Cycle 24 proposers can now mine the new Hubble Spectroscopic Legacy Archive (HSLA) for high-level data products from COS. The products are intended to accelerate the scientific use of existing spectroscopic data. The HSLA includes coadded spectra of all public COS FUV observations, combining exposures for each target from across visits, programs, and cycles. These data are organized into archives by target type (such as "early type stars”, “white dwarfs”, "starburst galaxies") so that samples can be readily constructed and downloaded. The HSLA provides quicklook spectra for both raw and coadded spectra, as well as tools for measuring signal-to-noise and flux variability.
The HSLA products are available on MAST at: https://archive.stsci.edu/hst/spectral_legacy/ together with a description of their contents.
We encourage the development and submission of Cycle 24 archival proposals based on these new products. They may also be useful for the preparation of GO proposals since they indicate which targets of a given type have already been observed. Questions about the content of the HSLA can be sent to hst_spec_legacy@stsci.edu.
Find out more about the HSLA by watching the Hubble Hangout at 3:00 pm EST on Thursday March 10, 2016 here: http://hubblesite.org/get_involved/hubble_hangouts/. The Hangout will be archived afterwards.