The Design and On-sky Results of the Prototype of a Low-Resolution Spectrograph for the Thai National Telescope

Abstract

The objectives of the research project presented in this paper are to design and develop a Low Resolution Spectrograph for the 2.4 m Thai National Telescope.The Low Resolution Spectrograph will deliver a spectrum in the spectral range (440 -740 nm), with a resolution of R approximately equals to 1,000 at the central wavelength, λ_c,of 600 nm, while observing through a slit with a width of 0.9 arcsecond wide (in long-slit mode) or during slit-less observations. The Low Resolution Spectrograph was designed to have a total weight of less than 20 kg and a maximum displacement due to gravity of less than 6 µm during a 360° rotation of the instrument cube. We have installed a prototype of the Low Resolution Spectrograph on the Thai National Telescope in December 2018. We have tested its performance on stellar objects during a one-night observing run. During these observations, we calibrated the instrument using a Thorium-Argon spectral calibration lamp and a Tungsten lamp and recorded the spectrum of the planetary nebula NGC 2392 in both slit-less and long-slit modes. We measured a spectral resolution of 800-1,300 over the wavelength range 440-740nm, thus demonstrating that the on-sky performance of the prototype was in agreement with the theoretical specifications.

Keywords: low resolution spectrograph; long-slit spectroscopy; slitless spectroscopy; opto-mechanical design; Thai National Telescope

*Corresponding author: Tel :083-0112900
E-mail: jitsupapaenoi@gmail.com

How to Cite

Citation Format

Paenoi*, J. ., Buisset, C. ., Suwansukho, K. ., Sirichote, W. ., Choochalerm, P. ., Aukkaravittayapun, S. ., Thummasorn, G. ., Ngernsujja, S. ., Inpun, A. ., Kaewsamoeta, P. ., Kanthum, S. ., Leckngam, A. ., Orchiston, W. ., Chaniworawit, K. ., Poshyajinda, S. ., & Soonthornthum, B. . (2019). The Design and On-sky Results of the Prototype of a Low-Resolution Spectrograph for the Thai National Telescope. CURRENT APPLIED SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, 15-29.

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Author Information

Jitsupa Paenoi*

Physics Department, Faculty of Science, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok, Thailand