Spectroscopy on Small Telescopes: The Echelle Spectrograph

In recent years there has been a trend toward the automation ofmodest sized observatories, especially those involved withphotoelectric photometry. Although undoubtedly useful, there isclearly a need for more advanced instrumentation such asspectrographs. The relatively small telescope sizes places severelimits on the choice of spectrograph configuration. A fiber-fedechelle spectrograph is arguably the most suitable design forthese applications.Presented here is a brief discussion of the design philosophy andoperating principles. Both theoretical and measured performancedata for the prototype University of Queensland EchelleSpectrograph are also presented.     

Echelle spectroscopy of narrow line regions of Seyfert galaxies

Preliminary results of spectroscopic studies of selected Seyfert galaxies employing a new Cassegrain echelle spectrograph completed at ESO are presented. Subjects reported are the asymmetric profiles of narrow emission lines, spatial variation of narrow emission line profiles, and the interstellar absorption lines.Paper presented at the IAU Third Asian-Pacific Regional Meeting, held in Kyoto, Japan, between 30 September–6 October, 1984.     

The Coude Echelle Spectrograph for the Lijiang 1.8 m telescope

The Coude Echelle Spectrograph(CES) was originally mounted on Xinglong 2.16 m telescope in 1994. When the High Resolution Fiber-fed Spectrograph(HRS) was commissioned at Xinglong 2.16 m telescope, the red path of CES was moved to Lijiang 1.8 m telescope, following some redesign and reinstallation. The CES of Lijiang 1.8 m telescope has the spectral resolution(R = λ/?λ) ranging from 20000 to 50000 corresponding to different slit widths. With a 2 k×2 k PI CCD, CES has a wavelength coverage between 570 nm to 1030 nm. In particular, the resolution of 37000 at 0.5 mm slit corresponds to 1.3′′on the sky. The limiting magnitude is V = 11.5 with the use of the tip-tilt feedback system, and the S/N is about 40 for 1 hour exposure at 600 nm(R = 37000). During the installation of CES, the tip-tilt mirror technology had successfully fulfilled high precision guiding and tracking for high resolution spectral observation and significantly improved the observation efficiency.     

A Laser Frequency Comb System for Absolute Calibration of the VTT Echelle Spectrograph

A wavelength calibration system based on a laser frequency comb (LFC) was developed in a co-operation between the Kiepenheuer-Institut für Sonnenphysik, Freiburg, Germany and the Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik, Garching, Germany for permanent installation at the German Vacuum Tower Telescope (VTT) on Tenerife, Canary Islands. The system was installed successfully in October 2011. By simultaneously recording the spectra from the Sun and the LFC, for each exposure a calibration curve can be derived from the known frequencies of the comb modes that is suitable for absolute calibration at the meters per second level. We briefly summarize some topics in solar physics that benefit from absolute spectroscopy and point out the advantages of LFC compared to traditional calibration techniques. We also sketch the basic setup of the VTT calibration system and its integration with the existing echelle spectrograph.     

Echelle spectroscopy of Ca ii HK activity in Southern Hemisphere planet search targets

We present the results of ultraviolet echelle spectroscopy of a sample of 59 F, G, K and M stars from the Anglo-Australian Planet Search target list. Ca  ii activity indices, which are essential in the interpretation of planet detection claims, have been determined for these stars and placed on the Mount Wilson R '_HK system.     

FIES: The high‐resolution Fiber‐fed Echelle Spectrograph at the Nordic Optical Telescope

FIES is a cross‐dispersed high‐resolution echelle spectrograph at the 2.56 m Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT), and was optimised for throughput and stability in 2006. The major 2006 upgrade involved the relocation of FIES to a stable environment and development of a fiber bundle that offers 3 different resolution modes, and made FIES an attractive tool for the user community of the NOT. Radial‐velocity stability is achieved through double‐chamber active temperature control. A dedicated data reduction tool, FIEStool, was developed. As a result of these upgrades, FIES is now one of the work‐horse instruments at the NOT. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)