Table of Contents Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer Instrument Handbook for Cycle 17 Acknowledgments Chapter 1: Introduction andGeneral Considerations 1.1 Purpose Document Conventions 1.2 Layout 1.3 NICMOS Proposal Preparation 1.4 The Help Desk at STScI 1.5 The NICMOS Instrument Team at STScI 1.6 Supporting Information and the NICMOS Web Site 1.7 NICMOS History in Brief 1.8 Three-Gyro Guiding 1.9 Recommendations for Proposers 1.10 Supported and Unsupported NICMOS Capabilities Chapter 2: Overview of NICMOS 2.1 Instrument Capabilities 2.2 Heating, Cooling and Focus 2.3 NICMOS Instrument Design 2.3.1 Physical Layout 2.3.2 Imaging Layout 2.3.3 Camera NIC1 2.3.4 Camera NIC2 2.3.5 Camera NIC3 2.3.6 Location and Orientation of Cameras 2.4 Basic Operations 2.4.1 Detectors’ Characteristics and Operations 2.4.2 Comparison to CCDs 2.4.3 Target Acquisition Modes 2.4.4 Attached Parallels Chapter 3: Designing NICMOS Observations 3.1 Overview of Design Process 3.2 APT and Aladin Chapter 4: Imaging 4.1 Filters and Optical Elements 4.1.1 Nomenclature 4.1.2 Out-of-Band Leaks in NICMOS Filters 4.2 Photometry 4.2.1 Solar Analog Absolute Standards 4.2.2 White Dwarf Absolute Standards 4.2.3 Photometric Throughput and Stability 4.2.4 Count Rate Dependent Non-linearity 4.2.5 Intrapixel Sensitivity Variations 4.2.6 Special Situations 4.3 Focus History 4.4 Image Quality 4.4.1 Strehl Ratios 4.4.2 NIC1 and NIC2 4.4.3 NIC3 4.4.4 PSF Structure 4.4.5 Optical Aberrations: Coma and Astigmatism 4.4.6 Field Dependence of the PSF 4.4.7 Temporal Dependence of the PSF: HST Breathing and Cold Mask Shifts 4.5 Cosmic Rays 4.6 Photon and Cosmic Ray Persistence 4.7 The Infrared Background 4.8 The “Pedestal Effect” Chapter 5: Coronagraphy, Polarimetry andGrism Spectroscopy 5.1 Coronagraphy 5.1.1 Coronagraphic Acquisitions 5.1.2 PSF Centering 5.1.3 Temporal Variations of the PSF 5.1.4 FGS Guiding 5.1.5 Cosmic Ray Persistence 5.1.6 Contemporary Flat Fields 5.1.7 Coronagraphic Polarimetry 5.1.8 Coronagraphic Decision Chart 5.2 Polarimetry 5.2.1 NIC 1 and NIC2 Polarimetric Characteristics andSensitivity 5.2.2 Ghost images 5.2.3 Observing Strategy Considerations 5.2.4 Limiting Factors 5.2.5 Polarimetry Decision Chart 5.3 Grism Spectroscopy 5.3.1 Observing Strategy 5.3.2 Grism Calibration 5.3.3 Relationship Between Wavelength and Pixel 5.3.4 Sensitivity 5.3.5 Intrapixel Sensitivity 5.3.6 Grism Decision Chart Chapter 6: NICMOS Apertures and Orientation 6.1 NICMOS Aperture Definitions 6.2 NICMOS Coordinate System Conventions 6.3 Orients Chapter 7: NICMOS Detectors 7.1 Detector basics 7.2 Detector Characteristics 7.2.1 Overview 7.2.2 Dark Current 7.2.3 Flat Fields and the DQE 7.2.4 Read Noise 7.2.5 Linearity and Saturation 7.2.6 Count Rate Non-Linearity 7.3 Detector Artifacts 7.3.1 Shading 7.3.2 Amplifier Glow 7.3.3 Overexposure of NICMOS Detectors 7.3.4 Electronic Bars and Bands 7.3.5 Detector Cosmetics 7.3.6 "Grot" Chapter 8: Detector Readout Modes 8.1 Introduction Detector Resetting as a Shutter 8.2 Multiple-Accumulate Mode 8.3 MULTIACCUM Predefined Sample Sequences(SAMP-SEQ) 8.4 Accumulate Mode 8.5 Read Times and Dark Current Calibration in ACCUM Mode 8.6 Trade-offs Between MULTIACCUM and ACCUM 8.7 Acquisition Mode Chapter 9: Exposure TimeCalculations 9.1 Overview: Web based NICMOS ETC 9.1.1 Instrumental Factors 9.2 Calculating NICMOS Imaging Sensitivities 9.2.1 Calculation of Signal-to-Noise Ratio 9.2.2 Saturation and Detector Limitations 9.2.3 Exposure Time Calculation Chapter 10: Overheads andOrbit Time Determination 10.1 Overview 10.2 NICMOS Exposure Overheads 10.3 Orbit Use Determination 10.3.1 Observations in the Thermal Regime Using a Chop Pattern and MULTIACCUM Appendix A: ImagingReference Material Camera 1, Filter F090M Camera 1, Filter F095N Camera 1, Filter F097N Camera 1, Filter F108N Camera 1, Filter F110M Camera 1, Filter F110W Camera 1, Filter F113N Camera 1, Filter F140W Camera 1, Filter F145M Camera 1, Filter F160W Camera 1, Filter F164N Camera 1, Filter F165M Camera 1, Filter F166N Camera 1, Filter F170M Camera 1, Filter F187N Camera 1, Filter F190N Camera 1, Polarizer POL0S Camera 2, Filter F110W Camera 2, Filter F160W Camera 2, Filter F165M Camera 2, Filter F171M Camera 2, Filter F180M Camera 2, Filter F187N Camera 2, Filter F187W Camera 2, Filter F190N Camera 2, Filter F204M Camera 2, Filter F205W Camera 2, Filter F207M Camera 2, Filter F212N Camera 2, Filter F215N Camera 2, Filter F216N Camera 2, Filter F222M Camera 2, Filter F237M Camera 2, Polarizer POL0L Camera 3, Filter F108N Camera 3, Filter F110W Camera 3, Filter F113N Camera 3, Filter F150W Camera 3, Filter F160W Camera 3, Filter F164N Camera 3, Filter F166N Camera 3, Filter F175W Camera 3, Filter F187N Camera 3, Filter F190N Camera 3, Filter F196N Camera 3, Filter F200N Camera 3, Filter F212N Camera 3, Filter F215N Camera 3, Filter F222M Camera 3, Filter F240M Appendix B: Flux Units andLine Lists B.1 Infrared Flux Units B.1.1 Some History B.2 Formulae B.2.1 Converting Between Fν and Fλ B.2.2 Conversion Between Fluxes and Magnitudes B.2.3 Conversion Between Surface Brightness Units B.3 Look-up Tables B.4 Examples B.5 Infrared Line Lists Appendix C: Bright Object Mode C.1 Bright Object Mode Appendix D: Techniques for Dithering, Background Measurement andMapping D.1 Introduction D.2 Strategies For Background Subtraction D.2.1 Compact Objects D.2.2 Extended Objects D.3 Chop and Dither Patterns D.3.1 Dither Patterns D.3.2 Chop Patterns D.3.3 Combined Patterns D.3.4 Map Patterns D.3.5 Combining Patterns and POS-TARGs D.3.6 Generic Patterns D.4 Examples D.5 Types of Motions Appendix E: The NICMOS Cooling System E.1 The NICMOS Cooling System Glossary and Acronym List
