Abstract

We intend to show the potential of the numerical simulation of atmospheric turbulence to help find optimal sites for astronomical observation. We present results obtained with an atmospheric model, in which a representation of turbulence has been included. The model simulates the atmospheric flow over any given area, including the gross characteristics of the turbulence, from which maps of the astronomical seeing can be retrieved. A validation of the approach is obtained with actual measurements of the seeing, taken during field campaigns on two different sites. We find a good correlation in time between the observed and simulated values of the seeing, and we argue that this result can be extrapolated to space correlations.

© 1995 Optical Society of America

Mesoscale optical turbulence simulations above Tibetan Plateau: first attempt

Chun Qing, Xiaoqing Wu, Xuebin Li, Tao Luo, Changdong Su, and Wenyue Zhu
Opt. Express 28(4) 4571-4586 (2020)

Optical seeing—mechanism of formation of thin turbulent laminae in the atmosphere

C. E. Coulman, J. Vernin, and A. Fuchs
Appl. Opt. 34(24) 5461-5474 (1995)

Continuous daytime and nighttime forecast of atmospheric optical turbulence from numerical weather prediction models

Florian Quatresooz, Ryan Griffiths, Lisa Bardou, Richard Wilson, James Osborn, Danielle Vanhoenacker-Janvier, and Claude Oestges
Opt. Express 31(21) 33850-33872 (2023)

Investigation of Hill’s optical turbulence model by means of direct numerical simulation

Andreas Muschinski and Stephen M. de Bruyn Kops
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 32(12) 2423-2430 (2015)

Interferometric seeing measurements on Mt. Wilson: power spectra and outer scales

D. F. Buscher, J. T. Armstrong, C. A. Hummel, A. Quirrenbach, D. Mozurkewich, K. J. Johnston, C. S. Denison, M. M. Colavita, and M. Shao
Appl. Opt. 34(6) 1081-1096 (1995)