Abstract
A wavelength calibration system based on a laser frequency comb (LFC) was developed in a co-operation between the Kiepenheuer-Institut für Sonnenphysik, Freiburg, Germany and the Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik, Garching, Germany for permanent installation at the German Vacuum Tower Telescope (VTT) on Tenerife, Canary Islands. The system was installed successfully in October 2011. By simultaneously recording the spectra from the Sun and the LFC, for each exposure a calibration curve can be derived from the known frequencies of the comb modes that is suitable for absolute calibration at the meters per second level. We briefly summarize some topics in solar physics that benefit from absolute spectroscopy and point out the advantages of LFC compared to traditional calibration techniques. We also sketch the basic setup of the VTT calibration system and its integration with the existing echelle spectrograph.
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Acknowledgements
This project is in part funded by the Leibniz-Gemeinschaft within the “Pakt für Forschung und Innovation.” A. Fischer, K. Gerber, T. Sonner, and M. Weissschädel provided invaluable technical support for the setup at the VTT.
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Advances in European Solar Physics
Guest Editors: Valery M. Nakariakov, Manolis K. Georgoulis, and Stefaan Poedts
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Doerr, HP., Steinmetz, T., Holzwarth, R. et al. A Laser Frequency Comb System for Absolute Calibration of the VTT Echelle Spectrograph. Sol Phys 280, 663–670 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11207-012-9960-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11207-012-9960-5