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VLT Laser Guide Star Facility Recovery. ESO: E. Allaert, C. Araujo, G.Avila, D.Bonaccini Calia, E.Brunetto, B. Buzzoni, M. Comin, M. Cullum, C.Dichirico, M. Dimmler, I.Guidolin, W. Hackenberg, F.Koch, D. Popovic, M. Quattri, J. Quentin and A.Silber.
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VLT Laser Guide Star Facility Recovery ESO: E. Allaert, C. Araujo, G.Avila, D.Bonaccini Calia, E.Brunetto, B. Buzzoni, M. Comin, M. Cullum, C.Dichirico, M. Dimmler, I.Guidolin, W. Hackenberg, F.Koch, D. Popovic, M. Quattri, J. Quentin and A.Silber MPE/MPIA: Davies, S. Hippler, S, Kellner, U. Neumann, T. Ott, S. Rabien • Recovery of what? Degraded Im. Quality formLT Mech problems • Recovery Action? Redesign and Construction LT M1 supports • Extra Resources: 1.2 FTE + 120 kEUR • Project Delay: 11 months • Results: Problem solved, very close to specs • LGSF Status: Completed Commissioning – Science Phase DBO - ESO Status Overview – CfAO meeting 26 March 2007 Oberti - 28.Jan.2006
Commissioning runs • 3 runs from October to December • Dec and January together with NACO and SINFONI • LGS-AO Doing science, Feb-March-April-May • Issues: • Pointing of LGS • Focussing to the optimal height • LGS fwhm • LGS flux • Operation with UT4 and AO systems • Diagnostics
Average LGS flux depends on the season LGS FLUX LGS observed with a side telescope (LGS Monitoring Telescope) Photometry done using several standards, V-band Johnson filter Done in two different nights in May 06, it gives similar LGS flux results: • LGS flux 2.006x106 phot/m2 on the ground (spec: 1x106phot/m2 at Nasmyth) • Would correspond to ~3.2x105 cts/subap/sec at the Sinfoni WFS • LGS mv= 8.8 with calibrated photometry. The corresponding WFS magnitude is higher! 11 inch Celestron, 0.66”/pxl, 14-bit CCD LGSM had a 2250m baseline (Residencia)
LGS FWHM Lgs fwhm depends on the uplink wavefront quality, but also on Sodium layer density distribution and on the lower atmospheric turbulence levels
LGS Pointing • Mostly UT4-M2 flexures with gravity induces LT pointing deviations • The effect is corrected by moving the fibre on the focal plane of the LT • To bring the LGS at centerfield we will use the same method as for NGS (tool in prep.) LGS
LGS Focussing • Repeatable focusing depends on temperature and sodium layer median altitude • We have to collect more data during operation for a repeatable calibration. • A tool for automatic focusing is in preparation, useful to speed up LGS acquisition Current calibration is not satisfactory
Conclusions • The LGSF can be used for LGS-AO observations • Technical time with AO continues, to fine tune operations/performances • Observing overhead will be reduced with tools to center/focus LGS during acquisition • The LGS fwhm in our analytical predictions was smaller. We believe it is physical, it is important also for future projects with LGS systems. • In the coming months LGS data will continue to be accumulated and analyzed • It has not been a walk, but the team has cumulated very precious experience for the next complex systems