VSI: the VLTI spectro-imager
Abstract
The VLTI Spectro Imager (VSI) was proposed as a second-generation instrument of the Very Large Telescope Interferometer providing the ESO community with spectrally-resolved, near-infrared images at angular resolutions down to 1.1 milliarcsecond and spectral resolutions up to R=12000. Targets as faint as K=13 will be imaged without requiring a brighter nearby reference object. The unique combination of high-dynamic-range imaging at high angular resolution and high spectral resolution enables a scientific program which serves a broad user community and at the same time provides the opportunity for breakthroughs in many areas of astrophysic including: probing the initial conditions for planet formation in the AU-scale environments of young stars; imaging convective cells and other phenomena on the surfaces of stars; mapping the chemical and physical environments of evolved stars, stellar remnants, and stellar winds; and disentangling the central regions of active galactic nuclei and supermassive black holes. VSI will provide these new capabilities using technologies which have been extensively tested in the past and VSI requires little in terms of new infrastructure on the VLTI. At the same time, VSI will be able to make maximum use of new infrastructure as it becomes available; for example, by combining 4, 6 and eventually 8 telescopes, enabling rapid imaging through the measurement of up to 28 visibilities in every wavelength channel within a few minutes. The current studies are focused on a 4-telescope version with an upgrade to a 6-telescope one. The instrument contains its own fringe tracker and tip-tilt control in order to reduce the constraints on the VLTI infrastructure and maximize the scientific return.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.0807.1062,
title = {VSI: the VLTI spectro-imager},
author = {F. Malbet and D. Buscher and G. Weigelt and P. Garcia and M. Gai and D. Lorenzetti and J. Surdej and J. Hron and R. Neuhaeuser and P. Kern and L. Jocou and J. -P. Berger and O. Absil and U. Beckmann and L. Corcione and G. Duvert and M. Filho and P. Labeye and E. Le Coarer and G. Li Causi and J. Lima and K. Perraut and E. Tatulli and E. Thiebaut and J. Young and G. Zins and A. Amorim and B. Aringer and T. Beckert and M. Benisty and X. Bonfils and A. Cabral and A. Chelli and O. Chesneau and A. Chiavassa and R. Corradi and M. de Becker and A. Delboulbe and G. Duchene and T. Forveille and C. Haniff and E. Herwats and K. -H. Hofmann and J. -B. Le Bouquin and S. Ligori and D. Loreggia and A. Marconi and A. Moitinho and B. Nisini and P. -O. Petrucci and J. Rebordao and R. Speziali and L. Testi and F. Vitali},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0807.1062},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
12 pages, to be published in Proc. SPIE conference 7013 "Optical and Infrared Interferometry", Schoeller, Danchi, and Delplancke, F. (eds.). See also http://vsi.obs.ujf-grenoble.fr