A Computer Method for the Automatic Reduction of Spectroscopic Data

A computer program, written in Fortran IV and for use with an associated spectral comparator, has been developed at The Naval Research Laboratory for the purpose of automatically reducing spectroscopic data. A Datex digitalizing magnetic tape recorder in conjunction with a modified Jarrell-Ash microphotometer allows the reading of spectral information from a photographic plate at the rate of twentyfive data pairs per second. Spectra of local interest analyzed by this method are (1) absorption, (2) emission, (3) plasma type, obtained from time-resolved spectroscopic techniques, and (4) solar echellegrams obtained from rocket probings of the upper atmosphere. Markedly useful features of the program are its capabilities of (a) recognizing spectral peaks from a background of variable density, (b) obtaining absolute values for the radiance or irradiance. An essential characteristic of the method is the saving of significant amounts of time in the reduction of photographic spectroscopic data.