Integration and Optical Alignment of the Rubin Observatory Simonyi Survey telescope with a Laser Tracker

Precision in optical alignment is crucial for optimizing image quality in astronomical telescopes, particularly for wide-field survey telescopes such as the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, which will conduct the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). This paper explores the deployment and efficacy of laser tracker technology, specifically the Leica AT960/930, in maintaining optical alignment of the Simonyi Telescope within tens of microns, marking it as one of the first wide-field telescopes to implement such advanced metrology. Here, we detail the outcomes of employing this technology in its integration, initial setup, and preliminary operations. We present detailed results on the structural flexure of the telescope at varying elevations and the effects of gravitational dynamics on the misalignment of optical components. Our findings demonstrate that the operation of the laser tracker within the Active Optics System (AOS) allows realigning components within stringent tolerances in a single step, achieving near-perfect initial alignment. These capabilities establish a new benchmark for optical alignment in future large astronomical facilities.