Optical configuration and analysis of the AMBER/VLTI instrument

TL;DR

This paper details the optical design, modular decomposition, and performance assessment of the AMBER instrument for VLTI, highlighting its key features, optical specifications, and achieved observational capabilities.

Contribution

It presents the detailed optical design and performance validation of the AMBER instrument, emphasizing the spatial filtering system and its impact on observational quality.

Findings

Instrumental contrast higher than 0.80

Absolute visibility accuracy of 1%

Differential phase stability of 1E-3 rad over one minute

Abstract

This paper describes the design goals and engineering efforts that led to the realization of AMBER (Astronomical Multi BEam combineR) and to the achievement of its present performance. On the basis of the general instrumental concept, AMBER was decomposed into modules whose functions and detailed characteristics are given. Emphasis is put on the spatial filtering system, a key element of the instrument. We established a budget for transmission and contrast degradation through the different modules, and made the detailed optical design. The latter confirmed the overall performance of the instrument and defined the exact implementation of the AMBER optics. The performance was assessed with laboratory measurements and commissionings at the VLTI, in terms of spectral coverage and resolution, instrumental contrast higher than 0.80, minimum magnitude of 11 in K, absolute visibility accuracy of 1%, and differential phase stability of 1E-3 rad over one minute.