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A New Improved CRSP (1Mar94)
(from KPNO, NOAO Newsletter No. 37, 1 March 1994)

Thanks to heroic efforts by the IR&D group, the hardware, electronic,
and optical modifications to CRSP were completed in time for the
engineering time in October.  After some minor adjustments, the
upgraded CRSP operating under WILDFIRE went into service as a visitor
instrument in late October and has been used some 50 nights since on
the 1.3-m, 2.1-m, and 4-m telescopes.

User response has been enthusiastic.  The 30 micron pixels (vs 76 for
the old array) provide much improved sampling of both the slit and
spatial field.  This has resulted in an improved ability to remove
telluric features, as well as somewhat higher spectral resolution.  The
reduced dark current (down from 50 e-/s to 1-2 e-/s) and read noise (35
e-, single read) yield a larger dynamic range and increased sensitivity
on long exposures with the high resolution grating.

A significant portion of the old CSRP manual is now obsolete.  By the
time this article is published, the new version of the manual should be
completed and available.  A figure-less version should also be resident
in /kpno/manuals or "ftp.noao.edu".  In the meantime, prospective users
may contact me directly (rjoyce@noao.edu) for information.

Dick Joyce

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