A high-resolution wavefront sensing method to investigate the annular Zernike polynomials behaviour in the indoor convective air turbulence in the presence of a 2D temperature gradient

We report on applications of a two-channel moiré deflectometry wavefront sensor in measurements of wavefront aberrations caused by convective air turbulence generated by a 2D temperature gradient (TG). Data of the wavefront sensor are analysed and the aberrated wavefront is reconstructed and expanded versus Zernike annular polynomials. The results show that variances of the Zernike annular coefficients (except the piston aberration) increase with highest temperature relative to ambient temperature. In particular, we found that the variances of X- and Y -tilt aberration coefficients are not equal when the highest temperature is larger than 40∘C. This means that the produced turbulence is not isotropic. Plots of the Zernike annular coefficient variances could be divided into three distinct regions with different slopes.