IRS-TR 12002: Constructing a Short-Low Truth Spectrum of the Standard Star HR 6348

TL;DR

This paper details the creation of a high-fidelity 'truth' spectrum for the star HR 6348 using infrared spectrograph observations and spectral modeling, aiding calibration of infrared spectra.

Contribution

It introduces a method to generate a precise calibration spectrum for HR 6348 by combining observations and spectral models, improving calibration accuracy.

Findings

Spectroscopic fidelity of ~0.5% achieved.

Residual artifacts near Pfund-alpha line are reduced but still present.

The spectrum serves as a calibration standard for infrared observations.

Abstract

This report describes in detail the generation of a "truth" spectrum of HR 6348, using observations with the Short-Low (SL) module of the Infrared Spectrograph of HR 6348, and the A dwarfs alpha Lac and delta UMi. Using spectral ratios, we can propagate Kurucz models of the A dwarfs to the K giant HR 6348, which can then serve to calibrate the remaining database of SL spectra. Mitigation in the vicinity of the Pfund-a line is necessary to reduce residual artifacts at 7.45 um. In general, the new SL spectrum of HR 6348 has a spectroscopic fidelity of ~0.5% or better. Artifacts from the hydrogen recombination lines in the A dwarfs will generally be smaller than this limit, although the residual artifact from the blend of lines near Pfund-alpha exceeds the limit at ~0.7%.