Glossary
The following terms and acronyms are used in this Handbook.
2MASS: Two Micron All Sky Survey
A&A: Astronomy & Astrophysics journal.
ABMAG: –2.5 log (Fν) – 48.60 where Fν is the flux from the source in erg cm–2 sec–1 Hz–1.
ABν: Correction to ABMAG to account for the fact that the source spectrum is not constant in Fν (ABMAG=V+ABν).
ACS: Advanced Camera for Surveys.
ACS-R: Repaired ACS from SM4.
ADC: Analog to digital converter.
AJ: The Astronomical Journal
Aladin: Interactive sky atlas (http://aladin.u-strasbg.fr).
ApJ: The Astrophysical Journal
APT: Astronomer's Proposal Tool.
ASIC: Application-Specific Integrated Circuit in CEB-R.
aXe: Spectroscopic Data Extraction Software.
BOP: Bright Object Protection.
BOT: Bright Object Tools for SBC proposing.
CALACS: ACS calibration pipeline software.
CCD: Charge Coupled Device. Solid-state, light detecting device.
CDS: Correlated Double Sampling mode in CEB-R (dual-slope integration or clamp-and-sample).
CEB: CCD Electronics Box.
CEB-R: New CCD Electronics Box installed during SM4.
CMD: Color Magnitude Diagram.
CR: Cosmic ray.
CR-SPLIT: Division of a CCD exposure into shorter exposures to be used for cosmic ray rejection.
CS: Contact Scientist for a HST proposal.
CTE: Charge transfer efficiency.
CVZ: Continuous viewing zone.
DN: Data number.
DQ: Data Quality
DSI: Dual-Slope Integrator.
DSS: Digital Sky Survey.
ETC: Exposure Time Calculator. ETCs are Web-based tools which can be accessed through the ACS webpages.
FGS: Fine Guidance Sensors.
FOS: Faint Object Spectrograph.
FOV: Field of view.
FUV: Far ultraviolet (~912 to 2000 Å).
FWHM: Full width at half maximum.
GALEX: Galaxy Evolution Explorer.
GHRS: Goddard High-Resolution Spectrograph.
GO: General Observer.
GSC: Guide Star Catalog.
GSC2: Guide Star Catalog II.
Help Desk: System for getting help on HST-related topics are http://hsthelp.stsci.edu/ and help@stsci.edu.
HRC: High Resolution Channel.
HST: Hubble Space Telescope.
IDT: Investigation Definition Team.
IR: Infrared.
IRAF: Image Reduction and Analysis Facility. The environment in which STSDAS operates.
ISR: Instrument Science Report
IUE: International Ultraviolet Explorer Satellite
K: Degree Kelvin.
LED: Light-emitting diode
L-flats: Low Frequency Variations Flats.
LMC: Large Magellanic Cloud.
LVPS-R: replacement Low Voltage Power Supply.
MAMA: Multi-Anode Microchannel Array.
MAST: Mikulski Archive for STScI Telescopes.
MCP: Microchannel Plate.
MNRAS: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
MPP: Multi Pinned Phased, a CCD mode that reduces dark current rate.
NICMOS: Near-Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrograph.
NIR: Near infrared.
NUV: Near ultraviolet (~2000 to 4000 Å).
OTA: Optical Telescope Assembly.
PASP: Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific.
PC: Program Coordinator.
Phase I proposal: A proposal for observing time on HST.
Phase II program: An approved HST program; includes precise detail of how program is to be executed.
P-flats: pixel-to-pixel high-frequency flats.
POS TARG: POSition TARGet is used to move the sky in the FOV of the camera.
PRF: Pixel Response Function.
Proc. SPIE: Proceedings of the SPIE, an international professional society for optics and photonics technology.
PSF: Point-spread function.
PyRAF: version of IRAF implemented in the Python language.
pysynphot: Python package for synthetic photometry.
QE: Quantum Efficiency.
QEH: Quantum Efficiency Hysteresis.
Quadrant: Section of detector that is read out by an amplifier. For WFC, there are 4 amplifiers, two for each detector, so each amplifier reads one 2048 x 2048 pixel quadrant.
reference file: data file containing ACS parameters or calibration information which is used by the calibration pipeline.
rms: Root mean square.
RQE: Responsive Quantum Efficiency.
SAA: South Atlantic anomaly.
SBC: Solar-Blind Channel.
SDSS: Sloan Digital Sky Survey.
SIDECAR: System Image, Digitizing, Enhancing, Controlling, And Retrieving.
SITe: Scientific Image Technologies; company that designed the ACS CCDs.
SM3B: Servicing Mission 3b to HST in March 2002.
SM4: Servicing Mission 4 to HST in May 2009.
SMOV: Servicing Mission Observatory Verification.
S/N: signal-to-noise ratio.
SNAPSHOT: Short exposures taken during unused blocks of telescope time.
SSDR: Solid state data recorders.
ST-ECF: Space Telescope European Coordinating Facility.
STIS: Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph.
STScI: Space Telescope Science Institute.
TAC: Telescope Allocation Committee.
TEC: Thermal Electric Coolers.
Tiny Tim: PSF simulation software developed by John Krist & Richard Hook.
TIR: Technical Instrument Report.
UV: Ultraviolet.
UVIS: Ultraviolet and Visual (CCD channel of WFC3).
VEGAMAG: A magnitude system in which Vega has an apparent magnitude of 0 at all wavelengths
WFC: Wide-Field Channel.
WFC3: Wide Field Camera 3, new instrument installed during SM4.
WFPC2: Wide Field Planetary Camera-2. Replacement for WF/PC installed during first servicing mission of December 1993.
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ACS Instrument Handbook
- • Acknowledgments
- • Change Log
- • Chapter 1: Introduction
- Chapter 2: Considerations and Changes After SM4
- Chapter 3: ACS Capabilities, Design and Operations
- Chapter 4: Detector Performance
- Chapter 5: Imaging
- Chapter 6: Polarimetry, Coronagraphy, Prism and Grism Spectroscopy
-
Chapter 7: Observing Techniques
- • 7.1 Designing an ACS Observing Proposal
- • 7.2 SBC Bright Object Protection
- • 7.3 Operating Modes
- • 7.4 Patterns and Dithering
- • 7.5 A Road Map for Optimizing Observations
- • 7.6 CCD Gain Selection
- • 7.7 ACS Apertures
- • 7.8 Specifying Orientation on the Sky
- • 7.9 Parallel Observations
- • 7.10 Pointing Stability for Moving Targets
- Chapter 8: Overheads and Orbit-Time Determination
- Chapter 9: Exposure-Time Calculations
-
Chapter 10: Imaging Reference Material
- • 10.1 Introduction
- • 10.2 Using the Information in this Chapter
-
10.3 Throughputs and Correction Tables
- • WFC F435W
- • WFC F475W
- • WFC F502N
- • WFC F550M
- • WFC F555W
- • WFC F606W
- • WFC F625W
- • WFC F658N
- • WFC F660N
- • WFC F775W
- • WFC F814W
- • WFC F850LP
- • WFC G800L
- • WFC CLEAR
- • HRC F220W
- • HRC F250W
- • HRC F330W
- • HRC F344N
- • HRC F435W
- • HRC F475W
- • HRC F502N
- • HRC F550M
- • HRC F555W
- • HRC F606W
- • HRC F625W
- • HRC F658N
- • HRC F660N
- • HRC F775W
- • HRC F814W
- • HRC F850LP
- • HRC F892N
- • HRC G800L
- • HRC PR200L
- • HRC CLEAR
- • SBC F115LP
- • SBC F122M
- • SBC F125LP
- • SBC F140LP
- • SBC F150LP
- • SBC F165LP
- • SBC PR110L
- • SBC PR130L
- • 10.4 Geometric Distortion in ACS
- • Glossary