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Abstract Review

Corresponding Author
Name
Lewis Roberts
Authors
NameAffiliation
L. William Bradford Boeing
Brandoch Calef Boeing
Abstract
Session1 (Instrumentation and observations to quantify the magnitude and distribution of atmospheric optical turbulence.)
Title'Haleakala Seeing Characterization and Improved Wind Models for Several Astronomical Observatories'
AbstractCharacterization of seeing at Haleakala has been on-going since at least the early 1960s. At various times, models for the turbulence profile above the site have been proposed. We are in the process of determining the profile, mostly through indirect measurements. In support of this, we have gathered r0 statistics, scintillation measurements and wind profile data.

The currently accepted CN2 profile for Haleakala is known as the Maui3 model. The Maui3 model was based upon Air Force Geophysics Laboratory's Maui Night model and r0 measurements recorded on Haleakala over a period of four years in 1986-1990. We validated the model by comparing the predictions of the model against r0 measurements made by the Day-Night Seeing Monitor on Haleakala in 2001-2003 and against scintillation index measurements measured at the 3.6-m AEOS Telescope on Haleakala.

There is a worldwide network of sites that launch balloon borne radiosonde instrument packages twice daily. We have taken the data from various sites near significant astronomical observatories and created averaged wind profiles. The astronomical observatories include Mauna Kea, Haleakala, Kitt Peak, Lowell Observatory, McDonald Observatory, Mt. Palomar, Lick Observatory, Tenerife and the Starfire Optical Range.

These wind profiles are derived from radiosonde data collected from 1974 to 2006. We show that the standard Bufton Model for average wind speed for the Hawaiian Islands has not changed in the past 30 years. We present modifications of this model for the other sites.

The standard model shows an average wind speed for the entire year; it also does not include wind direction. For all sites, the wind speed profile changes significantly over the year, as the speed of the lower jet changes. The wind direction also changes significantly.

Wind models are critical to modeling atmospheric scintillation and the Greenwood frequency. We demonstrate the need to include the proper wind direction in addition to the wind speed in simulations of scintillation by comparing the power spectra of intensity fluctuations from data measured on the

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Updated on: Wed, Dec 17 2014 - 1849 UTC
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