Paper detail

The list of tantalum lines for wavelengths calibration of the Hamilton echelle-spectrograph

We present solution of the problem of wavelength calibration for Hamilton Echelle spectrograph using hollow cathode lamp, which was operated at Lick Observatory Shane telescope before June 9, 2011. The spectrum of the lamp claimed to be thorium-argon, contains, in addition to the lines of thorium and argon, a number of the unrecognized lines identified by us with tantalum. Using atomic data for measured lines of tantalum and thorium, we estimated the temperature of the gas in the lamp as T=3120+/-60 K. From the atomic line database VALD3 we selected all lines of TaI and TaII which can be seen in the spectrum of the lamp and compiled a list for the use in the processing of spectral observations. We note a limitation of the accuracy of calibration due to the influence of the hyperfine line splitting.