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J. Ge (Penn State), J.P. Lloyd (UC Berkeley), D. Gavel, B. Macintosh, C.E. Max, D. Ciarlo, P. Kuzmenko (LLNL), J.R. Graham (UC Berkeley)
We have obtained complete K band spectra of a total of 6 T Tauri and Ae/Be stars and their close companions at a spectral resolution of R \approx 5000 using a silicon grism at the Lick 3m telescope. These results represent our first scientific observations conducted by the high resolution silicon grisms. Coupled with the LLNL adaptive optics system, a spatial resolution of 0.2 arcsec was achieved to allow observations of the companions with separations between 0.3-1.3 arcsec. The complete wavelength coverage was achieved by placing 16 cross-dispersed echelle orders on a 256x256 HgCdTe array with the silicon grism operating on high diffraction orders and a low dispersing CaF2 grism as a cross-disperser. High spectral resolution observations allow us to characterize each of the companions. Analysis of the spectra of these YSOs will be reported.
The observations also allow us to measure the optical performance of the second generation of silicon grisms made with the techniques developed in early 2000. The new silicon grism has a peak efficiency of 45% and scattered light of ~ 8% in the K band. New techniques have been developed at Penn State to further reduce scattered light in the K band (Bernecker et al. this meeting) and are being applied in fabricating the third generation of silicon grisms for scientific observations.
Fabrication of the silicon grisms and work on the Lick adaptive optics system was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract W-7405-ENG-48. Graham and Lloyd were also supported by the Center for Adaptive Optics under the STC Program of the National Science Foundation, Agreement No. AST-9876783