Simulation of sodium LGS return flux formed by polarized light for astronomical observatories of the North Caucasus
L.A. Bolbasova, S.A. Ermakov, V.P. Lukin
V.E. Zuev Institute of Atmospheric Optics of Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science, Tomsk, Russia
Keywords: laser guide star, adaptive optics, atmospheric turbulence
Abstract
The results of numerical simulation of the return flux from a sodium laser guide star for atmospheric conditions of astronomical observatories of the North Caucasus are presented. The simulation was performed in accordance with modern concepts of the physics of the interaction of polarized laser radiation with mesospheric sodium atoms. Two cases are considered: the formation of an artificial reference source by laser radiation with circular and linear polarizations. The limitations of the photon flux due to the saturation effect are estimated.
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