Hiroshima One-shot Wide-field Polarimeter
HOWPol
HOWPol (Hiroshima One-shot Wide-field Polarimeter) is an optical imaging polarimeter dedicated for observations of prompt optical emission of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) at quickly-moving `Kanata' 1.5-m telescope, Higashi-Hiroshima Observatory, Hiroshima Astrophysical Science Center, Hiroshima University. It provides four linearly polarized images at position angles of 0, 45, 90 and 135 degs simultaneously, and enables us to obtain all Stokes parameters of linear polarization (I, Q, U) from only an exposure. HOWPol also has a capability of imaging (15-arcmin-diameter field of view), and long-slit low-resolution spectroscopy (lambda/d_lambda~400).
The raw data produced by HOWPol are to be available at the archival system at NAOJ, SMOKA after 18 month occupation period since the observation. For convenience of researchers who reduce the raw data, we prepare the log of our engineering and maintenance activities at here .