HST Call for Proposals and HST Primer for Cycle 24

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C.4 High Speed Photometer (HSP)

The HSP was designed to take advantage of the lack of atmospheric scintillation for a telescope in orbit, as well as to provide good ultraviolet performance. Integrations as short as 10 μs were possible over a broad wavelength range (1200 å to 8000 å). Observations were carried out through aperture diameters of 1.0" with the visual and ultraviolet detectors. Polarimetry was also possible with the polarimetry detector, using a 0.65" aperture.

HSP had a large variety of fixed aperture/filter combinations distributed in the focal plane; selection was accomplished by moving the telescope so as to place the target in the desired aperture behind the desired filter.

The HSP detectors consisted of four image dissector tubes and one photomultiplier tube. A variety of ultraviolet and visual filters and polarizers was available. This instrument was used for only a relatively small fraction (5%) of HST observing from Cycles 1 to 3 since the HSP science program was among the more severely compromised by spherical aberration. Only limited instrument expertise is available at STScI in support of HSP Archival Research. The extremely high speed with which some HSP data were acquired remains unmatched by all other HST instruments.