Royal Greenwich Obs. Spectrograph (RGO)

AAT Instrument.

RGO is a general purpose optical spectrograph, covering 3100 - 11000 A.

The 82cm camera has been superseded by UCLES for most applications.

The 25cm camera can be used for long slit spectroscopy, time series observations

and spectropolarimetry. Simultaneous observations can be made on FORS and the

RGO with a dichroic beam splitter to provide full optical coverage. Imaging

can be interspersed with spectroscopy by using the Auxiliary CCD Camera.

Multiobject spectroscopy with the RGO using Autofib and FOCAP have been

superseded by 2dF.

                                                                                      To Instrument List


Instrument Scientist:  Ray Stathakis (ras@aaoepp.aao.gov.au}

A service observing programme is available for projects requiring < 3hrs.

Manual: AAO UM-2.2  'The RGO Spectrograph'  Robinson, R.D., 1985.

Available hardcopy only. An updated but incomplete version is available

in hardcopy and online. Related manuals include (all hardcopy only):

AAO UM-24.2 'Spectropolarimetry at the AAT' Hough, J. & Bailey, J., 1994.

AAO UM 4  and AAO UM 4a  Arc Atlases for CuAr and FeAr.

UM 19 'AAO Grating Efficiencies' Johnston et al., 1986.  The RGOANG

spectrograph facility gives wavelength centres and coverage for grating settings.

Observer's Guide Entry


Fact Sheet

Detector:                       Portable CCD

                                       Usually 1K x 1 K Tektronix CCD with 24 um sq pixels.

Focal Station:               mounted at Cassegrain, with  f/8 top end

Image Scale:                 0.76 arcsec per pixel with Tek (unbinned)

Spectral Resolution*:  A range of gratings offer R=850 (250B) to R=12000

                                       (1200I, 2nd order) at 6000 A with 1.7 arcsec slit.

Filters:                          A range of neutral density and order sorting filters

                                      are available.

Sensitivity:                  V=16.7 will give 1 photon/s/A at 6400 A  with the

                                      Tek CCD, a 2 arcsec slit, and the 600R grating.

                                      Table of throughput estimates for different settings.

* Spectral Resolution R measured as lambda / delta_lambda,

   delta_lambda  = FWHM unresolved line, usually 2 pixels.