Date: August 28th 2006

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science

DAILY REPORT # 4186

PERIOD COVERED: UT August 25,26,27, 2006 (DOY 237,238,239)

OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED

NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 8794

NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 5

A new procedure proposed to alleviate the CR-persistence problem of NICMOS Dark frames will be obtained immediately upon exiting the SAA contour 23, and every time a NICMOS exposure is scheduled within 50 minutes of coming out of the SAA The darks will be obtained in parallel in all three NICMOS Cameras The POST-SAA darks will be non-standard reference files available to users with a USEAFTER date/time mark The keyword 'USEAFTER=date/time' will also be added to the header of each POST-SAA DARK frame The keyword must be populated with the time, in addition to the date, because HST crosses the SAA ~8 times per day so each POST-SAA DARK will need to have the appropriate time specified, for users to identify the ones they need Both the raw and processed images will be archived as POST-SAA DARKSs Generally we expect that all NICMOS science/calibration observations started within 50 minutes of leaving an SAA will need such maps to remove the CR persistence from the science images Each observation will need its own CRMAP, as different SAA passages leave different imprints on the NICMOS detectors

FGS 10912

Trigonometric Calibration of the Distance Scale for Classical Novae

The distance scale for classical novae is important for understanding the stellar physics of their thermonuclear runaways, their contribution to Galactic nucleosynthesis, and their use as extragalactic standard candles Although it is known that there is a relationship between their absolute magnitudes at maximum light and their subsequent rates of decline--the well-known maximum-magnitude rate-of-decline {MMRD} relation--it is difficult to set the zero-point for the MMRD because of the very uncertain distances of Galactic novae We propose to measure precise trigonometric parallaxes for the quiescent remnants of the four nearest classical novae We will use the Fine Guidance Sensors, which are proven to be capable of measuring parallaxes with errors of ~0 2 mas, well below what is possible from the ground

ACS/HRC 10909

Exploring the diversity of cosmic explosions: The supernovae of gamma-ray bursts

While the connection between gamma-ray bursts {GRBs} and supernovae {SNe} is now clearly established, there is a large variety of observational properties among these SNe and the physical parameters of these explosions are poorly known As part of a comprehensive program, we propose to use HST in order to obtain basic information about the supernovae associated with gamma-ray bursts HST offers the means to cleanly separate the light curves of the GRB afterglow from the supernova, and to remove the contamination from the host galaxy, opening a clear route to the fundamental parameters of the SN From these observations, we will determine the absolute magnitude at maximum, the shape of the spectral energy distribution, and any change over time of the energy distribution We will also measure the rate of decay of the exponential tail Merged with the ground-based data that we will obtain for each event, we will be able to compare our data set to models and constrain the energy of the explosion, the mass of the ejecta and the mass of Nickel synthesized during the explosion These results will shed light on the apparent variety of supernovae associated with gamma-ray bursts and X-ray flashes, and on the relation between these SNe and other, more common varieties of core- collapse explosions

NIC1 10889

The Nature of the Halos and Thick Disks of Spiral Galaxies

We propose to resolve the extra-planar stellar populations of the thick disks and halos of seven nearby, massive, edge-on galaxies using ACS, NICMOS, and WFPC2 in parallel These observations will provide accurate star counts and color-magnitude diagrams 1 5 magnitudes below the tip of the Red Giant Branch sampled along the two principal axes and one intermediate axis of each galaxy We will measure the metallicity distribution functions and stellar density profiles from star counts down to very low average surface brightnesses, equivalent to ~32 V- mag per square arcsec These observations will provide the definitive HST study of extra-planar stellar populations of spiral galaxies Our targets cover a range in galaxy mass, luminosity, and morphology and as function of these galaxy properties we will provide: - The first systematic study of the radial and isophotal shapes of the diffuse stellar halos of spiral galaxies - The most detailed comparative study to date of thick disk morphologies and stellar populations - A comprehensive analysis of halo and thick disk metallicity distributions as a function of galaxy type and position within the galaxy - A sensitive search for tidal streams - The first opportunity to directly relate globular cluster systems to their field stellar population We will use these fossil records of the galaxy assembly process preserved in the old stellar populations to test halo and thick disk formation models within the hierarchical galaxy formation scheme We will test LambdaCDM predictions on sub-galactic scales, where it is difficult to test using CMB and galaxy redshift surveys, and where it faces its most serious difficulties

ACS/HRC 10870

The Ring Plane Crossings of Uranus in 2007

The rings of Uranus turn edge-on to Earth in May and August 2007 In between, we will have a rare opportunity to see the unlit face of the rings With the nine optically thick rings essentialy invisible, we will observe features and phenomena that are normally lost in their glare We will use this opportunity to search thoroughly for the embedded "shepherd" moons long believed to confine the edges of the rings, setting a mass limit roughly 10 times smaller than that of the smallest shepherd currently known, Cordelia We will measure the vertical thicknesses of the rings and study the faint dust belts only known to exist from a single Voyager image We will also study the colors of the newly-discovered faint, outer rings; recent evidence suggests that one ring is red and the other blue, implying that each ring is dominated by a different set of physical processes We will employ near-edge-on photometry from 2006 and 2007 to derive the particle filling factor within the rings, to observe how ring epsilon responds to the "traffic jam" as particles pass through its narrowest point, and to test the latest models for preserving eccentricities and apse alignment within the rings Moreover, this data set will allow us to continue monitoring the motions of the inner moons, which have been found to show possibly chaotic orbital variations; by nearly doubling the time span of the existing ACS astrometry, the details of the variations will become much clearer

NIC3 10839

The NICMOS Polarimetric Calibration

Recently, it has been shown that NICMOS possesses an instrumental polarization at a level of 1 2% This completely inhibits the data reduction in a number of previous GO programs, and hampers the ability of the instrument to perform high accuracy polarimetry In all, 90 orbits of HST data are affected, with potentially many more in Cycle 15 We propose to obtain high signal to noise observations of three polarimetric standards at the cardinal roll angles of the NICMOS polarizers for both NIC1 and NIC2 These observations are designed to fully characterize the instrumental polarization in order for NICMOS to reach its full potential by enabling high accuracy polarimetry of sources with polarizations around 1% The residual polarization will also be determined as a function of position and spectral energy distribution Our group will rapidly turn around the required data products and produce reports and software for the accurate representation of the instrumental polarization These items will be presented to STScI and for dissemination among the wider astronomical community

ACS/WFC 10816

The Formation History of Andromeda's Extended Metal-Poor Halo

We propose deep ACS imaging in the outer spheroid of the Andromeda galaxy, in order to measure the star formation history of its true halo For the past 20 years, nearly all studies of the Andromeda "halo" were focused on the spheroid within 30 kpc of the galaxy's center, a region now known to host significant substructure and populations with high metallicity and intermediate ages However, two groups have recently discovered an extended metal-poor halo beyond 30 kpc; this population is distinct in its surface-brightness profile, abundance distribution, and kinematics In earlier cycles, we obtained deep images of the inner spheroid {11 kpc on the minor axis}, outer disk {25 kpc on the major axis}, and giant tidal stream, yielding the complete star formation history in each field We now propose deep ACS imaging of 4 fields bracketing this 30 kpc transition point in the spheroid, so that the inner spheroid and the extended halo populations can be disentangled, enabling a reconstruction of the star formation history in the halo A wide age distribution in the halo, as found in the inner spheroid, would imply the halo was assembled through ongoing accretion of satellite galaxies, while a uniformly old population would be a strong indication that the halo was formed during the early rapid collapse of the Andromeda proto-galaxy

NIC2, ACS/WFC 10802

SHOES-Supernovae, HO, for the Equation of State of Dark energy

The present uncertainty in the value of the Hubble constant {resulting in an uncertainty in Omega_M} and the paucity of Type Ia supernovae at redshifts exceeding 1 are now the leading obstacles to determining the nature of dark energy We propose a single, integrated set of observations for Cycle 15 that will provide a 40% improvement in constraints on dark energy This program will observe known Cepheids in six reliable hosts of Type Ia supernovae with NICMOS, reducing the uncertainty in H_0 by a factor of two because of the smaller dispersion along the instability strip, the diminished extinction, and the weaker metallicity dependence in the infrared In parallel with ACS, at the same time the NICMOS observations are underway, we will discover and follow a sample of Type Ia supernovae at z > 1 Together, these measurements, along with prior constraints from WMAP, will provide a great improvement in HST's ability to distinguish between a static, cosmological constant and dynamical dark energy The Hubble Space Telescope is the only instrument in the world that can make these IR measurements of Cepheids beyond the Local Group, and it is the only telescope in the world that can be used to find and follow supernovae at z > 1 Our program exploits both of these unique capabilities of HST to learn more about one of the greatest mysteries in science

ACS/WFC 10760

Black Hole X-ray Novae in M31

We have been carring out a Chandra {GO+GTO} and HST {GO} program to find Black Hole X-ray Nova {BHXN} and their optical counterparts in M31 for several years To date we have found >2 dozen BHXN and 3 HST optical counterparts for these BHXN Our results suggest a rather high ratio of BH to neutron star {NS} binaries, or a high duty cycle for the BHXN We propose to continue this program, with the goal of determining the orbital period distribution and duty cycles of these BHXN Current results yield 3 orbital periods and 2 upper limits Our proposed observations will ~double the total number of periods and therefore yield sufficient numbers to make a first approximation of the orbital period distribution The orbital period distribution is the fundamental observable parameter any binary stellar evolution models must match, and the duty cycle is very poorly known but directly influences the binary lifetime M31 is the only galaxy in which this extra-galactic study of BHXN is feasible

ACS/HRC/WFC 10758

ACS CCDs daily monitor

This program consists of a set of basic tests to monitor, the read noise, the development of hot pixels and test for any source of noise in ACS CCD detectors The files, biases and dark will be used to create reference files for science calibration This programme will be for the entire lifetime of ACS Changes from cycle 13:- The default gain for WFC is 2 e-/DN As before bias frames will be collected for both gain 1 and gain 2 Dark frames are acquired using the default gain {2} This program cover the period May, 31 2006- Oct, 1-2006 The first half of the program has a different proposal number: 10729

WFPC2 10744

WFPC2 Cycle 14 Decontaminations and Associated Observations

This proposal is for the WFPC2 decons Also included are instrument monitors tied to decons: photometric stability check, focus monitor, pre- and post-decon internals {bias, intflats, kspots, & darks}, UV throughput check, VISFLAT sweep, and internal UV flat check

WFPC2 10631

Intermediate-Age Globular Clusters in M31

We propose deep ACS/WFC imaging of four halo M31 globular clusters in order to derive their horizontal branch morphologies Our spectroscopic investigation of their integrated light identifies them as members of an intermediate-age population of globular clusters in M31 Since our spectroscopic results are based on the analysis of Balmer absorption lines, we need to secure our results against an artificial juvenation due to extreme horizontal branch morphologies The proposed observations will allow a clear-cut answer to the question of whether spectroscopically derived intermediate-age estimates are due to genuinely younger ages or are the result of anomalously hot horizontal branch morphologies Either way, our results will have important implications for spectroscopically derived ages and metallicities of distant stellar populations Because of the high spatial resolution of the proposed ACS/WFC observations we will also derive accurate surface brightness profiles of our target globular clusters and investigate the influence of stellar density on horizontal branch morphology Moreover, together with deep parallel WFPC2 fields we will study the metallicity dispersion of the background stellar population in M31 as a function of galactocentric radius

NIC3/ACS/WFC 10504

Characterizing the Sources Responsible for Cosmic Reionization

Our group has demonstrated the role that massive clusters, acting as powerful cosmic lenses, can play in constraining the abundance and properties of low-luminosity star-forming sources beyond z~6; such sources are thought to be responsible for ending cosmic reionization The large magnification possible in the critical regions of well-constrained clusters brings sources into view that lie at or beyond the limits of conventional exposures such as the UDF, as well as those in imaging surveys being undertaken with IRAC onboard Spitzer We have shown that the combination of HST and Spitzer is particularly effective in delivering the physical properties of these distant sources, constraining their mass, age and past star formation history Indirectly, we therefore gain a valuable glimpse to yet earlier epochs Recognizing the result {and limitations} of the UDF exposure, we propose a systematic search through 6 lensing clusters with ACS and NICMOS for further z~6-7 sources in conjunction with existing deep IRAC data Our survey will mitigate cosmic variance and extend the search both to lower luminosities and, by virtue of the NICMOS/IRAC combination, to higher redshift The goal is to count and characterize representative sources at z~6-10 and to delineate the redshift range of activity for the planning of future observations

ACS/WFC 10258

Tracing the Emergence of the Hubble Sequence Among the Most Luminous and Massive Galaxies

There is mounting evidence that the redshift range 1 < z < 2 was an important era when massive galaxies assembled their stellar content and assumed their present--day morphologies Despite extensive HST imaging surveys, however, there is very little data in the optical rest frame {i e , observed near--infrared} on the morphologies of the most luminous galaxies at these redshifts We propose to image a carefully selected set of 20 of the most luminous, K--band selected GOODS galaxies at 1 3 < z < 2, using NICMOS camera 2 This offers diffraction--limited, critically sampled imaging at 1 6 microns to ensure the best angular resolution for comparison to ACS The galaxies are chosen to span a simple 4--fold parameter space of morphological and spectral type, in order to provide the most information about the variety of massive galaxy properties in this redshift range We will investigate the emergence of large scale--length disks, stable spiral structure, mature bulges with red stellar populations, central bar structures, the incidence of disturbed morphology, the existence {or lack thereof} of blue ellipticals, and other questions that concern the evolution and maturation of the brightest, largest, and most massive ordinary galaxies in this critical redshift range

FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be investigated )

HSTARS: (None)

COMPLETED OPS REQUEST: 17898-0 - Battery 4 Capacity Test Script & 5 Battery Pressure Limit COP @ 237/1335z

COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)

                     SCHEDULED      SUCCESSFUL

FGS GSacq 20 20 FGS REacq 24 24 OBAD with Maneuver 86 86

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS:

Battery 4 Capacity Test Final Flash Report - At approximately 2006/237 13:26 GMT (9:26 am local), Battery 4 was successfully commanded back on-line in FSW The remaining commanding of the Battery 4 Reconditioning script was completed at approximately 2006/237 13:42 GMT (9:42 am local) EPS SEs monitored the system for 4 orbits after restoring EPS to a 6-battery FSW configuration and observed that the FSW SOC vs pressure-based SOC variance is < 15 AH Nominal system performance was observed for the rest of the EPS system Battery temperatures are still cycling below 1 0 DegC This concludes the 2006 Battery Capacity Test season

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