| Abstract
| - We investigate the theoretical performance of adaptive optics correction for imaging in astronomy. Image improvements are calculated as a function of the fundamental limitations imposed by anisoplanatic effects, and photon and detector noise in wavefront sensing. In contrast to previous studies, which have concentrated mainly on predicting Strehl ratio improvements, we calculate the adaptively corrected point-spread function explicitly. The shape of the point-spread function, and encircled energy widths, is crucial in astronomical applications such as photometry and spectroscopy. The analysis therefore allows a detailed assessment of the potential benefits of adaptive optics for astronomical applications, and provides an important tool for system design.
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