During the first use of PEPSI-POL for science, we achieved a shutter-open-time of 91% during the night October 13/14, 2017. “Open-shutter time” is the time when photons are being collected on an instrument’s detector for later scientific use. As far as we know this is by far the highest at LBTO so far. The total available observing time from twilight to twilight on October 13/14 was 9 hours and 42 minutes of which 8 hours and 50 minutes were used to expose five different targets.
The installation of PEPSI at the LBT was completed on September 6th when both its polarimeters were mounted in the straight foci of the LBT. During the night of September 10, 2017 the telescope was pointed to the magnetic standard star gamma Equ and a series of integrations in circularly and linearly polarized light were obtained. These spectra have a spectral resolution of R=120,000, covered four wavelength regions in the optical (two always simultaneously) and reached a S/N ratio of up to 600:1 in 6 min integrations. The telescope was just tracking and not guiding yet nor were the wavefront sensors actively collimating the telescopes. The image quality was controlled by eye (by John Hill remotly from Tucson). Because the polarimeters for each of the LBT telescopes are identical and modular in design, circular and linear polarization may be obtained simultaneously. We used the SX side for circular and the DX side for linear polarization. A total of 12 exposures were obtained.
Image gallery
Screenshot of the PEPSI GUI while taking the first polarimetric spectrum.
August 21, 2017. The partial solar eclipse was observed at Mt.Graham in Arizona remotely from AIP with the Solar Disk Integrated Telescope (SDI) which guides on the Sun and feeds the light into the PEPSI high-resolution spectrograph in the pier of the LBT telescope. The partial eclipse began on 09:16 MST and ended at 12:03 MST.
Partial Solar eclipse 2017 viewed by SDI.
Time series spectra of the Sodium D1 line during the partial Solar eclipse 2017.
Time series of the bisector of the Sodium D1 line during the partial Solar eclipse 2017.
One hundred spectra were obtained during the course of the eclipse in two wavelength regions 422-477 and 536-628 nm with the resolving power 270 000 (1100 m/s in radial velocity per resolution element). The spectra obtained are highly dynamic as the area of the line formation changes, hence, the shape of the lines is slightly alternating. We perform analysis of the Sodium D1 line 589.59 nm which is formed in the lower chromosphere of the Sun above 500 km of its photosphere. Its bisector (i.e. the central wavelength at different depths of the line profile) shows large changes in the line core which is formed in the higher chromospheric layers.
The poster shows the optical spectrum of Epsilon Eridani obtained with the Potsdam Echelle Polarimetric and Spectroscopic Instrument (PEPSI) of the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT).
The poster shows the optical spectrum of Arcturus obtained with the Potsdam Echelle Polarimetric and Spectroscopic Instrument (PEPSI) of the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT).
The poster shows the optical spectrum of the Sun obtained with the Potsdam Echelle Polarimetric and Spectroscopic Instrument (PEPSI) of the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) recorded just like the Sun-as-a-star.
Here we present a spectroscopic comparative analysis of the Li doublet region of HD 123351, an active sub-giant star of solar metallicity. We fit the Li profile in three observed spectra characterized by different qualities: two very-high resolution spectra (Gecko@CFHT, R=120 000, SNR=400 and PEPSI@LBT, R=150 000, SNR=663) and a high-resolution SOPHIE@OHP spectrum (R=40 000, SNR=300). We adopt a set of model atmospheres, both 3D and 1D, having different stellar parameters (T_{eff} and log g). The 3D models are taken from the CIFIST grid of COBOLD model atmospheres and departures from LTE are considered for the lithium components. For the blends other than the lithium in this wavelength region we adopt the linelist of Melendez et al. (2012, A&A, 543, 29). We find consistent results for all three observations and an overall good fit with the selected list of atomic and molecular lines, indicating a high 6Li content.
The presence of 6Li is not expected in cool stellar atmospheres. Its detection is of crucial importance for understanding mixing processes in stars and external lithium production mechanisms, possibly related to stellar activity or planetray accretion of 6Li-rich material.
Comparison of observed spectra of the Li doublet region of HD 123351 around 670.8 nm. The Gecko (blue dotted line), SOPHIE (red dashed line) and PEPSI (green dashed-dotted line) spectra are superimposed on the Solar flux atlas by Kurucz (2005) (black continuous line) for a comparison. The locations of the Li I components and the dominant blends attributed to Fe and CN are also indicated.
