Performance Modeling for the RAVEN Multi-Object Adaptive Optics Demonstrator

ABSTRACT RAVEN will be a Multi-Object Adaptive Optics (MOAO) technology and science demonstrator on the Subaru telescope. The baseline design calls for three natural guide star (NGS) wavefront sensors (WFS) and two science pickoff arms that will patrol a ∼2′ diameter field of regard (FOR). Sky coverage is an important consideration, because RAVEN is both a technical and science demonstrator. Early-stage simulation of RAVEN's performance is critical in establishing that the key science requirement can be met. That is, 30% of the energy of an unresolved point-spread function (PSF) be ensquared within a 140 mas slit using existing WFS camera and deformable mirror (DM) technology. The system was simulated with two independent modeling tools, MAOS and OOMAO, which were in excellent agreement. It was established that RAVEN will be an order 10 × 10 adaptive optics (AO) system by examining the tradeoffs between performance, sky coverage, and WFS field of view. The 30% ensquared-energy (EE) requirement will be met with three NGSs and will exceed 40% if the Subaru Laser Guide Star (LGS) is used on-axis (assuming median image quality). This is also true for NGSs as faint as mR = 14.5.