Accurate calibration spectra for precision radial velocities

Abstract

Astronomical spectrographs require calibration of their dispersion relation, for which external sources like hollow-cathode lamps or absorption-gas cells are useful. Laser frequency combs (LFCs) are often regarded as ideal calibrators because they provide the highest accuracy and dense sampling, but LFCs are facing operational challenges such as generating blue visual light or tunable offset frequencies. As an example of an external source, we aim to provide a precise and accurate frequency solution for the spectrum of molecular iodine absorption by referencing to an LFC that does not cover the same frequency range. We used a Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) to produce a consistent frequency scale for the combined spectrum from an iodine absorption cell at 5200– 6200 Å and an LFC at 8200 Å. We used 17 807 comb lines to determine the FTS frequency offset and compared the calibrated iodine spectrum to a synthetic spectrum computed from a molecular potential model. In a single scan, the frequency offset was determined from the comb spectrum with an uncertainty of ∼1 cms−1. The distribution of comb line frequencies is consistent with no deviation from linearity. The iodine observation matches the model with an offset of smaller than the model uncertainties of ∼1 m s−1, which confirms that the FTS zero point is valid outside the range covered by the LFC, and that the frequencies of the iodine absorption model are accurate. We also report small systematic effects regarding the iodine model’s energy scale. We conclude that Fourier Transform Spectrometry can transfer LFC accuracy into frequency ranges not originally covered by the comb. This allows us to assign accurate frequency scales to the spectra of customized wavelength calibrators. The calibrators can be optimized for individual spectrograph designs regarding resolution and spectral bandwidth, and requirements on their long-term stability are relaxed because FTS monitoring can be performed during operation. This provides flexibility for the design and operation of calibration sources for high-precision Doppler experiments.