sci astro hubble http://groups google com/group/sci astro hubble?hl=en
sci astro hubble@googlegroups com
Today's topics:
- Daily Report #5134 - 1 messages, 1 author http://groups google com/group/sci astro hubble/t/04e4598bbdb8fc68?hl=en
- Daily Report #5135 - 1 messages, 1 author http://groups google com/group/sci astro hubble/t/94538a8620d4199e?hl=en
- Daily Report #5136 - 1 messages, 1 author http://groups google com/group/sci astro hubble/t/c6e87f2b0be1e175?hl=en
- Daily Report #5137 - 1 messages, 1 author http://groups google com/group/sci astro hubble/t/8710b0b99a27a367?hl=en
============================================================================== TOPIC: Daily Report #5134
http://groups google com/group/sci astro hubble/t/04e4598bbdb8fc68?hl=en
== 1 of 1 == Date: Fri, Jul 9 2010 7:58 am From: "Cooper, Joe"
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to Collect World Class Science
DAILY REPORT #5134
PERIOD COVERED: 5am July 8 - 5am July 9, 2010 (DOY 189/09:00z-190/09:00z)
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 7 7 OBAD with Maneuver 4 4
SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)
OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED:
COS/FUV/STIS/CCD/MA1 11592
Testing the Origin(s) of the Highly Ionized High-Velocity Clouds: A Survey of Galactic Halo Stars at z>3 kpc
Cosmological simulation predicts that highly ionized gas plays an
important role in the formation and evolution of galaxies and their
interplay with the intergalactic medium
The NASA HST and FUSE
missions have revealed high-velocity CIV and OVI absorption along
extragalactic sightlines through the Galactic halo
These highly
ionized high-velocity clouds (HVCs) could cover 85% of the sky and
have a detection rate higher than the HI HVCs
Two competing, equally
exciting, theories may explain the origin of these highly ionized
HVCs: 1) the "Galactic" theory, where the HVCs are the result of
feedback processes and trace the disk-halo mass exchange, perhaps
including the accretion of matter condensing from an extended corona;
2) the "Local Group" theory, where they are part of the local warm-hot
intergalactic medium, representing some of the missing baryonic matter
of the Universe
Only direct distance determinations can discriminate
between these models
Our group has found that some of these highly
ionized HVCs have a Galactic origin, based on STIS observations of one
star at z<5
3 kpc
We propose an HST FUV spectral survey to search for
and characterize the high velocity NV, CIV, and SiIV interstellar
absorption toward 24 stars at much larger distances than any previous
searches (4 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
STIS/CC 11845 CCD Dark Monitor Part 2 Monitor the darks for the STIS CCD
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
WFC3/IR 11694 Mapping the Interaction Between High-Redshift Galaxies and the
Intergalactic Environment With the commissioning of the high-throughput large-area camera
WFC3/IR, it is possible for the first time to undertake an efficient
survey of the rest-frame optical morphologies of galaxies at the peak
epoch of star formation in the universe
We therefore propose deep
WFC3/IR imaging of over 320 spectroscopically confirmed galaxies
between redshift 1
6 < z < 3
4 in well-studied fields which lie along
the line of sight to bright background QSOs
The spectra of these
bright QSOs probe the IGM in the vicinity of each of the foreground
galaxies along the line of sight, providing detailed information on
the physical state of the gas at large galactocentric radii
In
combination with our densely sampled UV/IR spectroscopy, stellar
population models, and kinematic data in these fields, WFC3/IR imaging
data will permit us to construct a comprehensive picture of the
structure, dynamics, and star formation properties of a large
population of galaxies in the early universe and their effect upon
their cosmological environment
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/ACS/WFC 11663 Formation and Evolution of Massive Galaxies in the Richest
Environments at 1
5 < z < 2
0 We propose to image seven 1
5 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
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)
WFC3/UVIS/IR 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 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
==============================================================================
TOPIC: Daily Report #5135 == 1 of 1 ==
Date: Mon, Jul 12 2010 8:58 am
From: "Cooper, Joe" HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to Collect World Class Science DAILY REPORT #5135 PERIOD COVERED: 5am July 9 - 5am July 12, 2010 (DOY 190/09:00z-193/09:00z) FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY: Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary
reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be
investigated
) HSTARS: 12325 - GSAcq(2,1,1) at 190/17:54:12z resulted in Fine lock Backup on
FGS2
The subsequent REAcqs at 190/19:29:27z and 190/21:05:20z also
resulted in fine lock backup on FGS2
Observations possibly affected COS 98-109 Proposal ID# 11598; WFC3 135
Proposal ID# 11908 12326 - GSAcq(1,2,1) at 191/01:33:56z resulted in fine lock backup on
FGS2 after scan step limit exceeded on FGS2
The subsequent REAcq at
191/02:52:29z also resulted in fine lock backup on FGS2
Observations possibly affected: STIS 36, 37 Proposal ID# 11845; STIS
38-40 Proposal ID# 11847; WFC3 140-142 Proposal ID# 11661 COMPLETED OPS REQUEST: 18871-0 - Execute ROP NS-12 to Reset STIS FSW Error Count @ 190/1450z
17543-3 - Dump OBAD Tables After Failed OBAD @ 191/2048z, 191/2049z
18870-1 - Eclipse Management for 192/18:26 Eclipse (July 11) @ 192/2141z COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None) FGS GSAcq 20 20
FGS REAcq 23 23
OBAD with Maneuver 16 16 SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: Lunar Solar Eclipse 2010/192 OPS Request 18870 was successfully executed to configure the FSW
processing of CSS data and temporarily disable Rate of Charge (ROC)
safemode test during the moon shadow that occurred from 192/18:16z to
18:54z
During the eclipse period, the minimum FSW SOC was approximately 438
A-hr, the maximum 482 A-hr and the FSW Benchmark was not reset
However, the batteries were charged nominally on the following orbit
and benchmark reset was achieved
OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED: 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
ACS/WFC 11996 CCD Daily Monitor (Part 3) 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 308 orbits (19
25 weeks) from 21 June
2010 to 1 November 2010
WFC3/IR 11931 IR Signal Non-Linearity Calibration These observations will be used to quantify the non-linear signal
behavior of the IR channel, as well as to create the IR channel
non-linearity calibration reference file
The non-linearity behavior
of each pixel in the detector will be investigated through the use of
flat fields, while the photometric behavior of point sources will be
studied using observations of 47 Tuc
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/UV 11923 UVIS Filter Wedge Check The position of each UVIS filter will be checked to verify that the
filters meet the CEI (Contract End Item) specification for image
displacement
We will observe NGC 1850 with all full-frame UVIS
filters using a subarray (UVIS1-C512A) without moving the telescope,
as well as the quad filters with a 512x512 specifically designed
subarray
We will also acquire one grism exposure
The relative
displacement of the stars in each image will be measured from one
filter to the next
WFC3/UV 11918 WFC3 UVIS Image Quality The UVIS imaging performance over the detector will be assessed
periodically (every 4 months) in two passbands (F275W and F621M) to
check for image stability
The field around star 58 in the open
cluster NGC188 is the chosen target because it is sufficiently dense
to provide good sampling over the FOV while providing enough isolated
stars to permit accurate PSF (point spread function) measurement
It
is available year-round and used previously for ACS image quality
assessment
The field is astrometric, and astrometric guide stars will
be used, so that the plate scale and image orientation may also be
determined if necessary (as in SMOV proposals 11436 and 11442)
Full
frame images will be obtained at each of 4 POSTARG offset positions
designed to improve sampling over the detector
This proposal is a periodic repeat (once every 4 months) of visits
similar to those in SMOV proposal 11436 (activity ID WFC3-23)
The
data will be analyzed using the code and techniques described in ISR
WFC3 2008-40 (Hartig)
Profiles of encircled energy will be monitored
and presented in an ISR
If an update to the SIAF is needed, (V2, V3)
locations of stars will be obtained from the Flight Ops Sensors and
Calibrations group at GSFC, the (V2, V3) of the reference pixel and
the orientation of the detector will be determined by the WFC3 group,
and the Telescopes group will update and deliver the SIAF to the PRDB
branch
The specific PSF metrics to be examined are encircled energy for
aperture diameter 0
15, 0
20, 0
25, and 0
35 arcsec, FWHM, and
sharpness
(See ISR WFC3 2008-40 tables 2 and 3 and preceding text
)
about 20 stars distributed over the detector will be measured in each
exposure for each filter
The mean, rms, and rms of the mean will be
determined for each metric
The values determined from each of the 4
exposures per filter within a visit will be compared to each other to
see to what extent they are affected by "breathing"
Values will be
compared from visit to visit, starting with the values obtained during
SMOV after the fine alignment has been performed, to see if the
measures of the compactness of the PSF indicate degradation over time
The analysis will be repeated for stars on the inner part of the
detector and stars on the outer part of the detector to check for
differential degradation of the PSF
As an example of the analysis, one can examine the sharpness of the
F275W PSF exposures made during thermal vacuum testing (ISR WFC3
2008-40)
To compare two samples, one can define the PSFs on each CCD
chip as a sample of 8
The mean, rms, and rms of the mean sharpness
are 0
0676, 0
0093, and 0
0035 for one chip, and 0
0701, 0
0085, and
0
0032 for the other
The difference of the means is 0
0025 and the
statistical error in that difference is 0
0048, so the difference is
not significant
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)
ACS/WFC3 11882 CCD Hot Pixel Annealing This program continues the monthly anneal that has taken place every
four weeks for the last three cycles
We now obtain WFC biases and
darks before and after the anneal in the same sequence as is done for
the ACS daily monitor (now done 4 times per week)
So the anneal
observation supplements the monitor observation sets during the
appropriate week
Extended Pixel Edge Response (EPER) and First Pixel
Response (FPR) data will be obtained over a range of signal levels for
the Wide Field Channel (WFC)
This program emulates the ACS pre-flight
ground calibration and post-launch SMOV testing (program 8948), so
that results from each epoch can be directly compared
The High
Resolution Channel (HRC) visits have been removed since it could not
be repaired during SM4
This program also assesses the read noise, bias structure, and
amplifier cross-talk of ACS/WFC using the GAIN=1
4 A/D conversion
setting
This investigation serves as a precursor to a more
comprehensive study of WFC performance using GAIN=1
4
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
ACS/WFC 11831 Probing X-Ray Jet Emission Mechanisms in a Complete Blazar Sample We propose deep (70 ksec) followup Chandra X-ray observations and new
HST ACS/WFC/F475W observations of two quasars, viz
, 0106+013 and
1641+399, belonging to the complete flux-limited MOJAVE Chandra blazar
sample
These two quasars have HST WFPC2/F702W data available in the
archive
Combining the existing optical and radio data with the new
Chandra and HST data at an additional optical band we aim to construct
a significantly more accurate multi-waveband (four frequency) spectral
energy distributions for distinct knots in the jets
This will serve
as a first step towards resolving longstanding ambiguities surrounding
the primary X-ray emission mechanisms in a well-defined sample of
powerful FR-II class jets
COS/NUV/FUV 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
WFC3/UVIS 11697 Proper Motion Survey of Classical and SDSS Local Group Dwarf Galaxies Using the superior resolution of HST, we propose to continue our
proper motion survey of Galactic dwarf galaxies
The target galaxies
include one classical dwarf, Leo II, and six that were recently
identified in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey data: Bootes I, Canes
Venatici I, Canes Venatici II, Coma Berenices, Leo IV, and Ursa Major
II
We will observe a total of 16 fields, each centered on a
spectroscopically-confirmed QSO
Using QSOs as standards of rest in
measuring absolute proper motions has proven to be the most accurate
and most efficient method
HST is our only option to quickly determine
the space motions of the SDSS dwarfs because suitable ground-based
imaging is only a few years old and such data need several decades to
produce a proper motion
The two most distant galaxies in our sample
will require time baselines of four years to achieve our goal of a
30-50 km/s uncertainty in the tangential velocity; given this and the
finite lifetime of HST, it is imperative that first-epoch observations
be taken in this cycle
The SDSS dwarfs have dramatically lower
surface brightnesses and luminosities than the classical dwarfs
Proper motions are crucial for determining orbits of the galaxies and
knowing the orbits will allow us to test theories for the formation
and evolution of these galaxies and, more generally, for the formation
of the Local Group
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/ACS/UVIS 11684 The First Proper Motion Measurement for M31: Dynamics and Mass of the
Local Group We will perform observations to determine the proper motion of the
Andromeda galaxy M31, which has been sought for almost a century
without success
While challenging, this measurement has now become
possible due to the availability of existing deep ACS/WFC images of
several M31 fields
The requested second epoch images will yield the
average shift of the M31 stars with respect to compact galaxies in the
background
Our observing strategy uses six different fields (three
primary and three coordinated parallel) with two different instruments
(ACS and WFC3) to provide a maximum handle on possible systematic
effects
The expected result will be sufficiently accurate to: (a)
discriminate between different histories for the dynamics of the Local
Group; (b) constrain the mass distribution of the Local Group; (c)
determine the details of the expected future merger between M31 and
the Milky Way; (d) infer the past interaction history between M31 and
M33; (e) constrain the internal proper motion kinematics of the M31
spheroid, outer disk, and tidal stream; and (f) obtain a pilot
estimate of the M31 distance through the method of rotational
parallax
WFC3/UVI 11680 The Main Sequence Luminosity Function of Low-Mass Globular Clusters Theoretical work indicates that the dynamical evolution of globular
clusters of low mass and low central concentration is strongly
determined by mass-loss processes, such as stellar evaporation and
tidal stripping, that can eventually lead to cluster dissolution
In
fact, mass loss and cluster disruption is now considered to be a
viable explanation for the form of the faint end of the Milky Way
globular cluster luminosity function
A clear observational
demonstration of the prevalence of cluster mass-loss would have
ramifications not only for the dynamical evolution of individual
globular clusters and their internal stellar mass distributions, but
also for the relationships between halo field and cluster stars and
the properties of globular cluster systems in galaxies
Our previous
WFPC2 imaging of the low-mass diffuse halo cluster Palomar 5 revealed
a main sequence deficient in stars compared to other low-concentration
globular clusters of much higher mass, consistent with there having
been a considerable loss of stars from this system
But is Pal 5
typical of low-mass, low-concentration halo clusters? We propose to
place the mass-loss scenario on a firm observational footing (or
otherwise) by using WFC3 imaging to measure the main-sequence stellar
mass functions of two of the lowest-mass lowest-concentration globular
clusters in the Milky Way, AM-4 and Palomar 13, in order to search for
analogous evidence of stellar depletion
WFC3/UVIS 11661 The Black Hole Mass - Bulge Luminosity Relationship for the Nearest
Reverberation-Mapped AGNs We propose to obtain WFC3 host galaxy images of the eight nearest AGNs
with masses from reverberation mapping, and one star as a PSF model
These images will allow us to determine with unprecedented accuracy
the bulge luminosities of the host galaxies, a goal which is not
achievable from the ground due to the blurring of the very bright PSF
component under typical, and even very good, seeing conditions
High-resolution ACS images of the host galaxies of more luminous AGNs
reveal that the black hole mass-bulge luminosity and black hole
mass-bulge mass relationships for AGNs are not well constrained and
arise from what appear to be fundamentally flawed data sets
With the
addition of the images proposed here to our current sample of ACS
images, we will be able to extend our determinations of the black hole
mass- bulge luminosity and black hole mass-bulge mass relationships
for AGNs by an order of magnitude and test our preliminary results for
these fundamentally important relationships against those previously
determined for quiescent galaxies
COS/NUV/ACS/WFC/FUV 11658 Probing the Outer Regions of M31 with QSO Absorption Lines We propose HST-COS spectroscopy of 10 quasars behind M31
Absorption
lines due to MgII, FeII, CIV, and a variety of other lines will be
searched for and measured
Six quasars lie between 1 and 4
2 Holmberg
radii near the major axis on the southwest side, where confusion with
Milky Way gas is minimized
Two lie even farther out on the southwest
side of the major axis
One lies within 1 Holmberg radius
Two of the
10 pass through M31's high velocity clouds seen in a detailed 21 cm
emission map
Exposure time estimates were based on SDSS magnitudes
and available GALEX magnitudes
Thus, using the most well-studied
external spiral galaxy in the sky, our observations will permit us to
check, better than ever before, the standard picture that quasar
metal-line absorption systems such as MgII and CIV arise in an
extended gaseous halo/disk of a galaxy well beyond its observable
optical radius
The observations will yield insights into the nature
of the gas and its connection to the very extended stellar components
of M31 that have recently been studied
Notably the observations have
the potential of extending M31's rotation curve to very large
galactocentric distances, thereby placing new constrants on M31's dark
matter halo
Finally, we also request that the coordinated parallel orbits be
allocated to this program so that we may image the resolved stellar
content of M31's halo and outer disk
WFC3/IR 11648 WFC3 Spectroscopy of an X-ray Luminous Galaxy Cluster at z>2 We propose to obtain deep WFC3+G141 grism observations to
spectroscopically confirm a remarkable z>2 cluster of galaxy
candidate
Over a 1000 arcmin^2 field imaged with Spitzer's IRAC we
have discovered a compact (<30ÕÕ diameter) concentration of extremely
red galaxies with a factor of >40 overdensity over the adjacent field
Among these galaxies for which we can derive meaningful photometric
redshifts, 17 are consistent with zphot=2-2
5, making it very likely
that the concentration is a real cluster at such high redshift
This
is further supported by a 3
5 sigma detection of extended X-Ray
emission on XMM-Newton data, by a likely color magnitude sequence of
red galaxies, and by the presence of a giant galaxy consistent with a
BCG at the cluster redshift
The general faintness of the red galaxies
in all optical bands and their high redshifts prevent confirmation of
this cluster with ordinary optical spectroscopy
The WFC3 camera with
G141 grism provides the only way to confirm this record high-z cluster
and measure its redshift from spectral breaks typical of old stellar
populations
Our deep integrations will reveal redshifts for at least
19 ultra-red galaxies in the area and of a similar number of bluer
galaxies at the cluster redshift
Knowledge of the cluster redshift
based on the HST spectra will allow us to reach important scientific
aims: find the most distant Xray emitting evolved galaxy cluster,
determine membership of the other galaxies from photometric SED
analysis, study their stellar population properties, characterize the
color-magnitude relation with constraints on the formation redshift
The proposed observations will establish a first z>2 benchmark for
cluster field comparisons of galaxy formation at this highest redshift
and will firmly establish the progenitors of local rich Abell
clusters
STIS/CC 11626 Searching for the Upper Mass Limit in NGC 3603, the Nearest Giant H II
Region What is the mass of the highest mass star? 100Mo? 150Mo? 200Mo? Or
higher? Theory gives us little guidance as to what physics sets the
upper mass limit, presuming one exists
Is it due to limitations in
the highest masses that can coalesce? Or is it due to stability issues
in such a behemoth? Observationally, the upper mass limit is poorly
constrained at present, with the strongest evidence coming from the
K-band luminosity function of the Arches cluster near the Galactic
Center
Here we propose to investigate this question by determining
the Initial Mass Function of NGC 3603, the nearest giant H II region
This cluster is known to contain a wealth of O3 and hydrogen-rich
Wolf-Rayets, the most luminous and massive of stars
By constructing
an accurate H-R diagram for the cluster, we will construct a present
day mass function using newly computed high mass evolutionary tracks,
and convert this to an initial mass function using the inferred ages
This will allow us to see whether or not there is a true deficit of
high mass stars, evidence of an upper mass cutoff
At the same time we
are likely to establish good masses for the highest mass stars ever
determined
We have laid the groundwork for this project using the
Magellan 6
5-m telescope and the excellent seeing found on Las
Campanas, plus analysis of archival ACS/HRS frames, but we now need to
obtain spectra of the stars unobservable from the ground
This can
only be done with HST and a reburbished STIS
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 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
COS/FUV/STIS/CCD/MA1 11592 Testing the Origin(s) of the Highly Ionized High-Velocity Clouds: A
Survey of Galactic Halo Stars at z>3 kpc Cosmological simulation predicts that highly ionized gas plays an
important role in the formation and evolution of galaxies and their
interplay with the intergalactic medium
The NASA HST and FUSE
missions have revealed high-velocity CIV and OVI absorption along
extragalactic sightlines through the Galactic halo
These highly
ionized high-velocity clouds (HVCs) could cover 85% of the sky and
have a detection rate higher than the HI HVCs
Two competing, equally
exciting, theories may explain the origin of these highly ionized
HVCs: 1) the "Galactic" theory, where the HVCs are the result of
feedback processes and trace the disk-halo mass exchange, perhaps
including the accretion of matter condensing from an extended corona;
2) the "Local Group" theory, where they are part of the local warm-hot
intergalactic medium, representing some of the missing baryonic matter
of the Universe
Only direct distance determinations can discriminate
between these models
Our group has found that some of these highly
ionized HVCs have a Galactic origin, based on STIS observations of one
star at z<5
3 kpc
We propose an HST FUV spectral survey to search for
and characterize the high velocity NV, CIV, and SiIV interstellar
absorption toward 24 stars at much larger distances than any previous
searches (4 WFC3/UVIS 11588 Galaxy-Scale Strong Lenses from the CFHTLS Survey We aim to investigate the origin and evolution of early-type galaxies
using gravitational lensing, modeling the mass profiles of objects
over a wide range of redshifts
The low redshift (z = 0
2) sample is
already in place following the successful HST SLACS survey; we now
propose to build up and analyze a sample of comparable size (~50
systems) at high redshift (0
4 < z < 0
9) using HST WFC3 Snapshot
observations of lens systems identified by the SL2S collaboration in
the CFHT legacy survey
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
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/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 understand their
stellar structure, but also their dark-matter distribution from the
smallest to the largest scales
Over the last three years the SLACS
collaboration has developed a toolbox to tackle these issues in a
unique and encompassing way by combining new non-parametric strong
lensing techniques, stellar dynamics, and most recently weak
gravitational lensing, with high-quality Hubble Space Telescope
imaging and VLT/Keck spectroscopic data of early-type lens systems
This allows us to break degeneracies that are inherent to each of
these techniques separately and probe the mass structure of early-type
galaxies from 0
1 to 100 effective radii
The large dynamic range to
which lensing is sensitive allows us both to probe the clumpy
substructure of these galaxies, as well as their low-density outer
haloes
These methods have convincingly been demonstrated, by our
team, using smaller pilot-samples of SLACS lens systems with HST data
In this proposal, we request observing time with WFC3 and NICMOS to
observe 53 strong lens systems from SLACS, to obtain complete
multi-color imaging for each system
This would bring the total number
of SLACS lens systems to 87 with completed HST imaging and effectively
doubles the known number of galaxy-scale strong lenses
The deep HST
images enable us to fully exploit our new techniques, beat down
low-number statistics, and probe the structure and evolution of early-
type galaxies, not only with a uniform data-set an order of magnitude
larger than what is available now, but also with a fully-coherent and
self-consistent methodological approach! NIC3/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
7 ==============================================================================
TOPIC: Daily Report #5136 == 1 of 1 ==
Date: Tues, Jul 13 2010 8:53 am
From: "Cooper, Joe" HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to Collect World Class Science DAILY REPORT #5136 PERIOD COVERED: 5am July 12 - 5am July 13, 2010 (DOY 193/09:00z-194/09:00z) 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) FGS GSAcq 9 9
FGS REAcq 7 7
OBAD with Maneuver 8 8 SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None) OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED: ACS/WFC 11996 CCD Daily Monitor (Part 3) 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 308 orbits (19
25 weeks) from 21 June
2010 to 1 November 2010
COS/FUV 11699 On the Evolutionary Status of Extremely Hot Helium Stars - are the
O(He) Stars Successors of the R CrB Stars? We propose UV spectroscopy of the four unique post-AGB stars of
spectral type O(He) in order to understand the origin of their
peculiar surface abundances
These stars are the only known amongst
the hottest post-AGB stars (effective temperatures > 100, 000 K) whose
atmospheres are composed of almost pure helium
This chemistry
markedly differs from that of the hydrogen-deficient post-AGB
evolutionary sequence with objects which have carbon dominated
atmospheres (PG1159 stars and Wolf-Rayet central stars)
While PG1159 and Wolf-Rayet stars are the result of a late
helium-shell flash, this scenario cannot explain the O(He) stars
Instead, they are possibly double-degenerate mergers
We speculate
that the four O(He) stars represent evolved RCrB stars, which also
have helium-dominated atmospheres
We aim to determine the C, N, O,
and Si abundances precisely, in order to proof this evolutionary link
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
STIS/CC 11845 CCD Dark Monitor Part 2 Monitor the darks for the STIS CCD
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/MA 11576 Physical Parameters of the Upper Atmosphere of the Extrasolar Planet
HD209458b One of the most studied extrasolar planet, HD209458b, has revealed
both its lower and upper atmosphere thanks to HST and Spitzer
observatories
Through transmission spectroscopy technique, several atmospheric
species were detected: NaI, HI, OI and CII
Using STIS archived
transit absorption spectrum from 3000 to 8000 Angstrom, we obtained
detailed constraints on the vertical profile of temperature, pressure
and abundances (Sing et al 2008a, 2008b, Lecavelier et al
2008b)
By observing in the NUV, from 2300 to 3100 Angstrom, we expect to
obtain new constraints on the physical conditions and the chemical
composition of the upper atmosphere: temperature/pressure profile up
to very high in the atmosphere, abundance and condensation altitudes
of new species, and new insight in the atmospheric escape and
ionization state at the upper levels
The observation of four
HD209458b transits with a single E230M setting will give access to
many NUV atomic lines addressing these issues
The proposed
observations will probe, for the first time, in details the atmosphere
of a hot Jupiter, thus bench marking follow up studies
STIS/CCD 11849 STIS CCD Hot Pixel Annealing This purpose of this activity is to repair radiation induced hot pixel
damage to the STIS CCD by warming the CCD to the ambient instrument
temperature and annealing radiation-damaged pixels
Radiation damage creates hot pixels in the STIS CCD Detector
Many of
these hot pixels can be repaired by warming the CCD from its normal
operating temperature near -83 deg
C to the ambient instrument
temperature (~ +5 deg
C) for several hours
The number of hot pixels
repaired is a function of annealing temperature
The effectiveness of
the CCD hot pixel annealing process is assessed by measuring the dark
current behavior before and after annealing and by searching for any
window contamination effects
STIS/CCD 11853 Cycle 17 STIS CCD Imaging Flats This program periodically monitors the STIS CCD imaging mode flat
fields by using the tungsten lamps
WFC3/IR 11631 Binary Brown Dwarfs and the L/T Transition Brown dwarfs traverse spectral types M, L and T as their atmospheric
structure evolves and they cool into oblivion
This SNAPSHOT program
will obtain WFC3-IR images of 45 nearby late-L and early-T dwarfs to
investigate the nature of the L/T transition
Recent analyses have
suggested that a substantial proportion of late-L and early-T dwarfs
are binaries, comprised of an L dwarf primary and T dwarf secondary
WFC3-IR observations will let us quantify this suggestion by expanding
coverage to a much larger sample, and permitting comparison of the L/T
binary fraction against ?normal? ultracool dwarfs
Only eight L/T
binaries are currently known, including several that are poorly
resolved: we anticipate at least doubling the number of resolved
systems
The photometric characteristics of additional resolved
systems will be crucial to constraining theoretical models of these
late-type ultracool dwarfs
Finally, our data will also be eminently
suited to searching for extremely low luminosity companions,
potentially even reaching the Y dwarf regime
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/UV/ACS/WFC/IR 12057 A Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury - I We propose to image the north east quadrant of M31 to deep limits in
the UV, optical, and near-IR
HST imaging should resolve the galaxy
into more than 100 million stars, all with common distances and
foreground extinctions
UV through NIR stellar photometry (F275W,
F336W with WFC3/UVIS, F475W and F814W with ACS/WFC, and F110W and
F160W with WFC3/NIR) will provide effective temperatures for a wide
range of spectral types, while simultaneously mapping M31's
extinction
Our central science drivers are to: understand high-mass
variations in the stellar IMF as a function of SFR intensity and
metallicity; capture the spatially-resolved star formation history of
M31; study a vast sample of stellar clusters with a range of ages and
metallicities
These are central to understanding stellar evolution
and clustered star formation; constraining ISM energetics; and
understanding the counterparts and environments of transient objects
(novae, SNe, variable stars, x-ray sources, etc
)
As its legacy, this
survey adds M31 to the Milky Way and Magellanic Clouds as a
fundamental calibrator of stellar evolution and star-formation
processes for understanding the stellar populations of distant
galaxies
Effective exposure times are 977s in F275W, 1368s in F336W,
4040s in F475W, 4042s in F814W, 699s in F110W, and 1796s in F160W,
including short exposures to avoid saturation of bright sources
These
depths will produce photon-limited images in the UV
Images will be
crowding-limited in the optical and NIR, but will reach below the red
clump at all radii
The images will reach the Nyquist sampling limit
in F160W, F475W, and F814W
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/UVIS 11697 Proper Motion Survey of Classical and SDSS Local Group Dwarf Galaxies Using the superior resolution of HST, we propose to continue our
proper motion survey of Galactic dwarf galaxies
The target galaxies
include one classical dwarf, Leo II, and six that were recently
identified in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey data: Bootes I, Canes
Venatici I, Canes Venatici II, Coma Berenices, Leo IV, and Ursa Major
II
We will observe a total of 16 fields, each centered on a
spectroscopically-confirmed QSO
Using QSOs as standards of rest in
measuring absolute proper motions has proven to be the most accurate
and most efficient method
HST is our only option to quickly determine
the space motions of the SDSS dwarfs because suitable ground-based
imaging is only a few years old and such data need several decades to
produce a proper motion
The two most distant galaxies in our sample
will require time baselines of four years to achieve our goal of a
30-50 km/s uncertainty in the tangential velocity; given this and the
finite lifetime of HST, it is imperative that first-epoch observations
be taken in this cycle
The SDSS dwarfs have dramatically lower
surface brightnesses and luminosities than the classical dwarfs
Proper motions are crucial for determining orbits of the galaxies and
knowing the orbits will allow us to test theories for the formation
and evolution of these galaxies and, more generally, for the formation
of the Local Group
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)
==============================================================================
TOPIC: Daily Report #5137 == 1 of 1 ==
Date: Wed, Jul 14 2010 9:03 am
From: "Cooper, Joe" HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to Collect World Class Science DAILY REPORT #5137 PERIOD COVERED: 5am July 13 - 5am July 14, 2010 (DOY 194/09:00z-195/09:00z) 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) FGS GSAcq 10 10
FGS REAcq 8 8
OBAD with Maneuver 7 7 SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None) OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED: 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
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
STIS/CC 11845 CCD Dark Monitor Part 2 Monitor the darks for the STIS CCD
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/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 11849 STIS CCD Hot Pixel Annealing This purpose of this activity is to repair radiation induced hot pixel
damage to the STIS CCD by warming the CCD to the ambient instrument
temperature and annealing radiation-damaged pixels
Radiation damage creates hot pixels in the STIS CCD Detector
Many of
these hot pixels can be repaired by warming the CCD from its normal
operating temperature near -83 deg
C to the ambient instrument
temperature (~ +5 deg
C) for several hours
The number of hot pixels
repaired is a function of annealing temperature
The effectiveness of
the CCD hot pixel annealing process is assessed by measuring the dark
current behavior before and after annealing and by searching for any
window contamination effects
WFC3/IR 11931 IR Signal Non-Linearity Calibration These observations will be used to quantify the non-linear signal
behavior of the IR channel, as well as to create the IR channel
non-linearity calibration reference file
The non-linearity behavior
of each pixel in the detector will be investigated through the use of
flat fields, while the photometric behavior of point sources will be
studied using observations of 47 Tuc
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/UV 12090 WFC3/UVIS Photometric Calibration - The Spatial Stability of the
Detector The current WFC3 UVIS and IR calibrations are almost entirely based on
observations taken in small subarrays at the corners of UVIS1 and
UVIS2, and at the center of the IR detector
One of our filters,
F336W, shows higher than expected throughput in this filter by 4%
The
source of this has not been narrowed down and we need to determine
whether the photometry is consistent over the detector or if it is
just the region of the subarray (corner) that is showing higher
counts
A preliminary investigation suggests significant structure in
the flat field for this filter
We request two orbits to move a
spectrophotometric standard, GD153, in a small subarray over 23 dither
positions on UVIS1 and UVIS2
We note that F336W is one of the most
popular filters on WFC3
WFC3/UV/ACS/WFC/IR 12057 A Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury - I We propose to image the north east quadrant of M31 to deep limits in
the UV, optical, and near-IR
HST imaging should resolve the galaxy
into more than 100 million stars, all with common distances and
foreground extinctions
UV through NIR stellar photometry (F275W,
F336W with WFC3/UVIS, F475W and F814W with ACS/WFC, and F110W and
F160W with WFC3/NIR) will provide effective temperatures for a wide
range of spectral types, while simultaneously mapping M31's
extinction
Our central science drivers are to: understand high-mass
variations in the stellar IMF as a function of SFR intensity and
metallicity; capture the spatially-resolved star formation history of
M31; study a vast sample of stellar clusters with a range of ages and
metallicities
These are central to understanding stellar evolution
and clustered star formation; constraining ISM energetics; and
understanding the counterparts and environments of transient objects
(novae, SNe, variable stars, x-ray sources, etc
)
As its legacy, this
survey adds M31 to the Milky Way and Magellanic Clouds as a
fundamental calibrator of stellar evolution and star-formation
processes for understanding the stellar populations of distant
galaxies
Effective exposure times are 977s in F275W, 1368s in F336W,
4040s in F475W, 4042s in F814W, 699s in F110W, and 1796s in F160W,
including short exposures to avoid saturation of bright sources
These
depths will produce photon-limited images in the UV
Images will be
crowding-limited in the optical and NIR, but will reach below the red
clump at all radii
The images will reach the Nyquist sampling limit
in F160W, F475W, and F814W
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)
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/IR 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 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
============================================================================== You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "sci
astro
hubble"
group
To post to this group, visit http://groups
google
com/group/sci
astro
hubble?hl=en To unsubscribe from this group, send email to sci
astro
hubble+unsubscribe@googlegroups
com To change the way you get mail from this group, visit:
http://groups
google
com/group/sci
astro
hubble/subscribe?hl=en To report abuse, send email explaining the problem to abuse@googlegroups
com ==============================================================================
Google Groups: http://groups
google
com/?hl=en The following information is a reminder of your current mailing
list subscription: You are subscribed to the following list:
[list_name] using the following email:
example@example.com You may automatically unsubscribe from this list at any time by
visiting the following URL: https://aus-city
com/cgi-bin/dada/mail
cgi/u/HST_REPORTS/example/example
com/ If the above URL is inoperable, make sure that you have copied the
entire address
Some mail readers will wrap a long URL and thus break
this automatic unsubscribe mechanism
You may also change your subscription by visiting this list's main screen: <[program_url]/list/[list]> If you're still having trouble, please contact the list owner at: The following physical address is associated with this mailing list: [physical_address]=http://groups
google
com/group/sci
astro
hubble/t/94538a8620d4199e?hl=en
SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL
http://groups
google
com/group/sci
astro
hubble/t/c6e87f2b0be1e175?hl=en
SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL
http://groups
google
com/group/sci
astro
hubble/t/8710b0b99a27a367?hl=en
SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL
<mailto:[list_owner_email]>
- This mailing list is a public mailing list - anyone may join or leave, at any time.
-
This mailing list is announce-only.
HST Status Report list
Privacy Policy:
Private list