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Retirement of the Fiber Optic Echelle (1Sep94)
(from KPNO, NOAO Newsletter No. 39, 1 September 1994)

Seven years ago, KPNO and Larry Ramsey (Penn State) initiated a discussion
which led to the use of the Fiber Optic Echelle (FOE) on the Coude Feed and
2.1-m telescopes. Since then, the FOE has been used to obtain data for a
variety of projects where simultaneous observation of chromospheric
indicators (Ca II H and K, H`, Li 6707, Ca II IRT) were required. The image
stability provided by the fiber optics also made the instrument valuable for
high precision radial velocity projects. A special fiber optic scrambler was
used to obtain velocities measurable at the 1 m/s level in the search for
stellar oscillations.

Shrinking demand for the instrument, reduced mountain support resources, and
Larry Ramsey's involvement in more important responsibilities have resulted
in our inability to keep the FOE upgraded as a low resource impact
instrument. Hence, it is now necessary to restrict the use of the FOE by
adjusting its status from that of facility instrument to visitor instrument
after the fall 1994 observing semester.

Those interested in using the FOE should contact Larry Ramsey
(lwr@astro.psu.edu) for information on its future status.

Sam Barden, Caty Pilachowski, Larry Ramsey

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