First Whole Atmosphere Night Time Seeing Measurements at Dome C, Antarctica

A. Agabi (1) , E. Aristidi (1) , M. Azouit (2) , E. Fossat (1) , F. Martin (3) , T. Sadibekova (4) , J. Vernin (1) , A. Ziad (1)

1 FIZEAU - Laboratoire Hippolyte Fizeau
2 LAGRANGE - Joseph Louis LAGRANGE
3 SPCSI - Service de Physique et de Chimie des Surfaces et Interfaces
4 AIM (UMR7158 / UMR_E_9005 / UM_112) - Astrophysique Interprétation Modélisation

We report site‐testing results obtained in the nighttime during the polar autumn and winter at Dome C. These results were collected during the first Concordia winterover by A. Agabi. They are based on seeing and isoplanatic angle monitoring, as well as in situ balloon measurements of the refractive index structure constant profiles C2n(h). Atmosphere is divided into two regions: (1) a 36 m high surface layer responsible for 87% of the turbulence, and (2) a very stable free atmosphere above, with a median seeing of 0farcs36 ± 0farcs19 at an elevation of h = 30 m. The median seeing measured with a differential image motion monitor placed on top of an 8.5 m high tower is 1farcs3 ± 0farcs8.

Domaines: Planète et Univers [physics]

A. Agabi, E. Aristidi, M. Azouit, E. Fossat, F. Martin, et al.. First Whole Atmosphere Night Time Seeing Measurements at Dome C, Antarctica. Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 2006, 118 (840), pp.840. ⟨10.1086/498728⟩. ⟨hal-00416975⟩