JOUVENCE OF FLUOR: UPGRADES OF A FIBER BEAM COMBINER AT THE CHARA ARRAY

Abstract

The FLUOR (Fiber Linked Unit for Optical Recombination) interferometric beam combiner located at the CHARA Array on Mt. Wilson, California has recently undergone a program of major upgrades known as Jouvence of FLUOR (JouFLU). These upgrades seek to improve the precision, use, and observing efficiency of FLUOR as well as introduce new modes of operation. A Fourier Transform Spectrograph (FTS) mode and a spectral dispersion mode have been added to improve calibration and data collection. New mechanized stages and new cameras have been added to FLUOR for alignment and pupil plane imaging. Entirely new control/command software has been written for FLUOR which brings it into compliance with CHARA software standards. This allows for continued software upgrades and full remote operation capability. The new JouFLU instrument is now operating on sky and is expected to achieve accurate interferometric visibility amplitude measurements with 0.1 to 0.3% precision.