Abstract

A recent prediction that existing large ground-based telescopes can achieve 0.050.1 arc sec resolution at infrared wavelengths by means of direct-imaging techniques has been experimentally confirmed. The 0.1 arc sec resolution actually obtained (during 1.5 arc-second seeing in the visible spectrum) is at odds with conventional theory, which predicts only marginal resolution improvement at infrared wavelengths. Conventional theory is based on the assumption that the outer scale limit Lo is much larger than any existing telescope and may possibly be many kilometers. However, much of the large-scale turbulence attributed to the atmosphere is simply the result of telescope oscillations and tracking errors. The new predictions are based on a much smaller Lo value of about 20 cm.

© 1990 Optical Society of America