R. F. Loewenstein

ARCES: an echelle spectrograph for the Astrophysical Research Consortium (ARC) 3.5m telescope

A new echelle spectrograph was commissioned in 1999 for the ARC 3.5 meter telescope. The key features of the instrument are that it has a resolution of 9 km/sec, limited by the pixel size of the CCD; has no moving parts behind the slit during observation; provides complete spectral coverage from 3200A to 10000A, limited by the prism cross disperser material on the blue side and by the CCD sensitivity on the red side; provides blazeless spectra; achieves S/N>3000; and is remotely operable. The instrument is being used for studies of abundances in stars and for a large survey of diffuse interstellar bands.

Remote Use of the Apache Point 3.5-Meter Telescope

The Astrophysical Research Consortium is constructing a 3.5-m telescope near Sacramento Peak, New Mexico. The A.R.C. consist of the Universities of Washington, Chicago, Princeton, New Mexico State, and Washington State. The telescope is expected to be operational in 1988.