MEAD: Data reduction pipeline for ALES integral field spectrograph and LBTI thermal infrared calibration unit

Zackery Briesemeister, Andrew J. Skemer, Jordan M. Stone, R. Deno Stelter, Philip Hinz, Jarron Leisenring, Michael F. Skrutskie, Charles E. Woodward, Travis Barman

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present the data reduction pipeline, MEAD, for Arizona Lenslets for Exoplanet Spectroscopy (ALES), the first thermal infrared integral field spectrograph designed for high-contrast imaging. ALES is an upgrade of LMIRCam, the 1 - 5 μm imaging camera for the Large Binocular Telescope, capable of observing astronomical objects in the thermal infrared (3 - 5 μm) to produce simultaneous spatial and spectral data cubes. The pipeline is currently designed to perform L-band (2.8 - 4.2 μm) data cube reconstruction, relying on methods used extensively by current near-infrared integral field spectrographs. ALES data cube reconstruction on each spectra uses an optimal extraction method. The calibration unit comprises a thermal infrared source, a monochromator and an optical diffuser designed to inject specific wavelengths of light into LBTI to evenly illuminate the pupil plane and ALES lenslet array with monochromatic light. Not only does the calibration unit facilitate wavelength calibration for ALES and LBTI, but it also provides images of monochromatic point spread functions (PSFs). A linear combination of these monochromatic PSFs can be optimized to fit each spectrum in the least-square sense via x2 fitting.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationGround-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy VII
EditorsLuc Simard, Christopher J. Evans, Hideki Takami
PublisherSPIE
ISBN (Print)9781510619579
DOIs
StatePublished - 2018
EventGround-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy VII 2018 - Austin, United States
Duration: Jun 10 2018Jun 14 2018

Publication series

NameProceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Volume10702

Other

OtherGround-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy VII 2018
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityAustin
Period6/10/186/14/18

Keywords

  • data processing
  • exoplanets
  • infrared
  • integral field spectroscopy

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Computer Science Applications
  • Applied Mathematics
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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