Astronomical spectrograph calibration with broad-spectrum frequency combs

TL;DR

This paper explores the use of broadband femtosecond-laser frequency combs filtered through cavities for calibrating high-resolution astronomical spectrometers, analyzing their limitations and implications.

Contribution

It introduces a method for spectrograph calibration using filtered frequency combs and discusses the spectral filtering limitations with cavity-based techniques.

Findings

Cavity filtering imposes spectral limitations on combs.

Data and theory demonstrate calibration implications for astronomical spectrometers.

Potential improvements in calibration accuracy are discussed.

Abstract

Broadband femtosecond-laser frequency combs are filtered to spectrographically resolvable frequency-mode spacing, and the limitations of using cavities for spectral filtering are considered. Data and theory are used to show implications to spectrographic calibration of high-resolution, astronomical spectrometers.