TripleSpec Returns: Science Verification on SOAR

Reduced TSpec4.1 spectum from 0.94 microns to 2.5 microns of ESO-Ha 2429, a classical T Tauri star (PI – Tina Armond, UFSJ, Brazil).

Sean Points (NOAO) & Jay Elias (SOAR/NOAO)

The infrared spectrometer TripleSpec 4.1, previously installed on the CTIO Blanco telescope, has now been successfully modified and installed on the SOAR telescope, where it can take advantage of the telescope’s image quality and potentially be scheduled with greater flexibility (see the accompanying AEON article in this issue). Updates on the recommissioning have been provided in previous issues of Currents, most recently in March of this year.

Here we report on the two science verification (SV) runs in April and June 2019. During the SV runs, conducted over six nights, 92 objects were observed as part of 11 scientific programs. The observations characterized nearby ultra-cool dwarfs, measured the metallicities of brown dwarfs, and the accretion rate of a classical T Tauri star, among other goals. The data are now being reduced using the Spextool pipeline that was modified for use at SOAR by Katelyn Allers.

The figure to the right shows the reduced TSpec4.1 spectum from 0.94 microns to 2.5 microns of ESO-Ha 2429, a classical T Tauri star (PI – Tina Armond, UFSJ, Brazil).

With TripleSpec now considered to be a fully-commissioned facility instrument, prospective TripleSpec observers are encouraged to submit proposals for the 2020A semester. Documentation on the instrument can be found on the SOAR TSpec pages.

The modifications to the instrument were performed by Cornell University (Terry Herter, PI), with special thanks to Chuck Henderson who ably supported the on-site work and got to experience a major earthquake in exchange. The modifications to the data pipeline were made by Katelyn Allers (Bucknell University). NOAO support was provided by Marco Bonati, Jose Piraces, Nicole David and the SOAR day crew.