[en] In a few years, the second generation instruments of the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) will routinely provide observations with 4 to 6 telescopes simultaneously. To reach their ultimate performance, they will need a fringe sensor capable to measure in real time the randomly varying optical paths differences. A collaboration between LAOG (PI institute), IAGL, OCA and GIPSA-Lab has proposed the Planar Optics Phase Sensor concept to ESO for the 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] Generation Fringe Tracker. This concept is based on the integrated optics technologies, enabling the conception of extremely compact interferometric instruments naturally providing single-mode spatial filtering. It allows operations with 4 and 6 telescopes by measuring the fringes position thanks to a spectrally dispersed ABCD method. We present here the main analysis which led to the current concept as well as the expected on-sky performance and the proposed design.
Disciplines :
Space science, astronomy & astrophysics
Author, co-author :
Blind, Nicolas; Lab. d'Astrophysique de Grenoble (France)
Le Bouquin, Jean-Baptiste; Lab. d'Astrophysique de Grenoble (France)
Absil, Olivier ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département d'astrophys., géophysique et océanographie (AGO) > Astroph. extragalactique et observations spatiales (AEOS)
Alamir, Mazen; GIPSA-lab (France)
Berger, Jean-Philippe; European Southern Observatory (Chile)
Feautrier, Philippe; Lab. d'Astrophysique de Grenoble (France)
Hénault, François; Lab. H. FIZEAU, Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur (France)
Jocou, Laurent; Lab. d'Astrophysique de Grenoble (France)
Kern, Pierre; Lab. d'Astrophysique de Grenoble (France)
Laurent, Thomas; Univ. de Liège (Belgium)
Malbet, Fabien; Lab. d'Astrophysique de Grenoble (France)
Mourard, Denis; Lab. H. FIZEAU, Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur (France)
Rousselet-Perraut, Karine; Lab. d'Astrophysique de Grenoble (France)
Sarlette, Alain ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Dép. d'électric., électron. et informat. (Inst.Montefiore) > Systèmes et modélisation
Surdej, Jean ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département d'astrophys., géophysique et océanographie (AGO) > Astroph. extragalactique et observations spatiales (AEOS)
Tarmoul, Nassima; Lab. H. FIZEAU, Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur (France)
Tatulli, Eric; Lab. d'Astrophysique de Grenoble (France)
Vincent, Lionel; Lab. d'Astrophysique de Grenoble (France) and GIPSA-Lab (France)
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