The Radial Velocity Precision of Fiber-fed Spectrographs

Abstract

We have measured the radial velocities of five 51 Peg-type stars and one star with constant velocity. Our measurements, on 20 Åcentered at 3947 Å, were conventional using Th/Ar comparison spectra taken every 20 or 40 minutes between the stellar exposures. Existing IRAF routines were used for the reduction. We find $σ_{RV}$ $\leq$ 20 m s$^{-1}$, provided 4 measurements (out of 72) with residuals $>5σ_{RV}$ are neglected. The observations were made with the CFHT Gecko spectrograph, fiber-fed with the CAFE system (R$\sim$110,000). $σ_{RV}$ $\leq$10 m s$^{-1}$ seems possible with additional care. This study was incidental to the main program and so not exhaustive but the small value of $σ_{RV}$ implies that the fiber feed/image slicer system on Gecko + CAFE, essentially eliminates the long standing problem of guiding errors in radial velocity measurements. We are not suggesting this conventional approach for serious Doppler planet searches (especially with Gecko which has such a small multiplex gain), but the precision is valuable for observations made in spectral regions remote from telluric lines or captive-gas fiducials. Instrument builders might consider the advantages of the CAFE optics which incorporate agitation and invert the object and pupil for slit and grating illumination in future spectrograph designs.