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Precision Spectroscopy: some considerations. S. Deustua STSCI 2014 STSCI Calibration Workshop. Calibrate these spectra!. As you wish. Spectroscopic Measurements. Precision Spectroscopy Requirements depend on the science goals Precision radial velocities ~m/s (cm /s?)
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Precision Spectroscopy: some considerations S. Deustua STSCI 2014 STSCI Calibration Workshop
Spectroscopic Measurements Precision Spectroscopy • Requirements depend on the science goals • Precision radial velocities ~m/s (cm /s?) • Stellar atmosphere composition ~1 Å/mm • High redshift galaxies ~103 km/s Precision Spectrophotometry • As above plus • Photometric precision • Photometric accuracy (absolute flux) R ~ 104 –106 (107?) R ~ 102–103
Calibration The general problem S(λ) = R(λ) x D(λ) Ajk( fk+ sk) = pj+ nj+ bj Ajk: Calibration matrix Given: fk: source flux vectorsk: background vector pj: detectorpixel counts vector nj: Pixel noise vectorbj: Internal background vector Ajk: Calibration matrix • Wavelength solution • Spectral trace solution • Cross-sectional profile • Relative pixel response • Line-spread function • Relative fiber response • Flux calibration • Camera aberrations Adapted from A. Bolton, 2010
Calibration Considerations • Known wavelength as a function of slit widths • Shape of the line spread function (LSF) • Wings of the LSF • Shape of the point spread function (PSF) • Echelleshave significant issues with ghosts and scattered light, need to characterize properly • How well is the dispersion known( nm/pix ) • resolution of the instrument (R=λ/Δλ) • Spectral region - UV, VIS, NIR, MIR • Stability • NIST traceable standards (wavelength, flux) • Wavelength lamps, frequency combs, monochromators, tunable lasers
Spectrophometry Considerations Flat Fields • Light source has significant slope in spectral energy distribution – different than the target • No such thing as a flat continuum slope (sadly) • lamps • laser driven light sources • xenon plasma (between 300-400 almost has a flat continuum!) • Faint targets • Flux Standards
NplexSpectroscopy Monoplex: • Single slit • One or two objects in slit Slitless Multiplex • Objective prism • Grisms • Multiple objects on array • Overlapping spectra • Low resolution Slit or Pseudo slit Multiplex • multishutter arrays, • integral field units, • multi fiber spectroscopy • ‘Slits’ • Slit masks • Fibers • Micro shutters • Multiple objects • Minimal overlap • High Resolution
CANDELS field – WFC3 IR Grism Slitless Spectroscopy
Wavelength Calibration • R~100 000 doable • R~1 000 000 harder • R~200 (slitless) harder to calibrate precisely in wavelength • Telluric Features • Astrophysical Sources (e.g Planetary Nebulae) • Hollow Cathode Lamps • Laser driven light sources • Line density must match resolution
Hollow Cathode Lamps • Where astronomy needs hitchhiking on industry • Elements: Neon, Argon, Xenon, Deuterium, Thorium, Uranium • Purity of spectrum is important • Line width ~0.005 nm • Good for years, but do degrade.
Comparing HCL in NIR Redman et al
Thorium – Argon HCL, 5 microns - VIS http://physics.nist.gov/PhysRefData/ThArLampAtlas/ThArLampAtlas.html
Astrophysical Sources Bright enough, compact enough, sufficient line density e.g. PN IC 5117, Vy 2-2 Telluric lines from the ground e.g. OH. Rudy et al
Laser Combs • Checking on fundamentals in physics • UV, optical, NIR • Tailored for high resolution only, • though some are being designs for low resolution work • Stablity over decades/years • Excellent frequency standard • 10-11 for the system • System performance depend on the quality of the components • Are not turnkey systems • Expensive ~$1 000 000
Summary • Era of precision astrophysics • Interesting astrophysics requires precision • Definiton of precision depends on science goal • To move beyond 0.1 pixel calibration need high line density sources • Deep understanding of instrument characterization Post script good models of instrument behavior, data analysis algorithms are important to extract maximum science