VLT Interferometer: II. Factors affecting on-axis operation

Jacques Maurice Beckers

doi:10.1117/12.19208

1 July 1990 VLT Interferometer: II. Factors affecting on-axis operation

Jacques Maurice Beckers

Proceedings Volume 1236, Advanced Technology Optical Telescopes IV; (1990) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.19208
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation for the 21st Century, 1990, Tucson, AZ, United States

Abstract

The factors contributing to fringe contrast decrease for telescopes working near their diffraction limits are summarized. These factors include variations with time, such as atmospheric variations, vibrations, pathlength drift, and fringe tracking noise; and variations accross the pupil; variation with wavelength and factors relating to polarization effects; unequal beam intensities; detector resolution; and pupil transfer geometry. The effects on multispeckle images are also considered. The resulting error budget for the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) is derived. It is concluded that the total random error in the fringe contrast is 4.2. The total calibratable systematic error amounts to 34 percent (27 percent due to the instrument, 9 percent due to the atmosphere).

Citation Download Citation

Jacques Maurice Beckers "VLT Interferometer: II. Factors affecting on-axis operation", Proc. SPIE 1236, Advanced Technology Optical Telescopes IV, (1 July 1990); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.19208

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