Wide Field Camera 3 Instrument Mini-Handbook for Cycle 16

Table of Contents

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Acknowledgments

List of Figures

List of Tables

1. Overview

1.1 General Information

1.2 Key Features of Wide Field Camera 3

1.3 Current Instrument Status

1.4 The WFC3 Instrument Team at STScI

2. Instrument Description

2.1 Optical Design

2.2 Field of View and Geometric Distortions

2.3 Spectral Elements

2.4 Detector Read-Out Modes and Dithering

2.5 Comparison with other HST Imaging Instruments

3. The UVIS Channel

3.1 Field of View and Pixel Size

3.2 CCD Detector

3.3 Spectral Elements

3.4 Operating Modes

4. The IR Channel

4.1 Field of View and Pixel Size

4.2 IR Detector Array

4.3 Internal and OTA Thermal Background

4.4 Spectral Elements

4.5 Operating Modes

5. Observing with WFC3

5.1 Choosing the Optimum Scientific Instrument

5.2 Specifications for UVIS and IR Spectral Elements

5.3 Anticipated WFC3 Performance

5.4 Parallel Observations