Daily Image
18-03-2009
SPHERE, the VLT planet finder
| Submitter: | Johan Pragt |
| Description: | SPHERE, the VLT planet finder The ‘Planet Finder’ Instrument for the VLT called SPHERE closed the design phase in Dec. 2008 and started up the production phase early this year. Direct detection and spectral characterisation of extrasolar planets is one of the most exciting but also one of the most challenging areas in modern astronomy. For the second-generation instrumentation on the VLT of ESO, a unique instrument is developed: SPHERE, combining a powerful extreme adaptive optics system (SAXO), various coronagraphs, an infrared differential imaging camera (IRDIS), an infrared integral field spectrograph (IFS) and a visible differential polarimeter (ZIMPOL). SPHERE-ZIMPOL, one of the three focal instruments of SPHERE, is developed by a consortium of University of Amsterdam, University Utrecht, ETH Zürich and NOVA-ASTRON. SPHERE-ZIMPOL is a high-precision imaging polarimeter working in the visual range, covering at least 600 to 900 nm. The ZIMPOL instrument principle is based on differential comparison of the two polarisation images by fast modulation with an FLC (Ferro-electric Liquid Crystal), a techniques also used in solar telescope instruments. ZIMPOL Assembly is scheduled for Q3 of this year. Testing at ASTRON during Q3 2009 to Q2 2010. Integration into the SPHERE instrument in Grenoble in Q3 2010. SPHERE first light on VLT in Q1 2011. SPHERE is a consortium with partners in FR, GE, CH, IT and NL. http://www.eso.org/projects/aot/vltpf/ |
| Copyright: | NOVA-ASTRON |
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