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Published October 20, 2004 | Published
Book Section - Chapter Open

Keck Interferometer autoaligner: algorithms and techniques

Abstract

The Keck Interferometer includes an autoalignment system consisting of pop-up targets located at strategic locations along the beam trains of each arm of the instrument along with a sensor and control system. We briefly describe the hardware of the system and then proceed to a description of the two operational modes of the system. These are: 1) to provide an initial alignment of the coude paths in each arm, and 2) to recover coude alignments between changes of the static delay sled positions. For the initial alignment mode, we review the system performance requirements along with the software used for image acquisition and centroiding. For coudé alignment recovery, we describe beam-train surveys through the static delay (Long Delay Line) and criteria for a successful recovery of a coudé alignment. Finally, we describe the results of testing of the autoalignment system.

Additional Information

© 2004 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). The research described in this paper was carried out at the W. M. Keck Observatory, and at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Keck Interferometer is funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration as part of its Navigator Program. The W. M. Keck Observatory is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation.

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August 19, 2023
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