HUBBLE
SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to Collect World Class Science
DAILY
REPORT #5176
PERIOD
COVERED: 5am September 7 - 5am September 8, 2010 (DOY 250/09:00z-251/09:00z)
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
04
04
FGS
REAcq
11
11
OBAD
with Maneuver 04 04
SIGNIFICANT
EVENTS: (None)
OBSERVATIONS
SCHEDULED:
ACS/WFC
12210
SLACS
for the Masses: Extending Strong Lensing to Lower Masses and
Smaller
Radii
Strong
gravitational lensing provides the most accurate possible
measurement
of mass in the central regions of early-type galaxies
(ETGs).
We propose to continue the highly productive Sloan Lens ACS
(SLACS)
Survey for strong gravitational lens galaxies by observing a
substantial
fraction of 135 new ETG gravitational-lens candidates with
HST-ACS
WFC F814W Snapshot imaging. The proposed target sample has been
selected
from the seventh and final data release of the Sloan Digital
Sky
Survey, and is designed to complement the distribution of previously
confirmed
SLACS lenses in lens-galaxy mass and in the ratio of Einstein
radius
to optical half-light radius. The observations we propose will
lead
to a combined SLACS sample covering nearly two decades in mass,
with
dense mapping of enclosed mass as a function of radius out to the
half-light
radius and beyond. With this longer mass baseline, we will
extend
our lensing and dynamical analysis of the mass structure and
scaling
relations of ETGs to galaxies of significantly lower mass, and
directly
test for a transition in structural and dark-matter content
trends
at intermediate galaxy mass. The broader mass coverage will also
enable
us to make a direct connection to the structure of well-studied
nearby
ETGs as deduced from dynamical modeling of their line-of-sight
velocity
distribution fields. Finally, the combined sample will allow a
more
conclusive test of the current SLACS result that the intrinsic
scatter
in ETG mass-density structure is not significantly correlated
with
any other galaxy observables. The final SLACS sample at the
conclusion
of this program will comprise approximately 130 lenses with
known
foreground and background redshifts, and is likely to be the
largest
confirmed sample of strong-lens galaxies for many years to come.
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.
11686( 7) - 25-Sep-2009 13:44:14 - [ 2]
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.
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 constraints 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.
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.
STIS/CCD
11845
CCD
Dark Monitor Part 2
Monitor
the darks for the STIS CCD.
STIS/CCD
11847
CCD
Bias Monitor-Part 2
Monitor
the bias in the 1x1, 1x2, 2x1, and 2x2 bin settings at gain=1,
and
1x1 at gain = 4, to build up high-S/N superbiases and track the
evolution
of hot columns.
STIS/CCD
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/MA2
11862
MAMA
NUV Flats
This
program will obtain NUV-MAMA observations of the STIS internal
Deuterium
lamp to construct an NUV flat applicable to all NUV modes.
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<z<1.8 to measure the evolution of the extinction-corrected
star
formation density across the peak epoch of star formation. This is
over
an order-of-magnitude improvement in the current statistics, from
the
NICMOS Parallel grism survey. (5) Trace ``cosmic downsizing" from
0.5<z<2.2;
and (6) Estimate the evolution in reddening and metallicty in
star-forming
galaxies and measure the evolution of the Seyfert
population.
For hundreds of spectra we will be able to measure one or
even
two line pair ratios -- in particular, the Balmer decrement and
[OII]/[OIII]
are sensitive to gas reddening and metallicity. As a bonus,
the
G102 grism offers the possibility of detecting Lya emission at
z=7-8.8.
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<z<2 clusters and groups from the IRAC
Shallow
Cluster Survey with WFC3 and ACS in order to study the formation
and
evolution of massive galaxies in the richest environments in the
Universe
in this important redshift range. We will measure the evolution
of
the sizes and morphologies of massive cluster galaxies, as a function
of
redshift, richness, radius and local density. In combination with
allocated
Keck spectroscopy, we will directly measure the dry merger
fraction
in these clusters, as well as the evolution of Brightest
Cluster
Galaxies (BCGs) over this redshift range where clear model
predictions
can be confronted. Finally we will measure both the epoch of
formation
of the stellar populations and the assembly history of that
stellar
mass, the two key parameters in the modern galaxy formation
paradigm.
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/IR
12234
Differentiation
in the Kuiper belt: a Search for Silicates on Icy
Bodies.
We
currently have a large on-going program (Go Program 11644, 120
orbits)
to exploit the superb stability and photometric characteristics
of
HST and the broad range in wavelength coverage of the WFC3 to make
broad-band
vis/IR spectral observations of a large sample of Kuiper belt
objects.
Though the survey is currently only ~50% complete, the quality
and
unprecedented signal-to-noise of these observations has revealed the
existence
of a previously undiscovered spectral variability not
explainable
within our current understanding of these objects.
A
possible explanation for this variability is that with this faint set
of
Kuiper belt objects, we are beginning to see the difference between
larger
differentiated objects and smaller non-differentiated objects.
Its
seems that the small and likely undifferentiated objects are
exhibiting
silicate features that affect our photometry - features not
exhibited
by the icy mantles of larger icy bodies.
We
propose a small add-on survey to dramatically increase the scientific
results
of our large program. The proposed observations will use the
proven
capabilities of WFC3 to make broad and narrow-band photometric
observations
to detect spectral features in the 1.0-1.3 micron range of
a
small subset of our sources. The 13 targets have been carefully
selected
to cover the range of spectral variability detected in our
large
program as well as sample the entire dynamical range and physical
sizes
of these targets. These observations will allow the identification
of
undifferentiated Kuiper belt objects by detection of their silicate
features.
As a probe for differentiation, these observations could
constrain
the natal locations of different Kuiper belt classes, a
constraint
currently unavailable to formation models. This small set of
observations
will allow the calibration of the spectral variability seen
in
our large program, and drastically enhance the scientific output of
our
full Cycle 17 sample.
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.