Augmented design for a fully automated alignment system at the Magdalena Ridge Observatory Interferometer

James J. D. Luis; Robert Blasi; David F. Buscher; Allen Farris; Robert Kelly; Robert Ligon

doi:10.1117/12.2312549

9 July 2018 Augmented design for a fully automated alignment system at the Magdalena Ridge Observatory Interferometer

James J. D. Luis, Robert Blasi, David F. Buscher, Allen Farris, Robert Kelly, Robert Ligon

Proceedings Volume 10701, Optical and Infrared Interferometry and Imaging VI; 107010M (2018) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2312549
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2018, Austin, Texas, United States

Abstract

Stable beam alignment of an optical interferometer is crucial for maintaining a usable signal-to-noise ratio during science measurements on faint astronomical targets. The Magdalena Ridge Observatory Interferometer will use an Automated Alignment System (AAS) that performs a start-of-night alignment procedure and subsequent alignment corrections in between observations, all without the need for human intervention. Its design has recently been updated in line with a revised error budget for MROI requiring that two axis drifts during science operations should not exceed 15 milliarcseconds in tilt, referred to the sky, nor 1% of the beam diameter in shear. For each beam line, the AAS provides two reference light beams, a pair of quad cells to monitor coarse alignment, and a tilt and shear detector for tracking fine drifts. The tilt and shear detector is a novel application of a Shack-Hartmann array that permits the simultaneous measurement tilt and shear well within requirements for MROI. Results of laboratory testing and simulations are presented here.

Citation Download Citation

James J. D. Luis, Robert Blasi, David F. Buscher, Allen Farris, Robert Kelly, and Robert Ligon "Augmented design for a fully automated alignment system at the Magdalena Ridge Observatory Interferometer", Proc. SPIE 10701, Optical and Infrared Interferometry and Imaging VI, 107010M (9 July 2018); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2312549

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