Next Deadline:
Project Outline:
Recently, it has been shown that NICMOS possesses an instrumental polarization at a level of 1.2%. This completely inhibits the data
reduction in a number of previous GO programs, and hampers the ability of the instrument to perform high accuracy polarimetry. In all,
90 orbits of HST data are affected, with potentially many more in Cycle 15. We will obtain high signal to noise observations of
three polarimetric standards at the cardinal roll angles of the NICMOS polarizers for both NIC1 and NIC2. These observations are
designed to fully characterize the instrumental polarization in order for NICMOS to reach its full potential by enabling high accuracy
polarimetry of sources with polarizations around 1%. The residual polarization will also be determined as a function of position and
spectral energy distribution. Our group will rapidly turn around the required data products and produce reports and software for the
accurate representation of the instrumental polarization. These items will be presented to STScI for dissemination among the wider
astronomical community.
Current Progress:
Waiting for Observations to be completed (7/9 orbits executed so far).
STScI Project Pages
Considerations:
Documents (on request):
- Calibration Study (PASP paper)
- Original Proposal
- Current Phase II file
- Current Budget Narrative
Time-line:
| 27th Jan 2006 | Phase I file submitted |
| 3rd Apr 2006 | Phase I accepted |
| 19th May 2006 | Phase II file and budget due |
| Jul 2006 | Observations Begin |
| Jun 2007 | Observations Complete |
| Aug 2007 | Data Reduction |
| Sep 2007 | Polarimetric Investigation |
| Oct 2007 | Update Software and produce ISR - Calibration Workshop? |
| Nov 2007 | Wrap up - publications? |
Team Members:
- Dan Batcheldor (PI, RIT)
- Dean Hines (Space Science Institute)
- Glenn Schneider (University of Arizona)
- Gary Schmidt (University of Arizona)
- Andrew Robinson (RIT)
- David Axon (RIT)
- William Sparks (STScI)
- Clive Tadhunter (University of Sheffield)
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