DR. ERIC TATULLI

The concept of using artificial Laser Guide Stars (LGS) for Adaptive Optics systems has been proposed to increase sky coverage by enabling to partially correct the effects of the atmospheric turbulence in regions where no bright natural guide stars are present in the vicinity of the astrophysical source of interest. When using several LGS at the same time, the so-called Laser Tomography Adaptive Optics (LTAO) technique allows to perform a 3D mapping of the atmospheric volume above the telescope, hence to provide a significant correction of the effects of the turbulence. After a description of the concept of LTAO and a presentation of my theoretical modelling, the speaker will emphasize the high potential of the technique as well as its fundamental limits. Then, considering as practical examples existing telescopes already equipped with Laser Guide Stars, he will comment on the performance that can be expected with such a method.