Physics – Optics
Scientific paper
Jan 2001
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2001eso..presp...4.&link_type=abstract
ESO Press Release, 01/2001
Physics
Optics
Scientific paper
Last year saw very good progress at ESO's Paranal Observatory , the site of the Very Large Telescope (VLT). The third and fourth 8.2-m Unit Telescopes, MELIPAL and YEPUN had "First Light" (cf. PR 01/00 and PR 18/00 ), while the first two, ANTU and KUEYEN , were busy collecting first-class data for hundreds of astronomers.
Meanwhile, work continued towards the next phase of the VLT project, the combination of the telescopes into the VLT Interferometer. The test instrument, VINCI (cf. PR 22/00 ) is now being installed in the VLTI Laboratory at the centre of the observing platform on the top of Paranal.
Below is a new collection of video sequences and photos that illustrate the latest developments at the Paranal Observatory. The were obtained by the EPR Video Team in December 2000. The photos are available in different formats, including "high-resolution" that is suitable for reproduction purposes. A related ESO Video News Reel for professional broadcasters will soon become available and will be announced via the usual channels. Overview
Paranal Observatory (Dec. 2000) Video Clip 02a/01 [MPEG - 4.5Mb]
ESO PR Video Clip 02a/01 "Paranal Observatory (December 2000)" (4875 frames/3:15 min) [MPEG Video+Audio; 160x120 pix; 4.5Mb] [MPEG Video+Audio; 320x240 pix; 13.5 Mb] [RealMedia; streaming; 34kps] [RealMedia; streaming; 200kps]
ESO Video Clip 02a/01 shows some of the construction activities at the Paranal Observatory in December 2000, beginning with a general view of the site. Then follow views of the Residencia , a building that has been designed by Architects Auer and Weber in Munich - it integrates very well into the desert, creating a welcome recreational site for staff and visitors in this harsh environment. The next scenes focus on the "stations" for the auxiliary telescopes for the VLTI and the installation of two delay lines in the 140-m long underground tunnel. The following part of the video clip shows the start-up of the excavation work for the 2.6-m VLT Survey Telescope (VST) as well as the location known as the "NTT Peak", now under consideration for the installation of the 4-m VISTA telescope. The last images are from to the second 8.2-m Unit Telescope, KUEYEN, that has been in full use by the astronomers with the UVES and FORS2 instruments since April 2000.
ESO PR Photo 04a/01
ESO PR Photo 04a/01 [Preview - JPEG: 466 x 400 pix - 58k] [Normal - JPEG: 931 x 800 pix - 688k] [Hires - JPEG: 3000 x 2577 pix - 7.6M]
Caption : PR Photo 04a/01 shows an afternoon view from the Paranal summit towards East, with the Base Camp and the new Residencia on the slope to the right, above the valley in the shadow of the mountain.
ESO PR Photo 04b/01
ESO PR Photo 04b/01 [Preview - JPEG: 791 x 400 pix - 89k] [Normal - JPEG: 1582 x 800 pix - 1.1Mk] [Hires - JPEG: 3000 x 1517 pix - 3.6M]
PR Photo 04b/01 shows the ramp leading to the main entrance to the partly subterranean Residencia , with the steel skeleton for the dome over the central area in place.
ESO PR Photo 04c/01
ESO PR Photo 04c/01 [Preview - JPEG: 498 x 400 pix - 65k] [Normal - JPEG: 995 x 800 pix - 640k] [Hires - JPEG: 3000 x 2411 pix - 6.6M]
PR Photo 04c/01 is an indoor view of the reception hall under the dome, looking towards the main entrance.
ESO PR Photo 04d/01
ESO PR Photo 04d/01 [Preview - JPEG: 472 x 400 pix - 61k] [Normal - JPEG: 944 x 800 pix - 632k] [Hires - JPEG: 3000 x 2543 pix - 5.8M]
PR Photo 04d/01 shows the ramps from the reception area towards the rooms.
The VLT Interferometer
The Delay Lines consitute a most important element of the VLT Interferometer , cf. PR Photos 26a-e/00. At this moment, two Delay Lines are operational on site. A third system will be integrated early this year.
The VLTI Delay Line is located in an underground tunnel that is 168 metres long and 8 metres wide. This configuration has been designed to accommodate up to eight Delay Lines, including their transfer optics in an ideal environment: stable temperature, high degree of cleanliness, low levels of straylight, low air turbulence.
The positions of the Delay Line carriages are computed to adjust the Optical Path Lengths requested for the fringe pattern observation. The positions are controlled in real time by a laser metrology system, specially developed for this purpose. The position precision is about 20 nm (1 nm = 10 -9 m, or 1 millionth of a millimetre) over a distance of 120 metres. The maximum velocity is 0.50 m/s in position mode and maximum 0.05 m/s in operation. The system is designed for 25 year of operation and to survive earthquake up to 8.6 magnitude on the Richter scale.
The VLTI Delay Line is a three-year project, carried out by ESO in collaboration with Dutch Space Holdings (formerly Fokker Space) and TPD-TNO .
VLTI Delay Lines (December 2000) - ESO PR Video Clip 02b/01 [MPEG - 3.6Mb]
ESO PR Video Clip 02b/01 "VLTI Delay Lines (December 2000)" (2000 frames/1:20 min) [MPEG Video+Audio; 160x120 pix; 3.6Mb] [MPEG Video+Audio; 320x240 pix; 13.7 Mb] [RealMedia; streaming; 34kps] [RealMedia; streaming; 200kps]
ESO Video Clip 02b/00 shows the Delay Lines of the VLT Interferometer facility at Paranal during tests. One of the carriages is moving on 66-metre long rectified rails, driven by a linear motor. The carriage is equipped with three wheels in order to preserve high guidance accuracy. Another important element is the Cat's Eye that reflects the light from the telescope to the VLT instrumentation. This optical system is made of aluminium (including the mirrors) to avoid thermo-mechanical problems.
ESO PR Photo 04e/01
ESO PR Photo 04e/01 [Preview - JPEG: 400 x 402 pix - 62k] [Normal - JPEG: 800 x 804 pix - 544k] [Hires - JPEG: 3000 x 3016 pix - 6.2M]
Caption : PR Photo 04e/01 shows one of the 30 "stations" for the movable 1.8-m Auxiliary Telescopes. When one of these telescopes is positioned ("parked") on top of it, The light will be guided through the hole towards the Interferometric Tunnel and the Delay Lines.
ESO PR Photo 04f/01
ESO PR Photo 04f/01 [Preview - JPEG: 568 x 400 pix - 96k] [Normal - JPEG: 1136 x 800 pix - 840k] [Hires - JPEG: 3000 x 2112 pix - 4.6M]
PR Photo 04f/01 shows a general view of the Interferometric Tunnel and the Delay Lines.
ESO PR Photo 04g/01
ESO PR Photo 04g/01 [Preview - JPEG: 406 x 400 pix - 62k] [Normal - JPEG: 812 x 800 pix - 448k] [Hires - JPEG: 3000 x 2956 pix - 5.5M]
PR Photo 04g/01 shows one of the Delay Line carriages in parking position.
The "NTT Peak"
The "NTT Peak" is a mountain top located about 2 km to the north of Paranal. It received this name when ESO considered to move the 3.58-m New Technology Telescope from La Silla to this peak.
The possibility of installing the 4-m VISTA telescope (cf. PR 03/00 ) on this peak is now being discussed.
ESO PR Photo 04h/01
ESO PR Photo 04h/01 [Preview - JPEG: 630 x 400 pix - 89k] [Normal - JPEG: 1259 x 800 pix - 1.1M] [Hires - JPEG: 3000 x 1907 pix - 5.2M]
PR Photo 04h/01 shows the view from the "NTT Peak" towards south, vith the Paranal mountain and the VLT enclosures in the background.
ESO PR Photo 04i/01
ESO PR Photo 04i/01 [Preview - JPEG: 516 x 400 pix - 50k] [Normal - JPEG: 1031 x 800 pix - 664k] [Hires - JPEG: 3000 x 2328 pix - 6.0M]
PR Photo 04i/01 is a view towards the "NTT Peak" from the top of the Paranal mountain. The access road and the concrete pillar that was used to support a site testing telescope at the top of this peak are seen
This is the caption to ESO PR Photos 04a-1/01 and PR Video Clips 02a-b/01 . They may be reproduced, if credit is given to the European Southern Observatory.
The ESO PR Video Clips service to visitors to the ESO website provides "animated" illustrations of the ongoing work and events at the European Southern Observatory. The most recent clip was: ESO PR Video Clip 01/01 about the Physics On Stage Festival (11 January 2001) .
Information is also available on the web about other ESO videos.
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