NAOMI sees first light with ALPAO deformable mirrors on VLTI telescopes

Dec. 11, 2018
The ALPAO DMs function at 500 Hz and can 'chop' the image a few times per second to monitor the brightness of the sky itself.

Adaptive-optics component and system maker ALPAO (Grenoble, France) supplied all the deformable mirrors (DMs) to equip the auxiliary telescopes that form part of ESO's Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) array at the Paranal Observatory in Chile; the DMs have now seen first light.

A New Adaptive Optics Module for Interferometry (NAOMI) has been installed on each of its 1.8-meter Auxiliary Telescopes. This long-waited upgrade allows astronomers to reconstruct detailed images of even fainter objects such as young pre-main-sequence stars and their protoplanetary discs, post-main-sequence mass-losing stars, and active galactic nuclei.

The four NAOMI modules arrived on Paranal in the first half of 2018. The ALPAO deformable mirror (DM) is the centerpiece of the NAOMI system. The NAOMI mirror will its change its shape about 500 times per second to actively counteract the damaging effect of wind and turbulences on image quality. The ALPAO DM is also able to shift the image of the star away from the image plane a few times per second in order to monitor the brightness of the sky itself. This technique, called chopping, is absolutely needed for the forthcoming MATISSE instrument, which will observe in far-infrared light.

"On some nights it looks like the atmosphere is virtually gone," says Julien Woillez, the VLTI project scientist, in a public announcement. "We can now observe much fainter objects. With NAOMI, we can now use cutting-edge second-generation instruments like PIONIER, GRAVITY, and MATISSE to their full potential."

Source: http://www.alpao.com/adaptive-optics/images/pressrelease/20181211-ALPAO-Press-release_VLTI-telescopes.pdf?utm_source=ALPAO+Communiqu%C3%A9+de+presse&utm_campaign=207363480c-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_12_07_03_53_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_7f429a9c04-207363480c-111342781

About the Author

John Wallace | Senior Technical Editor (1998-2022)

John Wallace was with Laser Focus World for nearly 25 years, retiring in late June 2022. He obtained a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and physics at Rutgers University and a master's in optical engineering at the University of Rochester. Before becoming an editor, John worked as an engineer at RCA, Exxon, Eastman Kodak, and GCA Corporation.

Sponsored Recommendations

Brain Computer Interface (BCI) electrode manufacturing

Jan. 31, 2025
Learn how an industry-leading Brain Computer Interface Electrode (BCI) manufacturer used precision laser micromachining to produce high-density neural microelectrode arrays.

Electro-Optic Sensor and System Performance Verification with Motion Systems

Jan. 31, 2025
To learn how to use motion control equipment for electro-optic sensor testing, click here to read our whitepaper!

How nanopositioning helped achieve fusion ignition

Jan. 31, 2025
In December 2022, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's National Ignition Facility (NIF) achieved fusion ignition. Learn how Aerotech nanopositioning contributed to this...

Nanometer Scale Industrial Automation for Optical Device Manufacturing

Jan. 31, 2025
In optical device manufacturing, choosing automation technologies at the R&D level that are also suitable for production environments is critical to bringing new devices to market...

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Laser Focus World, create an account today!