Use of a Near UV Spatial Heterodyne Spectrometer for Interstellar [OII] Emission Line Studies: Characteristics, Calibration, and Atmospheric Foreground Characterization

This paper describes the use of a newly developed Spatial Heterodyne Spectrometer (SHS) designed to observe radial velocity resolved profiles of diffuse [OII] 3726 Å\ and 3729 Å\ emission lines from the warm (104 K), low-density (10-1 cm-3), ionized component of our Galaxy\u27s interstellar medium (WIM). The [OII] SHS combines interferometric and field-widening gains to achieve sensitivities much larger than conventional grating instruments of similar size and resolving power, and comparable to the Wisconsin H\alpha Mapper (WHAM) Fabry-Perot, but in the near UV where WHAM cannot observe. The high spectral resolution and sensitivity of the SHS allowed us to spectrally isolate for the first time Galactic from terrestrial [OII] emission. We were able to identify the terrestrial [OII] foreground emission and other nearby airglow lines in directions toward very low intensity Galactic [OII] emission regions. The terrestrial [OII] \lambda3729/\lambda3726 line intensity ratio was measured to be 0.47 ±.05:1, compared to an emission ratio of 1.5:1 predicted (and observed) for the interstellar [OII] emission lines in the low density limit. Atmospheric foreground characterization, spectral calibration and absolute intensity calibration are discussed

Spatial Heterodyne Spectroscopy of NASA Deep Impact Encounter With Comet Tempel 1

Comets are the oldest and least modified bodies orbiting the sun, and investigations into their composition are a key to understanding the development of the early solar system. Studying the daughters of photochemical reactions occurring within a comet\u27s coma provides information concerning the composition and other important properties, such as density and temperature. These can eventually be inverted to give a formation location within the solar nebula. The surface of comet 9P/Tempel 1 is highly evolved by the short-period comet\u27s many revolutions around the sun, rendering it relatively inactive. However, the objective of the NASA mission Deep Impact is to discover what occurs when a manmade projectile impacts upon the nucleus of comet 9P/Tempel 1 and exposes fresh, pristine material. We report here on observations of diagnostic volatile species obtained from 9P/Tempel 1 using a spatial heterodyne spectrometer at the McMath-Pierce solar telescope on Kitt Peak, including C3, CN, and OI. SHS is a new technology, ideal for the study of faint diffuse targets at high spectral resolution, due to its ability to combine the latter quantity with a large field of view and consequently a high etendue. Two prototype instruments were used in the Kitt Peak program to study coma emissions from multiple volatile species over a two arc minute field of view and a spectral resolution of from 80000 to 180000. We present the first evaluation of the spectra obtained and the performance of these instruments, especially in the context of their ability to observe comets and the effects of a collision on gas production