HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class
Science
DAILY REPORT #4737
PERIOD COVERED: 5am November 13 - 5am November 14, 2008
(DOY
318/1000z-319/1000z)
OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED
FGS 11212/11901
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.
WFPC2 11103
A Snapshot Survey of The Most Massive Clusters of Galaxies
We propose the continuation of our highly successful
SNAPshot survey of
a sample of 125 very X-ray luminous clusters in the
redshift range
0.3-0.7. As demonstrated by the 25 snapshots obtained so
far in Cycle14
and Cycle15 these systems frequently exhibit strong
gravitational
lensing as well as spectacular examples of violent galaxy
interactions.
The proposed observations will provide important
constraints on the
cluster mass distributions, the physical nature of
galaxy-galaxy and
galaxy-gas interactions in cluster cores, and a set of
optically bright,
lensed galaxies for further 8-10m spectroscopy. All of our
primary
science goals require only the detection and
characterization of
high-surface-brightness features and are thus achievable
even at the
reduced sensitivity of WFPC2. Because of their high
redshift and thus
compact angular scale our target clusters are less
adversely affected by
the smaller field of view of WFPC2 than more nearby
systems.
Acknowledging the broad community interest in this sample
we waive our
data rights for these observations. Due to a clerical
error at STScI our
approved Cycle15 SNAP program was barred from execution
for 3 months and
only 6 observations have been performed to date -
reinstating this SNAP
at Cycle16 priority is of paramount importance to reach
meaningful
statistics.
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.
WFPC2 11130
AGNs with Intermediate-mass Black Holes: Testing the Black
Hole-Bulge
Paradigm, Part II
The recent progress in the study of central black holes in
galactic
nuclei has led to a general consensus that supermassive
{10^6-10^9 solar
mass} black holes are closely connected with the formation
and
evolutionary history of large galaxies, especially their
bulge
component. Two outstanding issues, however, remain
unresolved. Can
central black holes form in the absence of a bulge? And
does the mass
function of central black holes extend below 10^6 solar
masses?
Intermediate-mass black holes {<10^6 solar masses}, if
they exist, may
offer important clues to the nature of the seeds of
supermassive black
holes. Using the SDSS, our group has successfully
uncovered a new
population of AGNs with intermediate-mass black holes that
reside in
low-luminosity galaxies. However, very little is known
about the
detailed morphologies or structural parameters of the host
galaxies
themselves, including the crucial question of whether they
have bulges
or not. Surprisingly, the majority of the targets of our
Cycle 14 pilot
program have structural properties similar to dwarf
elliptical galaxies.
The statistics from this initial study, however, are
really too sparse
to reach definitive conclusions on this important new
class of black
holes. We wish to extend this study to a larger sample, by
using the
Snapshot mode to obtain WFPC2 F814W images from a parent
sample of 175
AGNs with intermediate- mass black holes selected from our
final SDSS
search. We are particularly keen to determine whether the
hosts contain
bulges, and if so, how the fundamental plane properties of
the host
depend on the mass of their central black holes. We will
also
investigate the environment of this unique class of AGNs.
WFPC2 11796
WFPC2 Cycle 16 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.
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: (None)
COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)
SCHEDULED
SUCCESSFUL
FGS
GSacq
14
14
FGS
REacq
00
00
OBAD with Maneuver
28
28
SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)