Notes for Windows Users


Windows executable binaries have been provided for SPECTRUM and certain auxiliary programs, such as SMOOTH2 and AVSINI.  These can be found on the download page for SPECTRUM.  These binaries (and datafiles) can be found in the file spectrum266.zip.  These binaries will run in a DOS window.  I have only tested them on Windows XP, and I hope that they will work on other versions of Windows.  Please see the detailed documentation for SPECTRUM and its auxiliary programs to learn how to run these programs.  These programs and datafiles should be unzipped  into a single folder say c:\spectrum.  You should also install the line-list file luke.lst, in the same folder for ease of use.

It is important to understand that the binary files produced by SPECTRUM do not have the proper permissions set to be used by other programs such as BSMOOTH2, etc. under Windows.  I am certain there is a way to change these permissions, but I don't know how.   So, do not use SPECTRUM with the \b switch under Windows.   As a consequence, I have supplied auxiliary programs that work only with the ascii output from SPECTRUM.

To make SPECTRUM easier to use for those Windows users who are not conversant with command-line computing, and with pedagogical purposes in mind, I have written a GUI shell for SPECTRUM using Visual Basic.  It is illustrated below.  With this shell, it is possible to compute a synthetic spectrum, apply macroturbulent and rotational broadening and smooth the resulting spectrum with just a few mouse clicks.

To install this shell, download the file spectrum101.zip and place it in the same folder you used above (I recommend c:\spectrum; I have had problems if I installed this under My Documents, as the path name was apparently too long for Visual Basic).  Unzip this file into this directory; you will find the files setup.lst, setup.exe and spectrum101.cab.  Double click on setup.exe.  This will run the install program for the shell; it may be necessary to reboot Windows before the program will completely install.  When prompted, specify the directory where you have copied the other files (e.g. c:\spectrum) as the location for installing the shell.  When the install is completed, the shell can be run from the Run menu (click on the Windows Start button).  You must first select the working directory (the folder where all the other files reside).  If you have carried out the above instructions, the proper working directory should already be selected.  Then, select the stellar atmosphere from the list in the file list box, the line list (luke.lst) and specify the spectral range, computational spacing, and, if you wish, whether the output spectrum will be broadened by rotation and/or macroturbulence and smoothed.  Once all the program parameters have been specified, click on EXECUTE and sit back and relax.  SPECTRUM will be launched in a minimized DOS window, which will disappear when all the calculations have completed.  The output file will be in the working directory.  It is an ascii file with wavelength in the first column and intensity or flux in the second.  It can be displayed in any plotting program, such as EXCEL, SIGMAPLOT, etc.