Hubble Space Telescope
FOC Instrument Handbook Version 6.0

The FOC Instrument Handbook Version 6.0, dated June 1995, provides information on the FOC for use in Cycle 6 of the HST Observing Program. It also contains a great deal on information relevant to analyzing FOC data, such as encircled energy curves for photometric analysis.

Below is a table of contents from the handbook allowing for access to each chapter of the handbook individually in PostScript form. The starting page number for each chapter follows the chapter title. All the figures and tables are included in each chapter making some chapters very large. Following the table of contents is a simple listing of tables and figures from the handbook.

FOC Instrument Handbook (Post-COSTAR)_Version 6.0_6-1995.PDF [3.9Mb]

This is the ENTIRE FOC Instrument Handbook Version 6.0 as a single PostScript file [10530 kb long!].

1. HANDBOOK REFERENCE GUIDE - 1 [81 kb]

   1.1 What is the FOC? - 1

   1.2 Why Use the FOC? - 1

   1.3 What other imaging capabilities does HST offer? - 2

   1.4 What is the actual performance of the FOC? - 3

   1.5 How do I calculate the FOC exposure times? - 3

   1.6 What features of the FOC have been calibrated? - 3

   1.7 Where can I get updated information on the FOC? - 3

   1.8 Where is information about pre-COSTAR FOC data? - 3

   1.9 What's New with the FOC Handbook? - 4

   1.10 What considerations should be made in preparing an FOC observing proposal? - 5

2. COSTAR OVERVIEW - 8 [308 kb]
3. INSTRUMENT OVERVIEW - 11 [5423 kb]
4. DETAILED INSTRUMENT DESCRIPTION - 16 (from Version 7) [992 kb]

   4.1 TRANSFER OPTICS - 16

   4.2 FOCAL PLANE APERTURES - 17

   4.3 INTERNAL CALIBRATION SYSTEM - 23

   4.4 FILTER WHEELS - 23

   4.4.1 Bandpass and Neutral Density Filters - 32

   4.4.2 Objective Prisms - 32

   4.4.3 Polarizers - 35

   4.5 LONG SLIT SPECTROGRAPHIC FACILITY - 37

   4.6 DETECTORS - 39

   4.6.1 Image Intensifier and Coupling Lens - 39

   4.6.2 TV Tube - 40

   4.7 VIDEO PROCESSING UNIT - 41

   4.8 SCIENCE DATA STORE - 42

5. OBSERVING ARRANGEMENTS - 43 [82 kb]

   5.1 IMAGING, OCCULTATION AND SPECTROGRAPHIC MODES - 43

   5.2 TARGET ACQUISITION MODES - 46

   5.2.1 Mode I Target Acquisition - INTeractive ACQuisition - 46

   5.2.2 Mode III Target Acquisition - Blind Pointing - 46

   5.2.3 EARLY ACQuisition - 47

   5.3 THE FOC TARGET ACQUISITION APERTURES - 47

6. INSTRUMENT PERFORMANCE - 48 [1430 kb]

   6.1 THE POINT SPREAD FUNCTION (PSF) - 48

   6.1.1 Image quality and Field Dependence of the PSF - 52

   6.2 DYNAMIC RANGE - 52

   6.2.1 Uniform Illumination - 53

   6.2.2 Non-Uniform Illumination - 54

   6.3 ABSOLUTE QUANTUM EFFICIENCY - 56

   6.3.1 Format-dependent Effects - 60

   6.4 DETECTOR BACKGROUND - 60

   6.5 STRAY LIGHT - 61

   6.6 DETECTOR OVERLOAD - 63

   6.7 OVERHEAD TIMES AND MULTIPLE EXPOSURES - 64

   6.8 GUIDING MODES WITH THE FOC - 64

   6.9 UNIFORMITY OF RESPONSE (FLAT FIELDING) - 64

   6.10 VISIBLE LEAKS - 68

   6.11 GEOMETRIC DISTORTION AND STABILITY - 70

   6.12 PLATE SCALE - 73

   6.13 CURRENT F/48 PERFORMANCE - 73

7. OBSERVER'S GUIDE (PRESCRIPTION FOR ESTIMATING EXPOSURE TIMES) - 76 [210 kb]

   7.1 POINT SOURCES - 79

   7.1.1 Imaging - 79

   7.1.2 Spectroscopy - 81

   7.2 EXTENDED SOURCES - 82

8. FOC EXPOSURE TIME SIMULATORS - 85 [94 kb]

   8.1 SYNPHOT - 85

   8.2 FOCSIM - 85

   8.3 WWW Form for FOCSIM - 86

   8.4 Limiting Magnitudes - 87

   8.5 Objective Prism Image Simulation - 87

9. FOC WWW PAGES - 89 [51 kb]
10. FOC DATA ANALYSIS AND PRODUCTS - 91 [65 kb]

    10.1 PIPELINE PROCESSING - 91

    10.2 GENERAL PROCEDURES - 93

    10.2.1 Dark-Count Subtraction - 93

    10.2.2 Format-Dependent Photometric Correction (ITF) - 93

    10.2.3 Correct For Zoom Mode - 93

    10.2.4 Compute Absolute Sensitivity - 93

    10.2.5 Geometric Correction - 93

    10.2.6 Relative Calibration or Flat Field Correction (normal images only) - 94

    10.2.7 Spectrographic Detective Efficiency Correction - 94

11. FOC CALIBRATION: STATUS AND ACCURACIES - 95 [70 kb]

    11.1 CURRENT CALIBRATION STATUS - 95

    11.1.1 The Routine Calibration Programs - 96

    11.1.2 The Special Calibration Programs - 96

    11.2 CALIBRATION ACCURACIES - 96

    11.2.1 Absolute Sensitivity - 96

    11.2.2 Geometric Distortion - 97

    11.2.3 Flat Fields - 97

    11.2.4 Pointing Accuracy - 98

    11.2.5 Objective Prisms - 98

    11.2.6 Polarization - 99

    11.2.7 F/48 Long-slit Calibrations - 99

12. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS - 100 [2181 kb]

List of Figures

List of Tables