Related papers: Near-field cosmology with the VLT

We present RETROCAM, an auxiliary CCD camera that can be rapidly inserted into the optical beam of the MDM 2.4m telescope. The speed and ease of reconfiguring the telescope to use the imager and a straightforward user interface permit the…

We describe a system to measure the Quantum Efficiency in the wavelength range of 300 nm to 1100 nm of 40x40 mm n-channel CCD sensors for the construction of the 3.2 gigapixel LSST focal plane. The technique uses a series of instrument to…

Existing and future wide-field photometric surveys will produce a time-lapse movie of the sky that will revolutionize our census of variable and moving astronomical and atmospheric phenomena. As with any revolution in scientific measurement…

The recent observational evidence for the acceleration of the universe demonstrates that canonical theories of cosmology and particle physics are incomplete - if not incorrect - and that new physics is out there, waiting to be discovered.…

Recently, it has been recognised that very large spectroscopic surveys (several million spectra) are required to advance our understanding of Dark Energy (via baryonic wiggles) and the detailed history of our Local Group of galaxies (via…

New challenges in submillimeter wave astronomy require instruments with a combination of high sensitivity and angular resolution, wide field of view and multiwave (multicolor) spectral range. New large single mm/submm telescopes are in high…

ESO and ESA agreed to establish a number of Working Groups to explore possible synergies between these two major European astronomical institutions. This Working Group's mandate was to concentrate on fundamental questions in cosmology, and…

A large wide-field telescope and camera with optical throughput over 200 m^2 deg^2 -- a factor of 50 beyond what we currently have -- would enable the detection of faint moving or bursting optical objects: from Earth threatening asteroids…

Direct detection and detailed characterization of exoplanets using extreme adaptive optics (ExAO) is a key science goal of future extremely large telescopes (ELTs). However, wavefront errors will limit the sensitivity of this endeavor.…

We investigate the cosmological constraints from the void-lensing cross-correlation assuming the $w$CDM model for the Chinese Space Station Survey Telescope (CSST) photometric survey. Using Jiutian simulations, we construct a mock galaxy…

We investigate the accuracy of astrometric measurements with the VLT/FORS1 camera and consider potential applications. The study is based on two-epoch (2000 and 2002/2003) frame series of observations of a selected Galactic Bulge sky region…

M31, our closest neighboring galaxy, is a stepping stone to studies of stellar evolution, star formation, galaxy evolution, and cosmology. However, due to the difficulties of performing photometry in such crowded fields and the lack of wide…

With sub-microarcsecond angular accuracy, the \theia telescope will be capable of revealing the architectures of nearby exoplanetary systems down to the mass of Earth. This research addresses the challenges inherent in space astrometry…

During the last two decades, the first generation of beam combiners at the Very Large Telescope Interferometer has proved the importance of optical interferometry for high-angular resolution astrophysical studies in the near- and…

Parameter inference is a crucial task in modern cosmology that requires accurate and fast computational methods to handle the high precision and volume of observational datasets. In this study, we explore a hybrid vision transformer, the…

A key requirement for autonomous on-orbit proximity operations is the estimation of a target spacecraft's relative pose (position and orientation). It is desirable to employ monocular cameras for this problem due to their low cost, weight,…

Direct imaging is the primary technique currently used to detect young and warm exoplanets and understand their formation scenarios. The extreme flux ratio between an exoplanet and its host star requires the use of coronagraphs to attenuate…

VLT-Interferometry will allow imaging of the Galactic Center (GC) and the nuclei of extragalactic sources at an angular resolution of a few milliarcseconds. VLTI will be a prime instrument to study the immediate environment of the massive…

This white paper discusses recent progress in the field of evolved stars, primarily highlighting the contributions of the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope. It discusses the ongoing project, the \emph{Nearby Evolved Stars Survey} (NESS), and…

Long-exposure stellar images recorded with large ground-based telescopes are blurred due to the turbulent nature of the atmosphere. The VLT employs active and adaptive optics (AO) systems to compensate for the deleterious effects of the…