A new generation fringe tracker
Un suiveur de franges de nouvelle génération pour le VLTI
Résumé
The VLTI has a huge potential for the study of Active Galactic Nuclei. It allows to resolve the BLR by phase differential interferometry and to make images of the inner dust « torus ». The first generation VLTI instruments AMBER and MIDI allowed studies of the size-luminosity of the inner dust structures and showed strong departures from the simple torus structure. The 2nd generation instrument MATISSE has already proven, during its commissioning, that i twill allow to increase the sample of AGNs observed in the mid infrared and it is expected to allow imaging of the inner dust on a few Seyfert 2 targets. GRAVITY recently obtained the first BLR resolution and also the first K band images of NGC1068. However, the potential of the VLTI is strongly limited by the sensitivity of its Adaptive Optics and Fringe Tracker. This communication presents a proposal for a new fringe tracking concept combined with a J band VLTI visitor instrument optimized for AGN observations. It discusses the scientific potential, the concept and the sensitivity of that combination.