Improved GRAVITY astrometric accuracy from modeling optical aberrations
Astronomy and Astrophysics, vol. 647, pp. A59
Abstract
The GRAVITY instrument on the ESO VLTI pioneers the field of high-precision near-infrared interferometry by providing astrometry at the 10−100 μas level. Measurements at this high precision crucially depend on the control of systematic effects. We investigate how aberrations introduced by small optical imperfections along the path from the telescope to the detector affect the astrometry. We develop an analytical model that describes the effect of these aberrations on the measurement of complex visibilities. Our formalism accounts for pupil-plane and focal-plane aberrations, as well as for the interplay between static and turbulent aberrations, and it successfully reproduces calibration measurements of a binary star. The Galactic Center observations with GRAVITY in 2017 and 2018, when both Sgr A* and the star S2 were targeted in a single fiber pointing, are affected by these aberrations at a level lower than 0.5 mas. Removal of these effects brings the measurement in harmony with the dual-beam observations of 2019 and 2020, which are not affected by these aberrations. This also resolves the small systematic discrepancies between the derived distance R0 to the Galactic Center that were reported previously.
Authors 33
-
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Paris Sciences et Lettres · Observatoire de Paris · Sorbonne Université · Laboratoire d’études spatiales et d’instrumentation en astrophysique
Affiliation as printed
LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, 5 place Jules Janssen, 92195 Meudon, France
-
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Giessenbachstraße 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
-
Leiden University · Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics · Leiden Observatory
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Giessenbachstraße 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
Sterrewacht Leiden, Leiden University, Postbus 9513, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
-
Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics · University of Colorado Boulder · Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
Affiliation as printed
Department of Astrophysical & Planetary Sciences, JILA, Duane Physics Bldg., 2000 Colorado Ave, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Giessenbachstraße 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
-
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Giessenbachstraße 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
-
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Paris Sciences et Lettres · Observatoire de Paris · Sorbonne Université · Laboratoire d’études spatiales et d’instrumentation en astrophysique
Affiliation as printed
LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, 5 place Jules Janssen, 92195 Meudon, France
-
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics · University of California, Berkeley
Affiliation as printed
Departments of Physics and Astronomy, Le Conte Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Giessenbachstraße 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
-
Affiliation as printed
European Southern Observatory, Casilla 19001, Santiago 19, Chile
-
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Paris Sciences et Lettres · Observatoire de Paris · Sorbonne Université · Laboratoire d’études spatiales et d’instrumentation en astrophysique
Affiliation as printed
LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, 5 place Jules Janssen, 92195 Meudon, France
-
Max Planck Institute for Astronomy
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
-
Max Planck Institute for Astronomy
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
-
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Giessenbachstraße 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
-
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Paris Sciences et Lettres · Observatoire de Paris · Sorbonne Université · Laboratoire d’études spatiales et d’instrumentation en astrophysique
Affiliation as printed
LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, 5 place Jules Janssen, 92195 Meudon, France
-
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Paris Sciences et Lettres · Observatoire de Paris · Sorbonne Université · Laboratoire d’études spatiales et d’instrumentation en astrophysique
Affiliation as printed
LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, 5 place Jules Janssen, 92195 Meudon, France
-
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Paris Sciences et Lettres · Observatoire de Paris · Sorbonne Université · Laboratoire d’études spatiales et d’instrumentation en astrophysique
Affiliation as printed
LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, 5 place Jules Janssen, 92195 Meudon, France
-
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Paris Sciences et Lettres · Observatoire de Paris · Sorbonne Université · Laboratoire d’études spatiales et d’instrumentation en astrophysique
Affiliation as printed
LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, 5 place Jules Janssen, 92195 Meudon, France
-
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Giessenbachstraße 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
-
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · University of Cambridge · Université Paris Sciences et Lettres · Observatoire de Paris · Sorbonne Université · Laboratoire d’études spatiales et d’instrumentation en astrophysique
Affiliation as printed
Institute of Astronomy, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA, UK
LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, 5 place Jules Janssen, 92195 Meudon, France
-
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Giessenbachstraße 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
-
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Paris Sciences et Lettres · Observatoire de Paris · Sorbonne Université · Laboratoire d’études spatiales et d’instrumentation en astrophysique
Affiliation as printed
LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, 5 place Jules Janssen, 92195 Meudon, France
-
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Institut de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique de Grenoble · Université Grenoble Alpes
Affiliation as printed
Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IPAG, 38000 Grenoble, France
-
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Paris Sciences et Lettres · Observatoire de Paris · Sorbonne Université · Laboratoire d’études spatiales et d’instrumentation en astrophysique
Affiliation as printed
LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, 5 place Jules Janssen, 92195 Meudon, France
-
European Southern Observatory · Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
Affiliation as printed
European Southern Observatory, Karl-Schwarzschild-Straße 2, 85748 Garching, Germany
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Giessenbachstraße 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
-
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Paris Sciences et Lettres · Observatoire de Paris · Sorbonne Université · Laboratoire d’études spatiales et d’instrumentation en astrophysique
Affiliation as printed
LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, 5 place Jules Janssen, 92195 Meudon, France
-
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Giessenbachstraße 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
-
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Giessenbachstraße 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
-
Max Planck Institute for Astronomy
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
-
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Giessenbachstraße 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
-
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Giessenbachstraße 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
-
Affiliation as printed
1st Institute of Physics, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 77, 50937 Cologne, Germany
-
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Paris Sciences et Lettres · Observatoire de Paris · Sorbonne Université · Laboratoire d’études spatiales et d’instrumentation en astrophysique
Affiliation as printed
LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, 5 place Jules Janssen, 92195 Meudon, France
-
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Giessenbachstraße 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
-
University of Cologne · Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
Affiliation as printed
1st Institute of Physics, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 77, 50937 Cologne, Germany
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Giessenbachstraße 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
Cited by 193 stored of 194
No patents citing this paper on Lens.org (checked 2026-10-11).