HST Data Handbook for WFPC2

Table of Contents

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Preface

Introduction to Reducing HST Data

Part I: Introduction to Reducing HST Data

Chapter 1: Getting HST Data

1.1 Archive Overview

1.1.1 Archive Registration

1.1.2 Archive Documentation and Help

1.2 Getting Data with StarView

1.2.1 Downloading and Setting Up StarView

1.2.2 Simple Use of StarView

1.2.3 Marking and Retrieving Data with StarView

1.2.4 Using StarView to Retrieve Calibration Files and Proposal Information

1.2.5 Advanced Features of StarView

1.2.6 StarView and the Visual Target Tuner

1.2.7 Quick Data Retrieval with StarView

1.3 Getting Data With the World Wide Web

1.4 Reading HST Data Tapes and Disks

Chapter 2: HST File Formats

2.1 Historical Perspective

2.2 FITS File Format

2.2.1 Working with FITS Image Extensions

2.2.2 Working with FITS Table Extensions

2.3 GEIS File Format

2.3.1 Converting FITS to GEIS

2.3.2 GEIS Data Groups

2.3.3 Working with GEIS Files

2.3.4 The "waiver" FITS format

Chapter 3: STSDAS Basics

3.1 Navigating STSDAS

3.1.1 STSDAS Structure

3.1.2 Packages of General Interest

3.2 Displaying HST Images

3.2.1 The display Task

3.2.2 Working with Image Sections

3.3 Analyzing HST Images

3.3.1 Basic Astrometry

3.3.2 Examining and Manipulating Image Data

3.3.3 Working with STIS, ACS, and NICMOS Imsets

3.3.4 Photometry

3.4 Displaying HST Spectra

3.4.1 FOS and GHRS Spectra

3.4.2 STIS Spectra

3.4.3 Producing Hardcopy

3.5 Analyzing HST Spectra

3.5.1 Preparing FOS and GHRS Data

3.5.2 Preparing STIS Spectra for Analysis

3.5.3 General Tasks for Spectra

3.5.4 STSDAS fitting Package

3.5.5 specfit

3.6 References

3.6.1 Available from STScI

3.6.2 Available from NOAO

3.6.3 Other References Cited in This Chapter

Part II: WFPC2 Data Handbook

WFPC2 Introduction

How to Use this Handbook

Chapter 1: WFPC2 Instrument Overview

Chapter 2: WFPC2 Data Structures

2.1 Data Files and Suffixes

2.2 Header Keywords

2.3 Correlating Phase II Exposures with Data Files

2.4 WFPC2 Paper Products

2.4.1 Visit-level Output

2.4.2 Exposure-level Output

2.4.3 A note about grayscales

2.4.4 Obtaining paper products

Chapter 3: WFPC2 Calibration

3.1 Data Processing Pipelines

3.2 Data Processing Steps

3.2.1 Calibration of WFPC2 Images

3.3 Standard Pipeline Calibration

3.3.1 Calibration Files

3.3.2 Calibration Steps

3.4 Recalibration

3.4.1 Why and When to Re-retrieve data through OTFR

3.4.2 Running calwp2 manually

3.5 Improving the Pipeline Calibration

3.5.1 Warm Pixels

3.5.2 Alternate Flatfields

3.5.3 Removing Cosmic Rays from Co-aligned Images

3.5.4 Charge Traps

Chapter 4: WFPC2 Error Sources

4.1 Bias Subtraction Errors

4.2 Flatfield Correction Errors

4.3 Dark Current Subtraction Errors

4.3.1 Electronic Dark Current

4.3.2 Dark Glow

4.3.3 Pointing Information in the Image Headers

4.4 Image Anomalies

4.4.1 Bias Jumps

4.4.2 Residual Images

4.4.3 PC1 Stray Light

4.4.4 Other Anomalies

Chapter 5: WFPC2 Data Analysis

5.1 Photometric zeropoint

5.1.1 Photometric Systems Used for WFPC2 Data

5.1.2 Determining the Zeropoint

5.2 Photometric Corrections

5.2.1 Time-Dependent Corrections

5.2.2 Position-Dependent Corrections

5.2.3 Other Photometric Corrections

5.2.4 An Example of Photometry with WFPC2

5.3 Polarimetry

5.4 Astrometry

5.5 Dithering

5.6 Accuracy of WFPC2 Results

References

WWW References

Part III: Appendixes

Appendix A: IRAF Primer

A.1 Initiating IRAF

A.2 IRAF Basics

A.3 Getting IRAF and STSDAS

Appendix B: HST File Names

B.1 Rootnames

B.2 Suffixes of Files Common to all Instruments

B.3 Associations

Appendix C: Observation Logs

C.1 Observation Log Files

C.2 Retrieving Observation Logs

C.3 Using Observation Logs

Index