HUBBLE
SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science
DAILY
REPORT # 4608
PERIOD
COVERED: 5am May 09 - 5am May 12, 2008 (DOY 130/0900z-133/0900z)
OBSERVATIONS
SCHEDULED
NIC1/NIC2/NIC3
8795
NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 6
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 i
mages.
Each observation will need its own CRMAP, as different SAA
passages
leave different imprints on the NICMOS detectors.
WFPC2
11513
The
afterglow and host galaxy of GRB 080319: the first "naked eye" burst
The
optical flash from GRB 080319 reached a magnitude of about 5.5
within
a few seconds of the start of the burst, making it the first
"naked
eye" GRB. It's redshift has been determined as z=0.94 (about 7
billion
light years distance) and hence it is by far the most distant
naked
eye source known.
HST
has a key role to play in helping study this event, by providing the
late
time monitoring of the light curve and colour of the afterglow.
This
will allow us to constrain any breaks which may indicate a
collimated
outflow, to search for an underlying supernova component and
to
reveal the nature of the host galaxy, and the location of the burst
within
it.
Not
surprisingly this object is attracting considerable attention both
in
the professional astrophysical community and also in the general
public.
We believe that HST observations of this GRB would be welcomed
by
both of these communities.
NIC2
11341
Lower
Luminosity AGNs at Cosmologically Interesting Redshifts: SEDs and
Accretion
Rates of z~0.36 Seyferts
We
propose a multiwavelength campaign to constrain the SEDs of Seyferts
at
z~0.36. This epoch, corresponding to a look back time of 4 Gyrs, is
cosmologically
interesting for studies of the coeval development of
black
holes and their host galaxy bulges. Our sample, comprising 24
Seyferts,
has unprecedented high quality Keck spectroscopy and HST
imaging
already invested to extract host galaxy bulge properties,
estimate
black hole masses, and separate nuclear and host optical
luminosities.
To supplement and extend this successful program, we
request
93 ks of Chandra time (to measure the shape and power of the
AGN-only
X-ray continuum), 11 hrs each of Spitzer and Gemini (to
constrain
the dust temperature), and 7 orbits of HST (to determine the
nuclear
luminosity for the final 7 objects).
NIC3
11334
NICMOS
Cycle 16 Spectrophotometry
Observation
of the three primary WD flux standards must be repeated to
refine
the NICMOS absolute calibration and monitor for sensitivity
degradation.
So far, NICMOS grism spectrophotometry is available for
only
~16 stars with good STIS spectra at shorter wavelengths. There are
more
in the HST CALSPEC standard star data base with good STIS spectra
that
would also become precise IR standards with NICMOS absolute SED
measurements.
Monitoring the crucial three very red stars (M, L, T) for
variability
and better S/N in the IR. Apparent variability was
discovered
at shorter wavelengths during the ACS cross-calibration work
that
revealed a ~2% discrepancy of the cool star fluxes with respect to
the
hot primary WD standards. About a third of these stars are bright
enough
to do in one orbit, the rest require 2 orbits.
NIC3
11331
NICMOS
Cycle 16 Grism Calibration
A series
of pointed NICMOS observations of the spectroscopic flux
calibrator
P330E and two wavelength calibrators VY2-2 and HB12.
NIC1/NIC2/NIC3
11318
NICMOS
Cycle 16 Multiaccum Darks
The
purpose of this proposal is to monitor the dark current, read noise,
and
shading profile for all three NICMOS detectors throughout the
duration
of Cycle 16. This proposal is a slightly modified version of
proposal
10380 of cycle 13 and 9993 of cycle12 and is the same as Cycle
15.
Covers the period from April 08 to November 08 (inclusive)
WFPC2
11312
The
Local Cluster Substructure Survey {LoCuSS}: Deep Strong Lensing
Observations
with WFPC2
LoCuSS
is a systematic and detailed investigation of the mass,
substructure,
and thermodynamics of 100 X-ray luminous galaxy clusters
at
0.15<z<0.3. The primary goal is to test our recent suggestion that
this
population is dominated by dynamically immature disturbed clusters,
and
that the observed mass-temperature relation suffers strong
structural
segregation. If confirmed, this would represent a paradigm
shift
in our observational understanding of clusters, that were hitherto
believed
to be dominated by mature, undisturbed systems. We propose to
complete
our successful Cycle 15 program {SNAP:10881} which prior to
premature
termination had delivered robust weak-lensing detections in 17
clusters,
and candidate strongly-lensed arcs in 11 of these 17. These
strong
and weak lensing signals will give an accurate measure of the
total
mass and structure of the dark matter distribution that we will
subsequently
compare with X-ray and Sunyaev Zeldovich Effect
observables.
The broader applications of our project include 1} the
calibration
of mass-temperature and mass-SZE scaling relations which
will
be critical for the calibration of proposed dark energy
experiments,
and 2} the low redshift baseline study of the demographics
of
massive clusters to aid interpretation of future high redshift {z>1}
cluster
samples. To complete the all-important high resolution imaging
component
of our survey, we request deep WFPC2 observations of 20
clusters
through the F606W filter, for which wide-field weak-lensing
data
are already available from our Subaru imaging program. The
combination
of deep WFPC2 and Subaru data for these 20 clusters will
enable
us to achieve the science program approved by the Cycle 15 TAC.
FGS
11212
Filling
the Period Gap for Massive Binaries
The
current census of binaries among the massive O-type stars is
seriously
incomplete for systems in the period range from years to
millennia
because the radial velocity variations are too small and the
angular
separations too close for easy detection. Here we propose to
discover
binaries in this observational gap through a Faint Guidance
Sensor
SNAP survey of relatively bright targets listed in the Galactic O
Star
Catalog. Our primary goal is to determine the binary frequency
among
those in the cluster/association, field, and runaway groups. The
results
will help us assess the role of binaries in massive star
formation
and in the processes that lead to the ejection of massive
stars
from their natal clusters. The program will also lead to the
identification
of new, close binaries that will be targets of long term
spectroscopic
and high angular resolution observations to determine
their
masses and distances. The results will also be important for the
interpretation
of the spectra of suspected and newly identified binary
and
multiple systems.
FGS
11210
The
Architecture of Exoplanetary Systems
Are
all planetary systems coplanar? Concordance cosmogony makes that
prediction.
It is, however, a prediction of extrasolar planetary system
architecture
as yet untested by direct observation for main sequence
stars
other than the Sun. To provide such a test, we propose to carry
out
FGS astrometric studies on four stars hosting seven companions. Our
understanding
of the planet formation process will grow as we match not
only
system architecture, but formed planet mass and true distance from
the
primary with host star characteristics for a wide variety of host
stars
and exoplanet masses. We propose that a series of FGS astrometric
observations
with demonstrated 1 millisecond of arc per-observation
precision
can establish the degree of coplanarity and component true
masses
for four extrasolar systems: HD 202206 {brown dwarf+planet}; HD
128311
{planet+planet}, HD 160691 = mu Arae {planet+planet}, and HD
222404AB
= gamma Cephei {planet+star}. In each case the companion is
identified
as such by assuming that the minimum mass is the actual mass.
For
the last target, a known stellar binary system, the companion orbit
is
stable only if coplanar with the AB binary orbit.
NIC2
11208
The
co-evolution of spheroids and black holes in the last six billion
years
The
masses of giant black holes are correlated with the luminosities,
masses,
and velocity dispersions of the bulges of their host galaxies.
This
empirical correlation of phenomena on widely different scales {from
pcs
to kpcs} suggests that the formation and evolution of galaxies and
central
black holes are closely linked. In Cycle 13, we have started a
campaign
to map directly the co-evolution of spheroids and black-holes
by
measuring in observationally favorable redshift windows the empirical
correlations
connecting their properties. By focusing on Seyfert 1s,
where
the nucleus and the stars contribute comparable fractions of total
light,
black hole mass and bulge dispersion are obtained from Keck
spectroscopy.
HST is required for accurate measurement of the non
stellar
AGN continuum, the morphology of the galaxy, and the structural
parameters
of the bulge. The results at z=0.36 indicate a surprisingly
fast
evolution of bulges in the past 4 Gyrs {significant at the 95%CL},
in
the sense that bulges were significantly smaller for a given black
hole
mass. Also, the large fraction of mergers and disturbed galaxies
{4+2
out of 20} identifies gas-rich mergers as the mechanisms
responsible
for bulge-growth. Going to higher redshift -- where
evolutionary
trends should be stronger -- is needed to confirm these
tantalizing
results. We propose therefore to push our investigation to
the
next suitable redshift window z=0.57 {lookback-time 6 Gyrs}. Fifteen
objects
are the minimum number required to map the evolution of the
empirical
correlations between bulge properties and black- hole mass,
and
to achieve a conclusive detection of evolution {>99%CL}.
WFPC2
11202
The
Structure of Early-type Galaxies: 0.1-100 Effective Radii
The
structure, formation and evolution of early-type galaxies is still
largely
an open problem in cosmology: how does the Universe evolve from
large
linear scales dominated by dark matter to the highly non-linear
scales
of galaxies, where baryons and dark matter both play important,
interacting,
roles? To understand the complex physical processes
involved
in their formation scenario, and why they have the tight
scaling
relations that we observe today {e.g. the Fundamental Plane}, it
is
critically important not only to understand their stellar structure,
but
also their dark-matter distribution from the smallest to the largest
scales.
Over the last three years the SLACS collaboration has developed
a
toolbox to tackle these issues in a unique and encompassing way by
combining
new non-parametric strong lensing techniques, stellar
dynamics,
and most recently weak gravitational lensing, with
high-quality
Hubble Space Telescope imaging and VLT/Keck spectroscopic
data
of early-type lens systems. This allows us to break degeneracies
that
are inherent to each of these techniques separately and probe the
mass
structure of early-type galaxies from 0.1 to 100 effective radii.
The
large dynamic range to which lensing is sensitive allows us both to
probe
the clumpy substructure of these galaxies, as well as their
low-density
outer haloes. These methods have convincingly been
demonstrated,
by our team, using smaller pilot-samples of SLACS lens
systems
with HST data. In this proposal, we request observing time with
WFPC2
and NICMOS to observe 53 strong lens systems from SLACS, to obtain
complete
multi-color imaging for each system. This would bring the total
number
of SLACS lens systems to 87 with completed HST imaging and
effectively
doubles the known number of galaxy-scale strong lenses. The
deep
HST images enable us to fully exploit our new techniques, beat down
low-number
statistics, and probe the structure and evolution of
early-type
galaxies, not only with a uniform data-set an order of
magnitude
larger than what is available now, but also with a fully
coherent
and self-consistent methodological approach!
NIC3
11195
Morphologies
of the Most Extreme High-Redshift Mid-IR-luminous Galaxies
II:
The `Bump' Sources
The
formative phase of some of the most massive galaxies may be
extremely
luminous, characterized by intense star- and AGN-formation.
Till
now, few such galaxies have been unambiguously identified at high
redshift,
and thus far we have been restricted to studying the
low-redshift
ultraluminous infrared galaxies as possible analogs. We
have
recently discovered a sample of objects which may indeed represent
this
early phase in galaxy formation, and are undertaking an extensive
multiwavelength
study of this population. These objects are optically
extremely
faint {R>26} but nevertheless bright at mid-infrared
wavelengths
{F[24um] > 0.5 mJy}. Mid-infrared spectroscopy with
Spitzer/IRS
reveals that they have redshifts z~2, implying luminosities
~1E13
Lsun. Their mid-IR SEDs fall into two broad, perhaps overlapping,
categories.
Sources with brighter F[24um] exhibit power-law SEDs and SiO
absorption
features in their mid-IR spectra characteristic of AGN,
whereas
those with fainter F[24um] show a "bump" characteristic of the
redshifted
1.6um peak from a stellar population, and PAH emission
characteristic
of starformation. We have begun obtaining HST images of
the
brighter sources in Cycle 15 to obtain identifications and determine
kpc-scale
morphologies for these galaxies. Here, we aim to target the
second
class {the "bump" sources} with the goal of determining if these
constitute
morphologically different objects, or simply a "low-AGN"
state
of the brighter class. The proposed observations will help us
determine
whether these objects are merging systems, massive obscured
starbursts
{with obscuration on kpc scales!} or very reddened {locally
obscured}
AGN hosted by intrinsically low-luminosity galaxies.
NIC3
11174
A
Spitzer/X-ray candidate cluster at z>2: NICMOS imaging
We
propose deep H-band imaging with NICMOS of a remarkable z>2 cluster
of
galaxy candidate. Over a 1000 arcmin^2 field imaged with Spitzer's
IRAC
and MIPS we have discovered a compact (<30'' diameter)
concentration
of extremely red galaxies with a factor of >40 overdensity
over
the adjacent field. Among these galaxies for which we can derive
meaningful
photometric redshifts, 17 are consistent with zphot=2-2.5,
making
very likely that the concentrationis is a real cluster at such
high
redshift. This is further supported by a 3.5 sigma detection of
extended
X-Ray emission on Newton-XMM data, by a likely color-magnitude
sequence
of red galaxies, and by the presence of a giant galaxy
consistent
with a BCG at the cluster redshift. While spectroscopic
confirmation
of the cluster might result prohibitive with current
facilities,
HST high resolution imaging will allow us to gain crucial
information
for the study and scientific exploitation of this hot gas
hosting,
record high-z cluster of galaxies. The HST high resolution
observations
will allow us to unveil the rest frame optical morphologies
of
the galaxies and confirm the presence of ellipticals in the
structure,
detect and characterize the color-magnitude relation, measure
their
effective radii and construct their Kormendy relation for the
passively
evolving subsample, improve the photometric redshift estimates
to
confirm the real cluster nature of the structure, estimate stellar
masses
and check for possible deviations from the local mass-size
relation,
search for mergers and AGNs, and establish a cluster benchmark
for
cluster-field comparisons at this highest redshift.
ACS/SBC
11158
HST
Imaging of UV emission in Quiescent Early-type Galaxies
We
have constructed a sample of early type galaxies at z~0.1 that have
blue
UV-optical colors, yet also show no signs of optical emission, or
extended
blue light. We have cross-correlated the SDSS catalog and the
Galaxy
Evolution Explorer Medium Imaging Survey to select a sample of
galaxies
where this UV emission is strongest. The origin of the UV
rising
flux in these galaxies continues to be debated, and the
possibility
that some fraction of these galaxies may be experiencing low
levels
of star formation cannot be excluded. There is also a possibility
that
low level AGN activity {as evidenced by a point source} is
responsible
We propose to image the UV emission using the HST/SBC and to
explore
the morphology of the UV emission relative to the optical light.
NIC2/WFPC2
11142
Revealing
the Physical Nature of Infrared Luminous Galaxies at 0.3<z<2.7
Using
HST and Spitzer
We
aim to determine physical properties of IR luminous galaxies at
0.3<z<2.7
by requesting coordinated HST/NIC2 and MIPS 70um observations
of
a unique, 24um flux-limited sample with complete Spitzer mid-IR
spectroscopy.
The 150 sources investigated in this program have S{24um}
>
0.8mJy and their mid-IR spectra have already provided the majority
targets
with spectroscopic redshifts {0.3<z<2.7}. The proposed
150~orbits
of NIC2 and 66~hours of MIPS 70um will provide the physical
measurements
of the light distribution at the rest-frame ~8000A and
better
estimates of the bolometric luminosity. Combining these
parameters
together with the rich suite of spectral diagnostics from the
mid-IR
spectra, we will {1} measure how common mergers are among LIRGs
and
ULIRGs at 0.3<z<2.7, and establish if major mergers are the drivers
of
z>1 ULIRGs, as in the local Universe. {2} study the co-evolution of
star
formation and blackhole accretion by investigating the relations
between
the fraction of starburst/AGN measured from mid-IR spectra vs.
HST
morphologies, L{bol} and z. {3} obtain the current best estimates of
the
far-IR emission, thus L{bol} for this sample, and establish if the
relative
contribution of mid-to-far IR dust emission is correlated with
morphology
{resolved vs. unresolved}.
WFPC2
11113
Binaries
in the Kuiper Belt: Probes of Solar System Formation and
Evolution
The
discovery of binaries in the Kuiper Belt and related small body
populations
is powering a revolutionary step forward in the study of
this
remote region. Three quarters of the known binaries in the Kuiper
Belt
have been discovered with HST, most by our snapshot surveys. The
statistics
derived from this work are beginning to yield surprising and
unexpected
results. We have found a strong concentration of binaries
among
low-inclination Classicals, a possible size cutoff to binaries
among
the Centaurs, an apparent preference for nearly equal mass
binaries,
and a strong increase in the number of binaries at small
separations.
We propose to continue this successful program in Cycle 16;
we
expect to discover at least 13 new binary systems, targeted to
subgroups
where these discoveries can have the greatest impact.
NIC3
11107
Imaging
of Local Lyman Break Galaxy Analogs: New Clues to Galaxy
Formation
in the Early Universe
We
have used the ultraviolet all-sky imaging survey currently being
conducted
by the Galaxy Evolution Explorer {GALEX} to identify for the
first
time a rare population of low-redshift starbursts with properties
remarkably
similar to high-redshift Lyman Break Galaxies {LBGs}. These
"compact
UV luminous galaxies" {UVLGs} resemble LBGs in terms of size,
SFR,
surface brightness, mass, metallicity, kinematics, dust, and color.
The
UVLG sample offers the unique opportunity of investigating some very
important
properties of LBGs that have remained virtually inaccessible
at
high redshift: their morphology and the mechanism that drives their
star
formation. Therefore, in Cycle 15 we have imaged 7 UVLGs using ACS
in
order to 1} characterize their morphology and look for signs of
interactions
and mergers, and 2} probe their star formation histories
over
a variety of timescales. The images show a striking trend of small-
scale
mergers turning large amounts of gas into vigorous starbursts {a
process
referred to as dissipational or "wet" merging}. Here, we propose
to
complete our sample of 31 LBG analogs using the ACS/SBC F150LP {FUV}
and
WFPC2 F606W {R} filters in order to create a statistical sample to
study
the mechanism that triggers star formation in UVLGs and its
implications
for the nature of LBGs. Specifically, we will 1} study the
trend
between galaxy merging and SFR in UVLGs, 2} artificially redshift
the
FUV images to z=1-4 and compare morphologies with those in similarly
sized
samples of LBGs at the same rest-frame wavelengths in e.g. GOODS,
UDF,
and COSMOS, 3} determine the presence and morphology of significant
stellar
mass in "pre- burst" stars, and 4} study their immediate
environment.
Together with our Spitzer {IRAC+MIPS}, GALEX, SDSS and
radio
data, the HST observations will form a unique union of data that
may
for the first time shed light on how the earliest major episodes of
star
formation in high redshift galaxies came about. This proposal was
adapted
from an ACS HRC+WFC proposal to meet the new Cycle 16 observing
constraints,
and can be carried out using the ACS/SBC and WFPC2 without
compromising
our original science goals.
WFPC2
11102
HST
as a Jovian Climate Satellite
In
the past year, there have been striking changes in Jupiter's
atmosphere.
Among these are the Oval BA's change from white to red, two
new
dark Disturbances in the southern hemisphere, and a 30% change
(since
1997) in the aspect ratio of the potential vorticity anomaly of
the
GRS (not just its associated clouds), as we determined from
high-accuracy
velocities extracted from HST images. The determination of
high-accuracy
velocities requires both high-resolution imaging by HST
(or
flybys), and our novel adaptation of Correlation Image Velocimetry
(CIV),
a technique that has far greater accuracy than the traditional
method
(of identifying velocity tie-points by hand). Our proposed
observations
will test the hypothesis that these changes in Jupiter
validate
our 2004 prediction: that the merger of the 3 White Ovals in
1998-2000
would lead to climate change on Jupiter. The key is to
determine,
by indirect means, the temperature at the base of the weather
layer,
a quantity that cannot be observed directly at any wavelength.
The
new Red Oval BA's velocities will be used to test our finding that
the
color change is due to global temperature changes. The change in the
GRS's
aspect ratio suggests a large (at least 20%) change in the shear
of
the local velocity since 1997. The latter can be investigated only by
determining
Jupiter's current zonal winds.
WFPC2
11029
WFPC2
CYCLE 15 Intflat Linearity Check and Filter Rotation Anomaly
Monitor
Intflat
observations will be taken to provide a linearity check: the
linearity
test consists of a series of intflats in F555W, in each gain
and
each shutter. A combination of intflats, visflats, and earthflats
will
be used to check the repeatability of filter wheel motions.
{Intflat
sequences tied to decons, visits 1-18 in prop 10363, have been
moved
to the cycle 15 decon proposal xxxx for easier scheduling.} Note:
long-exposure
WFPC2 intflats must be scheduled during ACS anneals to
prevent
stray light from the WFPC2 lamps from contaminating long ACS
external
exposures.
WFPC2
10896
An
Efficient ACS Coronagraphic Survey for Debris Disks around Nearby
Stars
We
propose to finish our Cycle 11 optical survey for nearby debris disks
using
the ACS/HRC coronagraph. Out of 43 orbits originally proposed for
the
survey, 23 orbits were allocated, leading to a survey of 22 stars,
from
which two new debris disks were imaged for the first time. Our
analysis
of the initial survey gives an empirical estimate for the
detection
rate of debris disks relative to heliocentric distance and
dust
optical depth. Our target list for Cycle 15 is now optimized to
yield
more frequent disk detections. Likewise our observing strategy is
improved
to maximize sensitivity per telescope orbit allocated.
Therefore
we present the most efficient survey possible. The scientific
motivation
is to obtain scattered light images of previously unresolved
debris
disks to determine their viewing geometry and physical
architecture,
both of which may characterize the underlying planetary
system.
We choose 25 debris disk targets for which we predict a
detection
rate of 25% ? 5%. Four targets have extrasolar planets from
which
the viewing geometry revealed by a disk detection will resolve the
v
sin{i} ambiguity in the planet masses. These targets present the
remarkable
opportunity of finally seeing a debris disk in system with
known
planets.
FLIGHT
OPERATIONS SUMMARY:
Significant
Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary reports
of
potential non-nominal performance that will be investigated.)
HSTARS:
11299
- GSACQ (1,2,1) failed while LOS
GSACQ(1,2,1) at 133/05:45:25 failed to RGA control with QF2STOPF
and
QSTOP flags set. No other flags were seen. Vehicle was LOS at time
of
failure. #44 commands did change since previous acquisition. 486
ESB
message "1808" (TxG FHST Sanity Check Failed) was
observed at AOS. OBAD
prior to acquisition had RSS error of 14.12 arcseconds. Further
information after engineering recorder dump.
COMPLETED
OPS REQUEST: (None)
COMPLETED
OPS NOTES: (None)
SCHEDULED
SUCCESSFUL
FGS
GSacq
29
28
FGS
REacq
13
13
OBAD
with Maneuver 84
83
SIGNIFICANT
EVENTS: (None)