MEASUREMENTS OF THE TEMPORAL CORRELATION OF IMAGES AT LA PALMA

Measurements of the temporal correlation function of point source images in the 1 m telescope at La Palma, Canary Islands are presented for 11 nights of observation during May 1988 and February 1989. The 1/e correlation times τ range from 3·2 to 8·9 ms, with an average of 5·3 ms. The wavelength dependence of the correlation time was consistent with λ6/5 law predicted by the Kolmogorov theory. Measurements of the correlation time for pairs of small apertures, as in the Michelson stellar interferometer, are also given for baselines in the range 15–70 cm. © 1990 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.