The first optical characterization of the Oukaïmeden site with the Generalized Seeing Monitor (GSM)

¹ UMR 6525 Astrophysique, Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis, Parc Valrose, 06108 Nice Cedex 2, France
² Laboratoire de Physique des Hautes Énergies et Astrophysique, Département de Physique, Université Cadi Ayyad, Faculté des Sciences Semlalia, BP 2390, Marrakech, Morocco
³ Astronomical and Geophysical Laboratory, C.N.C.P.R.S.T., BP 1346 RP, Rabat, Morocco

Corresponding author: A. Ziad, ziad@unice.fr

Received: 31 January 2000
Accepted: 17 October 2000

Abstract

The main atmospheric optical parameters (AOP) have been measured during 10 nights in April 1998 with the GSM instrument at the Moroccan site of Oukaïmeden. These parameters are of interest for the optimization of high angular resolution techniques. During this campaign the temporal evolution of the AOP and their distributions have been studied. The outer scale presents a log-normal histogram with a median value of 31 m which is rather similar to the values obtained at other sites visited with GSM. The selection of the Oukaïmeden site is the result of several topographical and meteorological studies on the Atlas mountain chain. Since 1988 this site has been chosen for the installation of one of the IRIS (International Research of the Interior of the Sun) stations. Here, we present the whole AOP data measured with GSM during this campaign. The main photometric and meteorological conditions of this site are also presented.