Observing with the WFI
Articles in the Observing with the WFI section give general considerations for the design of Roman Wide Field Instrument (WFI) imaging and spectroscopic observations.
This section of the WFI Handbook provides guidance for designing observational programs with the WFI. It supports both the planning of new observations and the assessment of whether archival data from a given observing program meet specific scientific objectives. The guide covers the design of both science and calibration observations. The information should be used in conjunction with the Simulation Tools Handbook, the Data Handbook Home, and the Roman APT User's Guide (RAUG), and other sections of the WFI Handbook.
Contents of the Observing with WFI Section
Below is a list of articles in the Observing with the WFI section of the WFI Handbook that are currently published in RDox.
- WFI Quick Reference
- WFI Optical Elements
- Grism
- Prism
- Understanding Roman WFI Sensitivity, Saturation, and Exposure Time
- WFI MultiAccum (MA) Tables
- WFI Dithering
- Visit Timing & Overhead Estimation
- Assessing Background Levels for WFI Observations
- Additional Considerations for WFI Observations
Under Construction
The WFI Handbook is currently being developed. Please note that some topics are not yet available, and that some details will change through early in-flight operations.
Observing with WFI - Documentation EcoSystem
This section of the WFI Handbook does not contain all the information needed to design new observations or assess the utility of archival data. To help users locate relevant material, the Table of the Observing with WFI Documentation Ecosystem provides a summary of other sections of the Roman Documentation.
Table of the Observing with WFI Documentation Ecosystem
| Handbook Icon | Content | Content Description | Relationship to the Observing in Imaging Mode Section |
|---|---|---|---|
| The RAUG provides information for implementing observations in the Astronomer's Proposal Tool (APT). | The Observing with the WFI section explains how the instrument's design and the characteristics of its data influence the design of observational programs. This information helps guide choices made in APT. | |
| Roman WFI Exposure Time Calculator (ETC) | This section of the Simulation Tools Handbook describes how to use the Roman WFI Exposure Time Calculator (ETC) to assess the feasibility of their proposed observations by simulating astronomical scenes and providing accurate estimates of signal-to-noise ratios. | Users can apply the general considerations provided in the Observing with the WFI section to define the requirements of their science case and evaluate them using ETC or other Simulation Tools. |
| Data Handbook Home | The Data Handbook Home describes the data processing and the Roman data products. | Choices in the technical implementation of observational programs will have an impact on the quality of the output data products. In particular, the How APT Choices Impact Data Processing article provides essential context on how to structure observations. |
For additional questions not answered in this article, please contact the Roman Help Desk.