Data reduction pipeline for the SuMAC millimeter-wave spectrometer at the LMT
arXiv:2608.03790
Abstract
We present the data reduction and analysis pipeline for the SuperSpec-MUSCAT Collaboration (SuMAC) along with several key science data products. In Summer 2025, SuperSpec on-chip spectrometers operating from GHz at were deployed in the MUSCAT cryostat at the Large Millimeter Telescope, obtaining several days of on-sky data. Analysis of these data has been used to characterize noise performance and study spectra of various astrophysical sources, establishing the viability of deploying SuperSpec detectors in future instruments. These proceedings discuss the modular data reduction pipeline which uses timestreams of the kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs) and auxiliary instrument data to generate a variety of data products. We present an on-sky calibration method for converting the KID fractional frequency shift to on-sky brightness temperature. The mapmaking module generates 3D data cubes of extended sources, while the spectrum module produces a millimeter-wave spectrum of an object. The observations all incorporate measurements of the atmosphere to model and correct for absorption. We also discuss data processing choices including detector weighting, despiking, and notch filtering. Finally, we present preliminary data products including detection of carbon monoxide in NGC 253 and spectral maps of the central region of the Orion KL nebula.
12 pages, 8 figures, submitted to the 2026 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation (SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation 2026) proceedings