Precision alignment and verification of the MORFEO Paraxial Prototype

The MORFEO optical system, key to the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), will revolutionize astronomical imaging by relaying the ELT’s focal plane to MICADO using a blend of static and deformable optics. Aligning and recollimating MORFEO, with its complex 1-meter free-form, deformable, and spherical mirrors, especially during ELT’s installation, involves a variety of techniques and specialized tools like Coordinate Measurement Machines (CMMs) and Laser Trackers. Continuous alignment adjustments are crucial to manage thermal variations at the observatory. In the context of a national basic physics grant, the development of a 1:1 scale paraxial prototype of MORFEO is proposed to test alignment techniques using a micro-alignment telescope. This includes validating the alignment with laser trackers, overseen by an interferometric metrological system using etalon absolute multiline (frequency scanning interferometry - FSI). The primary aim of this project is to investigate advanced alignment techniques for next-generation astronomical instruments, which will subsequently be tested to validate the alignment procedures of MORFEO (Multiconjugate adaptive Optics For ELT Observations). The prototype will be assembled in the Bologna Integration Hall before MORFEO’s Final Design Review, ensuring validation of the alignment process, preemptively resolving alignment issues, and defining the specifications for the dedicated optical alignment laboratory.