Introducing EMILI: Computer Aided Emission Line Identification
Sharpee B., Williams R., Baldwin J.A., van Hoof P.A.M.
published in: ApJS, 149, 157 (2003)
The identification of spectral lines can be a tedious process requiring the
interrogation of large spectroscopic databases, but it does lend itself to
software algorithms that can determine the characteristics of candidate line
identifications. We present here criteria used for the identification of lines
and a logic developed for a line identification software package called EMILI,
which uses the v2.04 Atomic Line List as the basic line database. EMILI
considers all possible database transitions within the wavelength
uncertainties for observed optical emission lines and computes an approximate
intensity for each candidate line. It searches for other multiplet members
that are expected to be seen with each candidate line, and rank-orders all of
the tentative line identifications for each observed line based on a set of
criteria. When applied to the spectra of the Orion Nebula and the planetary
nebula IC 418, EMILI's recommended line IDs agree well with those of previous
traditional manual line assignments. The existence of a semiautomated
procedure should give impetus to the study of very high signal-to-noise
spectra, enabling the identification of previously unidentified spectral lines
to be handled with ease and consistency.
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Peter van Hoof
Royal Observatory of Belgium
Ringlaan 3
1180 Brussel
Belgium
email: p DOT vanhoof AT oma DOT be
