When writing a NICMOS Observing Program, NICMOS observers are assigned a Program Coordinator (PC) as identified in their acceptance letter from the STScI Director. The PC will contact the observer to introduce themselves and help get the Phase II process started.
Additional help can be requested from a Contact Scientist (CS). A Contact Scientist is an Instrument Scientist involved in the calibration and characterization of NICMOS.A CS is assigned to ToO, Moving Target, and some other programs. They are not normally assigned to GO programs. A GO may request that a CS be assigned to their program.
The Phase II Proposal Instructions can be found on the STScI web page. STScI is no longer printing the Phase II Proposal Instructions (P2PI) and do not maintain an inventory of copies. To help the Observer get started, some additional information is provided for: parallel, patterns, and grism observations. For more specific Phase II related information, follow the links to the documents listed below.
Four MIF MULTIACCUM timing sequences (MIF512, MIF1024, MIF2048, and MIF3072) have been replaced by four new SPARS MULTIACCUM timing sequences. The four new timing sequences are SPARS4, SPARS16, SPARS32, and SPARS128. Each timing sequence has two rapid reads at the beginning and end with evenly spaced read outs of 4s, 16s, 32s, and 128s,respectively.
The individual detector read times for the new SPARS sequences are listed in Chapter 12 of the Cycle 14 Phase II Instructions. And, the timing sequences are selectable "Optional Parameters" with APT version 14.2 .
The new SPARS sequences can be most useful for fields with faint sources; i.e., galaxies, nebulae, and faint star clusters.
NICMOS Phase II Documentation
Advisories:
Important updates, discoveries and developments that could potentially affect NICMOS observations,calibration, or data analysis.
FAQs:
Frequently Asked Questions.
Q: NICMOS Predefined Patterns A: ...Q: Phase II Overheads A: ...
Q: How often would I have to acquire new guide stars? A: ...
Performance Summaries:
Status reports reflecting the current understanding of instrument characteristics, performance and calibration.
NCS Subsystems
Description of the NCS instrument specifications and how the cryo-cooler will work with NICMOS.
Plot of the Frequency of Parallel Exposures
Histogram showing the frequency of NICMOS parallel program exposures as of Dec. 28, 1998.
Plot of the Distribution of Parallel Exposures on the Sky
Distribution of NICMOS parallel exposures.
Plot of the Distribution of the Exposure Times
Plot of the number of exposures as a function of the integrated exposure time.
Summary of NICMOS Parallel Programs
This chart shows a summery of the NICMOS parallel programs which were completed.
NICMOS Cycle 7 PAM Setting and Focus
Current PAM settings and actual focci for the three NICMOS cameras.
Performance of the Coronagraph in Cycle 7
Past performance of the Coronagraph
and recommendations for proposers
Handbooks:
The NICMOS Instrument Handbook is the primary guide regarding the characteristics and use of the instrument. The HST Data Handbook is the primary guide for calibration, reduction and analysis of NICMOS data.
Instrument Science Reports:
ISRs are technical reports written by members of the NICMOS Group about various aspects of the instrument and data. They usually contain in-depth information about specific topics.
NICMOS ISR 2005-002: Grism Sensitivities and Apparent Non-Linearity
Recent grism observations using the NICMOS instrument on HST have extended
the spectrophotometric wavelength coverage of a subset of 16 STIS standard
stars to ~2ìm. These observations include the three primary WD standards that
are used to establish the absolute sensitivities of the three grism modes.
However in their overlap region at 0.8-1.0ìm, the ratios of the STIS and
NICMOS fluxes for brightest/faintest stars disagree by almost 25%. ACS
spectrophotometry for two of the same stars in the same wavelength band agrees
with STIS to 2%. A comparison of the grism spectrophotometry directly with
ACS F850LP and F892N photometry for eight stars again verifies the need to
correct the NICMOS grism data for non-linearity. After correction, the NICMOS
grism fluxes have uncertainties ranging up to ~3% at 1.7ìm. The possible effect
of this newly discovered apparent non-linearity on NICMOS photometry is being
investigated with new NICMOS photometric observations and by comparisons
with independent IR data sets.
NICMOS ISR-020: NICMOS Phase 2 Proposal Examples
This ISR describes the rationale for a series of Phase 2 examples of NICMOS observations. All the examples are built on the basis of our best understanding of the NICMOS performance before the completion of the Science Mission On-orbit Verification (SMOV).
NICMOS ISR-013: NICMOS Proposal Instructions 2: Patterns and Associations
In this ISR the optional parameters in the NICMOS Proposal Instructions which implement the automatic execution of patterns of observations are described.
NICMOS ISR-012: NICMOS Proposal Instructions 1: General Instructions
In this ISR the Proposal Instructions for the NICMOS Science Instrument are described. This report discusses the possible SI configurations, modes, and most of the optional parameters.
Papers and Proceedings:
Selected NICMOS related published papers and workshop proceedings.
Tutorials:
Cookbook style instructions, prescribed procedures, and helpful tips.
Examples:
Examples of how to use various NICMOS-related tools, calibration and analysis techniques.
Phase II: Coronography Example
Shows an example of writing a phase II for NICMOS coronagraphy.
Phase II Example: NICMOS Polarimetry
Shows an example of a Phase II proposal using NICMOS polarimetry.
NICMOS Proposing Example - 1
Demonstration of the use of PATTERN, MULTIACCUM sequences
for deep field observations. The difference between the optional parameter
PATTERN-ORIENT and the visit-level parameter ORIENT is stressed.
This example also has NICMOS attached parallel observations.
NICMOS Proposing Example - 2
Various uses of the NICMOS patterns and dithering. This example demonstrates the use of PATTERNS versus POS TARG.
observations in the thermal background regime.
NICMOS Proposing Example - 3
This example demonstrates use of the OFFSET option SAM-NO-REAC, use of PATTERN-ORIENT, and
use of the readout mode ACCUM.
NICMOS Proposing Example - 4
This example demonstrates the strategy for dealing with Point Spread Function (PSF) subtraction and circumstellar objects
without using the coronograph.
NICMOS Proposing Example - 5
This examle demonstrates grism observations of a crowded field, the use of different telescope ROLL ANGLES
to deconvolve overlapping spectra, and use of the ACCUM readout.
NICMOS Proposing Example - 6
NICMOS Coronographic Observation
NICMOS Proposing Example - 7
Examples of NICMOS ATTACHED PARALLELS, including suggested MULTIACCUM
sequences.
NICMOS Proposing Example - 8
NICMOS Polarimetric Observation
Phase II Example: NICMOS Patterns
Shows an example of how to specify different chopping and dithering patterns in Phase II proposals.
Phase II Example: NICMOS Polarimetry
Shows an example of a Phase II proposal using NICMOS polarimetry.
Phase II Example: NICMOS Grisms using RPS2
Shows an example of how to complete a Phase II proposal using the NICMOS grisms.
Phase II Example: NICMOS Parallel Observations
Example of a Phase II proposal for a parallel observation.
Phase II Example: NICMOS Grisms using APT
Shows an example of how to complete a Phase II proposal using the NICMOS grisms.
Phase II Example: NICMOS Patterns
Shows an example of how to specify different chopping and dithering patterns in Phase II proposals.
Phase II Example: NICMOS Parallel Observations
Example of a Phase II proposal for a parallel observation.
Space Telescope Analysis Newsletters:
STANs contain useful information regarding calibration and data reduction.
NICMOS STScI Analysis Newsletter 34
HST Cycle 14 Phase II Submission Deadline, Release of APT 14.2 for HST Cycle 14, New SPARS MULTIACCUM Timing Sequences, Two Gyro Mode Guiding Test, Time-Limited Non-Linear Response of NICMOS at Low Count Rates, October 2005 Calibration Workshop, HST 700,000 Observation
NICMOS STScI Analysis Newsletter 26
Discusses NICMOS patterns available for Cycle 11, a Phase 2 advisory regarding long wavelength NICMOS observations and updated NICMOS static bad pixel masks.
NICMOS STScI Analysis Newsletter 15
NICMOS standard stars
NICMOS End-of-Life monitoring
NICMOS Prime Science Observations Update
NICMOS at the January 1999 Texas AAS Meeting
NICMOS STScI Analysis Newsletter 9
Proceedings of the 1997 HST Calibration Workshop
Making Associations From Individual NICMOS Observations
New HST field-of-view plotting task available in STSDAS
NICMOS STScI Analysis Newsletter 6
HST Data Handbook Version 3.0 released
Status of the NICMOS pure parallel program
NICMOS imaging polarimetry
NICMOS STScI Analysis Newsletter 4
Changes to flight software to diminish residualbias & resulting new calibration reference files
Changes to the Exposure Time Calculator
History of calibration pipeline
Status of the coronagraph and recommendations for Cycle 7-NICMOS
Release of STSDAS/TABLES 2.0