GRAVITY+ adaptive optics (GPAO) tests in Europe

Abstract

We present in this proceeding the results of the test phase of the GRAVITY+ adaptive optics. This extreme AO will enable both high-dynamic range observations of faint companions (including exoplanets) thanks to a 40x40 sub-apertures wavefront control, and sensitive observations (including AGNs) thanks to the addition of a laser guide star to each UT of the VLT. This leap forward is made thanks to a mostly automated setup of the AO, including calibration of the NCPAs, that we tested in Europe on the UT+atmosphere simulator we built in Nice. We managed to reproduce in laboratory the expected performances of all the modes of the AO, including under non-optimal atmospheric or telescope alignment conditions, giving us the green light to proceed with the Assembly, Integration and Verification phase in Paranal.

References in corpus (5)

• First Light for GRAVITY: Phase Referencing Optical Interferometry for the Very Large Telescope Interferometer
• A dynamical measure of the black hole mass in a quasar 11 billion years ago
• First Light for GRAVITY Wide: Large Separation Fringe Tracking for the Very Large Telescope Interferometer
• Chromatically modelling the parsec scale dusty structure in the centre of NGC1068
• Estimation of the lateral mis-registrations of the GRAVITY + adaptive optics system