MAVIS: real-time wavefront estimation strategy

Abstract

The MCAO-Assisted Visible Imager and Spectrograph (MAVIS) will utilise the Adaptive Optics Facility of the ESO Very Large Telescope, UT4. In order to fully harness the resolving power of an 8 m telescope in the visible spectrum, the AO system of MAVIS must adhere to a tight wavefront error budget. The demanding performance requirements flow into all aspects of the MAVIS design, not the least of which is the wavefront estimation strategy, leveraging tomographic turbulence measurements from 3 natural guide stars and 8 laser guide stars, all coupled to Shack Hartmann wavefront sensors. In this paper, we summarise the wavefront estimation processes proposed for MAVIS. In a companion paper, we discuss the LGS WFS design.