Abstract 320

Submitted by Michael LLOYD-HART

Authors

M. Llyod-Hart, P. McCarthy, P. Hinz, R. Angel, D. Fabricant, M. Milton, K. Powell, C. Baranec, T. Stalcup

Affiliations

Steward Observatory, University of Arizona

Abstract

The Giant Magellan Telescope, a 24.5 m telescope to be built around seven circular co-phased primary mirror segments of 8.4 m diameter, will deploy advanced adaptive optics techniques for high resolution, high contrast, and wide-field imaging and spectroscopy. Of central importance is the adoption of an adaptive secondary mirror, constructed like the primary in seven circular segments. Six sodium laser guide stars will provide the majority of the wavefront information. In this talk I will describe the modes of adaptive optics planned for the telescope and the optical systems that will implement them. I will particularly focus on ground-layer adaptive optics, for which the GMT is uniquely well suited, and illustrate the importance of the technique for wide field applications with recent results from the multi-laser guide star adaptive optics system on the 6.5 m MMT telescope.