COS Instrument Handbook
Version 17 – August 2024
PDF version
Cosmic Origins Spectrograph Instrument Handbook for Cycle 33
User Support
Please contact the HST Help Desk for assistance. We encourage users to access the new web portal where you can submit your questions directly to the appropriate team of experts!
- Web portal: http://hsthelp.stsci.edu
- E-mail: help@stsci.edu
Additional Resources
Information and other resources are available from the COS website:
Revision History
Version | Date | Editors |
|---|---|---|
| 17.0 | August 2024 | Hirschauer, A. S. |
| 16.0 | December 2023 | Hirschauer, A. S. |
| 15.0 | February 2023 | Soderblom, D. R. |
| 14.0 | January 2022 | James, B. L. |
| 13.0 | January 2021 | Hirschauer, A. S. |
| 12.1 | April 2020 | Dashtamirova, D., and Fischer, W. J. |
12.0 | December 2019 | Dashtamirova, D., and Fischer, W. J. |
| 11.0 | January 2019 | Fischer, W. J. |
10.0 | May 2018 | Fischer, W. J. |
9.0 | January 2017 | Fox, A. J. |
8.0 | January 2016 | Debes, J. |
7.0 | January 2015 | Debes, J. |
6.0 | January 2014 | Holland, S. T. |
5.0 | December 2012 | Holland, S. T. |
4.0 | December 2011 | Dixon, W. V. |
3.0 | December 2010 | Dixon, W. V. |
2.0 | January 2010 | Dixon, W. V., and Niemi, S.-M. |
1.0 | December 2007 | Soderblom, D. R. |
Citation
In publications, please refer to this document as:
- Hirschauer, A. S. et al. 2024, Cosmic Origins Spectrograph Instrument Handbook, Version 17.0 (Baltimore: STScI)
-
COS Instrument Handbook
- Acknowledgments
- Chapter 1: An Introduction to COS
- Chapter 2: Proposal and Program Considerations
- Chapter 3: Description and Performance of the COS Optics
- Chapter 4: Description and Performance of the COS Detectors
-
Chapter 5: Spectroscopy with COS
- 5.1 The Capabilities of COS
- • 5.2 TIME-TAG vs. ACCUM Mode
- • 5.3 Valid Exposure Times
- • 5.4 Estimating the BUFFER-TIME in TIME-TAG Mode
- • 5.5 Spanning the Gap with Multiple CENWAVE Settings
- • 5.6 FUV Single-Segment Observations
- • 5.7 Internal Wavelength Calibration Exposures
- • 5.8 Fixed-Pattern Noise
- • 5.9 COS Spectroscopy of Extended Sources
- • 5.10 Wavelength Settings and Ranges
- • 5.11 Spectroscopy with Available-but-Unsupported Settings
- • 5.12 FUV Detector Lifetime Positions
- • 5.13 Spectroscopic Use of the Bright Object Aperture
- Chapter 6: Imaging with COS
- Chapter 7: Exposure-Time Calculator - ETC
-
Chapter 8: Target Acquisitions
- • 8.1 Introduction
- • 8.2 Target Acquisition Overview
- • 8.3 ACQ SEARCH Acquisition Mode
- • 8.4 ACQ IMAGE Acquisition Mode
- • 8.5 ACQ PEAKXD Acquisition Mode
- • 8.6 ACQ PEAKD Acquisition Mode
- • 8.7 Exposure Times
- • 8.8 Centering Accuracy and Data Quality
- • 8.9 Recommended Parameters for all COS TA Modes
- • 8.10 Special Cases
- Chapter 9: Scheduling Observations
-
Chapter 10: Bright-Object Protection
- • 10.1 Introduction
- • 10.2 Screening Limits
- • 10.3 Source V Magnitude Limits
- • 10.4 Tools for Bright-Object Screening
- • 10.5 Policies and Procedures
- • 10.6 On-Orbit Protection Procedures
- • 10.7 Bright Object Protection for Solar System Observations
- • 10.8 SNAP, TOO, and Unpredictable Sources Observations with COS
- • 10.9 Bright Object Protection for M Dwarfs
- Chapter 11: Data Products and Data Reduction
-
Chapter 12: The COS Calibration Program
- • 12.1 Introduction
- • 12.2 Ground Testing and Calibration
- • 12.3 SMOV4 Testing and Calibration
- • 12.4 COS Monitoring Programs
- • 12.5 Cycle 17 Calibration Program
- • 12.6 Cycle 18 Calibration Program
- • 12.7 Cycle 19 Calibration Program
- • 12.8 Cycle 20 Calibration Program
- • 12.9 Cycle 21 Calibration Program
- • 12.10 Cycle 22 Calibration Program
- • 12.11 Cycle 23 Calibration Program
- • 12.12 Cycle 24 Calibration Program
- • 12.13 Cycle 25 Calibration Program
- • 12.14 Cycle 26 Calibration Program
- • 12.15 Cycle 27 Calibration Program
- • 12.16 Cycle 28 Calibration Program
- • 12.17 Cycle 29 Calibration Program
- • 12.18 Cycle 30 Calibration Program
- • 12.19 Cycle 31 Calibration Program
- Chapter 13: COS Reference Material
- • Glossary