Abstract

The purpose of this project was to make use of commercially available, inexpensive hardware to investigate atmospheric phase distortions at optical wavelengths. Specifically, a CCD camera was used in a simple optical system to gather 2-D optical data using a star as a source. The optical system was controlled by a 486-based microcomputer and was developed for field use. Image spread and centroid data were collected from the camera array using both 7-D and 2-D methods of data analysis. Using FFTs, centroid motion analysis techniques, these data were used to form a model for the atmospheric modulation transfer function.

© 1991 Optical Society of America