Spitzer Space Telescope Observer’s Manual - Version 10.2 Warm Mission Release Date: 23 November 2010 Issued by the Spitzer Science Center California Institute of Technology Mail Code 314-6 1200 E. California Blvd Pasadena, California 91125 USA http://ssc.spitzer.caltech.edu/ [email protected] Issue Dates Version 10.2 Release: 23 November 2010 Version 10.1 Release: 15 October 2010 Version 10.0 Release: 27 January 2010 Version 9.0 Release: 7 July 2008 Version 8.0 Release: 15 Aug 2007 Version 7.1 Release: 8 Dec 2006 Version 7.0 Release: 1 Nov 2006 Version 6.0 Release: 1 Nov 2005 Version 5.0 Release: 1 Nov 2004 Version 4.6 Release: 6 Aug 2004 Version 4.5 Release: 28 Jun 2004 Version 4.0 Release: 19 Dec 2003 Version 3.0 Release: 8 Nov 2002 Version 2.2 Release: 15 Apr 2002 Version 2.1 Release: 1 Aug 2000 Version 2.0 Release: 30 Jun 2000 Version 1.0 Release: 28 Apr 2000 Acknowledgements The Spitzer Science Center would like to acknowledge the contributions of the following groups to this Observer’s Manual: The IRAC Chapter (6) was written by members of the IRAC Instrument Team (at SAO) and Instrument Support Team (at SSC).iii Version 10.2 Summary of Changes This is a summary of the changes in version 10.2 based upon version 10.1 (cycle-specific information was removed in version 10.1). Chapter 1 – No changes. Chapter 2 – No changes. Chapter 3 – No changes. Chapter 4 – No changes. Chapter 5 – No changes. Chapter 6 – Updated some text on residual images. Updated Figure 6.11 and caption, and the caption of Figure 6.12. Chapter 7 – No changes. Chapter 8 – No changes.iv Table of Contents: Major Sections 1 PHILOSOPHY AND SCOPE OF THE SPITZER SPACE TELESCOPE OBSERVER’S MANUAL ......................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 INTENDED AUDIENCE .......................................................................................................... 2 1.2 DOCUMENT ORGANIZATION ................................................................................................ 2 1.3 DOCUMENT UPDATE PLANS ................................................................................................ 3 1.4 OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS.......................................................................................... 3 2 INTRODUCTION TO OBSERVING WITH SPITZER ...................................................... 5 2.1 CATEGORIES OF OBSERVING PROGRAMS............................................................................. 6 2.2 MISSION OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................ 6 2.3 HIGH LEVEL OBSERVATORY DESCRIPTION: WHAT CAN SPITZER DO? ............................... 6 2.4 SPITZER SCIENCE OPERATIONS OVERVIEW ......................................................................... 7 2.4.1 Science Instrument Operations ................................................................................... 8 2.4.2 The Life Cycle of a Spitzer Observation ................................................................... 10 2.5 SSC SCIENCE USER SUPPORT SERVICES............................................................................ 11 2.5.1 Documentation .......................................................................................................... 11 2.5.2 Helpdesk.................................................................................................................... 11 2.5.3 Proposal Kit .............................................................................................................. 12 2.5.4 Data Products ........................................................................................................... 12 3 OBSERVATORY DESCRIPTION AND CONSTRAINTS ............................................... 15 3.1 OBSERVATORY DESIGN AND OPERATIONS CONCEPT ........................................................ 16 3.1.1 Data Storage ............................................................................................................. 19 3.1.2 Data Transmission .................................................................................................... 20 3.2 SKY VISIBILITY.................................................................................................................. 21 3.2.1 Solar Orbit ................................................................................................................ 21 3.2.2 Pointing Constraints ................................................................................................. 21 3.2.3 Viewing Periods ........................................................................................................ 22 3.2.4 How Visibility Evolves with Time ............................................................................. 26 3.2.5 Orientation of Focal Plane and Slits against the Sky ............................................... 27 3.2.6 Bright Object Avoidance ........................................................................................... 27 3.3 POINTING CAPABILITIES .................................................................................................... 28 3.3.1 Pointing Control System ........................................................................................... 28 3.3.2 Pointing Accuracy and Stability ............................................................................... 30 3.3.3 Tracking Capabilities................................................................................................ 30 3.3.4 Pointing Reconstruction............................................................................................ 31 4 TELESCOPE AND FOCAL PLANE ................................................................................... 33 4.1 OPTICAL DESIGN ............................................................................................................... 34 4.2 OPTICAL AND THERMAL PERFORMANCE ........................................................................... 35 4.2.1 Surface Accuracy ...................................................................................................... 35 4.2.2 Wave-front Errors ..................................................................................................... 36 4.2.3