Comparison of measurements of the outer scale of turbulence by three different techniques.

ABSTRACT

We have made simultaneous and nearly simultaneous measurements of L0, the outer scale of turbulence, at the Palomar Observatory by using three techniques angle-of-arrival covariance measurements with the Generalized Seeing Monitor (GSM), differential-image-motion measurements with the adaptive-optics system on the Hale 5-m telescope, and fringe speed measurements with the Palomar Testbed Interferometer (PTI). The three techniques give consistent results, an outer scale of approximately 10-20 m, despite the fact that the spatial scales of the three instruments vary from 1 m for the GSM to 100 m for the PTI.