THE MONASH SPECTROGRAPH SIMULATION PROGRAM

The Monash University Physics Department is constructing a spectrograp h, to be attached to a 0.46-m Cassegrainian telescope. To help future users of the spectrograph determine the operational capabilities of th e spectrograph a PC-based software package was created. This program a llows the user to simulate the response of the spectrograph to various stellar types under differing observational constraints. We have esti mated the precision of measurements of stellar radial velocities with the spectrograph. The estimates are reasonable but are yet to be compa red with real data.