Optical turbulence in the atmospheric surface layer at the Pamir Plateau Muztagh-ata site

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Gu, Wenbo, Esamdin, Ali, Bai, Chunhai, Zhang, Xuan, Feng, Guojie, Pu, Guangxin, Wang, Letian, Sun, Gaowen, Wang, Haozhi, Shen, Lixian
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Gu, Wenbo
Esamdin, Ali
Bai, Chunhai
Zhang, Xuan
Feng, Guojie
Pu, Guangxin
Wang, Letian
Sun, Gaowen
Wang, Haozhi
Shen, Lixian
author_facet Gu, Wenbo
Esamdin, Ali
Bai, Chunhai
Zhang, Xuan
Feng, Guojie
Pu, Guangxin
Wang, Letian
Sun, Gaowen
Wang, Haozhi
Shen, Lixian
contents In this paper, we conducted a detailed analysis of optical turbulence in the Atmospheric Surface Layer (ASL) at Muztagh-ata site during on-site testing. We utilized ultrasonic anemometers positioned on a 30-meter tower to collect and process data at five height levels, obtaining data from October 1, 2021 to the present. We investigated the behavior of optical turbulence parameters (\(C_n^2\) and seeing \(\varepsilon\)) in the ASL. Nighttime \(C_n^2\) primarily fluctuated in the range of \(10^{-16}\) to \(10^{-14}\), exhibiting an exponential decrease with height. During the day, it showed a \(h^{-0.82}\) dependency, while at night, it displayed a \(h^{-0.48}\) dependency. Additionally, we presented the distribution of seeing across different layers within the ASL, showing a gradual decrease with increasing height, with a median seeing of 0.24 arcseconds at nighttime and 0.48 arcseconds at daytime between 6-30m. We investigated the relationship between surface temperature inversion, seeing in the ASL, and wind speed at the site. Our results show that under temperature inversion conditions, seeing significantly improves and is often accompanied by low to moderate wind speeds, while high wind speeds are usually associated with poorer seeing. Preliminary calculations and observational results, combined with the high altitude and unique geographical location, suggest that Muztagh-ata site has the potential to be an outstanding optical astronomical observatory in the western plateau of china.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2410_21347
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Optical turbulence in the atmospheric surface layer at the Pamir Plateau Muztagh-ata site
Gu, Wenbo
Esamdin, Ali
Bai, Chunhai
Zhang, Xuan
Feng, Guojie
Pu, Guangxin
Wang, Letian
Sun, Gaowen
Wang, Haozhi
Shen, Lixian
Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics
In this paper, we conducted a detailed analysis of optical turbulence in the Atmospheric Surface Layer (ASL) at Muztagh-ata site during on-site testing. We utilized ultrasonic anemometers positioned on a 30-meter tower to collect and process data at five height levels, obtaining data from October 1, 2021 to the present. We investigated the behavior of optical turbulence parameters (\(C_n^2\) and seeing \(\varepsilon\)) in the ASL. Nighttime \(C_n^2\) primarily fluctuated in the range of \(10^{-16}\) to \(10^{-14}\), exhibiting an exponential decrease with height. During the day, it showed a \(h^{-0.82}\) dependency, while at night, it displayed a \(h^{-0.48}\) dependency. Additionally, we presented the distribution of seeing across different layers within the ASL, showing a gradual decrease with increasing height, with a median seeing of 0.24 arcseconds at nighttime and 0.48 arcseconds at daytime between 6-30m. We investigated the relationship between surface temperature inversion, seeing in the ASL, and wind speed at the site. Our results show that under temperature inversion conditions, seeing significantly improves and is often accompanied by low to moderate wind speeds, while high wind speeds are usually associated with poorer seeing. Preliminary calculations and observational results, combined with the high altitude and unique geographical location, suggest that Muztagh-ata site has the potential to be an outstanding optical astronomical observatory in the western plateau of china.
title Optical turbulence in the atmospheric surface layer at the Pamir Plateau Muztagh-ata site
topic Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.21347