Fiber-fed Echelle Spectrograph Research Articles

12C/13C of Kepler giant stars: The missing piece of the mixing puzzle

Context. Despite a rich observational background, few spectroscopic studies have dealt with the measurement of the carbon isotopic ratio in giant stars. However, it is a key element in understanding the mixing mechanisms that occur in the interiors of giant stars. Aims. We present the CNO and 12C/13C abundances derived for 71 giant field stars. Then, using this new catalogue and complementary data from the Kepler and Gaia satellites, we study the efficiency of mixing occurring in the giant branch as a function of the stellar properties of the stars (e.g. mass, age, metallicity). Methods. We determined the abundances of CNO and more specifically the carbon isotopic ratio using the high-resolution FIbre-fed Echelle Spectrograph on the Nordic Optical Telescope, for 71 giant field stars. In addition, asteroseismology from the Kepler satellite is available for all stars, providing the stellar masses, ages, and evolutionary states. Finally, astrometry from the Gaia data is also available for most of the sample. We compare these new determinations with stellar evolution models taking into account the effects of transport processes. To exploit the complete potential of our extensive catalogue, and considering both the Milky Way evolution and the impact of stellar evolution, we built mock catalogues using the Besançon Galaxy model in which stellar evolution models taking into account the effects of thermohaline instability are included. Results. We confirm that the carbon isotopic ratio at the surface of core He-burning stars is lower than that of first-ascent RGB stars. The carbon isotopic ratio measured at the surface of the core He-burning stars increases with [Fe/H] and stellar mass, while it decreases with stellar age. These trends are all nicely explained by the thermohaline mixing that occurs in red giants. We show that our models can explain the behaviour of 12C/13C versus N/O, although the observations seem to show a lower N/O than the models. We also note that more constraints on the thick disc core He-burning stars are needed to understand this difference. Conclusions. Overall, the current model including thermohaline mixing is able to reproduce very well the 12C/13C with the stellar metallicity and with the stellar mass and age.

The Galactic chemical evolution of phosphorus observed with IGRINS

Context. Phosphorus (P) is considered to be one of the key elements for life, making it an important element to look for in the abundance analysis of spectra of stellar systems. Yet, only a select number of spectroscopic studies exist to estimate the phosphorus abundances and investigate its trend across a range of metallicities. This is due to the lack of good phosphorus lines in the optical wavelength region and the requirement of careful manual analysis of the blended phosphorus lines in near-infrared H-band spectra obtained with individual observations and surveys such as the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE). Aims. Based on a consistent and systematic analysis of high-resolution, near-infrared Immersion GRating INfrared Spectrograph (IGRINS) spectra of 38 K giant stars in the Solar neighborhood, we present and investigate the phosphorus abundance trend in the metallicity range of −1.2 dex < [Fe/H] < 0.4 dex. Furthermore, we compare this trend with the available chemical evolution models to shed some light on the origin and evolution of phosphorus. Methods. We have observed full H- and K-band spectra at a spectral resolving power of R = 45 000 with IGRINS mounted on the Gemini South telescope, the Discovery Channel Telescope, and the Harlan J Smith Telescope at McDonald Observatory. Abundances were determined from spectral lines by modeling the synthetic spectrum that best matches the observed spectrum by χ2 minimization. For this task, we used the Spectroscopy Made Easy (SME) tool in combination with one-dimensional (1D) Model Atmospheres in a Radiative and Convective Scheme (MARCS) stellar atmosphere models. The investigated sample of stars have reliable stellar parameters estimated using optical FIber-fed Echelle Spectrograph (FIES) spectra obtained in a previous study of a set of stars called Giants in the Local Disk (GILD). In order to determine the phosphorus abundances from the 16482.92 Å phosphorus line, we needed to take special care blending the CO(v = 7−4) line. With the stellar parameters known, we thus determined the C, N, and O abundances from atomic carbon and a range of nonblended molecular lines (CO, CN, and OH) which are plentiful in the H-band region of K giant stars, assuring an appropriate modeling of the blending CO(v = 7−4) line. Results. We present the [P/Fe] versus [Fe/H] trend for K giant stars in the metallicity range of −1.2 dex < [Fe/H] < 0.4 dex and enhanced phosphorus abundances for two metal-poor s-rich stars. We find that our trend matches well with the compiled literature sample of prominently dwarf stars and the limited number of giant stars. Our trend is found to be higher by ~0.05−0.1 dex compared to the theoretical chemical evolution trend resulting from the core collapse supernova (type II) of massive stars with the phosphorus yields arbitrarily increased by a factor of 2.75. Thus the enhancement factor might need to be ~0.05−0.1 dex higher to match our trend. We also find an empirically determined primary behavior for phosphorus. Furthermore, the phosphorus abundance is found to be elevated by ~0.6−0.9 dex in the two s-enriched stars compared to the theoretical chemical evolution trend.

One Star to Tag Them All (OSTTA)

Context. Open clusters are ideal laboratories to investigate a variety of astrophysical topics, from the properties of the Galactic disc to stellar evolution models. For this purpose, we need to know their chemical composition in detail. Unfortunately, the number of systems with chemical abundances determined from high resolution spectroscopy remains small. Aims. Our aim is to increase the number of open clusters with radial velocities and chemical abundances determined from high resolution spectroscopy by sampling a few stars in clusters which had not been previously studied. Methods. We obtained high resolution spectra with the FIbre-fed Echelle Spectrograph at Nordic Optical Telescope for 41 stars belonging to 20 open clusters. These stars have high astrometric membership probabilities determined from the Gaia second data release. Results. We derived radial velocites for all the observed stars which were used to confirm their membership to the corresponding clusters. For Gulliver 37, we cannot be sure the observed star is a real member. We derived atmospheric parameters for the 32 stars considered to be real cluster members. We discarded five stars because they have very low gravity or their atmospheric parameters were not properly constrained due to low signal-to-noise ratio spectra. Therefore, detailed chemical abundances were determined for 28 stars belonging to 17 clusters. For most of them, this is the first chemical analysis available in the literature. Finally, we compared the clusters in our sample to a large population of well-studied clusters. The studied systems follow the trends, both chemical and kinematical, described by the majority of open clusters. It is worth mentioning that the three most metal-poor studied clusters (NGC 1027, NGC 1750, and Trumpler 2) are enhanced in Si, but not in the other α-elements studied (Mg, Ca, and Ti).

The Farid & Moussa Raphael Observatory

The Farid & Moussa Raphael Observatory (FMRO) at Notre Dame University Louaize (NDU) is a teaching, research, and outreach facility located at the main campus of the university. It located very close to the Lebanese coast, in an urbanized area. It features a 60-cm Planewave CDK telescope, and instruments that allow for photometric and spetroscopic studies. The observatory currently has one thinned, back-illuminated CCD camera, used as the main imager along with Johnson-Cousin and Sloan photometric filters. It also features two spectrographs, one of which is a fiber fed echelle spectrograph. These are used with a dedicated CCD. The observatory has served for student projects, and summer schools for advanced undergraduate and graduate students. It is also made available for use by the regional and international community. The control system is currently being configured for remote observations. A number of long-term research projects are also being launched at the observatory.

The eShel Spectrograph: A Radial-velocity Tool at the Wise Observatory

The eShel, an off-the-shelf, fiber-fed echelle spectrograph (), was installed on the 1 m telescope at the Wise observatory in Israel. We report the installation of the multi-order spectrograph, and describe our pipeline to extract stellar radial velocity from the obtained spectra. We also introduce a new algorithm—UNICOR, to remove radial-velocity systematics that can appear in some of the observed orders. We show that the system performance is close to the photon-noise limit for exposures with more than 107 counts, with a precision that can get better than 200 m s−1 for F–K stars, for which the eShel spectral response is optimal. This makes the eShel at Wise a useful tool for studying spectroscopic binaries brighter than mV = 11. We demonstrate this capability with orbital solutions of two binaries from projects being performed at Wise.

WES—Weihai Echelle Spectrograph

The Weihai Echelle Spectrograph (WES) is the first fiber-fed echelle spectrograph for astronomical observation in China. It is primarily used for chemical abundance and asteroseismology studies of nearby bright stars, as well as radial velocity (RV) detections for exoplanets. The optical design of WES is based on the widely demonstrated and well-established white-pupil concept. We describe the WES in detail and present some examples of its performance. A single exposure echelle image covers the spectral region 371–1100 nm in 107 spectral orders over the rectangular CCD. The spectral resolution changes from 40,600 to 57,000 through adjusting the entrance slit width from full to 2.2 pixels sampling at the fiber-exit. The limiting magnitude scales to V = 8 with a signal-to-noise ratio of more than 100 in V for an hour exposure, at the spectral resolution R ≈ 40,000 in the median seeing of 1.″7 at Weihai Observatory for the 1 m telescope. The RV measurement accuracy of WES is estimated to be <10 m s−1 in 10 months (302 days) and better than 15 m s−1 in 4.4 years (1617 days) in the recent data processing.

The discovery of a planetary candidate around the evolved low-massKeplergiant star HD 175370

We report on the discovery of a planetary companion candidate with a minimum mass M sin i = 4.6 ± 1.0 MJupiter orbiting the K2 III giant star HD 175370 (KIC 007940959). This star was a target in our programme to search for planets around a sample of 95 giant stars observed with Kepler. This detection was made possible using precise stellar radial velocity measurements of HD 175370 taken over five years and four months using the coudé echelle spectrograph of the 2-m Alfred Jensch Telescope and the fibre-fed echelle spectrograph High Efficiency and Resolution Mercator Echelle Spectrograph of the 1.2-m Mercator Telescope. Our radial velocity measurements reveal a periodic (349.5 ± 4.5 d) variation with a semi-amplitude K = 133 ± 25 m s− 1, superimposed on a long-term trend. A low-mass stellar companion with an orbital period of ∼88 yr in a highly eccentric orbit and a planet in a Keplerian orbit with an eccentricity e = 0.22 are the most plausible explanation of the radial velocity variations. However, we cannot exclude the existence of stellar envelope pulsations as a cause for the low-amplitude radial velocity variations and only future continued monitoring of this system may answer this uncertainty. From Kepler photometry, we find that HD 175370 is most likely a low-mass red giant branch or asymptotic giant branch star.

Kepler-447b: a hot-Jupiter with an extremely grazing transit

We present the radial velocity confirmation of the extrasolar planet Kepler-447b, initially detected as a candidate by the Kepler mission. In this work, we analyze its transit signal and the radial velocity data obtained with the Calar Alto Fiber-fed Echelle spectrograph (CAFE). By simultaneously modeling both datasets, we obtain the orbital and physical properties of the system. According to our results, Kepler-447b is a Jupiter-mass planet ($M_p=1.37^{+0.48}_{-0.46}~M_{\rm Jup}$), with an estimated radius of $R_p=1.65^{+0.59}_{-0.56}~R_{\rm Jup}$ (uncertainties provided in this work are $3\sigma$ unless specified). This translates into a sub-Jupiter density. The planet revolves every $\sim7.8$ days in a slightly eccentric orbit ($e=0.123^{+0.037}_{-0.036}$) around a G8V star with detected activity in the Kepler light curve. Kepler-447b transits its host with a large impact parameter ($b=1.076^{+0.112}_{-0.086}$), being one of the few planetary grazing transits confirmed so far and the first in the Kepler large crop of exoplanets. We estimate that only around 20% of the projected planet disk occults the stellar disk. The relatively large uncertainties in the planet radius are due to the large impact parameter and short duration of the transit. Planets with such an extremely large impact parameter can be used to detect and analyze interesting configurations such as additional perturbing bodies, stellar pulsations, rotation of a non-spherical planet, or polar spot-crossing events. All these scenarios would periodically modify the transit properties (depth, duration, and time of mid-transit), what could be detectable with sufficient accurate photometry. Short-cadence photometric data (at the 1 minute level) would help in the search for these exotic configurations in grazing planetary transits like that of Kepler-447b.

Stellar substructures in the solar neighbourhood

We determine detailed elemental abundances in stars belonging to the so-called Group 1 of the Geneva-Copenhagen survey (GCS) and compare the chemical composition with the Galactic thin- and thick-disc stars, with the GCS Group 2 and Group 3 stars, as well as with several kinematic streams of similar metallicities. The aim is to search for chemical signatures that might give information about the formation history of this kinematic group of stars. High-resolution spectra were obtained with the Fibre-fed Echelle Spectrograph (FIES) spectrograph at the Nordic Optical Telescope, La Palma, and were analysed with a differential model atmosphere method. Comparison stars were observed and analysed with the same method. The average value of [Fe/H] for the 37 stars of Group 1 is -0.20 +- 0.14 dex. Investigated Group 1 stars can be separated into three age subgroups. Along with the main 8- and 12-Gyr-old populations, a subgroup of stars younger than 5 Gyr can be separated as well. Abundances of oxygen, alpha-elements, and r-process dominated elements are higher than in Galactic thin-disc dwarfs. This elemental abundance pattern has similar characteristics to that of the Galactic thick disc and differs slightly from those in Hercules, Arcturus, and AF06 stellar streams. The similar chemical composition of stars in Group 1, as well as in Group 2 and 3, with that in stars of the thick disc might suggest that their formation histories are linked. The chemical composition pattern together with the kinematic properties and ages of stars in the investigated GCS groups provide evidence of their common origin and possible relation to an ancient merging event. A gas-rich satellite merger scenario is proposed as the most likely origin.

Radial velocity confirmation of Kepler-91 b

The object transiting the star Kepler-91 was recently assessed as being of planetary nature. The confirmation was achieved by analysing the light-curve modulations observed in the Kepler data. However, quasi-simultaneous studies claimed a self-luminous nature for this object, thus rejecting it as a planet. In this work, we apply an {independent} approach to confirm the planetary mass of Kepler-91b by using multi-epoch high-resolution spectroscopy obtained with the Calar Alto Fiber-fed Echelle spectrograph (CAFE). We obtain the physical and orbital parameters with the radial velocity technique. In particular, we derive a value of $1.09 \pm 0.20\,M_{\mathrm{Jup}}$ for the mass of Kepler-91b, in excellent agreement with our previous estimate that was based on the orbital brightness modulation.

High-resolution fiber-fed echelle spectrograph for the 6-m telescope. I. Optical scheme, arrangement, and control system

We propose a project of a high-resolution (R = 100 000) fiber-fed spectrograph for comprehensive studies of stellar atmospheres, exoplanet searches, asteroseismological studies, studies of stellar magnetism, active nuclei of bright galaxies, interstellar medium, etc. We present the optical scheme of the instrument. The operating wavelength region spans from 4000 to 7500 A. We also present the optical scheme of the pre-fiber optic unit of the spectrograph. The unit supports four main modes of spectroscopic observations: the mode of traditional spectroscopy with the spectrum of the studied object taken along with the background spectrum in the immediate vicinity of the object; the mode of the simultaneous recording of the spectrum of the object and that of the wavelength standard; the mode of high-precision spectroscopy with an iodine cell, and the mode of spectropolarimetric observations with the measurement of all the Stokes parameters.

FIES: The high‐resolution Fiber‐fed Echelle Spectrograph at the Nordic Optical Telescope

AbstractFIES is a cross‐dispersed high‐resolution echelle spectrograph at the 2.56 m Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT), and was optimised for throughput and stability in 2006. The major 2006 upgrade involved the relocation of FIES to a stable environment and development of a fiber bundle that offers 3 different resolution modes, and made FIES an attractive tool for the user community of the NOT. Radial‐velocity stability is achieved through double‐chamber active temperature control. A dedicated data reduction tool, FIEStool, was developed. As a result of these upgrades, FIES is now one of the work‐horse instruments at the NOT. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &amp; Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

CAFE: Calar Alto Fiber-fed Échelle spectrograph

We present here CAFE, the Calar Alto Fiber-fed Echelle spectrograph, a new instrument built at the Centro Astronomico Hispano Alem\'an (CAHA). CAFE is a single fiber, high-resolution ($R\sim$70000) spectrograph, covering the wavelength range between 3650-9800\AA. It was built on the basis of the common design for Echelle spectrographs. Its main aim is to measure radial velocities of stellar objects up to $V\sim$13-14 mag with a precision as good as a few tens of $m s^{-1}$. To achieve this goal the design was simplified at maximum, removing all possible movable components, the central wavelength is fixed, so the wavelentgth coverage; no filter wheel, one slit and so on, with a particular care taken in the thermal and mechanical stability. The instrument is fully operational and publically accessible at the 2.2m telescope of the Calar Alto Observatory. In this article we describe (i) the design, summarizing its manufacturing phase; (ii) characterize the main properties of the instrument; (iii) describe the reduction pipeline; and (iv) show the results from the first light and commissioning runs. The preliminar results indicate that the instrument fulfill the specifications and it can achieve the foreseen goals. In particular, they show that the instrument is more efficient than anticipated, reaching a $S/N\sim$20 for a stellar object as faint as $V\sim$14.5 mag in $\sim$2700s integration time. The instrument is a wonderful machine for exoplanetary research (by studying large samples of possible systems cotaining massive planets), galactic dynamics (high precise radial velocities in moving groups or stellar associations) or astrochemistry.

Trajectory retrieval and component investigations of the southern polar stratosphere based on high-resolution spectroscopy of the totally eclipsed moon surface

In this paper we present the high-resolution spectral observations of the fragment of lunar surface during the total lunar eclipse of December 10, 2011. The observations were carried out with the fiber-fed echelle spectrograph at the 1.2-m telescope in Kourovka Astronomical observatory (Ural mountains, central Russia). The observed radiation is transmitted by tangent trajectory through the southern polar stratosphere before the reflection from the Moon and the spectra contain a number of absorption bands of atmospheric gases (O2, O3, O4, NO2, H2O). High-resolution analysis of three O2 bands and O4 absorption effects is used to trace the effective trajectory of solar emission through the stratosphere and to detect the contribution of scattered light. Bands of other gases allow us to measure their abundances along the trajectory.

Observation and modelling of main-sequence star chromospheres - XIX. FIES and FEROS observations of dM1 stars

We present 187 high-resolution spectra for 62 different M1 dwarfs from observations obtained with the FIbre-fed Echelle Spectrograph (FIES) on the Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT) and from observations with the Fibre-fed Extended Range Echelle Spectrograph (FEROS) from the European Southern Observatory (ESO) data base. We also compiled other measurements available in the literature. We observed two stars, Gl 745A and Gl 745B, with no Ca ii line core emission and Hα line equivalent widths (EWs) of only 0.171 and 0.188 Å, respectively. We also observed another very low activity M1 dwarf, Gl 63, with an Hα line EW of only 0.199 Å. These are the lowest activity M dwarfs ever observed and are of particular interest for the non-local thermodynamic equilibrium radiative transfer modelling of M1 dwarfs. Thanks to the high signal-to-noise ratio of most of our spectra, we were able to measure the Ca ii H&K full width at half-maximum (FWHM) for most of our stars. We find good correlations between the FWHM values and the mean Ca ii line EW for dM1 stars. Then the FWHM seems to saturate for dM1e stars. Our previous models of M1 dwarfs can reproduce the FWHM for dM1e stars and the most active dM1 stars, but fail to reproduce the observations of lower activity M1 dwarfs. We believe this is due to an effect of metallicity. We also investigate the dependence of the Hα line FWHM as a function of its EW. We find that the models globally agree with the observations including subwarfs, but tend to produce too narrow profiles for dM1e stars. We re-investigate the correlation between the Ca ii line mean EW and the absolute magnitude. With our new data that notably include several M1 subdwarfs, we find a slightly different and better correlation with a slope of −0.779 instead of −0.909. We also re-investigate the variations of the Hα line EW as a function of radius and find that the EW increases continuously with increasing radius. This confirms our previous finding that the level of magnetic activity in M1 dwarfs increases with the radius. For the first time, we investigate the Wilson–Bappu correlation for a given spectral type. We find a rather linear correlation for stars of absolute magnitude greater than 9.6, but below this value the FWHM seems to saturate. In fact, we show that these Wilson–Bappu type correlations are activity–FWHM correlations and are due to the diminishing column mass of the transition region with decreasing activity level.

A High Resolution Spectrograph at Weihai Observatory

AbstractWeihai Echelle Spectrograph (WES) is the first the fiber-fed echelle spectrograph in China. WES can provide data for the studies of metal abundance of stars, exoplanets researches and asteroseismology, etc. A brief description of its design and performance is given.

Pulsations in the atmosphere of the rapidly oscillating star 33 Lib★†

In 2009, the rapidly oscillating peculiar A-type (roAp) star 33 Lib was the target of an intense observing campaign, combining ground-based spectroscopy with space photometry obtained with the Microvariability and Oscillation of STars (MOST) satellite. We collected 780 spectra using the Echelle Spectro Polarimetric Device for the Observation of Stars (ESPaDOnS) spectrograph attached at the 3.6-m Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope and 374 spectra with the Fibre-fed Echelle Spectrograph attached at the 2.56-m Nordic Optical Telescope to perform time-resolved spectroscopy of 33 Lib. In addition, we used 111 Ultraviolet and Visual Echelle Spectrograph (UVES) spectra (2004) from the European Southern Observatory archive to check mode stability. Frequency analysis of the new radial velocity (RV) measurements confirms the previously reported frequency pattern (two frequencies and the first harmonic of the main one) and reveals an additional frequency at 1.991 mHz. The new frequency solution perfectly reproduces the RV variations from the 2004 and 2009 observational sets, providing strong support for p mode stability in this roAp star over at least 5 years.

HD 1: The number‐one star in the sky

AbstractWe present the first ever study of the bright star HD 1. The star was chosen arbitrarily just because of its outstanding Henry Draper number. Surprisingly, almost nothing is known about this bright 7.m4 star. Our observations were performed as part of the commissioning of the robotic telescope facility STELLA and its fiber‐fed high‐resolution optical echelle spectrograph SES in the years 2007–2010. We found long‐term radial velocity variations with a full amplitude of 9 km s–1 with an average velocity of –29.8 km s–1 and suggest the star to be a hitherto unknown single‐lined spectroscopic binary. A preliminary orbit with a period of 6.2 years (2279±69 days) and an eccentricity of 0.50±0.01 is given. Its rms uncertainty is just 73 m s–1. HD 1 appears to be a G9‐K0 giant of luminosity class IIIa with Teff = 4850±100 K, logg = 2.0±0.2, L ≈ 155 L⊙, a mass of 3.0±0.3 M⊙, a radius of 17.7 R⊙, and an age of ≈350 Myr. A relative abundance analysis led to a metallicity of [Fe/H] = –0.12 ± 0.09. The α ‐element silicon may indicate an overabundance of +0.13 though. The low strengths of some s‐process lines and a lower limit for the 12C/13C isotope ratio of ≥16 indicate that HD 1 is on the first ascend of the RGB. The absorption spectral lines appear rotationally broadened with a v sin i of 5.5±1.2 km s–1 but no chromospheric activity is evident. We also present photometric monitoring BV (RI)C data taken in parallel with STELLA. The star is likely a small‐amplitude (&lt;10 mmag) photometric variable although no periodicity was found (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &amp; Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Preliminary results of V440 Per and α UMi observations with the Poznan Spectroscopic Telescope

Die Serie Communications in Asteroseismology (CoAst) stellt eine international gefragte Plattform für wissenschaftliche Publikationen der neuesten Forschungsergebnisse auf dem Gebiet der Asteroseismologie dar. Forschungsgegenstand der Asteroseismologie sind veränderliche und pulsierende Sterne. Neben den halbjährlich erscheinenden regulären Ausgaben mit Beiträgen aus der laufenden Forschung werden auch Sonderausgaben für Konferenzberichte bzw. Programmhandbücher herausgegeben. JENAM (Joint European and National Astronomy Meeting) ist die größte jährliche Zusammenkunft der europäischen Berufsastronomen, die diesmal im September 2008 in Wien stattfand. Die Konferenz beherbergte neun Minisymposien, wobei eines der Asteroseismologie gewidmet war. Die neuesten Entwicklungen auf diesem Gebiet sind im vorliegenden Band im Rahmen von Übersichts- und Detailartikeln zusammengefasst.

On the spectroscopic nature of the cool evolved Am star HD 151878★

Recently, Tiwari, Chaubey & Pandey detected the bright component of the visual binary HD 151878 to exhibit rapid photometric oscillations through a Johnson B filter with a period of 6 min (2.78 mHz) and a high, modulated amplitude up to 22 mmag peak-to-peak, making this star by far the highest amplitude rapidly oscillating Ap (roAp) star known. As a new roAp star, HD 151878 is of additional particular interest as a scarce example of the class in the northern sky, and only the second known case of an evolved roAp star – the other being HD 116114. We used the FIbre-fed Echelle Spectrograph at the Nordic Optical Telescope to obtain high time-resolution spectra at high dispersion to attempt to verify the rapid oscillations. We show here that the star at this epoch is spectroscopically stable to rapid oscillations of no more than a few tens of m s −1 . The high-resolution spectra furthermore show the star to be of type Am rather than Ap and we show the star lacks most of the known characteristics for roAp stars. We conclude that this is an Am star that does not pulsate with a 6-min period. The original discovery of pulsation is likely to be an instrumental artefact.