"Exoplanet Search with PRIMA"

R. Launhardt, J. Setiawan, Th. Henning, D. Queloz, A. Quirrenbach et al.


Abstract:

PRIMA, the instrument for Phase Referenced Imaging and Micro-arcsecond Astrometry at the 
VLTI, is currently being developed at ESO. PRIMA will implement the dual-feed capability at 
the VLTI for both UTs and ATs to enable simultaneous interferometric observations of two 
objects that are separated by up to 2 arcmin, without requiring a large continuous field of 
view. PRIMA will be composed of four major sub-systems: Star Separators, Differential Delay 
Lines (DDLs), a laser metrology system, and Fringe Sensor Units (FSU). The system is 
designed to perform narrow-angle astrometry in K-band with two FSUs and, with one FSU in
combination with AMBER or MIDI, phase-referenced aperture synthesis imaging.

In order to speed up the full implementation of the 10 mu arcsec astrometric capability of 
the VLTI and to carry out a large astrometric planet search program, a consortium lead by 
the Observatoire de Gen\`eve (Switzerland), the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, and the 
Landessternwarte Heidelberg (Germany) agreed with ESO to build the Differential Delay Lines
and to develop all necessary operation tools and data reduction software needed for the full 
implementation of the precise astrometric capability at VLTI.

In return of its effort, the consortium has been awarded GTO time to carry out a large and 
systematic astrometric planet search program (with ATs in K-band). This poster gives an 
overview on the project and describes onging hardware and software developments as well as 
outlines the anticipated astrometric planet search program.