Completing the puzzle: AOLI full-commissioning fresh results and AIV innovations

TL;DR

This paper reports on the integration, verification, and initial observational results of AOLI, an innovative instrument combining adaptive optics and lucky imaging to achieve high-resolution visible observations from ground telescopes.

Contribution

It introduces a modular integration approach for AOLI, demonstrating its successful deployment and initial performance on the WHT telescope.

Findings

Preliminary results show successful high-resolution imaging.

Modular integration proved effective for complex instrument assembly.

First observational data validate AOLI's design and capabilities.

Abstract

The Adaptive Optics Lucky Imager (AOLI) is a new instrument designed to combine adaptive optics (AO) and lucky imaging (LI) techniques to deliver high spatial resolution in the visible, 20 mas, from ground-based telescopes. Here we present details of the integration and verification phases explaining the defiance that we have faced and the innovative and versatile solution of modular integration for each of its subsystems that we have developed. Modularity seems a clue key for opto-mechanical integration success in the extremely-big telescopes era. We present here the very fresh preliminary results after its first fully-working observing run on the WHT.