Context. The fringe sensor unit (FSU) is the central element of the phase referenced imaging and micro-arcsecond astrometry (PRIMA) dual-feed facility and provides fringe sensing for all observation modes, comprising off-axis fringe tracking, phase referenced imaging, and high-accuracy narrow-angle astrometry. It is installed at the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) and successfully served the fringe-tracking loop during the initial commissioning phase. Aims. To maximise sensitivity, speed, and robustness, the FSU is designed to operate in the infrared K-band and to include spatial filtering after beam combination and a very-low-resolution spectrometer without photometric channels. It consists of two identical fringe sensors for dual-star operation in PRIMA astrometric mode. Methods. Unique among interferometric beam combiners, the FSU uses spatial phase modulation in bulk optics to retrieve real-time estimates of fringe phase after spatial filtering. The beam combination design accommodates a laser metrology for pathlength monitoring. An R = 20 spectrometer across the K-band makes the retrieval of the group delay signal possible. The calibration procedure uses the artificial light source of the VLTI laboratory and is based on Fourier transform spectroscopy to remove instrumental effects. Results. The FSU was integrated and aligned at the VLTI in July and August 2008. It yields phase and group delay measurements at sampling rates up to 2 kHz, which are used to drive the fringe-tracking control loop. During the first commissioning runs, the FSU was used to track the fringes of stars with K-band magnitudes as faint as m K = 9.0, using two VLTI auxiliary telescopes (AT) and baselines of up to 96 m. Fringe tracking using two Very Large Telescope (VLT) unit telescopes was demonstrated. Conclusions. The concept of spatial phase-modulation for fringe sensing and tracking in stellar interferometry is demonstrated for the first time with the FSU. During initial commissioning and combining stellar light with two ATs, the FSU showed its ability to improve the VLTI sensitivity in K-band by more than one magnitude towards fainter objects, which is fundamental for achieving the scientific objectives of PRIMA.

The Very Large Telescope (VLT) Observatory on Cerro Paranal (2635 m) in Northern Chile is approaching completion. After the four 8-m Unit Telescopes (UT) individually saw first light in the last years, two of them were combined for the first time on October 30, 2001 to form a stellar interferometer, the VLT Interferometer. The remaining two UTs will be integrated into the interferometric array later this year. In this article, we will describe the subsystems of the VLTI and the planning for the following years.

FINITO is the first generation VLTI fringe sensor, optimised for three beam observations, recently installed at Paranal and currently used for VLTI optimisation. The PRIMA FSU is the second generation, optimised for astrometry in dualfeed mode, currently in construction. We discuss the constraints of fringe tracking at VLTI, the basic functions required for stabilised interferometric observations, and their different implementation in the two instruments, with remarks on the most critical technical aspects. We provide an estimate of the expected performance and describe some of their possible observing and calibration modes, with reference to the current scientific combiners.

Aims.Our goal is to demonstrate the potential of the interferometric AMBER instrument linked with the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) fringe-tracking facility FINITO to derive high-precision stellar diameters. Methods. We use commissioning data obtained on the bright single star V3879 Sgr. Locking the interferometric fringes with FINITO allows us to record very low contrast fringes on the AMBER camera. By fitting the amplitude of these fringes, we measure the diameter of the target in three directions simultaneously with an accuracy of 25 micro-arcseconds. Results. We showed that V3879 Sgr has a round photosphere down to a sub-percent level. We quickly reached this level of accuracy because the technique used is independent from absolute calibration (at least for baselines that fully span the visibility null). We briefly discuss the potential biases found at this level of precision. Conclusions. The proposed AMBER + FINITO instrumental setup opens several perspectives for the VLTI in the field of stellar astrophysics, like measuring with high accuracy the oblateness of fast rotating stars or detecting atmospheric starspots.

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