VSI: the VLTI spectro-imager
F. Malbet
(1)
,
D. Buscher
(2)
,
G. Weigelt
(3)
,
P. Garcia
(4)
,
M. Gai
(5)
,
D. Lorenzetti
(6)
,
J. Surdej
(7)
,
J. Hron
(8)
,
R. Neuhaeuser
(9)
,
P. Kern
(1)
,
L. Jocou
(1)
,
J. -P. Berger
(1)
,
O. Absil
(1)
,
U. Beckmann
(3)
,
L. Corcione
(5)
,
G. Duvert
(1, 10)
,
M. Filho
(4)
,
P. Labeye
(11)
,
E. Le Coarer
(1)
,
G. Li Causi
(6)
,
J. Lima
(12)
,
K. Perraut
(1)
,
E. Tatulli
(1)
,
Éric Thiébaut
(10, 13)
,
J. Young
(2)
,
G. Zins
(1)
,
A. Amorim
(12)
,
B. Aringer
(8)
,
T. Beckert
(3)
,
M. Benisty
(1)
,
X. Bonfils
(12)
,
A. Cabral
(14)
,
A. Chelli
(1, 10)
,
O. Chesneau
(15)
,
A. Chiavassa
(16)
,
R. Corradi
(17)
,
M. de Becker
(7)
,
A. Delboulbe
(1)
,
G. Duchene
(1)
,
T. Forveille
(1)
,
C. Haniff
(2)
,
E. Herwats
(1, 7)
,
K. -H. Hofmann
(3)
,
J. -B. Le Bouquin
(18)
,
S. Ligori
(5)
,
D. Loreggia
(6)
,
A. Marconi
,
A. Moitinho
(12)
,
B. Nisini
(6)
,
P. -O. Petrucci
(1)
,
J. Rebordao
(14)
,
R. Speziali
(6)
,
L. Testi
(18, 19)
,
F. Vitali
(6)
1
LAOG -
Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Grenoble
2 Cavendish Laboratory
3 MPIFR - Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie
4 CAUP - Centro de Astrofísica da Universidade do Porto
5 OATo - INAF - Osservatorio Astrofisico di Torino
6 OAR - INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma
7 Institut d'Astrophysique et de Géophysique [Liège]
8 IFA - Institut für Astronomie, Universität Wien
9 AIU JENA - Astrophysikalisches Institut und Universitäts-Sternwarte
10 JMMC - Jean-Marie Mariotti Center
11 CEA-LETI - Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives - Laboratoire d'Electronique et de Technologie de l'Information
12 ULISBOA - Universidade de Lisboa = University of Lisbon = Université de Lisbonne
13 CRAL - Centre de Recherche Astrophysique de Lyon
14 INETI - Instituto Nacional de Engenharia, Tecnologia e Inovacao
15 FIZEAU - Laboratoire Hippolyte Fizeau
16 GRAAL - Groupe de Recherche en Astronomie et Astrophysique du Languedoc
17 IAC - Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias
18 ESO - European Southern Observatory
19 OAA - INAF - Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri
2 Cavendish Laboratory
3 MPIFR - Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie
4 CAUP - Centro de Astrofísica da Universidade do Porto
5 OATo - INAF - Osservatorio Astrofisico di Torino
6 OAR - INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma
7 Institut d'Astrophysique et de Géophysique [Liège]
8 IFA - Institut für Astronomie, Universität Wien
9 AIU JENA - Astrophysikalisches Institut und Universitäts-Sternwarte
10 JMMC - Jean-Marie Mariotti Center
11 CEA-LETI - Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives - Laboratoire d'Electronique et de Technologie de l'Information
12 ULISBOA - Universidade de Lisboa = University of Lisbon = Université de Lisbonne
13 CRAL - Centre de Recherche Astrophysique de Lyon
14 INETI - Instituto Nacional de Engenharia, Tecnologia e Inovacao
15 FIZEAU - Laboratoire Hippolyte Fizeau
16 GRAAL - Groupe de Recherche en Astronomie et Astrophysique du Languedoc
17 IAC - Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias
18 ESO - European Southern Observatory
19 OAA - INAF - Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri
G. Weigelt
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 755122
- ORCID : 0000-0001-9754-2233
P. Garcia
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 755977
- ORCID : 0000-0002-1678-3535
L. Jocou
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 1337469
- ORCID : 0000-0001-9376-1818
O. Absil
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 759250
- ORCID : 0000-0002-4006-6237
- IdRef : 197344623
Éric Thiébaut
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 177461
- IdHAL : eric-m-m-thiebaut
M. Benisty
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 755605
- ORCID : 0000-0002-7695-7605
- IdRef : 130594024
X. Bonfils
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 174863
- IdHAL : xavier-bonfils
- ORCID : 0000-0001-9003-8894
- IdRef : 179977687
A. Chiavassa
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 749158
- IdHAL : andrea-chiavassa
- ORCID : 0000-0003-3891-7554
T. Forveille
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 755407
- ORCID : 0000-0003-0536-4607
- IdRef : 033740585
A. Marconi
- Fonction : Auteur
B. Nisini
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 759251
- ORCID : 0000-0002-9190-0113
Résumé
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.