MOSE: optical turbulence and atmospherical parameters operational forecast at ESO ground-based sites. I: Overview and atmospherical parameters vertical stratification on [0-20] km

摘要

We present the overview of the MOSE project (MOdeling ESO Sites) aiming atproving the feasibility of the forecast of the classical atmosphericalparameters (wind speed intensity and direction, temperature, relative humidity)and the optical turbulence OT (CN2 profiles and the most relevant integratedastro-climatic parameters derived from the CN2: the seeing, the isoplanaticangle, the wavefront coherence time) above the two ESO ground-based sites ofCerro Paranal and Cerro Armazones. The final outcome of the study is toinvestigate the opportunity to implement an automatic system for the forecastof these parameters at these sites. In this paper we present results related tothe Meso-Nh model ability in reconstructing the vertical stratification of theatmospherical parameters along the 20 km above the ground. The verysatisfactory performances shown by the model in reconstructing most of theseparameters (and in particular the wind speed) put this tool of investigation asthe most suitable to be used in astronomical observatories to support AOfacilities and to calculate the temporal evolution of the wind speed and thewavefront coherence time at whatever temporal sampling. The further greatadvantage of this solution is that such estimates can be available in advance(order of some hours) with respect to the time of interest