The VLT Survey Telescope is a f/5.5 modified Ritchey-Chretien imaging
telescope, which is being installed at the ESO-Paranal Observatory. It will
provide a one square degree corrected field of view to perform survey-projects
in the wavelength range from UV to I band. In this paper we describe the
opto-mechanical alignment procedure of the 2.61m primary mirror, the secondary
and correctors lenses onto the mechanical structure of the telescope. The
alignment procedure does not rely on the mechanical precision of the mirrors.
It will be achieved using ad-hoc alignment tools, described in the paper, which
allows the spatial determination of optical axes (and focuses where necessary)
of the optical components with respect to the axis defined by the rotation of a
laser beam mounted on the instrument bearing.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figures, Proceeding 773357 of the SPIE Conference
"Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes III", Sunday 27 June 2010, San Diego,
California, US
