Stellar masks and bisector's shape for M-type stars observed in the GAPS Programme with HARPS-N at TNG

The HARPS/HARPS-N Data Reduction Software (DRS) relies on the cross-correlation between the observed spectra and a suitable stellar mask to compute a cross-correlation function (CCF) to be used both for the radial velocity (RV) computation and as an indicator of stellar lines asymmetry, induced for example by the stellar activity. Unfortunately the M2 mask currently used by the HARPS/HARPS-N DRS for M-type stars results in heavily distorted CCFs. We created several new stellar masks in order to decrease the errors in the RVs and to improve the reliability of the activity indicators as the bisector's span. We obtained very good results with a stellar mask created from the theoretical line list provided by the VALD3 database for an early M-type star (T$_{\mathrm{eff}}$=3500~K and $\log{g}=4.5$). The CCF's shape and relative activity indicators improved and the RV time-series allowed us to recover known exoplanets with periods and amplitudes compatible with the results obtained with HARPS-TERRA.Comment: 13 pages, 8 figures Accepted for publication in Experimental Astronom

GAPS: F6 mask for the HARPS-N pipeline

This document will present the new mask created to be used with the HARPS-N reduction pipeline. Four new masks were created for the F6V star Tau Bootis, two of them derived from the G2 mask, following the work done by R. Gratton for HIP11952, and other two created using theoretical line lists. They were subsequently tested in YABI, and the best one was selected and permanently add to the YABI workflow

SpaceInn Work Package 3.3 Accompanying report on the deliverables D3.8 due for April 30: reduced HARPS spectra with indicators

In the framework of the SpaceInn project, the ground-based CoRoT complementary archive (Work Package 3.3) will contain 7103 spectra of the 261 stars observed with the HARPS spectrograph, mostly as complementary observations to the photometric light curves of many of the asteroseismological targets of the CoRoT satellite. A certain number of the archived spectra pertain to other, non-CoRoT targets: these objects were observed in order to better characterize the variability classes of the CoRoT targets. Our tasks until now have been the following: • the spectra have been reduced, normalized, and converted in VO-compliant fits files; • the mean line profile has been computed for each spectrum; • the radial velocity, vsin i, a binarity flag, a CaHK activity index, and an Hα emission index have been computed for each spectrum. In the case of double or multiple systems, the radial velocities and vsin i have been computed, if possible, for all the components; • the physical parameters Teff , log g, and [Fe/H] have been computed for each target

SpaceInn Work Package 3.3 Accompanying report on the deliverables D3.10 due for 2016 June 30: interface query

The archive Spectroscopic Indicators in a SeisMic Archive (SISMA) has been successfully created in the framework of the SpaceInn project (Work Package 3.3). SISMA contains both HARPS spectra and CoRoT light curves of 71 CoRoT asteroseismic targets, and additional HARPS spectra of other 190 variable stars observed in order to better characterize the variability classes of the CoRoT targets. In total there are 7103 spectra and 90 light curves (some CoRoT targets were observed in more than one run). The spectra were collected during two Large Programmes (LP 182.D-0356 and LP 185.D-0056) spanning over nine semesters, from December 2008 to January 2013. After the work already done, and detailed in the reports D3.8 and D3.9, we now have finalized the archive, and built and user-friendly interface. As a result, the SISMA archive is now online and running

The spectroscopic observations of CoRoT asteroseismic targets with HARPS

CoRoT photometric measurements of asteroseismic targets need complementary ground-based spectroscopic observations. We are using the planet-hunter HARPS spectrograph attached to the 3.6m-ESO telescope in the framework of two consecutive Large Programmes. We discuss its use to study line-profile variations and we report on a specific result obtained for the Delta Sct star HD 170699.Comment: Proceedings of the 20th Stellar Pulsation Conference Series: "Impact of new instrumentation & new insights in stellar pulsations", 5-9 September 2011, Granada, Spai

Broadband near-infrared astronomical spectrometer calibration and on-sky validation with an electro-optic laser frequency comb

The quest for extrasolar planets and their characterisation as well as studies of fundamental physics on cosmological scales rely on capabilities of high-resolution astronomical spectroscopy. A central requirement is a precise wavelength calibration of astronomical spectrographs allowing for extraction of subtle wavelength shifts from the spectra of stars and quasars. Here, we present an all-fibre, 400 nm wide near-infrared frequency comb based on electro-optic modulation with 14.5 GHz comb line spacing. Tests on the high-resolution, near-infrared spectrometer GIANO-B show a photon-noise limited calibration precision of <10 cm/s as required for Earth-like planet detection. Moreover, the presented comb provides detailed insight into particularities of the spectrograph such as detector inhomogeneities and differential spectrograph drifts. The system is validated in on-sky observations of a radial velocity standard star (HD221354) and telluric atmospheric absorption features. The advantages of the system include simplicity, robustness and turn-key operation, features that are valuable at the observation sites