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============================================================================== TOPIC: Daily Report #5106
== 1 of 1 == Date: Fri, May 28 2010 7:37 am From: "Cooper, Joe"
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to Collect World Class Science
DAILY REPORT #5106
PERIOD COVERED: 5am May 27 - 5am May 28, 2010 (DOY 147/09:00z-148/09:00z)
FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:
Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be investigated )
HSTARS:
FOR DOY 137
12289 - GSAcq(2,1,2) at 137/17:14:52z failed to Fine Lock backup on FGS2 with scan step limit exceed on FGS1
Observations possibly affected, WFC 34 Proposal ID# 11536
COMPLETED OPS REQUEST: (None)
COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)
SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL
FGS GSAcq 08 08 FGS REAcq 10 10 OBAD with Maneuver 02 02
SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)
OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED:
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
COS/FUV/COS/NUV 11598
How Galaxies Acquire their Gas: A Map of Multiphase Accretion and Feedback in Gaseous Galaxy Halos
We propose to address two of the biggest open questions in galaxy formation - how galaxies acquire their gas and how they return it to the IGM - with a concentrated COS survey of diffuse multiphase gas in the halos of SDSS galaxies at z = 0 15 - 0 35 Our chief science goal is to establish a basic set of observational facts about the physical state, metallicity, and kinematics of halo gas, including the sky covering fraction of hot and cold material, the metallicity of infall and outflow, and correlations with galaxy stellar mass, type, and color - all as a function of impact parameter from 10 - 150 kpc Theory suggests that the bimodality of galaxy colors, the shape of the luminosity function, and the mass-metallicity relation are all influenced at a fundamental level by accretion and feedback, yet these gas processes are poorly understood and cannot be predicted robustly from first principles We lack even a basic observational assessment of the multiphase gaseous content of galaxy halos on 100 kpc scales, and we do not know how these processes vary with galaxy properties This ignorance is presently one of the key impediments to understanding galaxy formation in general We propose to use the high-resolution gratings G130M and G160M on the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph to obtain sensitive column density measurements of a comprehensive suite of multiphase ions in the spectra of 43 z < 1 QSOs lying behind 43 galaxies selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey In aggregate, these sightlines will constitute a statistically sound map of the physical state and metallicity of gaseous halos, and subsets of the data with cuts on galaxy mass, color, and SFR will seek out predicted variations of gas properties with galaxy properties Our interpretation of these data will be aided by state-of-the-art hydrodynamic simulations of accretion and feedback, in turn providing information to refine and test such models We will also use Keck, MMT, and Magellan (as needed) to obtain optical spectra of the QSOs to measure cold gas with Mg II, and optical spectra of the galaxies to measure SFRs and to look for outflows In addition to our other science goals, these observations will help place the Milky Way's population of multiphase, accreting High Velocity Clouds (HVCs) into a global context by identifying analogous structures around other galaxies Our program is designed to make optimal use of the unique capabilities of COS to address our science goals and also generate a rich dataset of other absorption-line systems along a significant total pathlength through the IGM (Delta z ~ 20)
COS/FUV/COS/NUV 11741
Probing Warm-Hot Intergalactic Gas at 0 5 < z < 1 3 with a Blind Survey for O VI, Ne VIII, Mg X, and Si XII Absorption Systems
Currently we can only account for half of the baryons (or less) expected to be found in the nearby universe based on D/H and CMB observations This "missing baryons problem" is one of the highest-priority challenges in observational extragalatic astronomy Cosmological simulations suggest that the baryons are hidden in low-density, shock-heated intergalactic gas in the log T = 5 - 7 range, but intensive UV and X-ray surveys using O VI, O VII, and O VIII absorption lines have not yet confirmed this prediction We propose to use COS to carry out a sensitive survey for Ne VIII and Mg X absorption in the spectra of nine QSOs at z(QSO) > 0 89 For the three highest-redshift QSOs, we will also search for Si XII This survey will provide more robust constraints on the quantity of baryons in warm-hot intergalactic gas at 0 5 < z < 1 3, and the data will provide rich constraints on the metal enrichment, physical conditions, and nature of a wide variety of QSO absorbers in addition to the warm-hot systems By comparing the results to other surveys at lower redshifts (with STIS, FUSE, and from the COS GTO programs), the project will also enable the first study of how these absorbers evolve with redshift at z < 1 By combining the program with follow-up galaxy redshift surveys, we will also push the study of galaxy-absorber relationships to higher redshifts, with an emphasis on the distribution of the WHIM with respect to the large-scale matter distribution of the universe
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 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/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 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 undertstand 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 seperately and probe the mass structure of early-type galaxies from 0 1 to 100 effective radii The large dynamic range to which lensing is sentive 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!
WFC3/IR 11219
Active Galactic Nuclei in nearby galaxies: a new view of the origin of the radio-loud radio-quiet dichotomy?
Using archival HST and Chandra observations of 34 nearby early-type galaxies (drawn from a complete radio selected sample) we have found evidence that the radio-loud/radio-quiet dichotomy is directly connected to the structure of the inner regions of their host galaxies in the following sense: [1] Radio-loud AGN are associated with galaxies with shallow cores in their light profiles [2] Radio-quiet AGN are only hosted by galaxies with steep cusps Since the brightness profile is determined by the galaxy's evolution, through its merger history, our results suggest that the same process sets the AGN flavour This provides us with a novel tool to explore the co-evolution of galaxies and supermassive black holes, and it opens a new path to understand the origin of the radio-loud/radio-quiet AGN dichotomy Currently our analysis is statistically incomplete as the brightness profile is not available for 82 of the 116 targets Most galaxies were not observed with HST, while in some cases the study is obstructed by the presence of dust features We here propose to perform an infrared NICMOS snapshot survey of these 82 galaxies This will enable us to i) test the reality of the dichotomic behaviour in a substantially larger sample; ii) extend the comparison between radio-loud and radio-quiet AGN to a larger range of luminosities
WFC3/IR 11696
Infrared Survey of Star Formation Across Cosmic Time
We propose to use the unique power of WFC3 slitless spectroscopy to measure the evolution of cosmic star formation from the end of the reionization epoch at z>6 to the close of the galaxy-building era at z~0 3 Pure parallel observations with the grisms have proven to be efficient for identifying line emission from galaxies across a broad range of redshifts The G102 grism on WFC3 was designed to extend this capability to search for Ly-alpha emission from the first galaxies Using up to 250 orbits of pure parallel WFC3 spectroscopy, we will observe about 40 deep (4-5 orbit) fields with the combination of G102 and G141, and about 20 shallow (2-3 orbit) fields with G141 alone
Our primary science goals at the highest redshifts are: (1) Detect Lya
in ~100 galaxies with z>5
6 and measure the evolution of the Lya
luminosity function, independent of of cosmic variance; 2) Determine
the connection between emission-line selected and continuum-break
selected galaxies at these high redshifts, and 3) Search for the
proposed signature of neutral hydrogen absorption at re-ionization
At
intermediate redshifts we will (4) Detect more than 1000 galaxies in
Halpha at 0
5 To identify single-line Lya emitters, we will exploit the wide
0
8--1
9um wavelength coverage of the combined G102+G141 spectra
All
[OII] and [OIII] interlopers detected in G102 will be reliably
separated from true LAEs by the detection of at least one strong line
in the G141 spectrum, without the need for any ancillary data
We
waive all proprietary rights to our data and will make high-level data
products available through the ST/ECF
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/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 ~20C
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/UVI 11903 UVIS Photometric Zero Points This proposal obtains the photometric zero points in 53 of the 62
UVIS/WFC3 filters: the 18 broad-band filters, 8 medium-band filters,
16 narrow-band filters, and 11 of the 20 quad filters (those being
used in cycle 17)
The observations will be primary obtained by
observing the hot DA white dwarf standards GD153 and G191-B2B
A
redder secondary standard, P330E, will be observed in a subset of the
filters to provide color corrections
Repeat observations in 16 of the
most widely used cycle 17 filters will be obtained once per month for
the first three months, and then once every second month for the
duration of cycle 17, alternating and depending on target
availability
These observations will enable monitoring of the
stability of the photometric system
Photometric transformation
equations will be calculated by comparing the photometry of stars in
two globular clusters, 47 Tuc and NGC 2419, to previous measurements
with other telescopes/instruments
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 WFC3/UVI 11907 UVIS Cycle 17 Contamination Monitor The UV throughput of WFC3 during Cycle 17 is monitored via weekly
standard star observations in a subset of key filters covering
200-600nm and F606W, F814W as controls on the red end
The data will
provide a measure of throughput levels as a function of time and
wavelength, allowing for detection of the presence of possible
contaminants
WFC3/UV/COS/FUV/WFC 11536 COS-GTO: Sleuthing the Source of Distant Cometary Activity Distant comets and Centaurs often show cometary activity and outbursts
well beyond 3 AU, the boundary of the sublimation zone of water
Super-volatiles (most likely CO, but possibly CH4, N2, or S2) are
suspected to be responsible, but have never been detected in distant
comets in the UV
We will obtain FUV spectra of active bodies to cover
important CO emission bands
We plan two sets of observations: comet
29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann at 6 AU, whose outbursts are too short to
capture as a Target of Opportunity, but which also shows persistent
cometary activity in quiescence; and Target of Opportunity
observations of the Centaur 2060 Chiron (at ~15
5 AU) in outburst
==============================================================================
TOPIC: Daily Report #5107 == 1 of 1 ==
Date: Tues, Jun 1 2010 10:36 am
From: "Bassford, Lynn" HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to Collect World Class Science DAILY REPORT #5107 PERIOD COVERED: 5am May 28 - 5am June 1, 2010 (DOY 148/09:00z-152/09:00z) FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY: Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary
reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be
investigated
) HSTARS: @ 148/15:45 Observations affected: WFC3 #116-117, Proposal #12021
Observations possibly affected: ACS #9-10 Proposal #11995; WFC3 #10-11
Proposal #11905; COS #32 Proposal #11894; STIS #3 Proposal #11845;
Astrometry Proposals #11704 and #11995
COMPLETED OPS REQUEST: 148/11:26z COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None) FGS GSAcq 32 31
FGS REAcq 29 29
OBAD with Maneuver 24 23 SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None) OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED: WFC3/UV 12117 Determining the Nature of an Exceptional Optical Transient During the course of the Catalina Real-time Transient Survey (CRTS) we
have discovered an exceptionally luminous optical transient
The
source of this event appears to be either the most luminous supernova
ever discovered, or the first clear optical detection of the tidal
disruption of a star by a massive black hole
In spite of numerous
ground and space-based observations the exact nature of the event
remains unclear
High spatial resolution observations with HST WFC3
are critical to solving this mystery
COS/NUV/S/C/FUV 12082 Extending COS/G130M Coverage Down to 905A With Two New Central
Wavelengths
These exploratory observations will provide sensitivity, wavelength
range, and resolution measurements for two new COS FUV G130M central
wavelength settings
These new settings will extend COS/G130M coverage
down to 905? in two new bandpasses; 1021-1171? (BLUE) and 905-1055?
(Ultra-BLUE)
The modes are chosen to provide continuous coverage from
905? to the existing coverage in the G130M/1291? setting with
approximately 30? of overlap in each mode for cross-calibration
purposes
No focus adjustments will be made for these settings, as
this is deemed an unnecessary risk to COS
These new modes have the potential to provide greater than FUSE
sensitivity at moderate (3, 000-5, 000) resolution
Three WD targets are defined; 1) GD50 (GSC-04717-00588; a well observed standard WD) 2) WD0320-539
(GSC-08493-00891, one of the targets used in exploring the G140L
sensitivity), 3) REJ0503-289 (WD-5001-289 = GSC-04717-00588, a hot
EUVE bright WD) But only target 2) is used at this time
In the observations section, G130M/1291A is a placeholder for the BLUE
and Super-BLUE settings
WFC3/UV 12077 Monitoring the Aftermath of an Asteroid Impact Event Our Director's Discretionary program (GO-12053) to image the newly
discovered object P/2010 A2 executed successfully on 2010 Jan 25 and
29 with spectacular results
Hubble has apparently borne witness to
the first detection of a collision in the asteroid belt
Hubble
imaging with the WFC3 has revealed an object unlike anything ever seen
before and with details impossible to detect with any other facility
We request 6 more orbits of Hubble time (1 orbit every 20 days over
the next few months, until the object enters Hubble's solar exclusion
zone in late-June 2010) to monitor the evolution of this remarkable
object and further clarify the nature of this event
These
observations may usher in a new era of searching for and
characterizing collisional events within the asteroid belt
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/IR 11915 IR Internal Flat Fields This program is the same as 11433 (SMOV) and depends on the completion
of the IR initial alignment (Program 11425)
This version contains
three instances of 37 internal orbits: to be scheduled early, middle,
and near the end of Cycle 17, in order to use the entire 110-orbit
allocation
In this test, we will study the stability and structure of the IR
channel flat field images through all filter elements in the WFC3-IR
channel
Flats will be monitored, i
e
to capture any temporal trends
in the flat fields and delta flats produced
High signal observations
will provide a map of the pixel-to-pixel flat field structure, as well
as identify the positions of any dust particles
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 11907 UVIS Cycle 17 Contamination Monitor The UV throughput of WFC3 during Cycle 17 is monitored via weekly
standard star observations in a subset of key filters covering
200-600nm and F606W, F814W as controls on the red end
The data will
provide a measure of throughput levels as a function of time and
wavelength, allowing for detection of the presence of possible
contaminants
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/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
COS/FUV 11895 FUV Detector Dark Monitor Monitor the FUV detector dark rate by taking long science exposures
without illuminating 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
COS/NUV 11894 NUV Detector Dark Monitor The purpose of this proposal is to 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
ACS/WFC3/STIS/CCD 11889 Photometric Cross-Calibration using Stellar Flux Standards The purpose of this proposal is to: A) Verify the ACS HRC and WFC
photometric calibrations with a repeat visit to one of the three
primary WDs
B) Measure the change in sensitivity with time for bright
stars (which would include any small CTE contributions)
C) Continue
to investigate the ~2% discrepancy between ACS flux calibration and
that of STIS (ACS ISR 2007-06)
The goal is to measure any filter
bandpass shifts in ACS or rule out the possibility of shifts as the
primary contributors to the ACS/STIS discrepancy for cool stars
STIS/CCD 11852 STIS CCD Spectroscopic Flats C17 The purpose of this proposal is to obtain pixel-to-pixel lamp flat
fields for the STIS CCD in spectroscopic mode
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 11788 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
COS/NUV/FUV 11741 Probing Warm-Hot Intergalactic Gas at 0
5 < z < 1
3 with a Blind
Survey for O VI, Ne VIII, Mg X, and Si XII Absorption Systems Currently we can only account for half of the baryons (or less)
expected to be found in the nearby universe based on D/H and CMB
observations
This "missing baryons problem" is one of the
highest-priority challenges in observational extragalatic astronomy
Cosmological simulations suggest that the baryons are hidden in
low-density, shock-heated intergalactic gas in the log T = 5 - 7
range, but intensive UV and X-ray surveys using O VI, O VII, and O
VIII absorption lines have not yet confirmed this prediction
We
propose to use COS to carry out a sensitive survey for Ne VIII and Mg
X absorption in the spectra of nine QSOs at z(QSO) > 0
89
For the
three highest-redshift QSOs, we will also search for Si XII
This
survey will provide more robust constraints on the quantity of baryons
in warm-hot intergalactic gas at 0
5 < z < 1
3, and the data will
provide rich constraints on the metal enrichment, physical conditions,
and nature of a wide variety of QSO absorbers in addition to the
warm-hot systems
By comparing the results to other surveys at lower
redshifts (with STIS, FUSE, and from the COS GTO programs), the
project will also enable the first study of how these absorbers evolve
with redshift at z < 1
By combining the program with follow-up galaxy
redshift surveys, we will also push the study of galaxy-absorber
relationships to higher redshifts, with an emphasis on the
distribution of the WHIM with respect to the large-scale matter
distribution of the universe
ACS/WFC3 11735 The LSD Project: Dynamics, Merging and Stellar Populations of a Sample
of Well-Studied LBGs at z~3 A large observational effort with the ground-based ESO/VLT telescopes
allowed us to obtain deep, spatially-resolved, near-IR spectra of
complete sample of 11 Lyman-Break Galaxies at z~3
1
These
observations were used to obtain, for the first time, the metallicity
and the dynamical properties of a sample of objects that, albeit
small, is representative of the total population of the LBGs
We
propose to use HST to obtain high-resolution optical and near-IR
images of this sample of LBGs in order to study the broad-band
morphology and the stellar light distribution of these galaxies
These
images, exploiting the superior spatial resolution of HST images and
the low-background : 1- will allow a precise measure of the dynamical
mass from the velocity field derived with spectroscopy; 2- will permit
a comparison of the distribution of star formation (from the line
emission) with the underlying stellar population, and, 3- will be used
to check if the complex velocity field and the multiple line-emitting
regions detected in most targets can be ascribed to on-going mergers
This accurate study will shed light on a number of unsolved problems
still affecting the knowledge of the LBGs
COS/NUV/FUV 11728 The Impact of Starbursts on the Gaseous Halos of Galaxies Perhaps the most important (yet uncertain) aspects of galaxy evolution
are the processes by which galaxies accrete gas and by which the
resulting star formation and black hole growth affects this accreting
gas
It is believed that both the form of the accretion and the nature
of the feedback change as a function of the galaxy mass
At low mass
the gas comes in cold and the feedback is provided by massive stars
At high mass, the gas comes in hot, and the feedback is from an AGN
The changeover occurs near the mass where the galaxy population
transitions from star-forming galaxies to red and dead ones
The
population of red and dead galaxies is building with cosmic time, and
it is believed that feedback plays an important role in this process:
shutting down star formation by heating and/or expelling the reservoir
of cold halo gas
To investigate these ideas, we propose to use COS
far-UV spectra of background QSOs to measure the properties of the
halo gas in a sample of galaxies near the transition mass that have
undergone starbursts within the past 100 Myr to 1 Gyr
The galactic
wind associated with the starburst is predicted to have affected the
properties of the gaseous halo
To test this, we will compare the
properties of the halos of the post-starburst galaxies to those of a
control sample of galaxies matched in mass and QSO impact parameter
Do the halos of the post-starburst galaxies show a higher incidence
rate of Ly-Alpha and metal absorption-lines? Are the kinematics of the
halo gas more disturbed in the post-starbursts? Has the wind affected
the ionization state and/or the metallicity of the halo? These data
will provide fresh new insights into the role of feedback from massive
stars on the evolution of galaxies, and may also offer clues about the
properties of the QSO metal absorption-line systems at high-redshift
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
WFC3/IR 11712 Calibration of Surface Brightness Fluctuations for WFC3/IR We aim to characterize galaxy surface brightness fluctuations (SBF),
and calibrate the SBF distance method, in the F110W and F160W filters
of the Wide Field Camera 3 IR channel
Because of the very high
throughput of F110W and the good match of F160W to the standard H
band, we anticipate that both of these filters will be popular choices
for galaxy observations with WFC3/IR
The SBF signal is typically an
order of magnitude brighter in the near-IR than in the optical, and
the characteristics (sensitivity, FOV, cosmetics) of the WFC3/IR
channel will be enormously more efficient for SBF measurements than
previously available near-IR cameras
As a result, our proposed SBF
calibration will allow accurate distance derivation whenever an
early-type or bulge-dominated galaxy is observed out to a distance of
150 Mpc or more (i
e
, out to the Hubble flow) in the calibrated
passbands
For individual galaxy observations, an accurate distance is
useful for establishing absolute luminosities, black hole masses,
linear sizes, etc
Eventually, once a large number of galaxies have
been observed across the sky with WFC3/IR, this SBF calibration will
enable accurate mapping of the total mass density distribution in the
local universe using the data available in the HST archive
The
proposed observations will have additional important scientific value;
in particular, we highlight their usefulness for understanding the
nature of multimodal globular cluster color distributions in giant
elliptical galaxies
WFC3/UV/ACS/WFC 11710 The Extreme Globular Cluster System of Abell 1689: The Ultimate Test
of Universal Formation Efficiency The stellar masses of the most luminous galaxies poorly represent the
masses of the halos in which they reside
However, recent studies of
the very rich globular cluster (GC) populations in the centers of
galaxy clusters point toward an apparently linear scaling of the
number of GCs with the total core mass of the galaxy cluster
Thus,
unlike for the stars in cD galaxies, GC formation in these systems
appears to have proceeded with a roughly universal mass conversion
efficiency
GCs are also distinct in that their spatial distributions
are more extended than the starlight, and recent simulations suggest
that they follow the mass density profile of the merged dark matter
halos that formed stars at high redshift
To provide a definitive test
of the universal efficiency hypothesis requires measuring the number
of GCs in the most massive galaxy clusters, where the number should be
a factor of 5 or more greater than seen in M87
Likewise, the
relationship between GCs and mass density can only be tested in
systems where the total mass and mass density are well-determined
Fortunately, the imaging power of HST brings the GC population of
Abell 1689, the most extreme high-mass lensing cluster, into range
Estimates of the size of the A1689 GC population from available data
suggest an unprecedented 100, 000 GCs, but this number is based on the
tip of the iceberg and is extremely uncertain
We propose to obtain
the first accurate measurement of the number of GCs and their density
profile in this extraordinary system - the most massive and most
distant GC system ever studied - and thus make the ultimate test of
the universal GC formation hypothesis
Our deep I-band image will also
provide a stringent "null-detection" test of several known z>7 galaxy
candidates and improve the mass model of the system by increasing the
number of usable lensed background galaxies
Finally, we will take
deep multi-band parallel observations with WFC3/IR to help in
quantifying the abundance of rare faint red objects
FGS 11704 The Ages of Globular Clusters and the Population II Distance Scale Globular clusters are the oldest objects in the universe whose age can
be accurately determined
The dominant error in globular cluster age
determinations is the uncertain Population II distance scale
We
propose to use FGS 1R to obtain parallaxes with an accuracy of 0
2
milliarcsecond for 9 main sequence stars with [Fe/H] < -1
5
This will
determine the absolute magnitude of these stars with accuracies of
0
04 to 0
06mag
This data will be used to determine the distance to
24 metal-poor globular clusters using main sequence fitting
These
distances (with errors of 0
05 mag) will be used to determine the ages
of globular clusters using the luminosity of the subgiant branch as an
age indicator
This will yield absolute ages with an accuracy of 5%,
about a factor of two improvement over current estimates
Coupled with
existing parallaxes for more metal-rich stars, we will be able to
accurately determine the age for globular clusters over a wide range
of metallicities in order to study the early formation history of the
Milky Way and provide an independent estimate of the age of the
universe
The Hipparcos database contains only 1 star with [Fe/H] < -1
4 and an
absolute magnitude error less than 0
18 mag which is suitable for use
in main sequence fitting
Previous attempts at main sequence fitting
to metal-poor globular clusters have had to rely on theoretical
calibrations of the color of the main sequence
Our HST parallax
program will remove this source of possible systematic error and yield
distances to metal-poor globular clusters which are significantly more
accurate than possible with the current parallax data
The HST
parallax data will have errors which are 10 times smaller than the
current parallax data
Using the HST parallaxes, we will obtain main
sequence fitting distances to 11 globular clusters which contain over
500 RR Lyrae stars
This will allow us to calibrate the absolute
magnitude of RR Lyrae stars, a commonly used Population II distance
indicator
WFC3/UVIS/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
COS/NUV/FUV 11698 The Structure and Dynamics of Virgo's Multi-Phase Intracluster Medium The dynamical flows of the intracluster medium (ICM) are largely
unknown
We propose to map the spatial and kinematic distribution of
the warm ICM of the nearby Virgo cluster using the Cosmic Origins
Spectrograph
15 sightlines at a range of impact parameters within the
virial radius of the cluster (0
2 - 1
7 Mpc) will be probed for
Lyman-alpha absorption and the data compared to blind HI, dust and
x-ray surveys to create a multi-phase map of the cluster's ICM
Absorption line sightlines are commonly 40-100 kpc from a galaxy,
allowing the flow of baryons between galaxies and the ICM to be
assessed
The velocity distribution of the absorbers will be directly
compared to simulations and used to constrain the turbulent motions of
the ICM
This proposal will result in the first map of a cluster's
warm ICM and provide important tests for our theoretical understanding
of cluster formation and the treatment of gas cooling in cosmological
simulations
WFC3/IR 11696 Infrared Survey of Star Formation Across Cosmic Time We propose to use the unique power of WFC3 slitless spectroscopy to
measure the evolution of cosmic star formation from the end of the
reionization epoch at z>6 to the close of the galaxy- building era at
z~0
3
Pure parallel observations with the grisms have proven to be
efficient for identifying line emission from galaxies across a broad
range of redshifts
The G102 grism on WFC3 was designed to extend this
capability to search for Ly-alpha emission from the first galaxies
Using up to 250 orbits of pure parallel WFC3 spectroscopy, we will
observe about 40 deep (4-5 orbit) fields with the combination of G102
and G141, and about 20 shallow (2-3 orbit) fields with G141 alone
Our primary science goals at the highest redshifts are: (1) Detect Lya
in ~100 galaxies with z>5
6 and measure the evolution of the Lya
luminosity function, independent of of cosmic variance; 2) Determine
the connection between emission line selected and continuum-break
selected galaxies at these high redshifts, and 3) Search for the
proposed signature of neutral hydrogen absorption at re-ionization
At
intermediate redshifts we will (4) Detect more than 1000 galaxies in
Halpha at 0
5 To identify single-line Lya emitters, we will exploit the wide
0
8--1
9um wavelength coverage of the combined G102+G141 spectra
All
[OII] and [OIII] interlopers detected in G102 will be reliably
separated from true LAEs by the detection of at least one strong line
in the G141 spectrum, without the need for any ancillary data
We
waive all proprietary rights to our data and will make high-level data
products available through the ST/ECF
COS/NUV/FUV/STIS/CCD/ 11692 MA1 The LMC as a QSO Absorption Line System We propose to obtain high resolution, high signal-to-noise
observations of QSOs behind the Large Magellanic Clouds
These QSOs
are situated beyond the star forming disk of the galaxy, giving us the
opportunity to study the distribution of metals and energy in regions
lacking significant star formation
In particular, we will derive the
metallicities and study the ionization characteristics of LMC gas at
impact parameters 3-17 kpc
We will compare our results with high-z
QSO absorption line systems
COS/FUV 11686 The Cosmological Impact of AGN Outflows: Measuring Absolute Abundances
and Kinetic Luminosities AGN outflows are increasingly invoked as a major contributor to the
formation and evolution of supermassive black holes, their host
galaxies, the surrounding IGM, and cluster cooling flows
Our HST/COS
proposal will determine reliable absolute chemical abundances in six
AGN outflows, which influences several of the processes mentioned
above
To date there is only one such determination, done by our team
on Mrk 279 using 16 HST/STIS orbits and 100 ksec of FUSE time
The
advent of COS and its high sensitivity allows us to choose among
fainter objects at redshifts high enough to preclude the need for
FUSE
This will allow us to determine the absolute abundances for six
AGN (all fainter than Mrk 279) using only 40 HST COS orbits
This will
put abundances studies in AGN on a firm footing, an elusive goal for
the past four decades
In addition, prior FUSE observations of four of
these targets indicate that it is probable that the COS observations
will detect troughs from excited levels of C III
These will allow us
to measure the distances of the outflows and thereby determine their
kinetic luminosity, a major goal in AGN feedback research
We will use our state of the art column density extraction methods and
velocity-dependent photoionization models to determine the abundances
and kinetic luminosity
Previous AGN outflow projects suffered from
the constraints of deciding what science we could do using ONE of the
handful of bright targets that were observable
With COS we can choose
the best sample for our experiment
As an added bonus, most of the
spectral range of our targets has not been observed previously,
greatly increasing the discovery phase space
WFC3/IR 11666 Chilly Pairs: A Search for the Latest-type Brown Dwarf Binaries and
the Prototype Y Dwarf We propose to use HST/NICMOS to image a sample of 27 of the nearest (<
20 pc) and lowest luminosity T-type brown dwarfs in order to identify
and characterize new very low mass binary systems
Only 3 late-type T
dwarf binaries have been found to date, despite that fact that these
systems are critical benchmarks for evolutionary and atmospheric
models at the lowest masses
They are also the most likely systems to
harbor Y dwarf companions, an as yet unpopulated putative class of
very cold (T < 600 K) brown dwarfs
Our proposed program will more
than double the number of T5-T9 dwarfs imaged at high resolution, with
an anticipated yield of ~5 new binaries with initial characterization
of component spectral types
We will be able to probe separations
sufficient to identify systems suitable for astrometric orbit and
dynamical mass measurements
We also expect one of our discoveries to
contain the first Y-type brown dwarf
Our proposed program complements
and augments ongoing ground-based adaptive optics surveys and provides
pathway science for JWST
WFC3/UVIS 11650 Mutual Orbits, Colors, Masses, and Bulk Densities of 3 Cold Classical
Trans-Neptunian Binaries Many Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs) have been found to be binary or
multiple systems
As in other astrophysical settings, Trans-Neptunian
Binaries (TNBs) offer uniquely valuable information
Their mutual
orbits allow the direct determination of their system masses, perhaps
the most fundamental physical quantity of any astronomical object
Their frequency of occurrence and dynamical characteristics provide
clues to formation conditions and evolution scenarios affecting both
the binaries and their single neighbors
Combining masses with sizes,
bulk densities can be measured
Densities constrain bulk composition
and internal structure, key clues to TNO origins and evolution over
time
Several TNB bulk densities have been determined, hinting at
interesting trends
But none of them belongs to the Cold Classical
sub-population, the one group of TNOs with demonstrably distinct
physical characteristics
Two top-priority Spitzer programs will soon
observe and measure the sizes of 3 Cold Classical TNBs
This proposal
seeks to determine the mutual orbits and thus masses of these systems,
enabling computation of their densities
STIS/CC/MA 11608 How Far Does H2 Go: Constraining FUV Variability in the Gaseous Inner
Holes of Protoplanetary Disks By studying the innermost, planet-forming regions of circumstellar
disks around low-mass pre-main sequence stars we can refine theories
of planet formation and develop timescales for the evolution of disks
and their planets
Spitzer infrared observations of T Tauri stars have
given us an unprecedented look at dust evolution in young objects,
particularly the transitional disks
However, despite this ground
breaking progress in studying the dust in young disks, the
relationship between the dust and gas properties in the inner disk
remains essentially unknown
Using STIS on HST, we propose to quantify
the variability of H2 emission originating within the inner holes of
transitional disks and explore its implications on dust distribution
and planet formation
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
COS/NUV/FUV 11598 How Galaxies Acquire their Gas: A Map of Multiphase Accretion and
Feedback in Gaseous Galaxy Halos We propose to address two of the biggest open questions in galaxy
formation - how galaxies acquire their gas and how they return it to
the IGM - with a concentrated COS survey of diffuse multiphase gas in
the halos of SDSS galaxies at z = 0
15 - 0
35
Our chief science goal
is to establish a basic set of observational facts about the physical
state, metallicity, and kinematics of halo gas, including the sky
covering fraction of hot and cold material, the metallicity of infall
and outflow, and correlations with galaxy stellar mass, type, and
color - all as a function of impact parameter from 10 - 150 kpc
Theory suggests that the bimodality of galaxy colors, the shape of the
luminosity function, and the mass-metallicity relation are all
influenced at a fundamental level by accretion and feedback, yet these
gas processes are poorly understood and cannot be predicted robustly
from first principles
We lack even a basic observational assessment
of the multiphase gaseous content of galaxy halos on 100 kpc scales,
and we do not know how these processes vary with galaxy properties
This ignorance is presently one of the key impediments to
understanding galaxy formation in general
We propose to use the
high-resolution gratings G130M and G160M on the Cosmic Origins
Spectrograph to obtain sensitive column density measurements of a
comprehensive suite of multiphase ions in the spectra of 43 z < 1 QSOs
lying behind 43 galaxies selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey
In aggregate, these sightlines will constitute a statistically sound
map of the physical state and metallicity of gaseous halos, and
subsets of the data with cuts on galaxy mass, color, and SFR will seek
out predicted variations of gas properties with galaxy properties
Our
interpretation of these data will be aided by state-of-the-art
hydrodynamic simulations of accretion and feedback, in turn providing
information to refine and test such models
We will also use Keck,
MMT, and Magellan (as needed) to obtain optical spectra of the QSOs to
measure cold gas with Mg II, and optical spectra of the galaxies to
measure SFRs and to look for outflows
In addition to our other
science goals, these observations will help place the Milky Way's
population of multiphase, accreting High Velocity Clouds (HVCs) into a
global context by identifying analogous structures around other
galaxies
Our program is designed to make optimal use of the unique
capabilities of COS to address our science goals and also generate a
rich dataset of other absorption-line systems WFC3/UVIS 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/ACS/UVIS/IR 11570 Narrowing in on the Hubble Constant and Dark Energy A measurement of the Hubble constant to a precision of a few percent
would be a powerful aid to the investigation of the nature of dark
energy and a potent "end-to end" test of the present cosmological
model
In Cycle 15 we constructed a new streamlined distance ladder
utilizing high- quality type Ia supernova data and observations of
Cepheids with HST in the near-IR to minimize the dominant sources of
systematic uncertainty in past measurements of the Hubble constant and
reduce its total uncertainty to a little under 5%
Here we propose to
exploit this new route to reduce the remaining uncertainty by more
than 30%, translating into an equal reduction in the uncertainty of
the equation of state of dark energy
We propose three sets of
observations to reach this goal: a mosaic of NGC 4258 with WFC3 in
F160W to triple its sample of long period Cepheids, WFC3/F160W
observations of the 6 ideal SN Ia hosts to triple their samples of
Cepheids, and observations of NGC 5584 the host of a new SN Ia, SN
2007af, to discover and measure its Cepheids and begin expanding the
small set of SN Ia luminosity calibrations
These observations would
provide the bulk of a coordinated program aimed at making the
measurement of the Hubble constant one of the leading constraints on
dark energy
WFC3/UVI/IR 11557 The Nature of Low-Ionization BAL QSOs The rare subclass of optically-selected QSOs known as low-ionization
broad absorption line (LoBAL) QSOs show signs of high-velocity gas
outflows and reddened continua indicative of dust obscuration
Recent
studies show that galaxies hosting LoBAL QSOs tend to be ultraluminous
infrared systems that are undergoing mergers, and that have dominant
young (< 100 Myr) stellar populations
Such studies support the idea
that LoBAL QSOs represent a short- lived phase early in the life of
QSOs, when powerful AGN-driven winds are blowing away the dust and gas
surrounding the QSO
If so, understanding LoBALs would be critical in
the study of phenomena regulating black hole and galaxy evolution,
such as AGN feedback and the early stages of nuclear accretion
These
results, however, come from very small samples that may have serious
selection biases
We are therefore taking a more aggressive approach
by conducting a systematic multiwavelength study of a volume limited
sample of LoBAL QSOs at 0
5 < z < 0
6 drawn from SDSS
We propose to
image their host galaxies in two bands using WFC3/UVIS and WFC3/IR to
study the morphologies for signs of recent tidal interactions and to
map their interaction and star forming histories
We will thus
determine whether LoBAL QSOs are truly exclusively found in young
merging systems that are likely to be in the early stages of nuclear
accretion
WFC3/UV 11556 Investigations of the Pluto System We propose a set of high SNR observations of the Pluto system that
will provide improved lightcurves, orbits, and photometric properties
of Nix and Hydra
The key photometric result for Nix and Hydra will be
a vastly improved lightcurve shape and rotation period to test if the
objects are in synchronous rotation or not
A second goal of this
program will be to retrieve a new epoch of albedo map for the surface
of Pluto
These observations will also improve masses and in some case
densities for the bodies in the Pluto system
NIC2/WFC3/IR 11219 Active Galactic Nuclei in Nearby Galaxies: A New View of the Origin of
the Radio-Loud Radio- Quiet Dichotomy? Using archival HST and Chandra observations of 34 nearby early-type
galaxies (drawn from a complete radio selected sample) we have found
evidence that the radio-loud/radio-quiet dichotomy is directly
connected to the structure of the inner regions of their host galaxies
in the following sense: [1] Radio-loud AGN are associated with
galaxies with shallow cores in their light profiles [2] Radio-quiet
AGN are only hosted by galaxies with steep cusps
Since the brightness
profile is determined by the galaxy's evolution, through its merger
history, our results suggest that the same process sets the AGN
flavor
This provides us with a novel tool to explore the co-evolution
of galaxies and supermassive black holes, and it opens a new path to
understand the origin of the radio-loud/radio-quiet AGN dichotomy
Currently our analysis is statistically incomplete as the brightness
profile is not available for 82 of the 116 targets
Most galaxies were
not observed with HST, while in some cases the study is obstructed by
the presence of dust features
We here propose to perform an infrared
NICMOS snapshot survey of these 82 galaxies
This will enable us to i)
test the reality of the dichotomic behavior in a substantially larger
sample; ii) extend the comparison between radio-loud and radio-quiet
AGN to a larger range of luminosities
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
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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)
http://groups
google
com/group/sci
astro
hubble/t/094f53065e9df6f8?hl=en
12290 GSAcq(1,2,1) failed with Search Radius Limit exceeded on FGS 1
12291 GSAcq (2,3,3) resulted in Fine Lock Backup (2,0,2) @ 151/11:22z
18860-0 Execute ROP NS-12 to Reset STIS FSW Error Counter @
18861-0 Null Genslew for Proposal #12077 - slot 2 @ 148/12:26z
SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL
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