The ESO Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) offers the unique access to the combination of the four 8-meter Unit Telescopes (UT) of Cerro Paranal. The quality of the scientific observations in interferometric mode is strongly related to the stability of the optical path difference (OPD) between the telescopes. Vibrations at the level of the telescopes and affecting the mirrors were shown to be an important source of perturbation for the OPD. ESO has thus started an important effort on the UTs and VLTI to tackle this effect. Active controls based on accelerometers and phase measurements have been developed to provide real-time correction of the variation of OPD introduced by vibrations. Systematic studies and measurement of the sources of vibration (instruments, wind, telescope altitude, ...) have been performed. Solutions to reduce the vibrations via design modification and/or new operation configurations are studied and implemented. To ensure good operational conditions, the levels of vibrations are regularly monitored to control any environmental change. This document will describe the modifications implemented and foreseen and give a status of the VLTI-UT vibrations evolution.

Date Published: 21 July 2010
PDF: 8 pages
Proc. SPIE 7734, Optical and Infrared Interferometry II, 773437 (21 July 2010); doi: 10.1117/12.856757

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 7734:
Optical and Infrared Interferometry II
William C. Danchi; Françoise Delplancke; Jayadev K. Rajagopal, Editor(s)