IRS-TR 12002: Constructing a Short-Low Truth Spectrum of the Standard Star HR 6348

This report describes in detail the generation of a "truth" spectrum of HR 6348, using observations with the Short-Low (SL) module of the Infrared Spectrograph of HR 6348, and the A dwarfs alpha Lac and delta UMi. Using spectral ratios, we can propagate Kurucz models of the A dwarfs to the K giant HR 6348, which can then serve to calibrate the remaining database of SL spectra. Mitigation in the vicinity of the Pfund-a line is necessary to reduce residual artifacts at 7.45 um. In general, the new SL spectrum of HR 6348 has a spectroscopic fidelity of ~0.5% or better. Artifacts from the hydrogen recombination lines in the A dwarfs will generally be smaller than this limit, although the residual artifact from the blend of lines near Pfund-alpha exceeds the limit at ~0.7%.