Initial Results from the USNO Dispersed Fourier Transform Spectrograph

Abstract

We have designed and constructed a ‘‘dispersed Fourier transform spectrometer’’ (dFTS), consisting of a conventionalFTSfollowedbyagratingspectrometer.Bycombiningthesetwodevices,wenegateasubstantialfraction of the sensitivity disadvantage of a conventional FTS for high-resolution, broadband, optical spectroscopy, while preserving many of the advantages inherent to interferometric spectrometers. In addition, we have implemented a simple and inexpensive laser metrology system, which enables very precise calibration of the interferometer wavelength scale. The fusion of interferometric and dispersive technologies with a laser metrology system yields an instrument well suited to stellar spectroscopy, velocimetry,and extrasolar planet detection, which is competitive with existing high-resolution, high-accuracy stellar spectrometers. In this paper we describe the design of our prototype dFTS,explain the algorithmwe use to efficiently reconstruct a broadbandspectrum from a sequence of narrowband interferograms, and present initial observations and resulting velocimetry of stellar targets. Subject headingg binaries: spectroscopic — instrumentation: interferometers — instrumentation: spectrographs — planetary systems — techniques: interferometric