The X-shooter Spectral Library (XSL): I. DR1. Near-ultraviolet through optical spectra from the first year of the survey

TL;DR

The paper introduces the first release of the X-Shooter Spectral Library (XSL), featuring 237 flux-calibrated, telluric-corrected spectra of diverse stars across a broad wavelength range, useful for astrophysical research.

Contribution

This work provides the first data release of XSL with high-resolution spectra covering a wide spectral range for a diverse stellar sample, including a new telluric correction technique.

Findings

Spectra cover 3000--10200 Å at R~10000

Includes O--M, LPV, C, and S stars

Spectra are flux-calibrated and telluric-corrected

Abstract

We present the first release of XSL, the X-Shooter Spectral Library. This release contains 237 stars spanning the wavelengths 3000--10200 \AA\ observed at a resolving power $R \equiv \lambda / \Delta\lambda \sim 10000$. The spectra were obtained at ESO's 8-m Very Large Telescope (VLT). The sample contains O -- M, long-period variable (LPV), C and S stars. The spectra are flux-calibrated and telluric-corrected. We describe a new technique for the telluric correction. The wavelength coverage, spectral resolution and spectral type of this library make it well suited to stellar population synthesis of galaxies and clusters, kinematical investigation of stellar systems and studying the physics of cool stars.