Date: May 6th 2010

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Daily Report #5087 - 1 messages, 1 author http://groups google com/group/sci astro hubble/t/15fcdcabcf4e7945?hl=en
Daily Report #5088 - 1 messages, 1 author http://groups google com/group/sci astro hubble/t/190dd5ecd04e43b1?hl=en
Daily Report #5089 - 1 messages, 1 author http://groups google com/group/sci astro hubble/t/9ab7476f64b269a6?hl=en

============================================================================== TOPIC: Daily Report #5087

http://groups google com/group/sci astro hubble/t/15fcdcabcf4e7945?hl=en

== 1 of 1 == Date: Mon, May 3 2010 7:29Ã‚Â am From: "Cooper, Joe"

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to Collect World Class Science

DAILY REPORT #5087

PERIOD COVERED: 5am April 30 - 5am May 03, 2010 (DOY 120/09:00z-123/09:00z)

OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED

WFC3/UV/IR 12021

An Irradiated Disk in an Ultraluminous X-Ray Source

Whether ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) contain stellar-mass or intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) is an important, but as yet unresolved, astrophysical question We have discovered variable optical emission from the ULX NGC 5408 X-1 that we interpret as reprocessed emission in an irradiated disk We propose simultaneous observations with Chandra and HST to test this interpretation and place constraints on the geometry of the accretion disk The observations should provide a means to discriminate between stellar-mass versus intermediate-mass black holes

ACS/WFC 11995

CCD Daily Monitor (Part 2)

This program comprises basic tests for measuring the read noise and dark current of the ACS WFC and for tracking the growth of hot pixels The recorded frames are used to create bias and dark reference images for science data reduction and calibration This program will be executed four days per week (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun) for the duration of Cycle 17 To facilitate scheduling, this program is split into three proposals This proposal covers 320 orbits (20 weeks) from 1 February 2010 to 20 June 2010

WFC3/IR/S/C 11929

IR Dark Current Monitor

Analyses of ground test data showed that dark current signals are more reliably removed from science data using darks taken with the same exposure sequences as the science data, than with a single dark current image scaled by desired exposure time Therefore, dark current images must be collected using all sample sequences that will be used in science observations These observations will be used to monitor changes in the dark current of the WFC3-IR channel on a day-to-day basis, and to build calibration dark current ramps for each of the sample sequences to be used by Gos in Cycle 17 For each sample sequence/array size combination, a median ramp will be created and delivered to the calibration database system (CDBS)

WFC3/UVIS/IR 11909

UVIS Hot Pixel Anneal

The on-orbit radiation environment of WFC3 will continually generate new hot pixels This proposal performs the procedure required for repairing those hot pixels in the UVIS CCDs During an anneal, the two-stage thermo-electric cooler (TEC) is turned off and the four-stage TEC is used as a heater to bring the UVIS CCDs up to ~20 deg C As a result of the CCD warmup, a majority of the hot pixels will be fixed; previous instruments such as WFPC2 and ACS have seen repair rates of about 80% Internal UVIS exposures are taken before and after each anneal, to allow an assessment of the procedure's effectiveness in WFC3, provide a check of bias, global dark current, and hot pixel levels, as well as support hysteresis (bowtie) monitoring and CDBS reference file generation One IR dark is taken after each anneal, to provide a check of the IR detector

WFC3/UVIS 11908

Cycle 17: UVIS Bowtie Monitor

Ground testing revealed an intermittent hysteresis type effect in the UVIS detector (both CCDs) at the level of ~1%, lasting hours to days Initially found via an unexpected bowtie-shaped feature in flatfield ratios, subsequent lab tests on similar e2v devices have since shown that it is also present as simply an overall offset across the entire CCD, i e , a QE offset without any discernable pattern These lab tests have further revealed that overexposing the detector to count levels several times full well fills the traps and effectively neutralizes the bowtie Each visit in this proposal acquires a set of three 3x3 binned internal flatfields: the first unsaturated image will be used to detect any bowtie, the second, highly exposed image will neutralize the bowtie if it is present, and the final image will allow for verification that the bowtie is gone

WFC3/UVIS 11905

WFC3 UVIS CCD Daily Monitor

The behavior of the WFC3 UVIS CCD will be monitored daily with a set of full-frame, four-amp bias and dark frames A smaller set of 2Kx4K subarray biases are acquired at less frequent intervals throughout the cycle to support subarray science observations The internals from this proposal, along with those from the anneal procedure (Proposal 11909), will be used to generate the necessary superbias and superdark reference files for the calibration pipeline (CDBS)

COS/FUV 11897

FUV Spectroscopic Sensitivity Monitoring

The purpose of this proposal is to monitor sensitivity in each FUV grating mode to detect any changes due to contamination or other causes

COS/NUV 11896

NUV Spectroscopic Sensitivity Monitoring

The purpose of this proposal is to monitor sensitivity of each NUV grating mode to detect any changes due to contamination or other causes

WFC3/ACS/UVIS 11877

HST Cycle 17 and Post-SM4 Optical Monitor

This program is the Cycle 17 implementation of the HST Optical Monitoring Program

The 36 orbits comprising this proposal will utilize ACS (Wide Field Channel) and WFC3 (UVIS Channel) to observe stellar cluster members in parallel with multiple exposures over an orbit Phase retrieval performed on the PSF in each image will be used to measure primarily focus, with the ability to explore apparent coma, and astigmatism changes in WFC3

The goals of this program are to: 1) monitor the overall OTA focal length for the purposes of maintaining focus within science tolerances 2) gain experience with the relative effectiveness of phase retrieval on WFC3/UVIS PSFs 3) determine focus offset between the imagers and identify any SI-specific focus behavior and dependencies

If need is determined, future visits will be modified to interleave WFC3/IR channel and STIS/CCD focii measurements

FGS 11875

Monitoring FGS2R2 Distortion and Alignment After SMOV4

This proposal monitors changes in the FGS2R2 distortion and alignment after SMOV4 by observing selected stars in M35 in Position mode Data from each epoch are compared to track changes in FGS2R2 When the rate of change becomes sufficiently slow, FGS2R2 will be cleared for a mini-OFAD and FGS-FGS alignment calibration (carried out in another phase 2 proposal)

STIS/CC 11847

CCD Bias Monitor-Part 2

Monitor the bias in the 1x1, 1x2, 2x1, and 2x2 bin settings at gain=1, and 1x1 at gain = 4, to build up high-S/N superbiases and track the evolution of hot columns

STIS/CC 11845

CCD Dark Monitor Part 2

Monitor the darks for the STIS CCD

FGS 11789

An Astrometric Calibration of Population II Distance Indicators

In 2002, HST produced a highly precise parallax for RR Lyrae That measurement resulted in an absolute magnitude, M(V)= 0 61+/-0 11, a useful result, judged by the over ten refereed citations each year since It is, however, unsatisfactory to have the direct, parallax-based, distance scale of Population II variables based on a single star We propose, therefore, to obtain the parallaxes of four additional RR Lyrae stars and two Population II Cepheids, or W Vir stars The Population II Cepheids lie with the RR Lyrae stars on a common K-band Period-Luminosity relation Using these parallaxes to inform that relationship, we anticipate a zero point error of 0 04 magnitude This result should greatly strengthen confidence in the Population II distance scale and increase our understanding of RR Lyrae star and Pop II Cepheid astrophysics

STIS/CCD/MA1 11737

The Distance Dependence of the Interstellar N/O Abundance Ratio: A Gould Belt Influence?

The degree of elemental abundance homogeneity in the interstellar medium is a function of the enrichment and mixing processes that govern galactic chemical evolution Observations of young stars and the interstellar gas within ~500 pc of the Sun have revealed a local ISM that is so well-mixed it is having an impact on ideas regarding the formation of extrasolar planets However, the situation just beyond the local ISM is not so clear Sensitive UV absorption line measurements have recently revealed a pattern of inhomogeneities in the interstellar O, N, and Kr gas-phase abundances at distances of ~500 pc and beyond that appear nucleosynthetic in origin rather than due to dust depletion In particular, based on a sample of 13 sightlines, Knauth et al (2006) have found that the nearby stars (d < 500 pc) exhibit a mean interstellar N/O abundance ratio that is significantly higher (0 18 dex) than that toward the more distant stars Interestingly, all of their sightlines lie in the sky vicinity of the Gould Belt of OB associations, molecular clouds, and diffuse gas encircling the Sun at a distance of ~400 pc Is it possible that mixing processes have not yet smoothed out the recent ISM enrichment by massive stars in the young Belt region? By measuring the interstellar N/O ratios in a strategic new sample of sightlines with STIS, we propose to test the apparent N/O homogeneity inside the Gould Belt and determine if the apparent decline in the N/O ratio with distance is robust and associated with the Belt region

WFC3/UV/IR 11709

Stretching the Diversity of Cosmic Explosions: The Supernovae of Gamma-ray Bursts

While the association between gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and massive stars is robust, there is a large diversity of properties among supernovae (SNe) associated with GRBs The converse is also true: Several recent events show that there is a large brightness range among high energy transients associated with SNe As part of a comprehensive program, we propose to use HST in order to search for and characterize the SNe associated with GRB

HST offers the means to cleanly separate the light curve of the GRB afterglow from the supernova, and to remove the contamination from the host galaxy, opening a clear path to the fundamental parameters of the SN, and thence to the progenitor 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, types of core-collapse explosions

COS/FUV 11687

SNAPing Coronal Iron

This is a Snapshot Survey to explore two forbidden lines of highly ionized iron in late-type coronal sources Fe XII 1349 (T~ 2 MK) and Fe XXI 1354 (T~ 10 MK) -- well known to Solar Physics -- have been detected in about a dozen cool stars, mainly with HST/STIS The UV coronal forbidden lines are important because they can be observed with velocity resolution of better than 15 km/s, whereas even the state-of-the-art X-ray spectrometers on Chandra can manage only 300 km/s in the kilovolt band where lines of highly ionized iron more commonly are found The kinematic properties of hot coronal plasmas, which are of great interest to theorists and modelers, thus only are accessible in the UV at present The bad news is that the UV coronal forbidden lines are faint, and were captured only in very deep observations with STIS The good news is that 3rd-generation Cosmic Origins Spectrograph, slated for installation in HST by SM4, in a mere 25 minute exposure with its G130M mode can duplicate the sensitivity of a landmark 25-orbit STIS E140M observation of AD Leo, easily the deepest such exposure of a late-type star so far Our goal is to build up understanding of the properties of Fe XII and Fe XXI in additional objects beyond the current limited sample: how the lineshapes depend on activity, whether large scale velocity shifts can be detected, and whether the dynamical content of the lines can be inverted to map the spatial morphology of the stellar corona (as in "Doppler Imaging'') In other words, we want to bring to bear in the coronal venue all the powerful tricks of spectroscopic remote sensing, well in advance of the time that this will be possible exploiting the corona's native X-ray radiation The 1290-1430 band captured by side A of G130M also contains a wide range of key plasma diagnostics that form at temperatures from below 10, 000 K (neutral lines of CNO), to above 200, 000 K (semi-permitted O V 1371), including the important bright multiplets of C II at 1335 and Si IV at 1400; yielding a diagnostic gold mine for the subcoronal atmosphere Because of the broad value of the SNAP spectra, beyond the coronal iron project, we waive the normal proprietary rights

WFC3/UVIS 11675

Stellar Forensics: A Post-Explosion View of the Progenitors of Core-Collapse Supernovae

Recent studies have used high spatial resolution HST observations of SN sites to identify the progenitors of core-collapse SNe on pre-explosion images These studies have set constraints about the nature of massive stars and their evolution just prior to their explosion as SNe Now, at late-times when the SNe have faded sufficiently, it is possible to return to the sites of these core-collapse SNe to search for clues about the nature of their progenitors We request time to conduct deep, late-time, high-resolution imaging with ACS/HRC of the sites of six core-collapse SNe In this program we aim to: 1) confirm our identifications, that were made with HST pre- explosion images, of the red supergiant progenitors of four Type IIP SNe (1999ev, 2003gd, 2004A and 2005cs), by observing if the objects identified as the progenitors are now missing; 2) place precise constraints on the progenitor of the Type Ic SN 2007gr by studying its host cluster; and 3) confirm our identification of an LBV-like outburst of an unstable WR star as belonging to the progenitor of a Type Ib-n core-collapse SN (2006jc), using broad and narrow- band imaging to search for emission line stars in its locality The deep imaging will also allow to probe the stellar populations in the immediate vicinities of these SNe, that were previously obscured by the progenitors and the bright SNe HST provides the unique combination of high- resolution optical imaging at very faint magnitudes that will facilitate this study

WFC3/UV/IR 11664

The WFC3 Galactic Bulge Treasury Program: Populations, Formation History, and Planets

Exploiting the full power of the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3), we propose deep panchromatic imaging of four fields in the Galactic bulge These data will enable a sensitive dissection of its stellar populations, using a new set of reddening-free photometric indices we have constructed from broad-band filters across UV, optical, and near-IR wavelengths These indices will provide accurate temperatures and metallicities for hundreds of thousands of individual bulge stars Proper motions of these stars derived from multi-epoch observations will allow separation of pure bulge samples from foreground disk contamination Our catalogs of proper motions and panchromatic photometry will support a wide range of bulge studies

Using these photometric and astrometric tools, we will reconstruct the detailed star-formation history as a function of position within the bulge, and thus differentiate between rapid- and extended-formation scenarios We will also measure the dependence of the stellar mass function on metallicity, revealing how the characteristic mass of star formation varies with chemistry Our sample of bulge stars with accurate metallicities will include 12 candidate hosts of extrasolar planets Planet frequency is correlated with metallicity in the solar neighborhood; our measurements will extend this knowledge to a remote environment with a very distinct chemistry

Our proposal also includes observations of six well-studied globular and open star clusters; these observations will serve to calibrate our photometric indices, provide empirical population templates, and transform the theoretical isochrone libraries into the WFC3 filter system Besides enabling our own program, these products will provide powerful new tools for a host of other stellar-population investigations with HST/WFC3 We will deliver all of the products from this Treasury Program to the community in a timely fashion

WFC3/UV/ACS/WFC 11636

First Resolved Imaging of Escaping Lyman Continuum

The emission from star-forming galaxies appears to be responsible for reionization of the universe at z > 6 However, the models that attempt to describe the detailed impact of high-redshift galaxies on the surrounding inter-galactic medium (IGM) are strongly dependent upon several uncertain parameters Perhaps the most uncertain is the fraction of HI-ionizing photons produced by young stars that escape into the IGM Most attempts to measure this "escape fraction" have produced null results Recently, a small subset of z~3 Lyman Break Galaxies (LBGs) has been found exhibiting large escape fractions It remains unclear however, what differentiates them from other LBGs Several models attempt to explain how such a large fraction of ionizing continuum can escape through the HI and dust in the ISM (eg "chimneys" created by SNe winds, globular cluster formation, etc ), each producing unique signatures which can be observed with resolved imaging of the escaping Lyman continuum To date, there are only six LBGs with individual detections of escaping Lyman continuum at any redshift We propose a single deep, high resolution WFC3/UVIS image of the ionizing continuum (F336W) and the rest-frame UV/optical (F606W/F814W/F160W) of five of these six LBGs with large escape fractions These LBGs have a high surface density and large escape fractions, and lie at the optimal redshift for Lyman continuum imaging with UVIS filters, making our sample especially suitable for follow-up With these data we will discern the mechanisms responsible for producing large escape fractions, and therefore gain insight into the process of reionization

WFC3/UVIS 11628

Globular Cluster Candidates for Hosting a Central Black Hole

We are continuing our study of the dynamical properties of globular clusters and we propose to obtain surface brightness profiles for high concentration clusters Our results to date show that the distribution of central surface brightness slopes do not conform to standard models This has important implications for how they form and evolve, and suggest the possible presence of central intermediate-mass black holes From our previous archival proposals (AR-9542 and AR- 10315), we find that many high concentration globular clusters do not have flat cores or steep central cusps, instead they show weak cusps Numerical simulations suggest that clusters with weak cusps may harbor intermediate-mass black holes and we have one confirmation of this connection with omega Centauri This cluster shows a shallow cusp in its surface brightness profile, while kinematical measurements suggest the presence of a black hole in its center Our goal is to extend these studies to a sample containing 85% of the Galactic globular clusters with concentrations higher than 1 7 and look for objects departing from isothermal behavior The ACS globular cluster survey (GO-10775) provides enough objects to have an excellent coverage of a wide range of galactic clusters, but it contains only a couple of the ones with high concentration The proposed sample consists of clusters whose light profile can only be adequately measured from space-based imaging This would take us close to completeness for the high concentration cases and therefore provide a more complete list of candidates for containing a central black hole The dataset will also be combined with our existing kinematic measurements and enhanced with future kinematic studies to perform detailed dynamical modeling

STIS/CCD 11606

Dynamical Hypermassive Black Hole Masses

We will use STIS spectra to derive the masses of 5 hypermassive black holes (HMBHs) From the observed scaling relations defined by less massive spheroids, these objects are expected to reside at the nuclei of host galaxies with stellar velocity dispersions greater than 320 km/s These 5 targets have confirmed regular gas distributions on the scales of the black hole sphere of influence It is essential that the sphere of influence is resolved for accurate determinations of black hole mass (0 1") These scales cannot be effectively observed from the ground Only two HMBHs have had their masses modeled so far; it is impossible to draw any general conclusions about the connections between HMBH mass and their massive host galaxies With these 5 targets we will determine whether these HMBHs deviate from the scaling relations defined by less massive spheroids A larger sample will allow us to firmly anchor the high mass end of the correlation between black hole mass and stellar velocity dispersion, and other scaling relations Therefore we are also conducting a SNAPshot program with which we expect to detect a further 24 HMBH candidates for STIS observation in future cycles At the completion of this project we will have populated the high mass end of the scaling relations with the sample sizes enjoyed by less massive spheroids

ACS/WFC3 11604

The Nuclear Structure of OH Megamaser Galaxies

We propose a snapshot survey of a complete sample of 80 OH megamaser galaxies Each galaxy will be imaged with the ACS/WFC through F814W and a linear ramp filter (FR656N or FR716N or FR782N or FR853N) allowing us to study both the spheroid and the gas morphology in Halpha + [N II] We will use the 9% ramps FR647M (5370-7570 angstroms) centered at 7000 angstroms and FR914M (7570-10, 719 angstroms) 8000 angstroms for continuum subtraction for the high and low z objects respectively OH megamaser galaxies (OHMG) form an important class of ultraluminous IR-galaxies (ULIRGs) whose maser lines emit QSO-like luminosities ULIRGs in general are associated with recent mergers but it is often unclear whether their power output is dominated by starbursts or a hidden QSO because of the high absorbing columns which hide their nuclei even at X-ray wavelengths In contrast, OHMG exhibit strong evidence for the presence of an energetically important and recently triggered active nucleus In particular it is clear that much of the gas must have already collapsed to form a nuclear disk which may be the progenitor of a circum-nuclear torus, a key element of the unified scheme of AGN A great advantage of studying OHMG systems over the general ULIRG population, is that the circum-nuclear disks are effectively "fixed" at an inner, edge on, orientation, eliminating varying inclination as a nuisance parameter We will use the HST observations in conjunction with existing maser and spectroscopic data to construct a detailed picture of the circum-nuclear regions of a hitherto relatively neglected class of galaxy that may hold the key to understanding the relationship between galaxy mergers, nuclear star-formation, and the growth of massive black holes and the triggering of nuclear activity

ACS/WFC3 11599

Distances of Planetary Nebulae from SNAPshots of Resolved Companions

Reliable distances to individual planetary nebulae (PNe) in the Milky Way are needed to advance our understanding of their spatial distribution, birthrates, influence on galactic chemistry, and the luminosities and evolutionary states of their central stars (CSPN) Few PNe have good distances, however One of the best ways to remedy this problem is to find resolved physical companions to the CSPN and measure their distances by photometric main-sequence fitting We have previously used HST to identify and measure probable companions to 10 CSPN, based on angular separations and statistical arguments only We now propose to use HST to re-observe 48 PNe from that program for which additional companions are possibly present We then can use the added criterion of common proper motion to confirm our original candidate companions and identify new ones in cases that could not confidently be studied before We will image the region around each CSPN in the V and I bands, and in some cases in the B band Field stars that appear close to the CSPN by chance will be revealed by their relative proper motion during the 13+ years since our original survey, leaving only genuine physical companions in our improved and enlarged sample This study will increase the number of Galactic PNe with reliable distances by 50 percent and improve the distances to PNe with previously known companions

WFC3/UVIS 11594

A WFC3 Grism Survey for Lyman Limit Absorption at z=2

We propose to conduct a spectroscopic survey of Lyman limit absorbers at redshifts 1 8 < z < 2 5, using WFC3 and the G280 grism This proposal intends to complete an approved Cycle 15 SNAP program (10878), which was cut short due to the ACS failure We have selected 64 quasars at 2 3 < z < 2 6 from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Spectroscopic Quasar Sample, for which no BAL signature is found at the QSO redshift and no strong metal absorption lines are present at z

2 3 along the lines of sight The survey has three main observational goals First, we will determine the redshift frequency dn/dz of the LLS over the column density range 16 0 < log(NHI) < 20 3 cm^-2 Second, we will measure the column density frequency distribution f(N) for the partial Lyman limit systems (PLLS) over the column density range 16 0 < log(NHI) < 17 5 cm^-2 Third, we will identify those sightlines which could provide a measurement of the primordial D/H ratio By carrying out this survey, we can also help place meaningful constraints on two key quantities of cosmological relevance First, we will estimate the amount of metals in the LLS using the f(N), and ground based observations of metal line transitions Second, by determining f(N) of the PLLS, we can constrain the amplitude of the ionizing UV background at z~2 to a greater precision This survey is ideal for a snapshot observing program, because the on-object integration times are all well below 30 minutes, and follow-up observations from the ground require minimal telescope time due to the QSO sample being bright

ACS/WFC/WFC3/UV 11578

The Extremely Metal-Poor BCD Galaxy DDO 68: a Young Galaxy in the Local Universe ?

A long standing question in astrophysics is the existence of young galaxies, in which stars are now forming for the first time, in the nearby (i e , present-day) universe Such galaxies would be the local analogs of primordial galaxies observed at high redshift The most promising candidates have long been the most metal-poor systems, including dwarf irregulars (dIrrs) and blue compact dwarfs (BCDs) However, in many dIrrs and BCDs studied with HST an old (1 Gyr) underlying stellar population, as traced by red giant branch (RGB) stars, has been unambiguously detected Even in I Zw 18, which is the most-metal poor prototype of the class and long the most controversial case, our group has recently succeeded in detecting an RGB Nonetheless, there remains the possibility that the star formation histories of BCDs/dIrrs vary from galaxy to galaxy, and that truly young galaxies do exist in the local universe A new test of these issues has only recently become possible with the identification of DDO 68 as an extremely metal-poor galaxy with an oxygen abundance equal to that of I Zw 18 (12+(O/H)=7 21) This galaxy is about a factor of 2-3 closer than I Zw 18, which yields the opportunity to avoid the many ambiguities that have plagued studies of I Zw 18 Also, DDO 68 resides in a void, making it more likely that star formation has been suppressed for a very long time We will observe DDO 68 with ACS/WFC in F606W and F814W, plus F658N (Halpha) to correct the broad F606W for gas contamination We will use WFC3 in parallel with the same filters to study radial population gradients Deep color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) reaching the depth of one magnitude below the predicted RGB tip will be constructed and interpreted based on synthetic CMD fitting These data will determine unambiguously whether DDO 68 has an underlying old (RGB) stellar population or is forming stars for the first time Finding just a single nearby ``young'' galaxy would have profound cosmological implications

STIS/CCD 11567

Boron Abundances in Rapidly Rotating Early-B Stars

Models of rotation in early-B stars predict that rotationally driven mixing should deplete surface boron abundances during the main-sequence lifetime of many stars However, recent work has shown that many boron depleted stars are intrinsically slow rotators for which models predict no depletion should have occurred, while observations of nitrogen in some more rapidly rotating stars show less mixing than the models predict Boron can provide unique information on the earliest stages of mixing in B stars, but previous surveys have been biased towards narrow- lined stars because of the difficulty in measuring boron abundances in rapidly rotating stars The two targets observed as part of our Cycle 13 SNAP program 10175, just before STIS failed, demonstrate that it is possible to make useful boron abundance measurements for early-B stars with Vsin(i) above 100 km/s We propose to extend that survey to a large enough sample of stars to allow statistically significant tests of models of rotational mixing in early-B stars

NIC2/WFC3/IR 11548

Infrared Imaging of Protostars in the Orion A Cloud: The Role of Environment in Star Formation

We propose NICMOS and WFC3/IR observations of a sample of 252 protostars identified in the Orion A cloud with the Spitzer Space Telescope These observations will image the scattered light escaping the protostellar envelopes, providing information on the shapes of outflow cavities, the inclinations of the protostars, and the overall morphologies of the envelopes In addition, we ask for Spitzer time to obtain 55-95 micron spectra of 75 of the protostars Combining these new data with existing 3 6 to 70 micron photometry and forthcoming 5-40 micron spectra measured with the Spitzer Space Telescope, we will determine the physical properties of the protostars such as envelope density, luminosity, infall rate, and outflow cavity opening angle By examining how these properties vary with stellar density (i e clusters vs groups vs isolation) and the properties of the surrounding molecular cloud; we can directly measure how the surrounding environment influences protostellar evolution, and consequently, the formation of stars and planetary systems Ultimately, this data will guide the development of a theory of protostellar evolution

NIC3/WFC3/IR 11149

Characterizing the Stellar Populations in Lyman-Alpha Emitters and Lyman Break Galaxies at 5 7

The epoch of reionization marks a major phase transition of the Universe, during which the intergalactic space became transparent to UV photons Determining when this occurred and the physical processes involved represents the latest frontier in observational cosmology Over the last few years, searches have intensified to identify the population of high-redshift (z>6) galaxies that might be responsible for this process, but the progress is hampered partly by the difficulty of obtaining physical information (stellar mass, age, star formation rate/history) for individual sources This is because the number of z>6 galaxies that have both secure spectroscopic redshifts and high-quality infrared photometry (especially with Spitzer/IRAC) is still fairly small Considering that only several photometric points are available per source, and that many model SEDs are highly degenerate, it is crucial to obtain as many observational constraints as possible for each source to ensure the validity of SED modeling To better understand the physical properties of high-redshift galaxies, we propose here to conduct HST/NICMOS (72 orbits) and Spitzer/IRAC (102 hours) imaging of spectroscopically confirmed, bright (z<26 mag (AB)) Ly-alpha emitters (LAEs) and Lyman-break galaxies (LBGs) at 5 76 as suggested recently? (2) Is Ly-alpha emission systematically suppressed at z>6 with respect to continuum emission? (i e , are we reaching the epoch of incomplete reionization?), and (3) Do we see any sign of abnormally young stellar population in any of the z>6 galaxies?

WFC3/ACS/IR 11142

Revealing the Physical Nature of Infrared Luminous Galaxies at 0 3

We aim to determine physical properties of IR luminous galaxies at 0 3 0 8mJy and their mid-IR spectra have already provided the majority targets with spectroscopic redshifts (0 31 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, and (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)

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 25 25 FGS REAcq 22 22 OBAD with Maneuver 22 22

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)

============================================================================== TOPIC: Daily Report #5088

http://groups google com/group/sci astro hubble/t/190dd5ecd04e43b1?hl=en

== 1 of 1 == Date: Tues, May 4 2010 7:30Ã‚Â am From: "Cooper, Joe"

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing To Collect World Class Science

DAILY REPORT #5088

PERIOD COVERED: 5am May 3, 2010 - 5am May 4, 2010 (DOY 123/09:00z-124/09:00z)

OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED: ACS/WFC 11995

CCD Daily Monitor (Part 2)

ACS/WFC/WFC3/UVI 11636

First Resolved Imaging of Escaping Lyman Continuum

COS/FUV/COS/NUV 11727

UV spectroscopy of Local Lyman Break Galaxy Analogs: New Clues to Galaxy Formation in the Early Universe

Much of our information about galaxy evolution and the interaction between galaxies and the IGM at high-z has been provided by the Lyman Break Galaxies (LBGs) However, it is difficult to investigate these faint and distant objects in detail To address this, we have used the GALEX All-Sky Imaging Survey and the SDSS to identify for the first time a rare population of low-redshift galaxies with properties remarkably similar to the high-redshift LBGs These local "Lyman Break Analogs" (LBAs) resemble LBGs in terms of morphology, size, UV luminosity, star formation rate, UV surface brightness, stellar mass, velocity dispersion, metallicity, and dust content We are assembling a wide range of data on these objects with the goal of using them as local laboratories for better understanding the relevant astrophysical processes in LBGs These data include HST imaging (95 orbits in Cy15 and 16), Spitzer photometry and spectroscopy, Chandra and XMM X-ray imaging and spectroscopy, and near-IR integral field spectroscopy (VLT, Keck, and Gemini) In this proposal we are requesting the most important missing puzzle piece: far-UV spectra with a signal-to-noise and spectral resolution significantly better than available for typical LBGs We will use these spectra to study the LBA's galactic winds, probe the processes that regulate the escape of Ly-a and Lyman continuum radiation, determine chemical abundances for the stars and gas, and constrain the form of the high-end of the Initial Mass Function Adding these new COS data will give us vital information about these extraordinary sites of star formation in the local universe In so-doing it will also shed new light on the processes that led to the formation of stars, the building of galaxies, and the enrichment and heating of the IGM in the early universe

COS/NUV 11894

NUV Detector Dark Monitor

Measure the NUV detector dark rate by taking long science exposures with no light on the detector The detector dark rate and spatial distribution of counts will be compared to pre-launch and SMOV data in order to verify the nominal operation of the detector Variations of count rate as a function of orbital position will be analyzed to find dependence of dark rate on proximity to the SAA Dependence of dark rate as function of time will also be tracked

S/C 12046

COS FUV DCE Memory Dump

Whenever the FUV detector high voltage is on, count rate and current draw information is collected, monitored, and saved to DCE memory Every 10 msec the detector samples the currents from the HV power supplies (HVIA, HVIB) and the AUX power supply (AUXI) The last 1000 samples are saved in memory, along with a histogram of the number of occurrences of each current value

In the case of a HV transient (known as a "crackle" on FUSE), where one of these currents exceeds a preset threshold for a persistence time, the HV will shut down, and the DCE memory will be dumped and examined as part of the recovery procedure However, if the current exceeds the threshold for less than the persistence time (a "mini-crackle" in FUSE parlance), there is no way to know without dumping DCE memory By dumping and examining the histograms regularly, we will be able to monitor any changes in the rate of "mini-crackles" and thus learn something about the state of the detector

S/C/STIS/MA1 11863

STIS MAMA Fold Distribution

The performance of MAMA microchannel plates can be monitored using a MAMA fold analysis procedure The fold analysis provides a measurement of the distribution of charge cloud sizes incident upon the anode giving some measure of changes in the pulse-height distribution of the MCP and, therefore, MCP gain This proposal executes the same steps as the STIS MAMA Fold Analysis (10035) during Cycle 12

S/C/WFC3/IR 11929

IR Dark Current Monitor

Analyses of ground test data showed that dark current signals are more reliably removed from science data using darks taken with the same exposure sequences as the science data, than with a single dark current image scaled by desired exposure time Therefore, dark current images must be collected using all sample sequences that will be used in science observations These observations will be used to monitor changes in the dark current of the WFC3-IR channel on a day-to-day basis, and to build calibration dark current ramps for each of the sample sequences to be used by GOs in Cycle 17 For each sample sequence/array size combination, a median ramp will be created and delivered to the calibration database system (CDBS)

STIS/CCD 11721

Verifying the Utility of Type Ia Supernovae as Cosmological Probes: Evolution and Dispersion in the Ultraviolet Spectra

The study of distant type Ia supernova (SNe Ia) offers the most practical and immediate discriminator between popular models of dark energy Yet fundamental questions remain over possible redshift-dependent trends in their observed and intrinsic properties High quality Keck spectroscopy of a representative sample of 36 intermediate redshift SNe Ia has revealed a surprising, and unexplained, diversity in their rest-frame UV fluxes One possible explanation is hitherto undiscovered variations in the progenitor metallicity Unfortunately, this result cannot be compared to local UV data as only two representative SNe Ia have been studied near maximum light Taking advantage of two new `rolling searches' and the restoration of STIS, we propose a non-disruptive TOO campaign to create an equivalent comparison local sample This will allow us to address possible evolution in the mean UV spectrum and its diversity, an essential precursor to the study of SNe beyond z~1

STIS/CCD 11845

CCD Dark Monitor Part 2

Monitor the darks for the STIS CCD

STIS/CCD 11847

CCD Bias Monitor-Part 2

Monitor the bias in the 1x1, 1x2, 2x1, and 2x2 bin settings at gain=1, and 1x1 at gain = 4, to build up high-S/N superbiases and track the evolution of hot columns

STIS/CCD 11852

STIS CCD Spectroscopic Flats C17

Obtain pixel-to-pixel lamp flat fields for the STIS CCD in spectroscopic mode

STIS/MA1 11857

STIS Cycle 17 MAMA Dark Monitor

This proposal monitors the behavior of the dark current in each of the MAMA detectors

The basic monitor takes two 1380s ACCUM darks each week with each detector However, starting Oct 5, pairs are only included for weeks that the LRP has external MAMA observations planned The weekly pairs of exposures for each detector are linked so that they are taken at opposite ends of the same SAA free interval This pairing of exposures will make it easier to separate long and short term temporal variability from temperature dependent changes

For both detectors, additional blocks of exposures are taken once every six months These are groups of five 1314 s FUV-MAMA TIME-TAG darks or five 3x315 s NUV ACCUM darks distributed over a single SAA free interval This will give more information on the brightness of the FUV MAMA dark current as a function of the amount of time that the HV has been on, and for the NUV MAMA will give a better measure of the short term temperature dependence

STIS/MA1 11861

MAMA FUV Flats

This program will obtain FUV-MAMA observations of the STIS internal Krypton lamp to construct an FUV flat applicable to all FUV modes

WFC3/IR 11700

Bright Galaxies at z>7 5 with a WFC3 Pure Parallel Survey

The epoch of reionization represents a special moment in the history of the Universe as it is during this era that the first galaxies and star clusters are formed Reionization also profoundly affects the environment where subsequent generations of galaxies evolve Our overarching goal is to test the hypothesis that galaxies are responsible for reionizing neutral hydrogen To do so we propose to carry out a pure parallel WFC3 survey to constrain the bright end of the redshift z>7 5 galaxy luminosity function on a total area of 176 arcmin^2 of sky Extrapolating the evolution of the luminosity function from z~6, we expect to detect about 20 Lyman Break Galaxies brighter than M_* at z~8 significantly improving the current sample of only a few galaxies known at these redshifts Finding significantly fewer objects than predicted on the basis of extrapolation from z=6 would set strong limits to the brightness of M_*, highlighting a fast evolution of the luminosity function with the possible implication that galaxies alone cannot reionize the Universe Our observations will find the best candidates for spectroscopic confirmation, that is bright z>7 5 objects, which would be missed by small area deeper surveys The random pointing nature of the program is ideal to beat cosmic variance, especially severe for luminous massive galaxies, which are strongly clustered In fact our survey geometry of 38 independent fields will constrain the luminosity function like a contiguous single field survey with two times more area at the same depth Lyman Break Galaxies at z>7 5 down to m_AB=26 85 (5 sigma) in F125W will be selected as F098M dropouts, using three to five orbits visits that include a total of four filters (F606W, F098M, F125W, F160W) optimized to remove low-redshift interlopers and cool stars Our data will be highly complementary to a deep field search for high-z galaxies aimed at probing the faint end of the luminosity function, allowing us to disentangle the degeneracy between faint end slope and M_* in a Schechter function fit of the luminosity function We waive proprietary rights for the data In addition, we commit to release the coordinates and properties of our z>7 5 candidates within one month from the acquisition of each field

WFC3/UVI 11595

Turning out the Light: A WFC3 Program to Image z>2 Damped Lyman Alpha Systems

We propose to directly image the star-forming regions of z>2 damped Lya systems (DLAs) using the WFC3/UVIS camera on the Hubble Space Telescope In contrast to all previous attempts to detect the galaxies giving rise to high redshift DLAs, we will use a novel technique that completely removes the glare of the background quasar Specifically, we will target quasar sightlines with multiple DLAs and use the higher redshift DLA as a ``blocking filter'' (via Lyman limit absorption) to eliminate all FUV emission from the quasar This will allow us to carry out a deep search for FUV emission from the lower redshift DLA, shortward of the Lyman limit of the higher redshift absorber The unique filter set and high spatial resolution afforded by WFC3/UVIS will then enable us to directly image the lower redshift DLA and thus estimate its size, star-formation rate and impact parameter from the QSO sightline We propose to observe a sample of 20 sightlines, selected primarily from the SDSS database, requiring a total of 40 HST orbits The observations will allow us to determine the first FUV luminosity function of high redshift DLA galaxies and to correlate the DLA galaxy properties with the ISM characteristics inferred from standard absorption-line analysis to significantly improve our understanding of the general DLA population

WFC3/UVI 11700

Bright Galaxies at z>7 5 with a WFC3 Pure Parallel Survey

WFC3/UVI 11905

WFC3 UVIS CCD Daily Monitor

The behavior of the WFC3 UVIS CCD will be monitored daily with a set of full-frame, four-amp bias
and dark frames A smaller set of 2Kx4K subarray biases are acquired at less frequent intervals
throughout the cycle to support subarray science observations The internals from this proposal,
along with those from the anneal procedure (11909), will be used to generate the necessary superbias
and superdark reference files for the calibration pipeline (CDBS)

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 5 5 FGS REAcq 9 9 OBAD with Maneuver 3 3 LOSS of LOCK

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS:

None

============================================================================== TOPIC: Daily Report #5089

http://groups google com/group/sci astro hubble/t/9ab7476f64b269a6?hl=en

== 1 of 1 == Date: Wed, May 5 2010 6:46Ã‚Â am From: "Cooper, Joe"

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to Collect World Class Science

DAILY REPORT #5089

PERIOD COVERED: 5am May 4 - 5am May 5, 2010 (DOY 124/09:00z-125/09:00z)

OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED

ACS/WFC 11995 CCD Daily Monitor (Part 2)

ACS/WFC/WFC3/UVI 11636 First Resolved Imaging of Escaping Lyman Continuum

ACS/WFC/WFC3/UVI 1739 Multiple Stellar Generations in the Unique Globular Clusters NGC 6388 and NGC 6441

Over the last few years HST observations have resulted in one of the most exciting and unexpected developments in stellar population studies: the discovery of multiple generations of stars in several globular clusters The finding of multiple main sequences in the massive clusters NGC 2808 and Omega Centauri, and multiple subgiant branches in NGC 1851, M54, and NGC 6388 has challenged the long-held paradigm that globular clusters are simple stellar populations Even more surprising, given the spectroscopic and photometric constraints, the only viable explanation for the main sequence splitting appears to be Helium enrichment, up to an astonishingly high Y=0 4 The conditions under which certain globulars experience the formation of multiple stellar generations remain mysterious, and even more so the helium-enrichment phenomenon Such an enrichment has important implications for chemical-enrichment, star-formation, and stellar-evolution scenarios, in star clusters and likely elsewhere To properly constrain the multiple main sequence phenomenon, it is important to determine its extent among GCs: is it limited to Omega Cen and NGC2808, or is it more common? We propose deep WFC3 optical/IR imaging of NGC 6388 and 6441, the two globular clusters that are most likely to host multiple, helium-enriched populations Our simulations of WFC3 performance suggest that we will be able to detect even the main sequence splittings caused by small He differences (Delta Y <0 03)

ACS/WFC/WFC3/UVI 12020 The Deepest Stellar X-ray/optical Census of the Bulge

We have obtained the deepest optical dataset ever taken or planned towards the bulge, allowing bulge/disk decomposition down to F606W=23 and variability monitoring over seven days, diagnostics not available for any bulge field observed by Chandra We propose ACIS-I imaging to identify X-ray point sources in this field This will directly trace a number of fundamental yet poorly-constrained parameters of the inner Milky Way, for example the spin-down timescale of stars along the disk and bulge; the formation history of the bulge and, for the first time, direct constraints on the gravitational potential of the inner milky way through AGN-enabled absolute proper motions Our proposed survey will be an essential calibrator for other X-ray/optical surveys of the bulge both past and planned

COS/FUV/COS/NUV 11645 HST COS Observations of the Atmosphere and Airglow/Aurora of Enceladus

Recent observations from several instruments on the Cassini spacecraft have revealed plumes of dust and water from the southern polar region, and clearly shown that Enceladus contributes large amounts of plasma to Saturn?s magnetosphere This implies a global thin atmosphere containing water and likely other species, and a local region with orders of magnitude higher density near the plumes While water and dust have been identified from the plumes, the presence of many other species in the atmosphere is possible and not yet ruled out The identification of all significant species in the atmosphere of Enceladus is of key importance to speculation about the source of the water plumes, and the implications for any form of life at or below the surface In addition, modeling suggests that Enceladus? mass loading region may be comparable in extent to Io?s, and interacts strongly with Saturn?s corotating magnetic field and plasma We have recently concluded a search for an auroral footprint of Enceladus in HST images, which set a low upper limit implying that the magnetospheric interaction is concentrated near Enceladus, rather than being communicated along field lines to Saturn?s ionosphere The next step will be to observe the interaction at the satellite, and to learn whatever we can about the physics of the release of the atmospheric gas We propose here an exploratory set of spectral observations with HST COS to measure the solar reflection spectrum over a broad range of UV wavelengths for atmospheric absorption signatures This will at the same time measure the emission spectrum of the atmosphere from both the leading and trailing hemispheres ? Enceladus orbit apart, as was done in HST STIS observations of Io to study its interaction at Jupiter The higher sensitivity of COS will be needed to study the much smaller and relatively weakly-interacting Enceladus, and the outcome of these observations will determine the nature of future studies of the atmosphere of Enceladus and its plasma interaction with the Saturnian magnetosphere

COS/NUV/S/C 11891 NUV MAMA Fold Distribution

The performance of MAMA microchannel plate can be monitored using a MAMA fold analysis procedure The fold analysis provides a measurement of the distribution of charge cloud sizes incident upon the anode giving some measure of changes in the pulse-height distribution of the MCP and, therefore, MCP gain This proposal executes the same steps as the COS SMOV as proposal 13555 (visit 5)

STIS/CCD 11845 CCD Dark Monitor Part 2

Monitor the darks for the STIS CCD

STIS/CCD 11847 CCD Bias Monitor-Part 2

Monitor the bias in the 1x1, 1x2, 2x1, and 2x2 bin settings at gain=1, and 1x1 at gain = 4, to build up high-S/N superbiases and track the evolution of hot columns

STIS/CCD/STIS/MA2 11568 A SNAPSHOT Survey of the Local Interstellar Medium: New NUV Observations of Stars with Archived FUV Observations

We propose to obtain high-resolution STIS E230H SNAP observations of MgII and FeII interstellar absorption lines toward stars within 100 parsecs that already have moderate or high-resolution far-UV (FUV), 900-1700 A, observations available in the MAST Archive Fundamental properties, such as temperature, turbulence, ionization, abundances, and depletions of gas in the local interstellar medium (LISM) can be measured by coupling such observations Due to the wide spectral range of STIS, observations to study nearby stars also contain important data about the LISM embedded within their spectra However, unlocking this information from the intrinsically broad and often saturated FUV absorption lines of low-mass ions, (DI, CII, NI, OI), requires first understanding the kinematic structure of the gas along the line of sight This can be achieved with high resolution spectra of high-mass ions, (FeII, MgII), which have narrow absorption lines, and can resolve each individual velocity component (interstellar cloud) By obtaining short (~10 minute) E230H observations of FeII and MgII, for stars that already have moderate or high-resolution FUV spectra, we can increase the sample of LISM measurements, and thereby expand our knowledge of the physical properties of the gas in our galactic neighborhood STIS is the only instrument capable of obtaining the required high resolution data now or in the foreseeable future

STIS/MA1 11861 MAMA FUV Flats

This program will obtain FUV-MAMA observations of the STIS internal Krypton lamp to construct an FUV flat applicable to all FUV modes

STIS/MA2 11857 STIS Cycle 17 MAMA Dark Monitor

This proposal monitors the behavior of the dark current in each of the MAMA detectors The basic monitor takes two 1380s ACCUM darks each week with each detector However, starting Oct 5, pairs are only included for weeks that the LRP has external MAMA observations planned The weekly pairs of exposures for each detector are linked so that they are taken at opposite ends of the same SAA free interval This pairing of exposures will make it easier to separate long and short term temporal variability from temperature dependent changes For both detectors, additional blocks of exposures are taken once every six months These are groups of five 1314 s FUV-MAMA TIME-TAG darks or five 3x315 s NUV ACCUM darks distributed over a single SAA free interval This will give more information on the brightness of the FUV MAMA dark current as a function of the amount of time that the HV has been on, and for the NUV MAMA will give a better measure of the short term temperature dependence

WFC3/IR/WFC3/UVI 11644 A dynamical-compositional survey of the Kuiper belt: a new window into the formation of the outer solar system

The eight planets overwhelmingly dominate the solar system by mass, but their small numbers, coupled with their stochastic pasts, make it impossible to construct a unique formation history from the dynamical or compositional characteristics of them alone In contrast, the huge numbers of small bodies scattered throughout and even beyond the planets, while insignificant by mass, provide an almost unlimited number of probes of the statistical conditions, history, and interactions in the solar system To date, attempts to understand the formation and evolution of the Kuiper belt have largely been dynamical simulations where a hypothesized starting condition is evolved under the gravitational influence of the early giant planets and an attempt is made to reproduce the current observed populations With little compositional information known for the real Kuiper belt, the test particles in the simulation are free to have any formation location and history as long as they end at the correct point Allowing compositional information to guide and constrain the formation, thermal, and collisional histories of these objects would add an entire new dimension to our understanding of the evolution of the outer solar system While ground based compositional studies have hit their flux limits already with only a few objects sampled, we propose to exploit the new capabilities of WFC3 to perform the first ever large-scale dynamical-compositional study of Kuiper belt objects (KBOs) and their progeny to study the the chemical, dynamical, and collisional history of the region of the giant planets The sensitivity of the WFC3 observations will allow us to go up to two magnitudes deeper than our ground based studies, allowing us the capability of optimally selecting a target list for a large survey rather than simply taking the few objects that can be measured, as we have had to do to date We have carefully constructed a sample of 120 objects which provides both overall breadth, for a general understanding of these objects, plus a large enough number of objects in the individual dynamical subclass to allow detailed comparison between and within these groups These objects will likely define the core Kuiper belt compositional sample for years to come While we have many specific results anticipated to come from this survey, as with any project where the field is rich, our current knowledge level is low, and a new instrument suddenly appears which can exploit vastly larger segments of the population, the potential for discovery -- both anticipated and not -- is extraordinary

WFC3/UVI 11628 Globular Cluster Candidates for Hosting a Central Black Hole

We are continuing our study of the dynamical properties of globular clusters and we propose to obtain surface brightness profiles for high concentration clusters Our results to date show that the distribution of central surface brightness slopes do not conform to standard models This has important implications for how they form and evolve, and suggest the possible presence of central intermediate-mass black holes From our previous archival proposals (AR-9542 and AR-10315), we find that many high concentration globular clusters do not have flat cores or steep central cusps, instead they show weak cusps Numerical simulations suggest that clusters with weak cusps may harbor intermediate-mass black holes and we have one confirmation of this connection with omega Centauri This cluster shows a shallow cusp in its surface brightness profile, while kinematical measurements suggest the presence of a black hole in its center Our goal is to extend these studies to a sample containing 85% of the Galactic globular clusters with concentrations higher than 1 7 and look for objects departing from isothermal behavior The ACS globular cluster survey (GO-10775) provides enough objects to have an excellent coverage of a wide range of galactic clusters, but it contains only a couple of the ones with high concentration The proposed sample consists of clusters whose light profile can only be adequately measured from space-based imaging This would take us close to completeness for the high concentration cases and therefore provide a more complete list of candidates for containing a central black hole The dataset will also be combined with our existing kinematic measurements and enhanced with future kinematic studies to perform detailed dynamical modeling

WFC3/UVI 11630 Monitoring Active Atmospheres on Uranus and Neptune

We propose Snapshot observations of Uranus and Neptune to monitor changes in their atmospheres on time scales of weeks and months, as we have been doing for the past seven years Previous Hubble Space Telescope observations (including previous Snapshot programs 8634, 10170, 10534, and 11156), together with near-IR images obtained using adaptive optics on the Keck Telescope, reveal both planets to be dynamic worlds which change on time scales ranging from hours to (terrestrial) years Uranus equinox occurred in December 2007, and the northern hemisphere is becoming fully visible for the first time since the early 1960s HST observations during the past several years (Hammel et al 2005, Icarus 175, 284 and references therein) have revealed strongly wavelength-dependent latitudinal structure, the presence of numerous visible-wavelength cloud features in the northern hemisphere, at least one very long-lived discrete cloud in the southern hemisphere, and in 2006 the first clearly defined dark spot seen on Uranus Long-term ground-based observations (Lockwood and Jerzekiewicz, 2006, Icarus 180, 442; Hammel and Lockwood 2007, Icarus 186, 291) reveal seasonal brightness changes that seem to demand the appearance of a bright northern polar cap within the next few years Recent HST and Keck observations of Neptune (Sromovsky et al 2003, Icarus 163, 256 and references therein) show a general increase in activity at south temperate latitudes until 2004, when Neptune returned to a rather Voyager-like appearance with discrete bright spots rather than active latitude bands Further Snapshot observations of these two dynamic planets will elucidate the nature of long-term changes in their zonal atmospheric bands and clarify the processes of formation, evolution, and dissipation of discrete albedo features

WFC3/UVI 11905 WFC3 UVIS CCD Daily Monitor

The behavior of the WFC3 UVIS CCD will be monitored daily with a set of full-frame, four-amp bias
and dark frames A smaller set of 2Kx4K subarray biases are acquired at less frequent intervals
throughout the cycle to support subarray science observations The internals from this proposal,
along with those from the anneal procedure (11909), will be used to generate the necessary superbias
and superdark reference files for the calibration pipeline (CDBS)

WFC3/UVI 11908 Cycle 17: UVIS Bowtie Monitor

Ground testing revealed an intermittent hysteresis type effect in the UVIS detector (both CCDs) at the level of ~1%, lasting hours to days Initially found via an unexpected bowtie-shaped feature in flatfield ratios, subsequent lab tests on similar e2v devices have since shown that it is also present as simply an overall offset across the entire CCD, i e , a QE offset without any discernable pattern These lab tests have further revealed that overexposing the detector to count levels several times full well fills the traps and effectively neutralizes the bowtie Each visit in this proposal acquires a set of three 3x3 binned internal flatfields: the first unsaturated image will be used to detect any bowtie, the second, highly-exposed image will neutralize the bowtie if it is present, and the final image will allow for verification that the bowtie is gone

FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

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

HSTARS:

12269 - STIS Status Buffer Messages #645, #646 and #556 received 124/22:54:24z-124/22:55:29z

COMPLETED OPS REQUEST: (None)

COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)

                  SCHEDULED   SUCCESSFUL

FGS GSAcq 10 10 FGS REAcq 6 6 OBAD with Maneuver 7 7

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS:

Flash Report

At 124/22:54z, during a STIS MAMA1 monitor HV ramp, two consecutive event yellow limits were exceeded After the second consecutive out of limit, the HV was turned off and event flag 2 was set

==============================================================================

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