The VLTI fringe sensors: FINITO and PRIMA FSU

Mario Gai; Serge Menardi; Stefano Cesare; Bertrand Bauvir; Donata Bonino; Leonardo Corcione; Martin Dimmler; Giuseppe Massone; Francois Reynaud; Anders Wallander

doi:10.1117/12.551495

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20 October 2004 The VLTI fringe sensors: FINITO and PRIMA FSU

Mario Gai, Serge Menardi, Stefano Cesare, Bertrand Bauvir, Donata Bonino, Leonardo Corcione, Martin Dimmler, Giuseppe Massone, Francois Reynaud, Anders Wallander

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Proceedings Volume 5491, New Frontiers in Stellar Interferometry; (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.551495
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2004, Glasgow, United Kingdom

Abstract

FINITO is the first generation VLTI fringe sensor, optimised for three beam observations, recently installed at Paranal and currently used for VLTI optimisation. The PRIMA FSU is the second generation, optimised for astrometry in dual-feed mode, currently in construction. We discuss the constraints of fringe tracking at VLTI, the basic functions required for stabilised interferometric observations, and their different implementation in the two instruments, with remarks on the most critical technical aspects. We provide an estimate of the expected performance and describe some of their possible observing and calibration modes, with reference to the current scientific combiners.

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Mario Gai, Serge Menardi, Stefano Cesare, Bertrand Bauvir, Donata Bonino, Leonardo Corcione, Martin Dimmler, Giuseppe Massone, Francois Reynaud, and Anders Wallander "The VLTI fringe sensors: FINITO and PRIMA FSU", Proc. SPIE 5491, New Frontiers in Stellar Interferometry, (20 October 2004); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.551495

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