Integrating MATLAB and IDL: Adding Adaptive Optics to the TMT/VLOT Integrated Model

摘要

The next generation of ground-based telescopes will have apertures of 20 meters or more and will be increasingly dependent on active and adaptive optics (AO) to deliver good image quality. A numerical model of the complete telescope system, including optical, mechanical, and atmospheric seeing effects, will be a vital tool during the design process. The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) / Very Large Optical Telescope (VLOT) Integrated Model (IM) is written in MATLAB and runs on a Windows PC. One goal of the IM is to study the interaction of various AO designs with several telescope configurations. This requires the inclusion of an AO simulation engine; the IDL-based CAOS code was chosen as a starting point. Socket based software was developed to allow MATLAB MEX functions called from the IM to control the CAOS code running on a Linux PC. Software was also developed to allow MATLAB MEX functions to interact with IDL on the same Windows computer using callable IDL.