Characterization and performance of the upgraded NIRSPEC on the W. M. Keck Telescope

Ronald A. López; Erika B. Hoffman; Greg Doppmann; Michael P. Fitzgerald; Chris Johnson; Marc Kassis; Kyle Lanclos; Jim Lyke; Emily C. Martin; Ian McLean; Ji Man Sohn; Jason Weiss

doi:10.1117/12.2563075

Translator Disclaimer

28 December 2020 Characterization and performance of the upgraded NIRSPEC on the W. M. Keck Telescope

Ronald A. López, Erika B. Hoffman, Greg Doppmann, Michael P. Fitzgerald, Chris Johnson, Marc Kassis, Kyle Lanclos, Jim Lyke, Emily C. Martin, Ian McLean, Ji Man Sohn, Jason Weiss

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 11447, Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy VIII; 114476B (2020) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2563075
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2020, Online Only

Conference Poster

Abstract

NIRSPEC is a high-resolution near-infrared echelle spectrograph on the Keck II telescope that was commissioned in 1999 and upgraded in 2018. This recent upgrade was aimed at improving the sensitivity and longevity of the instrument through the replacement of the spectrometer science detector (SPEC) and slit-viewing camera (SCAM). Commissioning began in 2018 December, producing the first on-sky images used in the characterization of the upgraded system. Through the use of photometry and spectroscopy of standard stars and internal calibration lamps, we assess the performance of the upgraded SPEC and SCAM detectors. First, we evaluate the gain, readnoise, dark current, and the charge persistence of the spec detector. We then characterize the newly upgraded spectrometer and the resulting improvements in sensitivity, including spectroscopic zero points, pixel scale, and resolving power across the spectrometer detector field. Finally, for SCAM, we present zero points, pixel scale, and provide a map of the geometric distortion of the camera.

Conference Presentation

Citation Download Citation

Ronald A. López, Erika B. Hoffman, Greg Doppmann, Michael P. Fitzgerald, Chris Johnson, Marc Kassis, Kyle Lanclos, Jim Lyke, Emily C. Martin, Ian McLean, Ji Man Sohn, and Jason Weiss "Characterization and performance of the upgraded NIRSPEC on the W. M. Keck Telescope", Proc. SPIE 11447, Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy VIII, 114476B (28 December 2020); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2563075

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE