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Unidades del sistema Estrella Guía Láser se aprueban y envían a Chile

El Sistema de 4 Estrellas Guía Láser alcanza hito clave

27 de Noviembre de 2015

Las cuatro unidades que conforman el Sistema de 4 Estrellas Guía Láser, componente esencial del Sistema de Óptica Adaptativa (AOF, por sus siglas en inglés) del Very Large Telescope de ESO, han sido aprobadas y están siendo enviadas a Chile. Este es un importante paso para hacer de la Unidad de Telescopio 4 del VLT un telescopio completamente equipado con óptica adaptativa, capaz de entregar una calidad de imagen mucho mayor.

Un sistema de óptica adaptativa emplea sensores para analizar la turbulencia atmosférica, además de un espejo deformable integrado al telescopio para corregir las distorsiones producidas por la atmósfera en las imágenes. Sin embargo, es esencial que un punto brillante, semejante a una estrella, esté muy cerca del objeto a ser estudiado para lograr medir de manera precisa la turbulencia existente.

Encontrar una estrella real en el lugar adecuado para que cumpla esta función es muy poco probable. Por lo que para lograr corregir la turbulencia atmosférica en cualquier área del cielo y para todo posible objeto de estudio, se requiere una estrella artificial. Tales estrellas pueden crearse proyectando un potente rayo láser al cielo a la capa de sodio de la atmósfera, donde genera un resplandor intenso que se asemeja, desde el suelo, al de una estrella.

Al medir los movimientos y distorsiones de esta estrella artificial inducidos por la atmósfera, y al hacer pequeños ajustes al espejo secundario deformable a una velocidad de mil veces por segundo, el telescopio puede producir imágenes con una nitidez muy superior a la obtenida sin el uso de óptica adaptativa.

La primera unidad de estrella guía láser del Sistema de Óptica Adaptativa fue instalada en el VLT y probada in situ de manera exitosa a principios de este año. Estas pruebas han confirmado el sólido diseño implementado por ESO, en colaboración con la industria y los institutos científicos europeos [1]. Las pruebas de la Unidad de Telescopio 4 del VLT, llevadas a cabo en Chile, mostraron una alta calidad óptica, proporcionando una imagen de estrella artificial prácticamente perfecta, y una alta eficiencia en la excitación de la capa de sodio. El éxito obtenido permite que el equipo pueda proceder a realizar pruebas preliminares con GRAAL, el módulo de óptica adaptativa que alimenta a HAWK-I, el sistema de procesamiento de imágenes de campo amplio de la Unidad de Telescopio 4;  siendo todos estos, avances hacia la puesta en marcha definitiva del Sistema de Óptica Adaptativa emplazado en Paranal.

El Sistema de Óptica Adaptativa empleará cuatro láseres de forma simultánea, lo que permitirá caracterizar las propiedades de la atmósfera (y por lo tanto un mayor campo de visión en el que se corrige la imagen) mucho mejor de lo que es posible con un solo láser.

Cuando se complete la instalación, el Sistema de Óptica Adaptativa suministrará la luz a dos instrumentos, HAWK-I (en conjunto con GRAAL) y el espectrógrafo de campo integral, MUSE, (en conjunto con GALACSI).

Notas

[1] Las empresas que participaron incluyen a: TOPTICA, Alemania; TNO, Países Bajos; MPB Communications, Canadá; Optec, Italia; Astrel, Italia; y Laseroptik, Alemania. Además el Observatorio Astronómico de Roma, INAF, Italia, realizó grandes contribuciones al proyecto.

Enlaces

Contactos

Domenico Bonaccini Calia
ESOGarching bei München, Alemania
Tel: +49 89 3200 6567
Correo electrónico: dbonacci@eso.org

Wolfgang Hackenberg
ESO
Garching bei München, Alemania
Tel: +49 89 3200 6782
Correo electrónico: whackenb@eso.org

Richard Hook
Encargado de Prensa de ESO
Garching bei München, Alemania
Tel: +49 89 3200 6655
Cel: +49 151 1537 3591
Correo electrónico: rhook@eso.org

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Imágenes

Una de la unidades del
Una de la unidades del "Four Laser Guide Star Facility" para el VLT
Una de la unidades del
Una de la unidades del "Four Laser Guide Star Facility" para el VLT
Una de la unidades del
Una de la unidades del "Four Laser Guide Star Facility" para el VLT
Prueba final del 4LGSF
Prueba final del 4LGSF
Prueba final del 4LGSF
Prueba final del 4LGSF
Prueba final del 4LGSF
Prueba final del 4LGSF

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