDF: 11 pages
Proc. SPIE 3343, High-Power Laser Ablation, (14 September 1998); doi: 10.1117/12.321566

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 3343:
High-Power Laser Ablation
Claude R. Phipps, Editor(s)