Design, analysis, and testing of the optical tube assemblies for the ESO VLT four laser guide star facility

Henselmans, R.; Nijkerk, David; Lemmen, Martin; Rijnveld, Niek; Kamphues, Fred

doi:10.1117/12.926484

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 4 publications

(5 reference statements)

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“…The laser, BCDS and OTA are mounted on a steel baseplate, which is aligned in tilt with respect to the UT4 optical axis during integration. The OTAs have been manufactured by TNO in Delft, Netherlands, adopting the ESO reference optical design [58]. The beam expanders of the BCDS were manufactured by Optec S.r.l (Parabiago, Italy).…”

Section: Laser Guide Star Unit: System Description and Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Four-Laser Guide Star Facility: Design considerations and system implementation

Calia

Holzlöhner

Lewis

et al. 2014

Advanced Optical Technologies

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Ground-based optical telescopes, in particular large ones, require adaptive optics to overcome the atmospheric seeing limit due to turbulence. Correcting the distorted wavefront necessitates bright stars in the field of view. The sky coverage can be greatly increased by using artificial sodium laser guide stars in addition to natural guide stars. We describe the underlying physics and technical considerations relevant to such systems before discussing the design of the four-laser guide star facility (4LGSF) which is currently under development for the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT) on Cerro Paranal, Chile. The focus is upon the justification of the requirements and their technical solution.

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Section: Laser Guide Star Unit: System Description and Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Four-Laser Guide Star Facility: Design considerations and system implementation

Calia

Holzlöhner

Lewis

et al. 2014

Advanced Optical Technologies

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“…In space, the relative pose (positions and orientations) of the optical elements, especially between the primary lens and the rear lens group, will change due to the changes in the thermal environment and the structure, which will seriously affect the imaging quality of the telescope [ 9 , 10 , 11 ]. Furthermore, it is found that the tilt and decentration of the primary lens will make the telescope imaging quality decrease obviously [ 12 , 13 ]. Therefore, the pose measurement of the telescope primary lens has become difficult to overcome urgently in membrane optical imaging technology [ 14 , 15 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A High-Precision Real-Time Pose Measurement Method for the Primary Lens of Large Aperture Space Telescope Based on Laser Ranging

Shi

Wang

et al. 2023

Sensors

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The aperture of space telescopes increases with their required resolution, and the transmission optical systems with long focal length and diffractive primary lens are becoming increasingly popular. In space, the changes in the pose of the primary lens relative to the rear lens group have a significant impact on the imaging performance of the telescope system. The measurement of the pose of the primary lens in real-time and with high-precision is one of the important techniques for a space telescope. In this paper, a high-precision real-time pose measurement method for the primary lens of a space telescope in orbit based on laser ranging is proposed, and a verification system is established. The pose change of the telescope’s primary lens can be easily calculated through six high-precision laser distance changes. The measurement system can be installed freely, which solves the problems of complex system structure and low measurement accuracy in traditional pose measurement techniques. Analysis and experiments show that this method can accurately obtain the pose of the primary lens in real-time. The rotation error of the measurement system is 2 × 10−5 degrees (0.072 arcsecs), and the translation error is 0.2 μm. This study will provide a scientific basis for high-quality imaging of a space telescope.

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“…ESO is also procuring a launch telescope as part of the VLT adaptive optics facility 18 currently being manufactured by TNO 19 in the Netherlands.…”

Section: Laser Launch Subunitsmentioning

confidence: 99%

E-ELT optomechanics: overview

Cayrel¹

2012

SPIE Proceedings

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The E-ELT is a project led by the European Southern Observatory (ESO) for a 40-m class optical, near-and midinfrared, ground-based telescope. When it will enter into operation, the E-ELT will be the largest and most powerful optical telescope ever built. It will not only offer unrivalled light collecting power, but also exceedingly sharp images, thanks to its ability to compensate for the adverse effect of atmospheric turbulence on image sharpness.The basic optical solution for the EELT is a folded three-mirror anastigmat, using a 39-m segmented primary mirror (M1), a 4-m convex secondary mirror (M2), and a 4-m concave tertiary mirror (M3), all active. Folding is provided by two additional flat mirrors sending the beams to either Nasmyth foci along the elevation axis of the telescope. The folding arrangement (flat M4 and M5 mirrors) is conceived to provide conveniently located flat surfaces for an adaptive shell (M4) and field stabilization (M5).That paper provides an overview of the specifications, design, and expected performance of the E-ELT optical systems.

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Design, analysis, and testing of the optical tube assemblies for the ESO VLT four laser guide star facility

Cited by 3 publications

References 4 publications

The Four-Laser Guide Star Facility: Design considerations and system implementation

The Four-Laser Guide Star Facility: Design considerations and system implementation

A High-Precision Real-Time Pose Measurement Method for the Primary Lens of Large Aperture Space Telescope Based on Laser Ranging

E-ELT optomechanics: overview

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