In this starter guide, we provide a high-level overview of analysis of WFC3/IR data available from the Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (MAST). We intend this guide as a starting point for users examining WFC3/IR data for the first time, or for those refreshing their memory on WFC3/IR data analysis. Therefore, we focus on the analysis of archival data, not preparing new observations. Three appendices include A) a summary of the instrument and an optical schematic, B) examples from the Exposure Time Calculator, and C) a glossary of uncommon acronyms. This report addresses only data from WFC3's IR channel; not the UVIS channel.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2511.08437,
title = {WFC3/IR Starter Guide},
author = {P. R. McCullough and Joel D. Green},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2511.08437},
year = {2025}
}