The VLTI Auxiliary Telescopes: commissioning of AT1

Bertrand Koehler; Max Kraus; Jean-Michel Moresmau; Krister Wirenstrand; Michel Duchateau; Philippe Duhoux; Robert Karban; Carlo Flebus; E. Gabriel; Olivier Pirnay

doi:10.1117/12.551210

20 October 2004 The VLTI Auxiliary Telescopes: commissioning of AT1

Bertrand Koehler, Max Kraus, Jean-Michel Moresmau, Krister Wirenstrand, Michel Duchateau, Philippe Duhoux, Robert Karban, Carlo Flebus, E. Gabriel, Olivier Pirnay

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 5491, New Frontiers in Stellar Interferometry; (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.551210
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2004, Glasgow, United Kingdom

Abstract

The Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) that currently combines the four VLT 8.2-m Unit Telescopes (UTs) is now being equipped with its dedicated array of Auxiliary Telescopes (ATs). This array includes four 1.8-m telescopes which can be relocated on thirty observing stations distributed on the top of the Paranal Observatory. This array, albeit less sensitive than the array of UTs, is a key element for the scientific operation of the VLTI. After more than five years of design, development, manufacturing and extensive testing in Europe by the company AMOS (Belgium), the first AT arrived on Paranal in October 2003 where it was re-assembled in two months. This was followed by the final testing on the sky, the so-called 'commissioning', that took place in January and February 2004. This paper describes the recent activities from the delivery of AT1 in Europe up to its commissioning at Paranal. It presents a few results from the commissioning and reports the achieved performance. The status of the other ATs is also briefly described.

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Bertrand Koehler, Max Kraus, Jean-Michel Moresmau, Krister Wirenstrand, Michel Duchateau, Philippe Duhoux, Robert Karban, Carlo Flebus, E. Gabriel, and Olivier Pirnay "The VLTI Auxiliary Telescopes: commissioning of AT1", Proc. SPIE 5491, New Frontiers in Stellar Interferometry, (20 October 2004); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.551210

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