Optical alignment of the VLTI

Stephane Guisard

doi:10.1117/12.461579

21 February 2003 Optical alignment of the VLTI

Stephane Guisard

Proceedings Volume 4838, Interferometry for Optical Astronomy II; (2003) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.461579
Event: Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation, 2002, Waikoloa, Hawai'i, United States

Abstract

When completed the VLTI project will be composed by four 8.2 m Unit Telescopes (UT) and four 1.8 m Auxiliay Telescopes (AT) with their respective Coude trains and relay optics, two test siderostats, 6 (up to 8) Delay lines and 8 Beam compressors with their corresponding feeding mirrors. There will be more than 200 optical components, mirrors and lenses, with diameters ranging from 5 mm to 8200 mm. Their surface shapes range from flat to off-axis ellipsoid, including also spherical, on and off-axis hyperbolae and parabolas as well as cylindrical surfaces. Depending on the interferometer configuration, the different possible optical path lengths are of the order of 100 to 300 meters. We describe briefly the principles chosen as well as the types of criteria and method used for the alignment. The method can certainly be applied to other optical systems. The explanations given are understandable to the non-optician, this text is not intended to be an alignment procedure.

Citation Download Citation

Stephane Guisard "Optical alignment of the VLTI", Proc. SPIE 4838, Interferometry for Optical Astronomy II, (21 February 2003); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.461579

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