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Pushing high angular resolution and high contrast observations on the VLTI from Y to L band with the Asgard instrumental suite: integration status and plans

Authors :
Martinod, Marc-Antoine
Defrère, Denis
Ireland, Michael J.
Kraus, Stefan
Martinache, Frantz
Tuthill, Peter G.
Allouche, Fatmé
Bouzerand, Emilie
Bryant, Julia
Carter, Josh
Chhabra, Sorabh
Courtney-Barrer, Benjamin
Crous, Fred
Cvetojevic, Nick
Dandumont, Colin
Ertel, Steve
Gardner, Tyler
Garreau, Germain
Glauser, Adrian M.
Haubois, Xavier
Labadie, Lucas
Lagarde, Stéphane
Lancaster, Daniel
Laugier, Romain
Mazzoli, Alexandra
Meilland, Anthony
Missiaen, Kwinten
Morel, Sébastien
Mortimer, Daniel J.
Norris, Barnaby
Paul, Jyotirmay
Raskin, Gert
Robbe-Dubois, Sylvie
Robertson, J. Gordon
Sanny, Ahmed
Schuhler, Nicolas
Snaith, Owain
Taras, Adam
Publication Year :
2024

Abstract

ESO's Very Large Telescope Interferometer has a history of record-breaking discoveries in astrophysics and significant advances in instrumentation. The next leap forward is its new visitor instrument, called Asgard. It comprises four natively collaborating instruments: HEIMDALLR, an instrument performing both fringe tracking and stellar interferometry simultaneously with the same optics, operating in the K band; Baldr, a Strehl optimizer in the H band; BIFROST, a spectroscopic combiner to study the formation processes and properties of stellar and planetary systems in the Y-J-H bands; and NOTT, a nulling interferometer dedicated to imaging nearby young planetary systems in the L band. The suite is in its integration phase in Europe and should be shipped to Paranal in 2025. In this article, we present details of the alignment and calibration unit, the observing modes, the integration plan, the software architecture, and the roadmap to completion of the project.

Details

Database :
arXiv
Publication Type :
Report
Accession number :
edsarx.2407.08431
Document Type :
Working Paper