This manual describes the operation of CASPIR, the Cryogenic Array
Spectrometer/Imager on the ANU 2.3 m telescope at Siding Spring
Observatory. CASPIR uses a Santa Barbara Research Center (SBRC)
CRC463 256 
256 InSb detector array to provide direct imaging
and spectroscopic capabilities in the 1-5 
m wavelength range.
Two direct imaging focal plane scales of 0.5''/pixel and
0.25''/pixel are available, as well as long slit J, H, and K
grisms giving two pixel resolving powers of 
500 through a 1 
128'' slit, and IJ, JH, and HK cross-dispersed grisms
giving two pixel resolving powers of 1100 through a 1 15'' slit. Coronographic functions are also available, and
imaging polarimetry is planned.
CASPIR operates within the overall infrared instrumentation environment which is familiar to past infrared users of the 2.3 m telescope, and which is described in a separate manual. Since most user demand is for a quick ``How to do it'' manual, I begin in §2 with a bare-bones description of getting the system on the air. Suitable observing procedures are discussed in more detail in §3. This is where you will find most of the procedural recipes you will need. The CASPIR hardware is described in greater detail in §4, while §5 documents the CASPIR control software. These sections contain reference material for the more serious user. Recommended data reduction procedures in IRAF are discussed in §6, §8, and §9. Performance figures, lists of photometric and spectroscopic standard stars, common infrared spectral features, and plots of terrestrial atmospheric transmission and filter transmissions can be found in the Appendices.
The AAO IRIS Users Manual contains valuable information about observing technique with infrared array cameras which is equally applicable to CASPIR. I recommend that CASPIR users also be familiar with the IRIS manual. Nomenclature for the array readout parameters is common between IRIS and CASPIR, so many of the concepts discussed in the IRIS manual also apply to CASPIR. However, the IRIS and CASPIR readout methods are numbered differently.
The CASPIR array is quite robust. It is not damaged by exposure to strong infrared illumination, and has little remnance. However, four warnings are in order:
K/hour. THE DEWAR HAS BEEN DESIGNED TO PASSIVELY
TEMPERATURE CYCLE AT THE MAXIMUM SAFE RATE. UNDER NO
CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD THE TEMPERATURE CONTROLLER BE USED TO HEAT
THE ARRAY OR THE CAMERA MORE QUICKLY!
The Latex source files for this manual can be found in the directory peter/latex/manuals/caspir on the MSO Sun network. The file manual.ps in that directory contains a postscript version of the manual. This file can also be obtained via anonymous ftp by typing:
ftp merlin.anu.edu.au username: anonymous password: type your internet id cd pub/peter prompt mget manual*.ps.gz bye
This manual is also available on the MSSSO WWW home page (http://msowww.anu.edu.au/home.html).
A CASPIR users email group exists for occassional dissemination of information about the instrument. Contact Peter McGregor on (06) 279 8033 or peter@mso.anu.edu.au for inclusion in this list, or for further information on CASPIR.