Keck All Sky Precision Adaptive Optics Program Overview

We present the status and plans for the Keck All sky Precision Adaptive optics (KAPA) program. KAPA includes (1) an upgrade to the Keck I laser guide star adaptive optics (AO) facility to improve image quality and sky coverage, (2) the inclusion of AO telemetry-based point spread function estimates with all science exposures, (3) four key science programs, and (4) an educational component focused on broadening the participation of women and underrepresented groups in instrumentation. For this conference we focus on the KAPA upgrades since the 2020 SPIE proceedings(1) including implementation of a laser asterism generator, wavefront sensor, real-time controller, asterism and turbulence simulators, the laser tomography system itself along with new operations software and science tools, and modifications to an existing near-infrared tip-tilt sensor to support multiple natural guide star and focus measurements. We will also report on the results of daytime and on-sky calibrations and testing.

Automated summary

This article presents the status and plans of the Keck All sky Precision Adaptive Optics (KAPA) program, including upgrades, key science programs, and an educational component. The focus is on the upgrades, such as the implementation of a laser asterism generator and wavefront sensor, as well as the results of calibrations and testing.