Selection of wavelength calibration features for automatic format recovery in astronomical spectrographs

Automated wavelength calibration requires line lists that are free of blended or unstable features at the resolution of the spectrograph in order to avoid false matches. We present a procedure that will identify isolated features suitable for use as wavelength standards. The procedure takes into account the expected signal to noise level and the degree of uncertainty in the spectral format that defines how isolated the spectral features must be. Our goal is to produce a customised list of features that can be unambiguously matched to observed features.