The ESO Adaptive Optics Facility under Test
Monday, 29 April 2013 9 a.m. — 10 a.m. MST
Your time:
AURA Lecture Hall
The Adaptive Optics Facility project has received most of its subsystems in Garching and the ESO Integration Hall has become the central operation location for the next phase of the project. The main test bench ASSIST and the 2^nd Generation M2-Unit (hosting the Deformable Secondary Mirror) have been granted acceptance late 2012. The DSM will now undergo a series of tests on ASSIST to qualify its optical performance which launches the System Test Phase of the AOF. The tests will validate the AO modules operation with the DSM: first the GRAAL adaptive optics module for Hawk-I in natural guide star AO mode on-axis and then its Ground Layer AO mode. This will be followed by the GALACSI (for MUSE) Wide-Field-Mode (GLAO) and then the more challenging Narrow-Field-Mode (LTAO). I will report on the status of the subsystems but also on the performance of the delivered ASSIST test bench, the DSM and the 20 Watt Sodium fiber Laser pre-production unit which has validated all specifications before final manufacturing of the serial units. I will also present some considerations and tools to ensure an efficient operation of the Facility in Paranal.