On December 2021, a new camera box for two-colour simultaneous visible photometry was successfully installed on the ASTEP telescope at the Concordia station in Antarctica. The new focal box offers increased capabilities for the ASTEP+ project. The opto-mechanical design of the camera was described in a previous paper.1 Here, we focus on the laboratory tests of each of the two cameras, the low-temperature behaviour of the focal box in a thermal chamber, the on-site installation and alignment of the new focal box on the telescope, the measurement of the turbulence in the tube and the operation of the telescope equipped with the new focal box. We also describe the data acquisition and the telescope guiding procedure and provide a first assessment of the performances reached during the first part of the 2022 observation campaign. Observations of the WASP19 field, already observed previously with ASTEP, demonstrates an improvement of the SNR by a factor 1.7, coherent with an increased number of photon by a factor of 3. The throughput of the two cameras is assessed both by calculation of the characteristics of the optics and quantum efficiency of the cameras, and by direct observations on the sky. We find that the ASTEP+ two-colour transmission curves (with a dichroic separating the fluxes at 690nm) are similar to those of GAIA in the blue and red channels, but with a lower transmission in the ASTEP+ red channel leading to a 1.5 magnitude higher B-R value compared to the GAIA B-R value. With this new setting, the ASTEP+ telescope will ensure the follow-up and the characterization of a large number of exoplanetary transits in the coming years in view of the future space missions JWST and Ariel.
The possibility to observe transiting exoplanets from Dome C in Antarctica provides immense benefits: stable weather conditions, limited atmospheric turbulence, and a night that lasts almost three months due to the austral winter. However, this site also presents significant limitations, such as limited access for maintenance and internet speeds of only a few KB/s. This latter factor means that the approximately 6 TB of data collected annually must be processed on site automatically, with only final data products being sent once a day to Europe. In this context, we present the current state of operations of ASTEP+, a 40 cm optical telescope located at Concordia Station in Antarctica. Following a successful summer campaign, ASTEP+ has begun the 2022 observing season with a brand-new two-color photometer with increased sensitivity. A new Python data analysis pipeline installed on a dedicated server in Concordia will significantly improve the precision of the extracted photometry, enabling us to get higher signal-to-noise transit detections. The new pipeline additionally incorporates automatic transit modelling to reduce the amount of manual post-processing required. It also handles the automatic daily transfer of the photometric light curves and control data to Europe. Additionally, we present the Python and web-based systems used for selection and scheduling of transit observations; these systems have wide applicability for the scheduling of other astronomical observations with strong time constraints. We also review the type of science that ASTEP+ will be conducting and analyze how unique ASTEP+ is to exoplanet transit research.
CHARA/SPICA (Stellar Parameters and Images with a Cophased Array) is currently being developed at Observatoire de la Cote d’Azur. It will be installed at the visible focus of the CHARA Array by the end of 2021. It has been designed to perform a large survey of fundamental stellar parameters with, in the possible cases, a detailed imaging of the surface or environment of stars. To reach the required precision and sensitivity, CHARA/SPICA combines a low spectral resolution mode R = 140 in the visible and single-mode fibers fed by the AO stages of CHARA. This setup generates additional needs before the interferometric combination: the compensation of atmospheric refraction and longitudinal dispersion, and the fringe stabilization. In this paper, we present the main features of the 6-telescopes fibered visible beam combiner (SPICA-VIS) together with the first laboratory and on-sky results of the fringe tracker (SPICA-FT). We describe also the new fringe-tracker simulator developed in parallel to SPICA-FT.
Time has come for the VLTI to prepare its jump into the visible domain, revealing many physical processes occuring in stars, planets and galaxies. Visible interferometry has a superior angular resolution than its IR siblings with the same baselines. Science with a visible VLTI ranges from evolved stars mass loss, fundamental parameters of main sequence stars, surface-brightness relation refinement, and the progenitors of gravitational waves ... These critical science cases are becoming feasible thanks to recent instrumental improvements: better detectors, adaptive optics, fringe trackers, use of optical fibers and integrated optics. The appeal for visible light at VLTI is now stronger than ever because IR has already been explored substantially at ESO. This presentation further addresses possible path forward toward a visible instrument with scientific-driven specifications. We will discuss the benefits of a survey-type observing program to allow it to operate at its full potential.
MATISSE is the second-generation mid-infrared spectrograph and imager for the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) at Paranal. This new interferometric instrument will allow significant advances in various fundamental research fields: studying the planet-forming region of disks around young stellar objects, understanding the surface structures and mass loss phenomena affecting evolved stars, and probing the environments of black holes in active galactic nuclei. As a first breakthrough, MATISSE will enlarge the spectral domain of current optical interferometers by offering the L and M bands in addition to the N band. This will open a wide wavelength domain, ranging from 2.8 to 13 μm, exploring angular scales as small as 3 mas (L band) / 10 mas (N band). As a second breakthrough, MATISSE will allow mid-infrared imaging - closure-phase aperture-synthesis imaging - with the four Unit Telescopes (UT) or Auxiliary Telescopes (AT) of the VLTI. Moreover, MATISSE will offer a spectral resolution range from R ~ 30 to R ~ 5000. Here, we remind the concept, the instrumental design, and the main features of MATISSE. We also describe the last months of preparation, the status of the instrument, which was shipped to Cerro Paranal on the site of the ESO Very Large Telescope in October 2017, and the expected schedule for the opening to the community. The instrument is currently in its Commissioning phase. A complementary dedicated article details the Commissioning results, which include the first performance estimates on sky.
MATISSE (Multi AperTure mid-Infrared SpectroScopic Experiment) is the spectro-interferometer for the VLTI of the European Southern Observatory (ESO), operating in the L-, M- and N- spectral bands, and combining up to four beams from the unit or the auxiliary telescopes (UTs or ATs). MATISSE will offer new breakthroughs in the study of circumstellar environments by allowing the mapping of the material distribution, the gas and essentially the dust. The instrument consists in a warm optical system (WOP) accepting four beams from the VLTI and relaying them after a spectral splitting to cold optical benches (COB) located in two separate cryostats, one in L-M- band, and one in N-band. The test plan of the complete instrument has been conducted at the Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur in order to confirm the compliance of the performance with the high-level requirements. MATISSE has successfully passed the Preliminary Acceptance in Europe the 12th September 2017. Following this result, ESO gave approval for the instrument to be shipped to Paranal. The Alignment, Integration and Verification phase was conducted until end of February 2018, at the end of which first observations on sky have been performed to test the operations with the VLTI and to obtain first stellar light. The two first runs of the commissioning followed, respectively in March and in May 2018. It has the goal to optimize the MATISSE-VLTI communication, the acquisition procedures and the interface parameters. The observations were performed on bright L-M- and N- stars, with four ATs located on short baselines and UTs. The limit magnitudes will be deduced.
This paper reports on the performance of the instrument measured in laboratory (results of test plan in Nice and AIV in Paranal) in terms of spectral coverage, dispersion laws and spectral resolutions, and transfer function analysis: instrumental contrast, visibility accuracy, accuracy of the differential phase, of the closure-phase and of the differential visibility. It also provides results of the first tests on sky and the planning of the on-going commissioning.
MATISSE represents a great opportunity to image the environment around massive and evolved stars. This will allow one to put constraints on the circumstellar structure, on the mass ejection of dust and its reorganization, and on the dust-nature and formation processes. MATISSE measurements will often be pivotal for the understanding of large multiwavelength datasets on the same targets collected through many high-angular resolution facilities at ESO like sub-millimeter interferometry (ALMA), near-infrared adaptive optics (NACO, SPHERE), interferometry (PIONIER, GRAVITY), spectroscopy (CRIRES), and mid-infrared imaging (VISIR). Among main sequence and evolved stars, several cases of interest have been identified that we describe in this paper.
In the next 2 or 3 years, the two major interferometric arrays, VLTI and CHARA, will equip their telescopes of 1.8m and 1m respectively with Adaptive Optics (AO hereafter) systems. This improvement will permit to apply with a reasonable e_ciency in the visible domain, the principle of spatial filtering with single mode fibers demonstrated in the near-infrared. It will clearly open new astrophysical fields by taking benefit of an improved sensitivity and state-of-the-art precision and accuracy on interferometric observables. To prepare this future possibility, we started the development of a demonstrator called FRIEND (Fibered and spectrally Resolved Interferometric Experiment - New Design). FRIEND combines the beams coming from 3 telescopes after injection in single mode optical fibers and provides some spectral capabilities for characterization purposes as well as photometric channels. It operates in the R spectral band (from 600nm to 750nm) and uses the world's fastest and more sensitive analogic detector OCAM2. Tests on sky at the focus of the CHARA interferometer are scheduled for December 2014. In this paper, we present the first interferometric tests of the OCAM2 detector performed on CHARA in November 2012 and the concept, the expected performance and the opto-mechanical design of FRIEND.
This paper presents the current status of the VEGA (Visible spEctroGraph and polArimeter) instrument installed
at the coherent focus of the CHARA Array, Mount Wilson CA. Installed in september 2007, the first science
programs have started during summer 2008 and first science results are now published. Dedicated to high angular (0.3mas) and high spectral (R=30000) astrophysical studies, VEGA main objectives are the study of circumstellar environments of hot active stars or interactive binary systems and a large palette of new programs dedicated to fundamental stellar parameters. We will present successively the main characteristics of the instrument and its current performances in the CHARA environment, a short summary of two science programs and finally we will develop some studies showing the potential and difficulties of the 3 telescopes mode of VEGA/CHARA.
The VEGA spectrograph and polarimeter has been recently integrated on the visible beams of the CHARA
Array. With a spectral resolution up to 35000 and thanks to operation at visible wavelengths, VEGA brings
unique capabilities in terms of spatial and spectral resolution to the CHARA Array. We will present the main
characteristics of VEGA on CHARA, some results concerning the performance and a preliminary analysis of the
first science run.
We present interferometric near-infrared observations of the Luminous Blue Variable (LBV) η Car using the
Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) and the AMBER instrument of the European Southern Observatory
(ESO). A high spatial resolution of 5 mas (~11.5 AU) and a high spectral resolution R = λ/Δλ=1500 and
12000 were obtained. Some of the data was recorded using the fringe tracker FINITO. The observations were
obtained in the wavelength range around both the He I 2.059 μm and the Brγ 2.166 μm emission lines. The
AMBER interferograms allow the investigation of the wavelength dependence of η Car's visibility, wavelength-differential phase, and closure phase. If we fit Hillier et al. model visibilities to the observations, we obtain
50% encircled-energy diameters of 4.2, 6.5 and 9.6 mas in the 2.17 μm continuum, the He I, and the Brγ emission
lines, respectively. In the continuum, an elongation along a position angle of 120° ± 15° was derived from the
visibilities. The VLTI observations support theoretical models of anisotropic winds from fast-rotating, luminous
hot stars with enhanced high-velocity mass loss near the pole.
Interferometry has been intensively done at long wavelengths, starting with the radio interferometers in the years 50 since it was easier to guide radio wavelengths in cable while keeping the phase information or using a local oscillator and a correlator to recombine "a posteriori" the beams over intercontinental distances. In the optical a lot of work as been done at IR and near-IR wavelengths since it was technically easier, or we must say, less difficult to recombine directly the optical beams since the coherence length is larger and the turbulence slower than at shorter wavelengths.
Therefore, the visible domain of the electromagnetic spectrum is not covered at the same level than near or mid infrared.
Some very nice and important results have been however obtained with the GI2T interferometer in south of France, the
Mark III interferometer on the Mount Wilson, USA, the NPOI array in Flagstaff, USA or the SUSI interferometer in Australia. We will present in this paper the science cases of a new but already existing and tested instrument: the
REGAIN focal instrument which was designed and built for the GI2T. This instrument, in his CHARA adaptation, called VEGA will open new fields in a wide range of Astrophysical topics only addressable in the visible domain. It will provide a spectral resolution up to 30000 within the spectral range 0.4-0.9 micron and a spatial resolution of less than 1mas for up to 4 telescopes in its X-lambda special configuration. A polarimetric device (SPIN) measuring simultaneously the polarization in 2 directions either circular or linear is also implemented in this instrument. Since VEGA was already tested on the sky on 1.5 m telescopes it is also very well suited for the 1m CHARA array and will only need minor adaptations for the injection of the CHARA beams. This paper will focus on some of the most promising science drivers only possible with this visible instrument.
We describe a project for the installation of a visible focal instrument at the CHARA Array, named VEGA for Visible spEctroGraph and polArimeter. This new instrument will further open the visible domain and offer both spectral and polarimetric capabilities at the CHARA Array. It will create a new and unique scientific niche for the CHARA Array, especially in the context of international competition. The combination of the visible domain and high spectral resolution mode combined with a good sensitivity will allow VEGA/CHARA to carve out a new piece of observational phase space and compliment many existing or planned near-infrared interferometers. VEGA will help make CHARA the interferometer with the largest spectral and spatial resolution worldwide.
We present the first interferometric NIR observations of the LBV η Carinae with high spectral resolution. The observations were carried out with three 8.2 m VLTI Unit Telescopes in the K-band. The raw data are spectrally dispersed interferograms obtained with spectral resolutions of 1,500 (MR-K mode) and 12,000 (HR-K mode). The observations were performed in the wavelength range around both the He I 2.059 μm and the Brγ 2.166 μm emission lines. The spectrally dispersed AMBER interferograms allow the investigation of the wavelength dependence of the visibility, differential phase, and closure phase of η Car. In the K-band continuum, a diameter of 4.0±0.2 mas (Gaussian FWHM) was measured for η Car's optically thick wind region, whereas the Brγ and He I emission line regions are larger. If we fit Hillier et al. model visibilities to the observed AMBER visibilities, we obtain 50% encircled-energy diameters of 4.3, 6.5 and 9.6 mas in the 2.17 μm continuum, the He I, and the Brγemission lines, respectively. In the continuum near the Brγ line, an elongation along a position angle of 128° ± 15° was found, consistent with previous VLTI/VINCI measurements. We find good agreement between the measured visibilities and the predictions of the radiative transfer model of Hillier et al. For the interpretation of the non-zero differential and closure phases measured within the Brγ line, we present a simple geometric model of an inclined, latitude-dependent wind zone. Our observations support theoretical models of anisotropic winds from fast-rotating, luminous hot stars with enhanced high-velocity mass loss near the polar regions.
We give an overview of recent results obtained with the GI2T interferometer. On the technical side, great improvements have been obtained on photon counting detectors, especially in terms of quantum efficiency and of photon centroiding algorithms. Piston measurements with the GI2T dispersed fringes have been made during
coordinate observations with the Generalized Seeing Monitor GSM. These observations have lead to wavefront outer scale determinations. The last topic we will present concerns the polarimetric measurements done with the SPIN device on the GI2T spectrograph. We conclude this paper by a summary of the results obtained with the GI2T during its scientific life.
The AMBER instrument installed at the Very Large Telescope (VLT) combines three beams from as many
telescopes to produce spectrally dispersed fringes from milli-arcsecond angular scale in the near infrared. Two
years after installation, first scientific observations have been carried out during the Science Demonstration Time
and the Guaranteed Time mostly on bright sources due to some VLTI limitations. In this paper, we review these
first astrophysical results and we show which types of completely new information is brought by AMBER.
The first astrophysical results have been mainly focusing on stellar wind structure, kinematics, and its interaction
with dust usually concentrated in a disk. Because AMBER has dramatically increased the number of
measures per baseline, this instrument brings strong constraints on morphology and models despite a relatively
poor (u,v) coverage for each object.
AMBER had first light in March 2004. The guaranteed time observations of the AMBER consortium (LAOG, MPIfR, OAA, OCA, UNSA) consists of 87 proposals ranging from cosmology, extragalactic studies, star formation, planetary system, late stages of stellar evolution to physical properties of stars. Some examples, AGN, evolved stars and hot stars are discussed in this paper.
AMBER is the near-infrared instrument of the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI). With a spectral resolution up to 10000 in the
1.2-2.4 micron wavelength range, AMBER will offer the possibility to
combine 3 beams from the VLTI array either 8-m or 1.8m telescopes. The instrument has been designed to bring high precision measurement and high sensitivity and therefore opens the way to new domain of investigation in stellar physics and for the first time access to extragalactic sources. We show how the performance of the instrument can apply in these different astrophysical fields. We present the work of the Science Group and the AMBER consortium who defined precise astrophysical goals for the first years of operation.
The GI2T interferometer has been recently equipped with a new beam combiner called REGAIN, including a dedicated visible spectrograph for enhanced spectral capabilities. The control system, the fringe tracking processor, the photon counting detectors as well as the data reduction pipeline have been refurbished or changed. After a long phase of qualification, the whole system is now ready for scientific operations. We will describe the main new features of the system.
After five years of development, the REGAIN project has obtained its first light during summer 1999. The main goals were improving the quality and quantity of data through a complete re-designing and re-building of the central beam combiner. The REGAIN interferometric bonnette delivers two coherent foci, one at visible wavelengths and one in the IR bands (J, H and K). The visible focus is equipped with a dedicated visible spectrograph and two photon counting detectors. The infrared focus can be equipped with different instruments. I will discuss the main technical issues that have been chosen.
KEYWORDS: Stars, Calcium, Visibility, K band, Infrared radiation, Interferometers, Temperature metrology, Digital signal processing, Carbon monoxide, Signal processing
We have built an infrared beam combiner for the GI2T/REGAIN interferometer of the Observatoire de la Cote d'Azur. The beam controller allows us to record spectrally dispersed Michelson interference fringes in the near-infrared J-, H- or K-bands. The beam combiner has the advantage that Michelson interferograms can simultaneously be recorded in about 128 different spectral channels. The tilt of the spectrally dispersed fringes is a measure of the instantaneous optical path difference. We present the optical design of the beam combiner and GI2T/REGAIN observations of the Mira star R Cas with this beam combiner in the spectral range of 2.00 micrometers - 2.18 micrometers (observations on 22 and 25 August 1999; variability phase 0.08; V-magnitude approximately 6; seven baselines between 12 m and 24 m; reference stars Vega and (beta) Peg).
AMBER is the near-IR instrument for the VLTI, which will offer the possibility of combining two or three beams from either the 8 meter VLT main telescopes or the 1.8 meter auxiliary telescopes. With spectral dispersion up to 10,000 high visibility accuracy and the ability to obtain closure phases, AMBER will offer the means to perform high quality interferometric measurements in the 1 - 2.5 micron range initially, with later extensions to other portions of the spectrum. These design characteristics, coupled to the VLT interferometer potential, open up the access to investigation of several classes of objects, from stellar to extragalactic astronomy. We will review the projected performance in terms of sensitivity and angular resolution, and illustrate the potential applications in some key research areas. In particular, we will present the work of the AMBER Science Group, which is evaluating simulated data of source models and interferometric outputs for the purpose of defining the criteria for observations.
This paper presents the optical layout of the REGAIN beam combiner including the optical delay line LAROCA with its variable curvature mirror, the field rotator devices, the image and pupil tracking systems and the dedicated visible spectrography. Preliminary studies of foreseen improvements, such as adaptive optics, IR spectrograph and addition of a third telescope, will be discussed.
This paper reviews the scientific results obtained with the Grand Interferometre a 2 Telescopes (the GI2T interferometer) from 1990 to 1996. During this epoch, accurate spectroscopy coupled to interferometry were achieved on luminous and multiple stars. Subtle structures in circumstellar environments such as: jets in the binary system β Lyrae, dumpiness in the wind of P Cygni, a rotating arm in ζTau have been discovered. Measurements of angular diameter variability versus time and wavelength provide fundamental parameters which constraint δ Cephei and γCas models. In addition to GI2T results, we develop in our group hydrodynamic and radiative transfert models dedicated to the interpretation of interferometry results. These models can directly constrain luminous star physics through their observable parameters.
This paper describes the present status of the Grand Interferometre a 2 Telescopes (GI2T). We review the general features of this instrument and present the scientific programs pursued by our group. Attention is given here to procedures of instrumental and visibility calibration, including the response of both the detector and spectrometer. We discuss the method of data analysis and the attainable accuracy of astrophysical parameters. The current limitations of the GI2T and development of our new optical table are presented.
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