Telescopes on the ground must observe objects in deep space through the interference of the earth's atmosphere. As light passes through the atmosphere it gets spread out by turbulence due to wind shear and changes in temperature and pressure within the atmospheric layers which effectively diminishes the resolving power of earth-based telescopes. This difficulty can be overcome to a large extent by relatively new techniques employing "Laser Guide Stars" and "Adaptive Optics." A bright laser illuminates a patch of sky near the target object. The laser's light is absorbed and then re-emitted by atoms in the upper atmosphere, above much of the interfering lower atmosphere. The return signal can then be used to track the time-dependent scattering of the light. Adaptive Optics uses this information to adjust optics in the telescope's instrumentation to restore the image to what would be seen from above the atmosphere. Unfortunately, Laser Guide Star technology is complex and expensive. Dr. Kibblewhite is pursuing a theoretical idea, confirmed by his computer simulations, that would significantly increase the amount of light returned from the atmosphere. This enhanced signal could then lead to better signal-to-noise and/or more rapid response to the atmosphere's changes, all at a lower cost. Dr. Kibblewhite will modify a laser and then use it on the Palomar Observatory's 5-meter Hale telescope to test his idea.
