Estimating local seeing at Observatorio Astronómico Nacional in San Pedro Mártir using CFD simulations of the atmospheric boundary layer

Abstract

ABSTRACT We present computational fluid dynamics simulations of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) at the Observatorio Astronómico Nacional in the Sierra San Pedro Mártir (OAN-SPM) whose objective is to model the seeing observed at the site. We constrain the simulations using observations of the seeing, the vertical profile of the wind speed, and the vertical profile of the temperature, the first two resolved as a function of wind direction. We successfully model the seeing observed under typical wind conditions for each direction by adopting input profiles of the wind speed, the turbulent kinetic energy, and the energy dissipation. The resulting vertical profiles of the index of refraction structure constant are qualitatively similar to the mean profile derived from studies at the site.