Date: September 14th 2010

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Today's topics:

Daily Report #5177 - 1 messages, 1 author http://groups google com/group/sci astro hubble/t/ad5c0ea9c6dd693c?hl=en
Daily Report #5178 - 1 messages, 1 author http://groups google com/group/sci astro hubble/t/93f90fc1ee69e94c?hl=en
Daily Report #5179 - 1 messages, 1 author http://groups google com/group/sci astro hubble/t/048477b1c9eaa89f?hl=en

============================================================================== TOPIC: Daily Report #5177

http://groups google com/group/sci astro hubble/t/ad5c0ea9c6dd693c?hl=en

== 1 of 1 == Date: Thurs, Sep 9 2010 8:23Ã‚Â am From: "Cooper, Joe"

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to Collect World Class Science

DAILY REPORT #5177

PERIOD COVERED: 5am September 8 - 5am September 9, 2010 (DOY 251/09:00z-252/09:00z)

FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

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

HSTARS:

12384 - GSAcq(1,2,1) at 251/10:36:01 and REAcq(1,2,1) at 251/12:12:09z and 251/13:48:00z all resulted in fine lock backup on FGS1

Observations possibly affected: STIS 26-29 Proposal ID#11668 & WFC3 74-75 Proposal ID#11912

12385 - REAcq(1,2,1) at 251/17:32:32z failed

Observations affected: COS 70-72 Proposal ID#11535; WFC3 76-77 Proposal ID#11914

12387 - GSAcq(1,2,1) at 252/05:38:36z Fails to RGA Hold, Search radius Limit Exceeded on FGS1

Observations affected: ACS36-39 Proposal ID#12292

HSTAR FOR DOY 235

12386 - GSAcq(1,2,1) at 235/15:57:36 required three attempts to achieve CT-DV on FGS1 The acquisition was successful

Observations possibly affected: STIS 11-13 Proposal ID#11847; COS 15 Proposal ID#11895; WFC3 9 Proposal ID#11638

COMPLETED OPS REQUEST: (None)

COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)

                  SCHEDULED   SUCCESSFUL

FGS GSAcq 8 7 FGS REAcq 7 6 OBAD with Maneuver 6 6

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

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/NUV/FUV 11535

COS-GTO: Deep Search for an Oxygen Atmosphere on Callisto

We plan a deep search for 1304? and 1356? O emission from Callisto, to detect or place strong limits on the presence of a hypothesized O2 atmosphere on this moon (Liang et al 2005) Tenuous oxygen atmospheres on Europa and Ganymede have been detected by HST using these emission lines, but searches for O emission from Callisto have not been successful (Strobel et al 2002) The Liang et al models predict O emission at levels comparable to the Strobel et al upper limit, so the improved sensitivity of COS may be able to detect the emission, and thus Callisto's O2 atmosphere, for the first time

WFC3/UV 11638

Illuminating the HI Structure of a Proto-cluster Region at z=2 84

We propose very deep intermediate-band Lyman alpha imaging in the field of a newly-discovered proto-cluster region surrounding the extremely luminous QSO HS1549+19 at z=2 844 The large structure, initially discovered in a spectroscopic survey of galaxies in fields surrounding the brightest QSOs at z=2 5-2 8, represents an ideal laboratory for studying the response of the intergalactic medium to a source of ionizing photons that exceeds the UV background by factors

Within a single pointing of WFC3-UVIS there are already more than 45 known Lyman alpha emitters, most of which are already spectroscopically confirmed, and at least 3 of which are giant "Lyman alpha blobs'' Many of the objects have properties similar to those expected from the process of fluorescence, in which Lyman alpha emission is induced by the UV radiation field of the QSO in any HI gas that dense enough to remain partially self-shielded Fortuitously, the F467M filter (Stromgren "b") in WFC3-UVIS is a perfect match to Lyman alpha at z=2 844 In combination with an equally deep broad-band continuum image, the observations will allow the construction of a Lyman alpha map tracing dense gas throughout the inner parts of a proto-cluster region at sub-kpc resolution The ability to measure the spatial sub-structure and surface brightness distribution of Lya emission, relative to known protocluster galaxies and AGN, will illuminate the "cosmic web'' in a dense region caught in a violent stage of formation

STIS/CCD/MA 11668

Cosmo-chronometry and Elemental Abundance Distribution of the Ancient Star HE1523-0901

We propose to obtain near-UV HST/STIS spectroscopy of the extremely metal-poor, highly r-process-enhanced halo star HE 1523-0901, in order to produce the most complete abundance distribution of the heaviest stable elements, including platinum, osmium, and lead These HST abundance data will then be used to estimate the initial abundances of the long-lived radioactive elements thorium and uranium, and by comparison with their observed abundances, enable an accurate age determination of this ancient star The use of radioactive chronometers in stars provides an independent lower limit on the age of the Galaxy, which can be compared with alternative limits set by globular clusters and by analysis from WMAP Our proposed observations of HE1523-0901 will also provide significant new information about the early chemical history of the Galaxy, specifically, the nature of the first generations of stars and the types of nucleosynthetic processes that occurred at the onset of Galactic chemical evolution

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

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

WFC3/IR 11738

SPIDERWEBS AND FLIES: OBSERVING MASSIVE GALAXY FORMATION IN ACTION

Distant luminous radio galaxies are among the brightest known galaxies in the early Universe, pinpoint likely progenitors of dominant cluster galaxies and are unique laboratories for studying massive galaxy formation Spectacular images with the ACS and NICMOS of one such object, the "Spiderweb Galaxy" at z = 2 2, show in exquisite detail, hierarchical merging occurring 11 Gyr ago By imaging 3 additional Spiderweb-like galaxies we wish to study this potentially crucial phase of massive galaxy evolution, when hierarchical merging, galaxy downsizing and AGN feedback are all likely to be occurring Properties of the complete sample of Spiderweb galaxies will be used to (i) constrain models for the formation and evolution of the most massive galaxies that dominate rich clusters and (ii) investigate the nature of chain and tadpole galaxies, a fundamental but poorly understood constituent of the early Universe

We shall image rest-frame UV and optical continuum emission from 3 radio galaxies with 2 4 < z < 3 8 that appear clumpy and large in shallow WFPC/PC observations The new observations will typically reach ~2 magnitudes fainter over 20-40 times larger area than previously Photometric and morphological parameters will be measured for satellite galaxies ("flies") in the clumpy massive hosts and for galaxies in ~ 1 5 Mpc x 1 5 Mpc regions of surrounding protoclusters Locations, sizes, elongations, clumpiness, masses, and star formation rates of the merging satellite and protocluster galaxies will be compared with new state of the art simulations Combination of ACS and WFC3 images will help disentangle the properties of the young and old populations

Specific goals include: (i) investigating star formation histories of the satellite galaxies and the extended emission, (ii) studying "downsizing" and merging scenarios and (iii) measuring the statistics of linear galaxies and relating them to models for the formation of massive galaxies and to the properties of the important but enigmatic class of chain/tadpole galaxies in the HUDF

WFC3/IR 12181

The Atmospheric Structure of Giant Hot Exoplanets

Characterization of close-in giant exoplanets has proceeded rapidly over the past few years, due largely to Spitzer and HST observations in transiting systems Low resolution thermal emission spectra of over two dozen planets have been measured by Spitzer, and HST observations of a few key planets have indicated unusual molecular abundances via transmission spectroscopy However, current models for the atmospheric structure of these worlds exhibit degeneracies wherein different combinations of temperature and molecular abundance profiles can fit the same Spitzer data for each planet Fortunately, the advent of the IR capability on HST/WFC3 allows us to solve this major problem in exoplanet science We propose to inaugurate a Large HST program that is scientifically complementary to Spitzer, Kepler, and CoRoT exoplanet results

We will obtain transmission spectroscopy of the 1 4-micron water band in a sample of 13 planets, using the G141 grism on WFC3 Among the abundant molecules, only water absorbs at this wavelength, and our measurement of water abundance will enable us to break the degeneracies in the Spitzer results with minimal model assumptions We will also use the G141 grism to observe secondary eclipses for 7 very hot giant exoplanets at 1 5-microns, including several bright systems in the Kepler and CoRoT fields The strong temperature sensitivity of the thermal continuum at 1 5-microns provides high leverage on atmospheric temperature for these worlds, again helping to break degeneracies in interpreting the Spitzer data Moreover, our precise eclipse photometry, in combination with extant Spitzer data, will enable us to extrapolate the thermal continuum to optical wavelengths Kepler and CoRoT teams will be thereby able to subtract the thermal contribution from their increasingly precise measurements of optical eclipses, and measure, or place extremely stringent limits on, the albedo of these exotic worlds

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

ACS/WFC 12292

SWELLS: Doubling the Number of Disk-dominated Edge-on Spiral Lens Galaxies

The formation of realistic disk galaxies within the LCDM cosmology is still largely an unsolved problem Theory is now beginning to make predictions for how dark matter halos respond to galaxy formation, and for the properties of disk galaxies Measuring the density profiles of dark matter halos on galaxy scales is therefore a strong test for the standard paradigm of galaxy formation, offering great potential for discovery However, the degeneracy between the stellar and dark matter contributions to galaxy rotation curves remains a major obstacle Strong gravitational lensing, when combined with spatially resolved kinematics and stellar population models, can solve this long-standing problem Unfortunately, this joint methodology could not be exploited until recently due to the paucity of known edge-on spiral lenses We have developed and demonstrated an efficient technique to find exactly these systems During supplemental cycle-16 we discovered five new spiral lens galaxies, suitable for rotation curve measurements We propose multi-color HST imaging of 16 candidates and 2 partially-imaged confirmed systems, to measure a sample of eight new edge-on spiral lenses This program will at least double the number of known disk-dominated systems This is crucial for constraining the relative contribution of the disk, bulge and dark halo to the total density profile

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 11912

UVIS Internal Flats

This proposal will be used to assess the stability of the flat field structure for the UVIS detector throughout the 15 months of Cycle 17 The data will be used to generate on-orbit updates for the delta-flat field reference files used in the WFC3 calibration pipeline, if significant changes in the flat structure are seen

WFC3/UVIS 11914

UVIS Earth Flats

This program is an experimental path finder for Cycle 18 calibration Visible-wavelength flat fields will be obtained by observing the dark side of the Earth during periods of full moon illumination The observations will consist of full-frame streaked WFC3 UVIS imagery: per 22- min total exposure time in a single "dark-sky" orbit, we anticipate collecting 7000 e/pix in F606W or 4500 e/pix in F814W To achieve Poisson S/N > 100 per pixel, we require at least 2 orbits of F606W and 3 orbits of F814W

For UVIS narrowband filters, exposures of 1 sec typically do not saturate on the sunlit Earth, so we will take sunlit Earth flats for three of the more-commonly used narrowband filters in Cycle 17 plus the also-popular long-wavelength quad filters, for which we get four filters at once

Why not use the Sunlit Earth for the wideband visible-light filters? It is too bright in the visible for WFC3 UVIS minimum exposure time of 0 5 sec Similarly, for NICMOS the sunlit-Earth is too bright which saturates the detector too quickly and/or induces abnormal behaviors such as super-shading (Gilmore 1998, NIC 098-011) In the narrowband visible and broadband near- UV is not too bright (predictions in Cox et al 1987 "Standard Astronomical Sources for HST: 6 Spatially Flat Fields " and observations in ACS Program 10050)

Other possibilities? Cox et al 's Section II D addresses many other possible sources for flat fields, rejecting them for a variety of reasons A remaining possibility would be the totally eclipsed moon Such eclipses provide approximately 2 hours (1 HST orbit) of opportunity per year, so they are too rare to be generically useful An advantage of the moon over the Earth is that the moon subtends less than 0 25 square degree, whereas the Earth subtends a steradian or more, so scattered light and light potentially leaking around the shutter presents additional problems for the Earth Also, we're unsure if HST can point 180 deg from the Sun

============================================================================== TOPIC: Daily Report #5178

http://groups google com/group/sci astro hubble/t/93f90fc1ee69e94c?hl=en

== 1 of 1 == Date: Fri, Sep 10 2010 10:08Ã‚Â am From: "Cooper, Joe"

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to Collect World Class Science

DAILY REPORT #5178

PERIOD COVERED: 5am September 9 - 5am September 10, 2010 (DOY 252/09:00z-253/09:00z)

FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

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

HSTARS: 12390 - SIC&DH Safed (CU/SDF lockup) @ 252 /22:39:21z 12392 - WFC3 Suspends at 253/04:24:35 12393 - SIC&DH-2 Bus B Current Monitor Failure @ 253/03:38:50z

COMPLETED OPS REQUEST: 18901-1 - CU/SDF Lock-up Recovery, Part B @ 253/04:19:40z 18903-0 - CU/SDF Lock-up Recovery, Part A @ 253/00:20:30z 18904-1 - Power off COS FUV @ 253/07:54:54z 18905-0 - Modify NSSC-1 ED Limit for M2BUSCUB @ 253/08:01:49z

COMPLETED OPS NOTES: None

                  SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL

FGS GSAcq 6 6 FGS REAcq 9 9 OBAD with Maneuver 5 5

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS:

HST experienced an SIC&DH CU/SDF lock-up at 252/22:39z After verification of the signature the CU/SDF recovery began

OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED:

ACS/WFC 12292

SWELLS: Doubling the Number of Disk-dominated Edge-on Spiral Lens Galaxies

STIS/CCD/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 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/MA 12179

The Stellar Winds of Evolved, Braked O-Type Magnetic Oblique Rotators

Magnetic fields have recently been discovered on several massive stars, but their origin and influence on the evolution of these stars are poorly understood Two of these objects, HD 191612 and HD 108, are of particular interest Very recent spectropolarimetric observations have shown that they are most likely magnetic oblique rotators, like the young O star Theta1 Ori C, whose 15d periodically variable field was found somewhat earlier However, the two new objects are much slower rotators, unusually so for O stars, with periods of 538d and 50-60yrs, respectively, and there are other indications that they are older They provide an opportunity to study the efficiency of wind braking of magnetic O stars through angular momentum loss We shall perform STIS high-resolution UV spectroscopy of HD 191612 and HD 108 (phase resolved for the former) to derive more complete estimates of fundamental quantities than available from optical data alone We shall measure the mass-loss rates from the UV wind profiles, which will constrain the extreme wind confinement of these stars and establish whether the large H-alpha emission variations are wind-related or geometrical We shall also derive more accurate ages and stellar surface properties In turn, these results will support a more definitive discussion of the angular momentum evolution versus the ages of HD 191612 and HD 108, and of the comparison with the younger and faster Theta1 Ori C

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)

S/C 11639

Catching Accreting WDs Moving into Their Instability Strip(s)

Our past HST studies of the temperatures of 9 accreting, pulsating white dwarfs in cataclysmic variables show that 3 are in the normal instability strip for single white dwarfs, but the other 6 are much hotter (15, 000-16, 500K) This dual strip has been proposed to be due to mass differences in the white dwarfs related to evolutionary history and driven by the ionization of different elements in their respective driving regions In 2007, GW Lib (the brightest and best studied of the 6 hot accreting pulsators) and V455 And (the brightest and best studied of the 3 cool accreting pulsators) underwent rare large amplitude dwarf nova outbursts (known to heat the white dwarf) and their pulsations disappeared We propose COS observations to: a) take advantage of the unprecedented opportunity to view the change in pulsation modes due to cooling of the white dwarf envelope and b) determine the masses of the white dwarfs to test the dual strip theory In addition, a nova that had its outburst 22 yrs ago has begun non-radial pulsations as it returns to quiescence We will use COS to determine its temperature in relation to the instability strip for the pulsating white dwarfs in dwarf novae

WFC3/UVIS 11675

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

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

WFC3/UVIS 11905

WFC3 UVIS CCD Daily Monitor

============================================================================== TOPIC: Daily Report #5179

http://groups google com/group/sci astro hubble/t/048477b1c9eaa89f?hl=en

== 1 of 1 == Date: Mon, Sep 13 2010 7:56Ã‚Â am From: "Cooper, Joe"

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to Collect World Class Science

DAILY REPORT #5179

PERIOD COVERED: 5am September 10 - 5am September 13, 2010 (DOY 253/09:00z-256/09:00z)

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: 18902-2 - CU/SDF Lock-up Recovery, Part C @ 253/1541z 18907-0 - Recover WFC3 from suspend mode @ 253/1912z 18908-0 - Safe and then recover ACS @2 53/2222z 18913-1 - Command COS OSM positions @ 253/2022z 18909-1 - Safe and the recover STIS @ 253/2350z 18911-2 - Safe and Recover COS to Operate @ 253/2012z 18912-0 - Recover ESM/PCE/NCS CPL @ 254/0007z 18910-0 - Safe NICMOS @ 253/2024z

COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)

                   SCHEDULED  SUCCESSFUL

FGS GSAcq 17 17 FGS REAcq 29 29 OBAD with Maneuver 18 18

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS:

Flash Report: Payload Recovery commanding was completed at 254/00:09z leaving NICMOS in 'Safe' and ACS, STIS, COS, WFC3 and ESM in 'Operate '

Flash Report: At 255/00:12z the science SMS was successfully intercepted, the first several STIS and WFC observations were executed in LOS; however, when data was acquired at 01:22 all indications are the observations were successfully collected

WFC3/IR 12307

A public SNAPSHOT Survey of Gamma-ray Burst Host Galaxies

We propose to conduct a public infrared survey of the host galaxies of Swift selected gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) at z<3 By obtaining deep, diffraction limited imaging in the IR we will complete detections for the host galaxies, and in concert with our extensive ground based afterglow and host programmes will compile a detailed catalog of the properties of high-z galaxies selected by GRBs In particular these observations will enable us to study the colours, luminosities and morphologies of the galaxies This in turn informs studies of the nature of the progenitors and the role of GRBs as probes of star formation across cosmic history Ultimately it provides a product of legacy value which will greatly complement further studies with next generation facilities such as ALMA and JWST

WFC3/UV 12245

Orbital Evolution and Stability of the Inner Uranian Moons

Nine densely-packed inner moons of Uranus show signs of chaos and orbital instability over a variety of time scales Many moons show measureable orbital changes within a decade or less Long-term integrations predict that some moons could collide in less than one million years One faint ring embedded in the system may, in fact, be the debris left behind from an earlier such collision Meanwhile, the nearby moon Mab falls well outside the influence of the others but nevertheless shows rapid, as yet unexplained, changes in its orbit It is embedded within a dust ring that also shows surprising variability A highly optimized series of observations with WFC3 over the next three cycles will address some of the fundamental open questions about this dynamically active system: Do the orbits truly show evidence of chaos? If so, over what time scales? What can we say about the masses of the moons involved? What is the nature of the variations in Mab's orbit? Is Mab's motion predictable or random? Astrometry will enable us to derive the orbital elements of these moons with 10-km precision This will be sufficient to study the year-by-year changes and, combined with other data from 2003-2007, the decadal evolution of the orbits The pairing of precise astrometry with numerical integrations will enable us to derive new dynamical constraints on the masses of these moons Mass is the fundamental unknown quantity currently limiting our ability to reproduce the interactions within this system This program will also capitalize upon our best opportunity for nearly 40 years to study the unexplained variations in Uranus's faint outer rings

WFC3/UV/IR 12021

An Irradiated Disk in an Ultraluminous X-Ray Source

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

WFC3/UVIS 11912

UVIS Internal Flats

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

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