Polarimetry with adaptive optics at ESO Very Large Telescope (Yepun)

We present and discuss the capabilities of the infrared polarimetric modes of the ESO-VLT adaptive optics system NAOS-CONICA. Commissioning results obtained both with wire-grids and Wollaston prisms are shown. In particular, NACO observations of the Calabash reflection nebula are compared with earlier, seeing limited, results obtained at ESO to illustrate the new potential offered by adaptive optics assisted polarimetry on an 8m class telescope.

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