Putting METIS SCAO to the test

Le résumé fourni par la source

The alignment of the wavefront sensor is almost complete, the AO Control System has been implemented to a mature level, and the testbed is prepared; METIS SCAO is about to enter the lab testing phase. In this phase, the developments of the hardware and control system are combined to form the SCAO subsystem for METIS. Key AO components, ultimately provided by the sky and the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), are substituted by a Telescope Simulator and its own control system. The wavefront control loop, along with all auxiliary control loops and their associated algorithms in the Real-Time Computer (RTC), are tested in conjunction with the Near-Infrared (NIR) Pyramid Wavefront Sensor (P-WFS) and the other opto-mechanical devices that form the cryogenic SCAO module. The subsystem integration and test activities begin by mating the interfaces between the wavefront sensor, the RTC, and the Telescope Simulator. Core functionalities are put into operation, followed by an extensive testing of the wavefront control loop. The Telescope Simulator provides the means to introduce and compensate wavefront disturbances and pupil drifts. The subsystem integration and test phase is followed by the system integration and test phase, during which the SCAO subsystem meets the rest of METIS. In this phase, the Telescope Simulator will also be deployed to test METIS SCAO and its non-common path aberration control loops. This presentation provides an update on the integration activities of the SCAO Module and the AO Control System as well as an update of the planned subsystem and system tests.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.