Hectochelle: A Multiobject Optical Echelle Spectrograph for the MMT

The Hectochelle is an optical band, fiber-fed, multiobject echelle spectrograph deployed at the MMT Observatory on Mount Hopkins, Arizona. The optical fibers that feed the Hectochelle are positioned by the Hectospec robot positioner on the MMT f/5 focal surface, and the Hectochelle shares an optical fiber feed system with the Hectospec, a moderate-dispersion spectrograph that is collocated with the Hectochelle. Hectochelle can record up to 240 spectra simultaneously at a resolution of 38,000. Spectra cover a single diffractive order that is approximately 150 Å wide. The total potential operating passband of the Hectochelle extends from 3800 Å to 9000 Å. Operated in conjunction with the MMT f/5 secondary, the MMT wide-field corrector, and the atmospheric dispersion compensator, the patrol field is 1° in diameter and the individual fiber slits are 1.5′′ in diameter. The throughput of the combined telescope, fiber feed, and spectrograph is measured to be 6.1% at 5275 Å, exclusive of atmospheric extinction. A 20 minute observation of a V = 15 V = 15 F-type star yields a signal-to-noise ratio of 35 per resolution element. Hectochelle had first light 2003 December 4 and continues to be operated at the MMT today.