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| Paper: |
Nine Years of Interferometry from Space, HST's FGSs |
| Volume: |
194, Working on the Fringe: Optical and IR Interferometry from Ground and Space |
| Page: |
165 |
| Authors: |
Nelan, E. P.; Makidon, R. B. |
| Abstract: |
Hubble Space Telescope's Fine Guidance Sensor is a large field of view single aperture interferometer used primarily to guide HST with a precision of about 2 mas by tracking the fringes of mv < 14.5 guide stars. The FGS is also used as a science instrument to performmas relative astrometry and to resolve faint (mv<16) binary systems with angular separations as small 8 mas. The next generation of spaceborn interferometers, although very different in design, will no doubt share many of the challenges that have been successfully overcome by the FGS. With an emphasis on the "lessons learned" from 9 years of interferometry from space, this paper describes the instrument, its operation, performance characteristics, calibration, and scientific potential. The technique by which the degrading effect of HST's spherically aberatted wavefront has been mitigated for the recently installed FGS1R, and its implications, will also be discussed. |
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