Grating Spectroscopes and How to Use Them by Ken M. Harrison

Author:Ken M. Harrison
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Springer US, Boston, MA

Ken M. HarrisonPatrick Moore's Practical Astronomy SeriesGrating Spectroscopes and How to Use Them201210.1007/978-1-4614-1397-4_5© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2012

5. Improving Your Grating Spectroscope

Ken M. Harrison1

(1)Wezembeek-Oppem, Belgium

Abstract

Once you’ve collected a few spectra of the brighter stars it’s only natural to ask – can I improve the resolution? Can I do more with what I have? The answer is yes!

Once you’ve collected a few spectra of the brighter stars it’s only natural to ask – can I improve the resolution? Can I do more with what I have? The answer is yes!

The performance of the basic filter grating can be improved by incorporating an entrance slit into the optics. The addition of a slit produces a line source that can be used to produce measurable spectra. We can then use these lines to prepare a calibrated reference. The slit also allows us to observe objects (such as the Sun and nebulae) that otherwise would not be possible. For the RO200 and other high dispersion gratings we can also add a “grism” (grating prism), which can reduce the optical aberrations and improve resolution.

NOTE: An Excel spreadsheet has been prepared to assist in the design of transmission grating spectroscopes. TransSpec.xls provides all the necessary calculations to evaluate a transmission grating in a converging beam. (See Appendix G of this book.)

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