Scientists See Better, Fainter with New Keck Laser Guide Star (Forwarded)

W.M. Keck Observatory
Kamuela, Hawaii

Media Contact:
Laura K. Kraft, (808) 885-7887

January 10, 2006

Scientists See Better, Fainter with New Keck Laser Guide Star

WASHINGTON, D. C. -- A new sodium laser is giving 50 times more sky
coverage to the atmospheric-correcting technology known as adaptive
optics on the Keck II telescope at Mauna Kea, Hawaii. The laser lets
scientists explore most of the sky with adaptive optics and gives them
the capability to study objects that were previously too faint to be
seen with the system. Since 1999, Keck Adaptive Optics has provided 10
times more resolving power than what could otherwise be achieved from
the ground. The results are producing infrared images from the ground
comparable -- and often better -- than those taken from space.

"This has been the most exciting technological and scientific
breakthrough for the Observatory in the last decade. It may forever
change the way we do astronomy from the ground," said W. M. Keck
Observatory Director Fred Chaffee. "We are entering a new, extraordinary
era of discovery."

After just one year of regular scientific use, the Keck Laser Guide Star
Adaptive Optics system is producing spectacular results and advancing
research in several fields of astronomical study. Findings include the
discovery of new asteroids, moons and planetoids in our solar system,
the detection of new brown dwarf binary systems -- including a strange
new kind of binary, observations of physical processes taking place near
a supermassive black hole, and new findings about extremely distant
supernovae and young galaxies.

The technique of adaptive optics uses visible light from a bright star
to measure and correct for atmospheric distortions at infrared
wavelengths. But only about two percent of the sky has stars bright
enough to use with adaptive optics. The Keck Laser Guide Star system
overcomes this limitation by creating an artificial star anywhere in the
sky. The W. M. Keck Observatory is the only 8-10 meter class facility in
the world currently providing this capability to observers.

"The wish list for astronomers is pretty simple," said Dr. David Le
Mignant, adaptive optics scientist at the W. M. Keck Observatory.
"First, they want the highest-quality images that can possibly be
obtained. Second, they want to look anywhere they want to in the sky.
The laser guide star makes both these wishes come true."

Operating at nearly 1,000 times a second, the Keck adaptive optics
system minimizes the blurring effects of Earth's atmosphere to provide
infrared images 10 times better than what can be achieved from the
ground. Without any correcting technology, the best telescopes on Earth
are limited to an average "seeing" ability, or resolving power, of about
0.5 arcseconds, the equivalent of being able to distinguish an object
the size of a blueberry from 2.5 miles (4 km) away. But with adaptive
optics, atmospheric blurring is removed, producing a resolving power of
about 50 milliarcseconds or better. This improvement is like looking at
a penny from 2.5 miles away and being able to read the words, "ONE CENT"
and "Liberty" stamped on the coin.

"We are shattering a limitation for ground-based observations --
astronomers can now uncover and study fine structures in extremely faint
objects anywhere, within and beyond our galaxy, " said Dr. Le Mignant.
"This new data will particularly complement present deep sky surveys
which study the formation of galaxies in the universe."

More than 21 scientific results made possible with the Keck Laser Guide
Star system are presented today at the 207th meeting of the AAS in
Washington D.C. Among the many new significant findings discussed at
Special Session 98, "Seeing the Universe in a New (Sodium) Light":

* In the distant regions of our solar system, scientists at Caltech have
used the Keck Laser Guide Star to discover three new satellites orbiting
some of the largest objects in the Kuiper belt. The surprising
properties of these moons suggest that they are formed very differently
from the tiny moons known to orbit smaller Kuiper Belt Objects. (A.
Bouchez, Caltech)

* At the center of our own Milky Way galaxy, the hostile environment
around the supermassive black hole should make it difficult for stars to
form, but a group of massive young stars has been detected and their
origins are puzzling scientists. The problem has been dubbed "the
paradox of youth." Now, UCLA scientists are able to measure how these
young stars move across the sky with an unparalleled precision of only
two kilometers per second, and determine, for the first time, the orbit
of each of the young stars located more than a few light months from the
black hole. Scientists are using the stars' orbits, which retain an
imprint of their origin, to understand how and where these young stars
may have formed. (J. Lu, UCLA)

* Also in the Milky Way, scientists at the University of Hawaii are
discovering new ultracool brown dwarf binary systems, including a
strange new kind of binary never seen before. (M. Liu, UH-IfA)

* Scientists at UCSC and the Supernova Cosmology Project observed a
supernova in a galaxy as it appeared when the universe was only 40
percent its current age (z=1.3). The Keck Laser Guide Star system
allowed the team to study the faint system and resolve the supernovae
from the galaxy core, separated by only 0.4 arcseconds. The discovery
was made as part of a major, long-term project called "Center for
Adaptive Optics Treasury Survey" or CATS, a project that is looking at
deep Hubble galaxy fields with the Keck Laser Guide Star System. (J.
Melbourne, Lick/UCSC)

"Major advances in astronomy are often the driven by having new
technologies to explore the heavens," said Michael Liu of the Institute
for Astronomy at the University of Hawaii. "Through years of effort and
dedication of many people, the Keck system is allowing us to see the
whole of the universe in a new (sodium) light."

More than 20 percent of all available observing nights through July 2006
on the Keck II telescope will use the sodium laser. Laser guide star
systems do not outperform natural guide stars, but rather take over in
the faint skies where sufficiently bright stars do not exist. With
bright objects of magnitude 10 or greater, natural guide star systems
still provide slightly better images, and will be used for about 30
percent of the adaptive optics research at W. M. Keck Observatory.

The Future

Regularly using sodium lasers with adaptive optics is in its early
stages, but laser guide stars are being developed for most major
observatories, most notably the European Southern Observatory's Very
Large Telescope, the Gemini North and Gemini South telescopes and the
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan's Subaru Telescope. Plans are
also underway to install a new laser guide star system on the Keck I
telescope within the next three years, and also to improve the
efficiency and reliability of the existing laser system on Keck II.

Acknowledgements

The W. M. Keck Foundation provided major funding for the construction of
the twin 10-meter Keck telescopes and for the adaptive optics and laser
guide star systems. Additional funding for the Laser Guide Star Adaptive
Optics system was provided by NASA, Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratory (LLNL) and the Center for Adaptive Optics. The Laser Guide
Star Adaptive Optics system was implemented by a team at W. M. Keck
Observatory. The sodium laser was developed at LLNL. The W. M. Keck
Observatory is managed by the California Association for Research in
Astronomy, a non-profit 501 (c) (3) corporation whose board of directors
includes representatives from Caltech, the University of California and
NASA.

IMAGE CAPTIONS:

[Image 1:
http://keckobservatory.org/news/scie...egg_nebula.jpg (173KB)]
Egg Nebula as seen with the Keck II Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics system

This protoplanetary nebula is reflected light from a dying star that is
shedding its outer layers in the final stages of its life. As more and
more material is lost from the star’s surface, the surface temperature
will become hotter, allowing ultraviolet light to ionize the emitted
gasses. This process typically results in a planetary nebula in a few
thousand years.

Composite image of near-infrared wavelengths (1.65, 2.12 and 2.29
microns) obtained in July, 2004. FOV = 15.8"x23.7"

Image credit: LGS-AO Engineering Team/Keck

[Image 2:
http://keckobservatory.org/news/scie..._lgs/19292.jpg (226KB)]
Protoplanetary nebulae IRAS 19292+1806. Composite near-infrared (1.25,
1.65, 2.2, 3.45 microns) obtained in July, 2005. FOV = 2"x2"

Image credit: LGS-AO Engineering Team/Keck

[Image 3:
http://keckobservatory.org/news/scie..._lgs/17347.jpg (68KB)]
Protoplanetary nbulae IRAS 17347-3139. Composite near infrared image (
2.2, 3.45, 4.7 microns) obtained in July, 2005. FOV = 3"x3"

Image credit: LGS-AO Engineering Team/Keck

[Image 4:
http://keckobservatory.org/news/scie..._lgs/19255.jpg (150KB)]
Protoplanetary nebulae IRAS 19255+2123. Composite near-infrared (1.65,
2.2, 3.45, 4.7microns) obtained July 2005. FOV = 4"x4"

Image credit: LGS-AO Engineering Team/Keck