Flatfielding
LEDs for flatfielding spectrograph images
Two Yale undergraduates, Scott Smith and Michael Mossman, designed and built a spectrograph flat-fielding device that uses an array of LEDs to produce a flat spectrum. The device uses 220 LEDs of 14 different wavelengths ranging from 400nm to 870nm that are attached to an integrating sphere. Light was then fed through a fiber optic cable to the YDDF for testing. The device performed substantially better than the traditional quartz lamp alone, but improvements could still be made in flatness, portability, and ease of use. The team is now working on a new approach that will sustantially increase efficiency and decrease the size of the device.
