Development of Image Stabilization System for the Kodaikanal Tower Telescope

Abstract

This M. Tech. project is a part of IIA’s internal project of developing and demonstrating a solar adaptive optics system. The Earth’s turbulent atmosphere distorts the light wave-fronts passing through it and thus impairs the resolution and the sensitivity of the ground-based telescopes. An image stabilization system aims to arrest the fast image motion induced by the atmosphere and thus forms the first step in any adaptive optics system. The main objective of this M. Tech. project is to design and develop an image stabilization system (ISS) for the KTT. This is achieved by introducing tilts at re-imaged pupil plane with a plane mirror mounted on a piezo-electic stage. In this report, the laboratory experimental setup of the ISS and the calibration of the piezoelectric stage are presented along with the current status andthe future directions.