1. Growing Up - The Completion of the VLTI
- Author
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M. Tarenghi, Alberto Gennai, Frederic Derie, Nico Housen, Sebastien Morel, Pierre Kervella, Andrea Richichi, Anders Wallander, Andreas Glindemann, Francesco Paresce, Than Phan Duc, Francoise Delplancke, Bertrand Bauvir, Serge Menardi, Rainer Wilhelm, Bertrand Koehler, Samuel Lévêque, Serge Correia, Philippe B. Gitton, Markus Wittkowski, Markus Schöller, Alexis Huxley, Roy van Boekel, and Emmanuel di Folco
- Subjects
Point spread function ,Optical fiber ,business.industry ,Computer science ,Tracking (particle physics) ,law.invention ,Interferometry ,Optics ,law ,Astronomical interferometer ,Integrated optics ,Instrumentation (computer programming) ,Guide star ,business - Abstract
The completed VLTI with eight Delay Lines and eight ATs forms the basis for the second generation instrumentation. We describe the events up to first fringes with the test instrument VINCI using the siderostats, and the planning for the immediate future. Multi beam combination for ‘smoother images’ will be briefly discussed as well as artificial guide stars for fringe tracking. New technological developments like fiber optics amplifiers and integrated optics in combination with STJ open the door for a new type of interferometric arrays. Baselines as long as a a few kilometres come into reach. Examples of these second generation interferometers will be given.
- Published
- 2006