-------------+--------------------------------------------+--------------------- | FFFFFF OOOOOO SSS | STScI | FF OO OO SS | STAN - FOS Analysis | FFFF OO OO SS | Number 1 News | FF OO OO SS | October 1994 | FF OOOOOO SSS | -------------+--------------------------------------------+--------------------- * * * W E L C O M E * * * You just received the first issue of STAN, STScI's Analysis Newsletter. This publication will arrive in your electronic mailbox monthly. It will contain brief articles of interest to all users of HST data. This first mailing of STAN-FOS is being sent to Principal Investigators. Please let us know if there are other people on your team that you would like us to add to our distribution list (e.g., Co-I's, postdocs, graduate students, etc.). ================================================================================ CONTENTS: - FOS NEWS + Access to FOS information + POST-COSTAR inverse sensitivity calibration + Spectrophotometry absolute flux system change - GETTING THE LATEST SCHEDULING INFORMATION. - THE ANALYSIS TEAMS: A PILOT PROJECT TO IMPROVE POST-OBSERVATION USER SUPPORT - APPENDIX: FOS CONTACTS ================================================================================ FOS NEWS -------- by Anuradha Koratkar (koratkar@stsci.edu) FOS Instrument scientist Access to FOS information ------------------------- All calibration news on the FOS can be accessed via the Space Telescope Electronic Information System (STEIS) or via the World Wide Web (WWW). The Universal Resource Locator (URL) which gives access is : http://www.stsci.edu:80/ftp/instrument_news/fos. The information via STEIS and the WWW is the same because WWW accesses the STEIS "page". News of recent important FOS announcements and new postings to STEIS can be found in the WHATS_NEW.TXT file on STEIS. Both the TABLE_OF_CONTENTS.TXT and WHATS_NEW.TXT files will be updated on a continuing basis. The various subdirectories contain information on dead diodes, flat fields, polarimetry recommended reference files and other issues. POST-COSTAR inverse sensitivity calibration ------------------------------------------- Observationally-derived FOS Inverse Sensitivity (IVS) reference files based upon POST-COSTAR observation for all usable detector/disperser combinations with both the 4.3 and 1.0 apertures have been delivered to the calibration pipeline. ** ALL POST-COSTAR FOS OBSERVATIONS OBTAINED PRIOR TO 25 MARCH 1994 DATE SHOULD ** BE RE-PROCESSED WITH THE NEW REFERENCE FILES. Additionally, theoretically-derived IVS reference files for the 0.5, 0.3, 0.25x2.0 (SLIT), 1.0-PAIR, 0.5-PAIR, and 0.25-PAIR apertures have been delivered. The latter set of files is based upon the 1.0 aperture observationally-derived IVS for each spectral element as modified by the theoretical POST-COSTAR aperture throughput ratio of each aperture relative to the 1.0 aperture. Expected uncertainties in the theoretical IVS curves are of the order of 5%. The theoretical IVS files will be replaced with observationally-derived files after appropriate Cycle 4 photometric calibration observations have been performed. Spectrophotometry absolute flux system change --------------------------------------------- As part of an ongoing effort to improve the absolute spectrophotometry calibration from 1150 to 8500A, the flux scale for all FOS spectra obtained post-COSTAR deployment in Cycle 4 is based on a pure hydrogen white dwarf model atmosphere calculation for G191B2B. The change is fairly significant at short wavelengths, and is compared to the IUE-based flux calibration (Bohlin et al., 990, ApJ, 73, 413) in the table below. Sample changes in the ratio of NEW/OLD fluxes are: l (A) change(%) 1200 -5 1400 13 1500 5 1600 12 1800 8 2000 7 2200 7 2400 4 2600 4 2800 5 >3000 <3 All Instrument Science Reports (ISRs) can be requested from the FOS Analysis Team. The abstracts are posted on STEIS. If you require any information on any aspect of your FOS data analysis or reduction, please do not hesitate to contact the FOS Analysis Team, or the FOS Instrument Scientists. ================================================================================ GETTING THE LATEST SCHEDULING INFORMATION ----------------------------------------- - Mark Johnston (johnston@stsci.edu) PRESTO Project Lead You can check the implementation and scheduling status of your observations by using the PRESTO (Project to Re-Engineer Space Telescope Observing) public page available via the World-Wide Web. This is most easily accessed through the Mosaic client program (as described below), although other WWW browsers are also available. The PRESTO page provides a wealth of information about the status of the HST observing program, including the weekly timelines. Once the developing long-range observing plan is in place, it will also be available in this page. 1. Open MOSAIC. You may need to check with your system administrator for site specific information. For example, at STScI the command is: Mosaic 2. Get into the PRESTO homepage. Click on the "Open" button at the bottom of the screen, and enter: http://presto.stsci.edu/public/propinfo.html An alternative way into PRESTO is through the Space Telescope Electronic Information Service (STEIS) (http://www.stsci.edu/top.html) by going to the OBSERVER INFORMATION paragraph and clicking on PROGRAM STATUS. NOTE: You might want to save this MOSAIC address by using the "Navigate" pull down menu along the top, then the "Hotlist" button, and the "Add Current". In the future you can just use the "Hotlist" to open the PRESTO homepage. 3. Enter your program ID in the box and click on "Get Program Information". 4. Click on "Visit Status Information". 5. To save the information to a file click on the "Save as ..." at the bottom of the page, name the file, and click on "OK". 6. Click on the "Close Window" to exit Mosaic. ================================================================================ THE ANALYSIS TEAMS: A PILOT PROJECT TO IMPROVE POST-OBSERVATION USER SUPPORT ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - Brad Whitmore (whitmore@stsci.edu) A-Team Project Coordinator We are pleased to announce a new initiative designed to improve the post-observation user support at STScI. The Analysis Team (= A-Team) is a pilot project developed to address your main concerns, as determined from the post-observation user support survey circulated last spring. We plan to focus on: - Providing accurate, timely, and easily understood calibration information. - Optimizing contacts with STScI, with the goal of providing a single point of contact for your post-observation questions. - Improving documentation and analysis tools. Each Analysis Team consists of an active research astronomer (the Analysis Scientist), one or two research assistants (the Analysis Specialists), and a scientific programmer (the Analysis Programmer). Since this is a pilot project we are not able to support all cycle 4 programs. Hence, only WFPC2 and FOS programs are being covered at present. In addition, very experienced observers and observers with other means of support (e.g., Guaranteed Time Observers, ESA observers, carryover proposals, most STScI staff, etc.) and programs that completed before 1 October 1994 will not be covered in the initial plan. However, information of general utility will be distributed to a wider audience via this newsletter. If you feel that our services would be especially useful for your program, and you have not recently been contacted by the A-Team, please contact Krista Rudloff at analysis@stsci.edu (410-338-1082) and we will add you to our list of covered proposals. ================================================================================ APPENDIX: FOS contacts ----------------------- Any questions about the scheduling of your observations should be addressed to your PRESTO contact. If you do not know who this person is, PRESTO's Mosaic page (http://presto.stsci.edu/public/propinfo.html) contains that information. Post-Observation questions should be addressed to the FOS Analysis Team, if your program is covered by this pilot project (see article above) or analysis@stsci.edu (410-338-1082). FOS Analysis Team: ------------------ Analysis Scientist: Jeffrey Hayes - hayes@stsci.edu - 410-338-4936 Analysis Specialist: Jennifer Christensen - christen@stsci.edu - 410-338-1265 Analysis Specialist: Stephan Martin - smartin@stsci.edu - 410-338-4724 FOS Instrument Scientists: -------------------------- Anne Kinney kinney@stsci.edu 410-338-4831 Anuradha Koratkar koratkar@stsci.edu 410-338-4470 Tony Keyes keyes@stsci.edu 410-338-4975 ================================================================================ Comments, questions, requests for issues, additions or deletions to the mailing list, etc. can be e-mailed to analysis@stsci.edu ================================================================================ The Space Telescope Science Institute is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS5-26555. ================================================================================