ECHELLE SPECTROMETERS AND CHARGE-COUPLED-DEVICES

State-of-the-art spectrometers are equipped more and more with solid-s tate array detectors for the recording of spectra. The basis of this d evelopment is the tremendous improvement in the performance of detecto rs. The photometric parameters of individual pixels of detectors (quan tum efficiency, dark current, read-out noise) are comparable to or bet ter than those of photomultiplier tubes. The large number of pixels on the detectors enables the complete and simultaneous recording of sele cted spectral ranges. New spectrometers have to be designed and optimi zed according to the special qualities of the arrays. Corrected Rowlan d mountings and specially designed echelle spectrographs with internal order separation are shown to be the most suitable optical arrangemen ts for the exploitation of solid-state detectors. (C) 1997 Elsevier Sc ience B.V.