Accession Number:

ADA021943

Title:

AMOS (ARPA Maui Optical Station) Seeing Quality Measurements

Descriptive Note:

Technical rept.,

Corporate Author:

ROME AIR DEVELOPMENT CENTER GRIFFISS AFB NY

Personal Author(s):

• Greenwood, Darryl P.
• Tarazano, Donald O.
• Haugen, Duane A.
• Kellen, Paul F.
• Miller, Merlin G.

Report Date:

1976-01-01

Pagination or Media Count:

80.0

Abstract:

During the month of August 1974, a series of experiments was conducted at the ARPA Maui Optical Station AMOS on Mt. Haleakala, Maui, Hawaii. The objectives were to quantify astronomical seeing conditions, and to determine if the seeing quality has been degraded by the presence of the site structures. Instruments used were an acoustic sounder to probe the altitudes of 100 to 1000 ft, finewire microthermal probes to measure local turbulence in and around the domes and a Hartmann sensor to provide integrated strengths of turbulence for the entire atmosphere. According to fine-wire probe data, local turbulence can be on occasion a significant factor in degrading seeing. These sensors noted some thermal contamination from one of the domes which was in a nearly operational configuration. The acoustic sounder indicated that the strengths of turbulence in 100 to 1000 ft altitude are not sufficient to degrade seeing. Finally, the Hartmann device recorded significantly more degradation than was seen by either of the other two probes. It is speculated that there is significant turbulence at high altitude temperature inversions such as at the tropopause.

Descriptors:

• *LIGHT TRANSMISSION
• *OBSERVATORIES
• *OPTICAL IMAGES
• ATMOSPHERIC MOTION
• ELECTROMAGNETIC PROBES
• HAWAII
• MEASUREMENT
• PROPAGATION
• THERMAL RADIATION
• TROPOPAUSE
• TURBULENCE
• VISIBILITY

Subject Categories:

• Atmospheric Physics
• Optics

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE