Staff profile
Dr Richard Wilson
(email at r.w.wilson@durham.ac.uk)
Research Interests
I am a member of the centre for advanced instrumentation within the physics department. My particular research interests are in high resolution imaging for astronomy, including adaptive optics, interferometry and other techniques. I work on site characterisation and numerical simulation for imaging through atmospheric turbulence. I recently developed the SLODAR technique for remote sensing of atmospheric turbulence, and currently lead projects to implement automated SLODAR site monitors for the ESO Paranal (Chile) and Gemini (Hawaii) observatories.
Research Groups
- Centre for Advanced Instrumentation
Research Interests
- Adaptive Optics
- Astronomical site characterisation
- Interferometric imaging
Selected Publications
Journal papers: academic
- Osborn, James, Wilson, Richard W., Dhillon, V. S., Avila, Remy & Love, Gordon D. (2011). Conjugate-plane photometry: reducing scintillation in ground-based photometry. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 411(2): 1223-1230.
- Osborn, J., Wilson, R.W, Butterley, T., Shepherd, H. & Sarazin, M. (2010). Profiling the surface layer of optical turbulence with SLODAR. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 406(2): 1405-1408.
- Chun, M., Wilson, R., Avila, R., Butterley, T., Aviles, J.L., Wier, D. & Begnini, S. (2009). Mauna Kea ground-layer characterization campaign. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 394(3): 1121-1230.
- Wilson, R.W., Butterley, T. & Sarazin, M. (2009). The Durham/ESO SLODAR optical turbulence profiler. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 399(4): 2129-2138.
- Avila, R., Aviles, J.L., Wilson, R.W., Chun, M., Butterley, T. & Carrasco, E. (2008). LOLAS: an optical turbulence profiler in the atmospheric boundary layer with extreme altitude resolution. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 387(4): 1511-1516.
- Kellerer, A., Sarazin, M., Butterley, T. & WIlson, R.W. (2007). Method of estimating time scales of atmospheric piston and its application at Dome C (Antarctica). Applied Optics 46(21): 4754-4762.
- Butterley, T., Wilson, R. W. & Sarazin, M. (2006). Determination of the profile of atmospheric optical turbulence strength from SLODAR data. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 369(2): 835-845.
- Assemat, F., Wilson, R.W. & Gendron, E. (2006). Method for simulating infinitely long and non stationary phase screens with optimized memory storage. Optics Express (Accepted)
- Basden, A.G., Assémat, F., Butterley, T., Geng, D., Saunter, C.D. & Wilson, R.W. (2005). Acceleration of adaptive optics simulations using programmable logic. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 364: 1413.
- Wilson, R. W., Wooder, N. J., Rigal, F. & Dainty, J. C. (2003). Estimation of anisoplanatism in adaptive optics by generalized SCIDAR profiling. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 339(2): 491-494.
- Wilson, R. W. (2002). SLODAR: measuring optical turbulence altitude with a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 337(1): 103-108.
- Michaille, L., Clifford, J. B., Dainty, J. C., Gregory, T., Quartel, J. C., Reavell, F. C., Wilson, R. W. & Wooder, N. J. (2001). Characterization of the mesospheric sodium layer at La Palma. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 328(4): 993-1000.
- Baldwin, J. E., Tubbs, R. N., Cox, G. C. Mackay, C. D., Wilson, R. W. & Andersen, M. I. (2001). Diffraction-limited 800 nm imaging with the 2.56 m Nordic optical telescope. Astronomy & Astrophysics 368(1): L1-L4.
- Michaille, L., Cañas, A.D. Dainty, J.C. Maxwell, J. Gregory, T., Quartel, J.C. Reavell, F.C. Wilson, R.W. , Wooder, N. & J. (2000). A laser beacon for monitoring the mesospheric sodium layer at La Palma. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 318: 139-144.
- Young, J.S. Baldwin, J.E. Boysen, R.C. Haniff, C.A. Lawson, P.R. Mackay, C.D. Pearson, D. Rogers, J. St.-Jacques, D. Warner, P.J. Wilson, D.M.A. & Wilson, R.W. (2000). New views of Betelgeuse: multi-wavelength surface imaging and implications for models of hotspot generation. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 315: 635-645.
- Wilson, R.W., O'Mahony, N. Packham, C. & Azzaro, M. (1999). The seeing at the William Herschel Telescope. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 309: 379-387.
- Packham, C., O'Mahony, N. & Wilson, R.W. (1998). Recent developments in the Half Arcsecond Programme. New Astronomy Review 42: 431-433.
- Wilson, R.W. (1998). Results of the JOSE site evaluation project for adaptive optics at the William Herschel Telescope. New Astronomy Review 42: 465-469.
- Wilson, R.W., Dhillon, V.S. & Haniff, C.A. (1997). The changing face of Betelgeuse. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 291: 819-.
- St-Jacques, D., Cox, G.C., Baldwin, J.E., Mackay, C.D. Waldram, E.M. & Wilson, R.W. (1997). The JOSE atmospheric seeing monitor at the William Herschel Telescope. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 290: 66-74.
- Wilson, R.W. & Jenkins, C.R. (1996). Adaptive optics for astronomy: theoretical performance and limitations. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 278: 39-61.
- Baldwin, J.E., Beckett, M.G., Boysen, R.C., Burns, D., Buscher, D.F., Cox, G. C., Haniff, C.A., Mackay, C.D., Nightingale, N.S., Rogers, J., Scheuer, P.A.G., Scott, T.R., Tuthill, P.G., Warner, P.J., Wilson, D.M.A. & Wilson, R.W. (1996). The first images from an optical aperture synthesis array: mapping of Capella with COAST at two epochs. Astronomy and Astrophysics 306: L13-.
- Wilson, R.W., Baldwin, J.E., Buscher, D.F. & Warner, P.J. (1992). High-resolution imaging of Betelgeuse and Mira. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 257: 369-376.
Other media: research
- Wilson, R. & Saunter, C. (2003). SLODAR: Profiling Atmospheric Turbulence at the WHT. The Newsletter of the Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes (ING Newsl.), issue no. 7, p. 19 7: 19-.
- Michaille, L., Quartel, J.C., Dainty, J.C., Wooder, N.J. Wilson, R.W. & Gregory, T. (2000). First Sodium Laser Beacon at La Palma. The Newsletter of the Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes (ING Newsl.), issue no. 2, p. 15-16 2: 15-16.
- Packham, C., Wilson, R.W. , Azzaro, M. O'Mahony, N. Fine, S. Gray, D. Reyes, V. & Martín, C. (2000). The Half Arcsecond Programme (I). The Newsletter of the Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes (ING Newsl.), issue no. 2, p. 21-23 2: 21-23.
- Wilson, R., , Baldwin, J., Warner, P. & Buscher, D. (1991). The changing surface of Betelgeuse. GEMINI Newsletter Royal Greenwich Observatory 34: 20-.