GRAVITY Beam Combiner Instrument Progress

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  The GRAVITY Beam Combiner Instrument has Arrived in the New Integration Hall on Paranal

  July 21, 2015

  The GRAVITY Beam Combiner Instrument has Arrived in the New Integration Hall on Paranal

  The GRAVITY Beam Combiner Instrument has Arrived in the New Integration Hall on Paranal

  July 21, 2015

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  CIAO #1 arrived at Paranal

  February 18, 2016

  CIAO #1 arrived at Paranal

  The first infrared wavefront sensor CIAO arrived at Paranal
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  The Beam Combiner Instrument installed in the VLTI lab

  October 03, 2015

  The Beam Combiner Instrument installed in the VLTI lab
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  The Beam Combiner Instrument on its way into the VLTI laboratory

  October 02, 2015

  The Beam Combiner Instrument on its way into the VLTI laboratory
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  System is back in operation in the New Integration Hall at Paranal

  July 22, 2015

  System is back in operation in the New Integration Hall at Paranal
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  The Installation Team

  The Installation Team

  The Installation Team
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  Leak-testing with Gerd

  July 19, 2015

  Leak-testing with Gerd
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  Unpacking of the six electronic cabinets

  July 16, 2015

  Unpacking of the six electronic cabinets
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  Transfer of the BCI cryostat box

  July 16, 2015

  Transfer of the BCI cryostat box
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  Unpacking of the cryostat

  July 16, 2015

  Unpacking of the cryostat
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  Movement into the New Integration Hall

  July 16, 2015

  Movement into the New Integration Hall
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  Everything still there

  July 16, 2015

  Everything still there
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  The Beam Combiner Instrument arrived at Paranal

  July 15, 2015

  The Beam Combiner Instrument arrived at Paranal

  17 boxes / 12,5 tonnes / 74 m^3
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  Alignment of AT units with ESO laser tracker

  May 21, 2015

  Alignment of AT units with ESO laser tracker

  With the great help of Samuel Leveque (ESO)
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  First fringe-tracking in lab!

  July 25, 2013

  First fringe-tracking in lab!
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  First completely equipped UT: four guiding launchers/four metrology receivers/one electronic box

  July 29, 2013

  First completely equipped UT: four guiding launchers/four metrology receivers/one electronic box
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  First cabled electronic box at UT1 (only test cabling)

  July 29, 2013

  First cabled electronic box at UT1 (only test cabling)
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  First two units installed at UT1 (the small black dots on the spider ...)

  July 25, 2013

  First two units installed at UT1 (the small black dots on the spider ...)
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  Perfect Paranal support (by Eloy Fuenteseca)

  July 25, 2013

  Perfect Paranal support (by Eloy Fuenteseca)
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  First installed guiding launcher at UT1

  July 25, 2013

  First installed guiding launcher at UT1
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  First installed metrology receiver at UT1

  July 25, 2013

  First installed metrology receiver at UT1
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  First fringes in lab!

  July 23, 2013

  First fringes in lab!
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  GRAVITY is sexy (Pierre Fedou, Guy Perrin (Paris), Stefan Kellner (MPE))

  July 16, 2013

  GRAVITY is sexy (Pierre Fedou, Guy Perrin (Paris), Stefan Kellner (MPE))
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  There are a lot of things to do (Laurent Jocou, Karine Perraut (IPAG), Michael Wiest (UoC), Guy Perrin (Paris), Stefan Gillessen, Angela Rief, Frank Eisenhauer (MPE))

  July 16, 2013

  There are a lot of things to do (Laurent Jocou, Karine Perraut (IPAG), Michael Wiest (UoC), Guy Perrin (Paris), Stefan Gillessen, Angela Rief, Frank Eisenhauer (MPE))
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  Fiber Control Unit installed first time in the cryostat on its support structure, including two fiber couplers

  July 19, 2013

  Fiber Control Unit installed first time in the cryostat on its support structure, including two fiber couplers
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  Fiber Control Unit with polarization rotators and differential delay lines, by Paris group (removed cover)

  July 15, 2013

  Fiber Control Unit with polarization rotators and differential delay lines, by Paris group (removed cover)
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  Delivery of first IO and Fiber Control Unit

  July 12, 2013

  Delivery of first IO and Fiber Control Unit
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  Front view of cabinet #3

  June 07, 2013

  Front view of cabinet #3
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  Cryostat cool-down can be boring (Frank Haußmann)

  February 27, 2013

  Cryostat cool-down can be boring (Frank Haußmann)
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  Transparent Beam Combiner Instrument cryostat

  July 08, 2013

  Transparent Beam Combiner Instrument cryostat
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  Back side of cabinet #6, PLC, TMP control, gauge controller, and cryostat warm-up electronic

  June 24, 2013

  Back side of cabinet #6, PLC, TMP control, gauge controller, and cryostat warm-up electronic
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  Installed fringe tracking spectrometer and first fiber coupler in the BCI cryostat

  June 21, 2013

  Installed fringe tracking spectrometer and first fiber coupler in the BCI cryostat
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  Liquid nitrogen refill

  June 09, 2013

  Liquid nitrogen refill
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  SAPHIRA detector integration in Fringe Tracker Spectrometer (Leander Mehrgan (ESO), Senol Yazici (UoC))

  June 05, 2013

  SAPHIRA detector integration in Fringe Tracker Spectrometer (Leander Mehrgan (ESO), Senol Yazici (UoC))
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  First test of the "small" pulse tube compressor from Thales

  May 31, 2013

  First test of the "small" pulse tube compressor from Thales
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  Pressure reducer to fill the pulse tube cooler with helium gas

  May 31, 2013

  Pressure reducer to fill the pulse tube cooler with helium gas
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  Pulse tube cooler with installed accelerometer

  May 29, 2013

  Pulse tube cooler with installed accelerometer
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  BCI cryostat with calibration unit and dust cover

  May 14, 2013

  BCI cryostat with calibration unit and dust cover
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  Electronic cabinet cooling water connection

  February 18, 2013

  Electronic cabinet cooling water connection
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  Calibration unit chassis

  March 06, 2013

  Calibration unit chassis
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  Is it interesting or not?

  March 04, 2013

  Is it interesting or not?
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  Put the unneeded LN2 into the trash can

  February 27, 2013

  Put the unneeded LN2 into the trash can
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  Cooling water distribution panel (one of two)

  February 22, 2013

  Cooling water distribution panel (one of two)
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  Installing of the pulse tube cooler inside the cryostat (Frank Haußmann, David Huber (MPE))

  February 21, 2013

  Installing of the pulse tube cooler inside the cryostat (Frank Haußmann, David Huber (MPE))
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  Pulse tube cooler feedthrough for helium gas and cooling water

  February 21, 2013

  Pulse tube cooler feedthrough for helium gas and cooling water
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  BCI Cryostat liquid nitrogen and exhaust gas connections

  February 21, 2013

  BCI Cryostat liquid nitrogen and exhaust gas connections
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  Cryostat measurement of vacuum vessel lowering caused by vacuum

  February 20, 2013

  Cryostat measurement of vacuum vessel lowering caused by vacuum
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  Cryostat control electronic, PLC

  February 18, 2013

  Cryostat control electronic, PLC
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  First integration of pulse tube cooler

  February 18, 2013

  First integration of pulse tube cooler
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  PLC control panel, done by Lothar Kern (ESO)

  February 18, 2013

  PLC control panel, done by Lothar Kern (ESO)
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  BCI cryostat control electronic: PLC control electronic, gauge controller and TMP controller

  February 18, 2013

  BCI cryostat control electronic: PLC control electronic, gauge controller and TMP controller
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  Electronic box AT

  October 09, 2012

  Electronic box AT

  This electronic box will be mounted on the centre piece of each AT. It host the control electronic for the four metrology receivers and the four pupil guiding launchers.
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  Electric cabinet water cooling controlling

  March 26, 2013

  Electric cabinet water cooling controlling
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  Pulse tube cooler prototype

  September 18, 2012

  Pulse tube cooler prototype

  photo taken at University of Giessen
  This cooler will later cool the Saphira detector to 40K at a cooling load of 2.5W.
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  First pulse tube cooler assembly at manufacture

  September 18, 2012

  First pulse tube cooler assembly at manufacture
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  Pulse tube cooler, covered with MLI

  September 19, 2012

  Pulse tube cooler, covered with MLI
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  First uncontrolled cool-down at manufacture

  May 16, 2012

  First uncontrolled cool-down at manufacture
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  First fit-check of vacuum vessel at manufacture

  April 11, 2012

  First fit-check of vacuum vessel at manufacture
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  Beam Combiner Instrument cryostat, liquid nitrogen tank

  April 11, 2012

  Beam Combiner Instrument cryostat, liquid nitrogen tank

  Liquid nitrogen tank without MLI before integration in cryostat.
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  Optical bench support joint

  March 22, 2012

  Optical bench support joint
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  Optical bench support

  March 22, 2012

  Optical bench support

  The optical bench, made in alumium, is supported by a stainless steel framework.
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  Optical bench support joint

  March 22, 2012

  Optical bench support joint
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  Cryostat optical bench

  March 22, 2012

  Cryostat optical bench
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  Lower cryostat vacuum shell

  March 05, 2012

  Lower cryostat vacuum shell
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  Cryostat support frame weldment, uncoated

  November 22, 2011

  Cryostat support frame weldment, uncoated
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  Welded cryostat vacuum shell at manufacture

  November 22, 2011

  Welded cryostat vacuum shell at manufacture
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  Metrology injection test setup

  January 21, 2011

  Metrology injection test setup
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  Metrology injection test setup

  January 21, 2011

  Metrology injection test setup
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  Testing of the SmarAct ultrasonic actuators for the metrology injection

  July 29, 2010

  Testing of the SmarAct ultrasonic actuators for the metrology injection
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  Cryogenic testing of the fiber positioner piezos, test cryostat

  April 01, 2009

  Cryogenic testing of the fiber positioner piezos, test cryostat
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  Cryogenic testing of the fiber positioner piezos, inside test cryostat

  April 01, 2009

  Cryogenic testing of the fiber positioner piezos, inside test cryostat
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  Cryogenic testing of the fiber positioner piezos, test cryostat (with Stefan Kellner, MPE)

  April 01, 2009

  Cryogenic testing of the fiber positioner piezos, test cryostat (with Stefan Kellner, MPE)
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  UT4, second metrology test campaign

  January 01, 2009

  UT4, second metrology test campaign
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  UT4, second metrology test campaign

  January 01, 2009

  UT4, second metrology test campaign
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  Optical train quality measurement by Oliver Pfuhl, MPE

  January 01, 2009

  Optical train quality measurement by Oliver Pfuhl, MPE
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  Second metrology test campaign, optical alignment (by Hendrik Bartko)

  January 01, 2009

  Second metrology test campaign, optical alignment (by Hendrik Bartko)
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  Second metrology test campaign, unpacking (by David Moch, MPE)

  January 01, 2009

  Second metrology test campaign, unpacking (by David Moch, MPE)
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  Electronic box AT

  January 09, 2013

  Electronic box AT
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  First guiding launcher mounted on AT spider

  January 09, 2013

  First guiding launcher mounted on AT spider
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  First metrology receiver mounted on AT spider

  January 09, 2013

  First metrology receiver mounted on AT spider
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  One AT fully equipped with four metrology receivers, four guiding launchers and electronic box

  January 09, 2013

  One AT fully equipped with four metrology receivers, four guiding launchers and electronic box