Phase-referenced imaging and micro-arcsecond astrometry with the VLTI

Abstract

An update of the current status and schedule of PRIMA (Phase-Referenced Imaging and Micro-arcsecond Astrometry) developed for the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) is given, with emphasis on the astrometric objectives, performances and technological challenges. PRIMA will allow to observe simultaneously two fields separated by 2 to 60 arcsec, to detect and track the fringes on the brightest object, to detect the fringes on the faintest, and to measure the phase of the secondary set of fringes relative to the primary one, with an accuracy of (lambda) /1000 at 2 micrometers .