Author Topic: Suggested workflow for spectroscopy please?  (Read 5362 times)

Offline Gasman

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Suggested workflow for spectroscopy please?
« on: 2014 December 21 16:29:05 »
Hi Guys
Must admit I have not used Pixinsight much since registering my copy for various reasons, I now have more time to learn this excellent software and wondering what workflow you experienced PI guys could recommend for processing spectra please?.
This attached is a typical unprocessed shot from my spectroscope (in png format for the post) using my Atik 314 ccd on a 120mm apo Espirit refractor of the star Vega.
You can see with spectroscopy you don`t have the luxury of beautiful coloured detailed images but the important thing is the variation from left to right of the light/dark sections of the spectra which is then processed through spectroscopy software to show the peaks and troughs as light (emission) and dark (absorption) lines. This leads me to Pixinsight and its reputation for bringing out suptle detail in fits images so what workflow could you guys recommend to bring out this detail please?.
Thanks
Steve

Offline dayers

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Re: Suggested workflow for spectroscopy please?
« Reply #1 on: 2014 December 21 16:38:19 »
Hi Steve,

Would you tell us a little more about doing spectrascopy? I know nothing about it, and perhaps others would like to know a little about this part of astronomy. PixInsight will help make the most of your data.

Dave
Dave Ayers
  Stellarvue 80 mm refractor on CG-5 mount, Orion 50mm guide scope. Imaging camera SBIG STF-8300M, guide camera ASI120mm. PHD Guiding. Sequence Generator Pro, PixInsight.

Offline Gasman

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Re: Suggested workflow for spectroscopy please?
« Reply #2 on: 2014 December 21 16:59:42 »
Hi Dave
Yes I`d be happy to. Its a fascinating subject once the bug bites. Apologies to any Quantum physicists among us -  :) In the above spectrum the dark sections correspond to Hydrogen absorption lines where the electron moves outwards from the nucleus, it needs energy to escape the pull of the nucleus and takes it as photons hence the absence of light, conversely if the electron moves towards the nucleus it doesn`t need the energy and so emits it as photons. The electron can only be in one energy level at once and going from the ground state up a level would show a H alpha absorption line , going from the ground state two levels would show a H beta line and so on , I think I`ve got that  :D . I use a few different software packages Vspec, BASS, Isis all free I can get you the links if you want. I started out with a Star Analyser which screws into the filter on eyepieces,ccd`s and excellent little device to start off with.
My processing with other packages has sometimes missed a small dark or light area and I`ve wanted to get really into PI for some time as I think it could be very useful for spectroscopy.
HTH for now
Steve
BTW I think I posted this in the wrong section but I can`t seem to move it? 

Offline Gasman

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Re: Suggested workflow for spectroscopy please?
« Reply #3 on: 2014 December 21 17:17:36 »
Sorry guys just reposted this in the General section but can`t seem to find the `Remove topic` link if the Mods could do that please?
thanks
Steve

Offline Alejandro Tombolini

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Re: Suggested workflow for spectroscopy please?
« Reply #4 on: 2014 December 21 17:18:21 »
Hi Steve, yes, better move it to General.
BTW I think I posted this in the wrong section but I can`t seem to move it?
If you need the image to have more contraste between darks and bright areas, some process like Deconvolution or MultiscaleMedianTransform could be useful. I have tried the attached on the .png

Saludos, Alejandro.