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K. E. Kraemer (Air Force Research Laboratory), C. W. Engelke (Boston College), S. D. Price (Air Force Research Laboratory)
We present preliminary results of a project to improve the spectral resolution of the Air Force Infrared Stellar Calibration Network by incorporating data from the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO). This network and its deriviatives were created by Cohen and colleagues to support infrared calibration for government and civilian ground- and space-based observatories, such as the Infrared Telescope Facility, Gemini, and the Maui Optical Site. The reduced 2.4 to 45 \mum spectra from the ISO Short Wavelength Spectrometer (SWS) are up to 100 times higher spectral resolution than the current network data. Appropriately substituting these spectra for the standard stars will improve the accuracy of the calibration network, particularly in spectral regions where the atmosphere limits ground-based data, and permit more accurate calibration of very narrow spectral bandpasses. The initial effort has photometrically calibrated the SWS spectra for the 9 stellar or secondary standards with composites. The model atmosphere spectrum for \alpha Cen has been replaced by SWS data; the model spectra for \alpha CMa and \alpha Lyr have been retained in order to preserve the common calibration pedigree with the original Cohen et al. network (although see Price et al. 2004, AJ, 128, 889). Where available, high quality photometry from the Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX) are used, supplemented by photometry from the Diffuse Infrared Background Experment (DIRBE) and the photometry used by Cohen et al. used to create the original composite. The next steps are to 1) replace the 10-15 tertiary standard stars with template spectra with measured spectra for the cases in which the SWS observations have sufficiently high signal-to-noise ratios (this will double the number of secondary standards); 2) develop a set of high spectral resolution infrared templates based on the SWS observations for each MK spectral class of the secondary standards with which to upgrade the entire network; 3) create new templates for spectral types not covered in the current network; and 4) extend the network into the near-infrared and visible bands using the Pickles spectral templates (1998, PASP, 110, 863).
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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 36 5
© 2004. The American Astronomical Society.