EKARUS at Asiago Observatory: optomechanical design and AIT procedures of the visible stage

Le résumé fourni par la source

EKARUS is the successor of the PAPYRUS bench, developed collaboratively by ONERA/LAM and INAF, and will be installed in the Coudé room of the Copernico telescope at Asiago. It is a SCAO facility enabling on-sky testing of different wavefront sensors and adaptive optics techniques. We present the optomechanical design of its first stage operating in the visible, which integrates a deformable mirror, a fast tip-tilt mirror, and a pyramid wavefront sensor, along with two visitor WFSs ports and a science camera providing a 1 arcmin FoV. The design balances optical performance, mechanical constraints, and available space. We also outline considerations for assembly, integration, and testing to ensure system alignment and stability. EKARUS’s assembly, integration, and testing began in May 2026. The instrument will have its first light in September 2026. Key alignment procedures include collimation, beam centering, fine Tip-Tilt adjustments, and final performance measurements.

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