Texas echelon cross echelle spectrograph

John H. Lacy; Matthew J. Richter; Wanglong Yu; Bianca S. Basso

doi:10.1117/12.317269

21 August 1998 Texas echelon cross echelle spectrograph

John H. Lacy, Matthew J. Richter, Wanglong Yu, Bianca S. Basso

Proceedings Volume 3354, Infrared Astronomical Instrumentation; (1998) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.317269
Event: Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation, 1998, Kona, HI, United States

Abstract

A new mid-IR spectrograph, the Texas Echelon Cross Echelle Spectrograph (TEXES) is under construction. The primary motivation for TEXES is to observe interstellar molecules at very high resolution. TEXES will operate at 7-25 micrometers wavelength with three spectrographic modes: a high resolution cross-dispersed mode, with R approximately equals 100,000, a mid-resolution long-slit mode, with R approximately equals 14,000, and a low resolution long-slit mode, with R approximately equals 2000. In hi-res mode, the primary disperser is a 36 inch long, R10 grating with a 7 mm groove spacing. The echelon is cross-dispersed with a 7 in long R2 echelle. In mid-res mode, the echelon is by-passed with an Offner relay, and the echelle is used by itself. In lo-res mode, a first-order grating is inserted over the echelle. For initial test, TEXES will use a Hughes Aircraft 20 X 64 pixel Si:As impurity-band array, which covers only two echelon orders. It will later be replaced with a 256 X 256 pixel array, which will Nyquist sample approximately 10 orders. The spectrograph has been assembled and tested with a partially complete echelon, demonstrating the soundness of the design. When we began this project, we were unable to find a vendor capable of machining or ruling a diffraction grating with the very coarse ruling required. Consequently, we attempted to hand-fabricate the echelon. We have not succeeded in assembling the echelon with the required precision, missing by about a factor of two. Fortunately, Hyperfine, Inc. is now capable of diamond machining the echelon. We are purchasing a machined echelon, and hope to complete the spectrograph by the end of summer 1998.

Citation Download Citation

John H. Lacy, Matthew J. Richter, Wanglong Yu, and Bianca S. Basso "Texas echelon cross echelle spectrograph", Proc. SPIE 3354, Infrared Astronomical Instrumentation, (21 August 1998); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.317269

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