+----------------------------------------------------------+ | STScI Analysis Newsletter (STAN) for ACS and WFPC2 | 10 December 2003 +----------------------------------------------------------+ CONTENTS: 1. HST Cycle 13 Phase I proposal deadline: 23 Jan 2004 2. ACS and WFPC2 instrument groups merged 3. Instrument and Data Handbooks 4. New versions of the ACS Exposure Time Calculators 5. Update on STSDAS, CALACS, and PyDrizzle/MultiDrizzle 6. Calibration plans and calibration proposals 7. ACS photometric zeropoints and transformations 8. Recent Instrument Science Reports 9. Recent publications +----------------------------------------------------------+ 1. HST Cycle 13 Phase I proposal deadline: 23 Jan 2004 See the HST Call for Proposals and related information at: http://www.stsci.edu/hst/acs/proposing +----------------------------------------------------------+ 2. ACS and WFPC2 instrument groups merged The ACS and WFPC2 instrument groups at STScI have merged, which should be largely transparent to ACS and WFPC2 users. This is the first joint ACS+WFPC2 STAN. The former acs_news and wfpc_news distribution lists have been merged into the acs_wfpc2_news list. The instructions for subscribing and unsubscribing from this new list are given at the end of this document. The last WFPC2 STAN was issued in August 2003. The WFPC2 STANs have been archived here: http://www.stsci.edu/hst/wfpc2/documents/newsletters The last ACS STAN was issued in March 2003. The new ACS+WFPC2 STANs will be archived with the previous ACS STANs here: http://www.stsci.edu/hst/acs/documents/newsletters +----------------------------------------------------------+ 3. Instrument and Data Handbooks The ACS and WFPC2 Instrument Handbooks have undergone revisions to update for Cycle 13 . The ACS and WFPC2 Data Handbooks are also available from their Web sites. Before the end of this year, we plan to replace the pre-launch ACS Data Handbook with a revised version. This new version will contain an updated and expanded discussion of the calibrations applied during pipeline processing, and demonstrates how to manually recalibrate data using the CALACS, PyDrizzle, and MultiDrizzle software. Additional chapters that discuss photometry, astrometry, polarimetry, and other applications in detail will be added in subsequent months. +----------------------------------------------------------+ 4. New versions of the ACS Exposure Time Calculators New versions of the ACS Exposure Time Calculators were made available on September 10, 2003 and can be found here: http://www.stsci.edu/hst/acs/software/etcs/ETC_page.html The new ETCs were developed as part of the Astronomer's Proposal Tool (APT), but are available through a web interface with the same look-and-feel as the old CGI ETCs. In addition to the Imaging, Spectroscopic and Ramp Filter ETCs available under CGI, the APT version includes Coronographic and Coronographic-with-Ramp ETCs. We recommend the new APT versions for all users. Details about new features and improvements in the ETCs are available via the webpage above. +----------------------------------------------------------+ 5. Update on STSDAS, CALACS, and PyDrizzle/MultiDrizzle The latest version of STSDAS was released on 20 Oct 2003: http://www.stsci.edu/resources/software_hardware/stsdas The version of CALACS in this STSDAS release is consistent with the version currently used in the calibration pipeline. This version of STSDAS also contains a self-consistent bundling of PyDrizzle, numarray, etc. These tasks requires PyRAF version 1.1, which was released simultaneously: http://www.stsci.edu/resources/software_hardware/pyraf The latest version of MultiDrizzle must still be downloaded and installed separately, see: http://www.stsci.edu/resources/software_hardware/pydrizzle (This link is no longer available.) If you had a previously-installed MultiDrizzle, you will need to reinstall it after installing STSDAS version 3.1 and PyRAF version 1.1. +----------------------------------------------------------+ 6. Calibration plans and calibration proposals The current status and accuracy of the ACS and WFPC2 calibrations are described in the respective Instrument Handbooks. Calibration plans are available for ACS and WFPC2. We welcome all comments on the planned STScI calibration programs (to help@stsci.edu). Also, GOs are encouraged to consider the submission of Cycle 13 Calibration Proposals to take the instrument calibrations beyond the levels planned at STScI. Anyone planning the submission of such a proposal should consult the policies at http://www.stsci.edu/hst/proposing/documents/cp/3_Proposal_Categories7.html (This link is no longer available.) and is advised to discuss their plans with the ACS+WFPC2 Branch at STScI (email to help@stsci.edu) at least two weeks prior to the proposal deadline. +----------------------------------------------------------+ 7. ACS photometric zeropoints and transformations On December 10, 2003 we delivered improved Detectors Quantum Efficiency (DQE) curves and filter throughput curves to the ACS pipeline. A detailed description of the new curves will soon be presented in an Instrument Science Report (ISR) (De Marchi et al, in preparation). The new files can be downloaded at the ACS reference files web page: http://www.stsci.edu/hst/acs/analysis/reference_files/synphot_tables.html The new curves reproduce the observed count rate of spectrophotometric standard stars with an accuracy better than 1% in all broad band filters, and ~ 1% for narrow band filters. This is an improvement of 1-2% with respect to the curves that were previously used by the ACS pipeline. The new files will automatically be used for the calibration of any data retrieved from the HST Archive after December 10, 2003. The calibrations only affect the "photometry keyword" section in the header of the SCI extensions of the calibrated FITS file. The new zeropoints and the new values of the keywords are available at the following web page: http://www.stsci.edu/hst/acs/analysis/zeropoints +----------------------------------------------------------+ 8. Recent Instrument Science Reports For ACS... Modelling the fringing of the ACS WFC and HRC chips http://www.stsci.edu/hst/acs/documents/isrs/isr0312.pdf Flat Fields for Filter Wheel Offset Positions http://www.stsci.edu/hst/acs/documents/isrs/isr0311.pdf Determination of Low-Frequency Flat-Field Structure from Photometry of Stellar Fields http://www.stsci.edu/hst/acs/documents/isrs/isr0310.pdf On-orbit Calibration of ACS CTE Corrections for Photometry http://www.stsci.edu/hst/acs/documents/isrs/isr0309.pdf Baseline Tests for the Advanced Camera for Surveys Astronomer's Proposal Tool Exposure Time Calculator http://www.stsci.edu/hst/acs/documents/isrs/isr0308.pdf The in-orbit wavelength calibration of the HRC G800L grism http://www.stsci.edu/hst/acs/documents/isrs/isr0307.pdf ACS WFC and HRC field-dependent PSF variations due to optical and charge diffusion effects http://www.stsci.edu/hst/acs/documents/isrs/isr0306.pdf Elevated Temperature measurements of Hot Pixels http://www.stsci.edu/hst/acs/documents/isrs/isr0304.pdf ACS Background Light vs. Bright Earth Limb Angle http://www.stsci.edu/hst/acs/documents/isrs/isr0305.pdf Stability and Accuracy of HRC and WFC Shutters http://www.stsci.edu/hst/acs/documents/isrs/isr0303.pdf NUV Earth Flats http://www.stsci.edu/hst/acs/documents/isrs/isr0302.pdf For WFPC2... WFPC2 Cycle 12 Calibration Plan http://www.stsci.edu/instruments/wfpc2/Wfpc2_isr/wfpc2_isr0303.pdf +----------------------------------------------------------+ 9. Recent publications http://www.stsci.edu/hst/acs/documents/pub_2003_12.pdf (This document is no longer available.) The papers listed above are based on data from WF/PC, WFPC2 and/or ACS. The list includes all papers received and identified by the STScI Library during the current year. Please include our Library in your preprint distribution list. This listing was generated with STEPsheet: http://stepsheet.stsci.edu/ +----------------------------------------------------------+ | Need help? Please contact us at the helpdesk. +----------------------------------------------------------+ | To subscribe or unsubscribe to this STAN, send a message | to majordomo@stsci.edu with a blank subject line and | the following in the body: [un]subscribe acs_wfpc2_news | Previous ACS and WFPC2 STANs are archived at: | http://www.stsci.edu/hst/acs/documents/newsletters | http://www.stsci.edu/hst/wfpc2/documents/newsletters +----------------------------------------------------------+ | The Space Telescope Science Institute is operated by the | Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, | Inc., under NASA contract NAS5-26555. +----------------------------------------------------------+
