This dissertation describes the techniques involved in using a fiber optic coupled spectrometer to do multiple object spectroscopy of astronomical objects. The Medusa spectrograph, with optical fibers fixed in a focal plane aperture plate, was used to study clusters of galaxies via velocity distributions. Some relevant problems in the study of the structure and dynamics of clusters of galaxies are outlined as motivation for building a multiple fiber spectrometer. The history of fiber optic spectroscopy in astronomy is presented along with an outlook for the future. The results and experience gained from the Medusa spectrograph are used to design a second generation instrument. The MX Spectrometer uses optical fibers which are positioned remotely under computer control. These fibers are optically matched to the telescope and spectrograph optics to achieve optimum performance. The transmission, flexibility, and image scrambling properties of step-index silica fibers allow efficient reformatting of multiple objects into the spectrometer entrance aperature. By allowing spectra of 32 objects to be obtained simultaneously, the MX Spectrometer will make an order of magnitude increase in the quantity of spectroscopic data that can be recorded with a large telescope. Mechanical, control, and optical elements of the MX design are discussed. Telescope and fiber parameters influencing the design of the fishermen-around-the-pond mobile fiber head are detailed. Results of testing the stepper motor driven fiber positioner probes are described. The algorithm for controlling the motion of 32 positioners in the telescope focal plane without collisions is outlined. Detector performance and spectrometer efficiency are considered for both the Medusa and MX systems. The use of a Charge Coupled Device (CCD) array detector provides increased quantum efficiency, dynamic range, and stability, as well as allowing digital sky subtraction. Microlenses and their use in correctly coupling optical fibers to the telescope and spectrograph are discussed. In particular, the pupil-imaging technique for microlens matching to fibers is introduced.

One of the purposes of this work is to investigate modifications that have to be made to a standard source-modulation microwave spectrograph so that it can be used to study gases at various temperatures. Another objective in this work is to determine experimentally the function of temperature that describes how the line widths of microwave spectral lines vary with changing temperature. The most important segment of the study is the temperature dependence of the line width since from an accurate knowledge of this temperature dependence one is able to determine what molecular force fields are present and the relative importance of parts of the molecular force field.

Thèse--Liége. / "Extrait des Mémoires de la Société royale des sciences de Liége, Collection in-40, première série, t.I, fasc. 3." "Bibliographie": p. 102-104.

<p> Positive parity states in 165Er have been studied using the 167Er (p,t) 165Er reaction. The outgoing tritons were analyzed with a magnetic spectrograph at 13 angles between 6° and 70°. Two 7/2+ states at excitation energies of 63 and 465 keV were populated via ℓ≠0 transitions. Because of the lack of a pronounced minimum in the 1=0 angular distributions, some ℓ≠0 strength may contribute to the populating processes. Eight ℓ≠0 transitions were seen below 1 MeV excitation energy. A description of the observed positive parity levels has been attempted in the context of a Coriolis coupled Nilsson model calculation. </p> / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

The RHEA Spectrograph is a single-mode echelle spectrograph designed to be a replicable and cost effective method of undertaking precision radial velocity measurements. Two versions of RHEA currently exist, one located at the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia (450 - 600nm wavelength range), and another located at the Subaru Telescope in Hawaii, USA (600 - 800 nm wavelength range). Both instruments have a novel fibre feed consisting of an integral field unit injecting light into a 2D grid of single mode fibres. This grid of fibres is then reformatted into a 1D array at the input of the spectrograph (consisting of the science fibres and a reference fibre capable of receiving a white-light or xenon reference source for simultaneous calibration). The use of single mode fibres frees RHEA from the issue of modal noise and significantly reduces the size of the optics used. In addition to increasing the overall light throughput of the system, the integral field unit allows for cutting edge science goals to be achieved when operating behind the 8.2 m Subaru Telescope and the SCExAO adaptive optics system. These include, but are not limited to: resolved stellar photospheres; resolved protoplanetary disk structures; resolved Mira shocks, dust and winds; and sub-arcsecond companions. We present details and results of early tests of RHEA Subaru and progress towards the stated science goals.

R.H. Kingston. / "May 10, 1951." "This report is essentially the same as a doctoral thesis in the Department of Physics, M.I.T." / Bibliography: p. 26-30. / Army Signal Corps Contract No. DA36-039 sc-100 Project No. 8-102B-0. Dept. of the Army Project No. 3-99-10-022.

This work is a description of the Visible to near Infrared Spectrograph system for the CHARA array. The CHARA Array is a 6-telescope interferometer at the Mount Wilson Observatory in the mountains north of Pasadena, California. It combines the light from the 1-meter telescopes, and measures the visibility of the resulting interference fringes, which gives information about the source intensity distribution on the sky. The resolution of the instrument is proportional to the telescope separation, or baseline, divided by the wavelength. The VIS system operates in the 600-1000~nm wavelength range, a factor of 3 to 4 shorter than the standard operating wavelength at CHARA, 2.13 um. An introduction to interferometry is given, with a description of the CHARA Array. The effects of diffraction through the system combined with atmospheric turbulence are described, and the results of a computer model given. The VIS system design is described, and results of the first fringe data are presented, including system visibility and throughput estimates.

I present a study done to determine the characteristics of the LHIRES III spectrograph on the 20 inch RC Optics telescope at Hard Labor Creek Observatory. I describe the settings of three different diffraction gratings, collimation and focus issues, and practical aspects of use. The spectrograph was used with a SBIG ST-8XME camera for all studies. Data collection was accomplished with the Maxim DL software package and analysis was completed with IRAF. Solutions for the dispersion relation with all three diffraction gratings were found. Several projects are underway with this instrument. I present time series spectra of α Vir to demonstrate the practical applications of the spectrograph. This non-radially pulsating star shows Doppler shifts that were recorded in the Si III 4552, 4568, 4574 Å triplet over the course of a night. The observed profile variations showed the spectrograph capable of exacting scientific work.

This document describes the design, analysis, construction and testing of KiwiSpec, a fibre-fed, high resolution astronomical spectrograph of an asymmetric white pupil design. The instrument employs an R4, 31.6 groove mm⁻¹ échelle grating for primary dispersion and a 725 lines mm⁻¹ volume phase holographic (VPH) based grism for cross-dispersion. Two versions of the prototype were designed and constructed: an 'in-air' prototype, and a prototype featuring a vacuum chamber (to increase the stability of the instrument). The KiwiSpec optical design is introduced, as well as a description of the theory behind a cross-dispersed échelle spectrograph. The results of tolerancing the optical design are reported for alignment, optical fabrication, and optical surface quality groups of parameters. The optical windows of an iodine cell are also toleranced. The opto-mechanical mounts of both prototypes are described in detail, as is the design of the vacuum chamber system. Given the goal of 1 m/s radial velocity stability, analyses were undertaken to determine the allowable amount of movement of the vacuum windows, and to determine the allowable changes in temperature and pressure within and outside of the vacuum chamber. The spectral efficiency of the instrument was estimated through a predictive model; this was calculated for the as-built instrument and also for an instrument with ideal, high-efficiency coatings. Measurements of the spectral efficiency of various components of the instrument are reported, as well as a description of the measurement system developed to test the efficiency of VPH gratings. On-sky efficiency measurements from use of KiwiSpec on the 1-m McLellan telescope at Mt John University Observatory are reported. Two possible exposure meter locations are explored via an efficiency model, and also through the measurement of the zero-order reflectivity of the échelle grating. Various stability aspects of the design are investigated. These include the stability of the optical mounts with temperature changes, and also the effect of the expansion and contraction of the supporting optical tables. As well, the stability of the in-air prototype was determined through measurement of the movement of thorium-argon emission lines within spectra as the temperature, atmospheric pressure and relative humidity (naturally) varied. Current and planned testing for determining the stability of the vacuum chamber prototype is discussed.

Two-neutron pick up reactions have been performed on targets of 149Sm and radioactive 151Sm using 18 MeV protons. The outgoing tritons from the 151Sm target were analyzed with a magnetic spectrograph at 16 angles between 6 degrees and 8 degrees. Unlike the two-neutron transfer data on neighbouring even-even targets, the angular distributions indicated l=o transitions to many levels in the final nucleus. Partial angular distributions for the 149Sm (p, t) 147Sm reaction were obtained, but showed only one strong l=o transition populating the 147Sm ground state. In addition, spectra from the 152Sm (p, t) reaction were measured at several angles in order to provide normalization to previous results. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)