The LINC-NIRVANA Fizeau interferometric imager: final lab integration, first light experiments and challenges

T. M. Herbst; R. Ragazzoni; A. Eckart; G. Weigelt

doi:10.1117/12.2055495

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24 July 2014 The LINC-NIRVANA Fizeau interferometric imager: final lab integration, first light experiments and challenges

T. M. Herbst, R. Ragazzoni, A. Eckart, G. Weigelt

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Proceedings Volume 9146, Optical and Infrared Interferometry IV; 91460I (2014) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2055495
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2014, Montréal, Quebec, Canada

Abstract

LINC-NIRVANA (LN) is an innovative Fizeau interferometric imager for the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT). LN uses Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optics (MCAO) for high-sky-coverage single-eye imagery and interferometric beam combination. The last two years have seen both successes and challenges. On the one hand, final integration is proceeding well in the lab. We also achieved First Light at the LBT with the Pathfinder experiment. On the other hand, funding constraints have forced a significant re-planning of the overall instrument implementation. These laboratory, observatory, and financial “events” provide lessons for builders of complex interferometric instruments on large telescopes. This paper presents our progress and plans for bringing the instrument online at the telescope.

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T. M. Herbst, R. Ragazzoni, A. Eckart, and G. Weigelt "The LINC-NIRVANA Fizeau interferometric imager: final lab integration, first light experiments and challenges", Proc. SPIE 9146, Optical and Infrared Interferometry IV, 91460I (24 July 2014); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2055495

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