Development of a Mid-Infrared Astronomical Echelle Spectrometer

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A cryogenic echelle spectrometer has been constructed for mid- infrared astronomical observations. It has been shown to be an extremely sensitive instrument, capable of a wide variety of astronomical observations. The spectrometer observes ten positions along a slit projected onto the sky, sampling 64 spectral points with resolving power between 1000 and 30,000. This spectrometer will be improved by fixing several known problems, expanding its capabilities, and making it accessible to a wider range of users. Specific projects planned included: expanding the wavelength range observable to include the 20um region, acquisition of backup data acquisition equipment, improvement of data acquisition and analysis software, and study of infrared luminous galaxies and interstellar molecules.