Published June 17, 2019 | Version v1
Conference paper

A new generation fringe tracker

Description

The VLTI has a huge potential for the study of Active Galactic Nuclei. It allows to resolve the BLR by phase differential interferometry and to make images of the inner dust « torus ». The first generation VLTI instruments AMBER and MIDI allowed studies of the size-luminosity of the inner dust structures and showed strong departures from the simple torus structure. The 2nd generation instrument MATISSE has already proven, during its commissioning, that i twill allow to increase the sample of AGNs observed in the mid infrared and it is expected to allow imaging of the inner dust on a few Seyfert 2 targets. GRAVITY recently obtained the first BLR resolution and also the first K band images of NGC1068. However, the potential of the VLTI is strongly limited by the sensitivity of its Adaptive Optics and Fringe Tracker. This communication presents a proposal for a new fringe tracking concept combined with a J band VLTI visitor instrument optimized for AGN observations. It discusses the scientific potential, the concept and the sensitivity of that combination.

Abstract

International audience

Additional details

Identifiers

URL
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03058931
URN
urn:oai:HAL:hal-03058931v1