VLT optical delay line

the Very Large Telecope

- Very Large Telescope, on a Chilean mountain.

- interferometer needs equal path

- daily (or rather nightly) travel of 50 m or so.

design issues

- tight control versus lazy control.

- mechanical low pass filter.

Avoid mechanical damping because it transmits high frequencies.

- lift the wheels off the rails during an earthquake.

- isolate high frequency grinding from damaged wheels.

conclusion

- good ideas are often too late.