Date: September 22nd 2010

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Daily Report #5183 - 1 messages, 1 author http://groups google com/group/sci astro hubble/t/c1f208f55d484d4f?hl=en
Daily Report #5184 - 1 messages, 1 author http://groups google com/group/sci astro hubble/t/4c4f91a00ed6d90b?hl=en
Daily Report #5185 - 1 messages, 1 author http://groups google com/group/sci astro hubble/t/05fff62b61ca9d71?hl=en

============================================================================== TOPIC: Daily Report #5183

http://groups google com/group/sci astro hubble/t/c1f208f55d484d4f?hl=en

== 1 of 1 == Date: Fri, Sep 17 2010 7:21Ã‚Â am From: "Bassford, Lynn"

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to Collect World Class Science

DAILY REPORT #5183

PERIOD COVERED: 5am September 16 - 5am September 17, 2010 (DOY 259/09:00z-260/09:00z)

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 3 3 FGS REAcq 7 7 OBAD with Maneuver 3 3

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

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 11999

JWST Calibration from a Consistent Absolute Calibration of Spitzer & Hubble

Recently, Gordon, Bohlin, et al submitted a successful Spitzer proposal for cross calibration of HST and Spitzer The cross-calibration targets are stars in three categories: WDs, A-stars, and G-stars Traditionally, IR flux standards are extrapolations of stellar models that are tied to absolute fluxes at shorter wavelengths HST absolute flux standards are among the best available with a solid basis that uses pure hydrogen models of hot WD stars for the SED slopes and is tied to Vega at 5556A via precise Landolt V-band photometry Consistently matching models to our three categories of HST observations along with Spitzer photometry and the few existing absolute IR flux determinations will provide a solid basis for JWST flux calibration over its 0 8-30micron range The goal of this proposal is to complete the HST observations of the set of HST/Spitzer cross-calibration stars Using a variety of standard stars with three different spectral types will ensure that the final calibration is not significantly affected by systematic uncertainties

STIS/CCD/MA/S/C 12244

Mapping Ganymede's Time Variable Aurora in the Search for a Subsurface Ocean

A very exciting, unresolved question about Jupiter?s moon Ganymede is whether Ganymede harbors a saline subsurface water ocean under its icy crust A saline, electrically conductive water ocean will modify Ganymede's magnetic field environment and thus also the locations of Ganymede's northern and southern aurora ovals Without an ocean, Ganymede's aurora ovals will rock by ~10 degrees towards and away from Jupiter within 5 25 hours However, with an ocean the shift will be up to only ~4 degrees We propose two visits of five consecutive STIS orbits at eastern elongation to monitor and resolve with sufficient precision the shift in locations of Ganymede's aurora ovals to determine whether an ocean is present on Ganymede Addressing this question is timely as NASA/ESA are planning a Jupiter system mission including a Ganymede orbiter with the objective to characterize Ganymede as potential habitat

WFC3/IR 11926

IR Zero Points

We will measure and monitor the zeropoints through the IR filters using observations of the white dwarf standard stars, GD153, GD71 and GD191B2B and the solar analog standard star, P330E Data will be taken monthly during Cycle 17 Observations of the star cluster, NGC 104, are made twice to check color transformations We expect an accuracy of 2% in the wide filter zeropoints relative to the HST photometric system, and 5% in the medium- and narrow-band filters

WFC3/IR 12265

Determining the Physical Nature of a Unique Giant Lya Emitter at z=6 595

We propose deep WFC3/IR imaging for a giant Lya emitter (LAE) with a Keck spectroscopic redshift of z=6 595 discovered by extensive narrow-band imaging with Subaru in the SXDS-UKIDSS/UDS field This remarkable object is unique in many respects including its large stellar mass and luminous nebula which extends over 17 kpc; no equivalent source has been found in other surveys The nature of this rare object is unclear Fundamental to progress is determining the origin of star formation in such an early massive object; if the age of the stellar population is short we are likely witnessing a special moment in the formation history of a massive galaxy The heating source for the nebula is also unclear; options include intense star formation, the infall of cold gas onto a dark halo or shock heating from a merger We will take deep broad-band (F125W and F160W) images and an intermediate-band (F098M) image which will be analyzed in conjunction with ultra-deep IRAC 3 6 and 4 5 micron data being taken by the Spitzer/SEDS project These data will enable us to constrain the star formation rate and stellar age Moreover, the UV continuum morphology and Lya-line distribution will be investigated for evidence of a major merger, cold accretion, or hot bubbles associated with outflows We will address the physical origin of the remarkable object observed at an epoch where massive galaxies are thought to begin their assembly

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 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

============================================================================== TOPIC: Daily Report #5184

http://groups google com/group/sci astro hubble/t/4c4f91a00ed6d90b?hl=en

== 1 of 1 == Date: Mon, Sep 20 2010 8:42Ã‚Â am From: "Cooper, Joe"

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to Collect World Class Science

DAILY REPORT #5184

PERIOD COVERED: 5am September 17 - 5am September 20, 2010 (DOY 260/09:00z-263/09:00z)

FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

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

HSTARS:

12416 - GSAcq(1,2,1) at 263/5:25:24z and REAcq(1,2,1) at 263/06:57:58z and REAcq(1,2,1) at 263/08:33:54z all failed due to search radius limit exceeded

Observations affected, COS 3-6 Proposal ID#11728; WFC3 5-10 Proposal ID#11700

COMPLETED OPS REQUEST:

18918-0 Uplink new FGS calibration tables @ 262/23:32z 18921-0 R/T OBAD to Correct Attitude Error @ 263/06:32z

COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)

                  SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL

FGS GSAcq 19 18 FGS REAcq 21 19 OBAD with Maneuver 15 15

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS:

The FGS distortion and Calibration tables were successfully uplinked at 262/23:30z Table dumps performed showed the expected changes for the FGS-2R2 values being modified The first guide star acquisition at 263/01:30z performed nominally

FGS 12320

The Ages of Globular Clusters and the Population II Distance Scale

Globular clusters are the oldest objects in the universe whose age can be accurately determined The dominant error in globular cluster age determinations is the uncertain Population II distance scale We propose to use FGS 1r to obtain parallaxes with an accuracy of 0 2 milliarcsecond for 9 main sequence stars with [Fe/H] < -1 5 This will determine the absolute magnitude of these stars with accuracies of 0 04 to 0 06mag This data will be used to determine the distance to 24 metal-poor globular clusters using main sequence fitting These distances (with errors of 0 05 mag) will be used to determine the ages of globular clusters using the luminosity of the subgiant branch as an age indicator This will yield absolute ages with an accuracy 5%, about a factor of two improvement over current estimates Coupled with existing parallaxes for more metal-rich stars, we will be able to accurately determine the age for globular clusters over a wide range of metallicities in order to study the early formation history of the Milky Way and provide an independent estimate of the age of the universe

The Hipparcos database contains only 1 star with [Fe/H] < -1 4 and an absolute magnitude error less than 0 18 mag which is suitable for use in main sequence fitting Previous attempts at main sequence fitting to metal-poor globular clusters have had to rely on theoretical calibrations of the color of the main sequence Our HST parallax program will remove this source of possible systematic error and yield distances to metal-poor globular clusters which are significantly more accurate than possible with the current parallax data The HST parallax data will have errors which are 10 times smaller than the current parallax data Using the HST parallaxes, we will obtain main sequence fitting distances to 11 globular clusters which contain over 500 RR Lyrae stars This will allow us to calibrate the absolute magnitude of RR Lyrae stars, a commonly used Population II distance indicator

WFC3/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

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/IR 12265

Determining the Physical Nature of a Unique Giant Lya Emitter at z=6 595

WFC3/UV/IR 12234

Differentiation in the Kuiper belt: a Search for Silicates on Icy Bodies

ACS/WFC 12210

SLACS for the Masses: Extending Strong Lensing to Lower Masses and Smaller Radii

COS/FUV 12169

The Frequency and Chemical Composition of Planetary Debris Discs around Young White Dwarfs

Throughout the past few years, it has become increasingly clear that the most plausible scenario to explain the metal-pollution observed in ~20% of all cool white dwarfs is accretion from rocky debris material - suggesting that these white dwarfs may have had, or may still have terrestial planets as well This hypothesis is corroborated through the infrared detection of circumstellar dust around the most heavily polluted white dwarfs Traditionally, the detection of metal pollution is done in the optical using the Ca H/K lines, leading to a strong bias against hot/young white dwarfs Hence, most of our knowledge about the late evolution of planetary systems is based on white dwarfs with cooling ages >0 5Gyr We propose an HST/COS ultraviolet spectroscopic snapshot survey to carry out the first systematic investigation of the fraction of metal-pollution among young (20-100Myr) white dwarfs, probing the correlation with white dwarf (and hence progenitor) mass, and determining the Si/H, C/H, and potentially N/H and O/H abundance ratios of their circumstellar debris material

ACS/WFC 12166

A Snapshot Survey of The Most Massive Clusters of Galaxies

We propose the continuation of our highly successful HST/ACS SNAPshot survey of a sample of 123 very X-ray luminous clusters in the redshift range 0 3-0 7, detected and compiled by the MACS cluster survey As demonstrated by dedicated HST observations of the 12 most distant MACS clusters (GO-09722) as well as by the MACS SNAPshots of an additional 25 obtained with ACS so far in Cycles 14 and 15, these systems frequently exhibit strong gravitational lensing as well as spectacular examples of violent galaxy evolution A large number of additional MACS SNAPs have since been obtained with WFPC2, leading to the discovery of several more powerful cluster lenses The dramatic loss, however, of depth, field-of-view, and angular resolution compared to ACS led to significantly reduced scientific returns, underlining the need for ACS for this project The proposed observations will provide important constraints on the cluster mass distributions, on the physical nature of ! galaxy-galaxy and galaxy-gas interactions in cluster cores, and will yield a set of optically bright, lensed galaxies for further 8-10m spectroscopy For those of our targets with existing ACS SNAPshot images, we propose SNAPshots in the WFC3 F110W and F140W passbands to obtain colour information that will greatly improve the secure identification of multiple-image systems and may, in the form of F606W or F814W dropouts, lead to the lensing-enabled discovery of very distant galaxies at z>5 Acknowledging the broad community interest in this sample (16 of the 25 targets of the approved MCT cluster program are MACS discoveries) we waive our data rights for these observations

This proposal is an updated and improved version of our successful Cycle 15 proposal of the same title Alas, SNAP-10875 collected only six snapshots in the F606W or F814W passbands, due to, first, a clerical error at STScI which caused the program to be barred from execution for four months and, ultimately, the failure of ACS With ACS restored, and WFC3 providing additional wavelength and redshift leverage, we wish to resume this previously approved project

COS/NUV/FUV 12084

G140L/1280 Internal to External Wavelength Scale

This program observes NGC330-B37 to determine the offsets between the PSA and WCA wavelength scales (for FP-POS=3) for the new G140L/1280 mode that will be available starting in Cycle 18 The results of the analysis of these data will be used to update the FUV wavelength dispersion reference file

In addition since it this the first time that this mode is used, both on on-orbit or on the ground, we obtain also data at FP-POS=1 and 4 which inform us of the extremes of the wavelength range that can be seen with G140L/1280

Note that this program can only be executed after FSW changes occur (current estimate for these FSW changes is ~Aug 2010 timeframe) since this mode in not yet implemented

COS/NUV/FUV 12080

COS G140L Optics Alignment and Focus

A G140L focus sweep will be performed using the B2Ia star AZV18 in the Small Magellanic Cloud A sequence of time-tag spectra will be acquired through the PSA aperture (CENWAVE=1105 A), at a range of focus settings There will be 17 focus settings sampled, ranging from -800 to +800 in 100-step intervals The optimum focus will be determined by cross-correlating prominent absorption features in the spectra with a template high resolution STIS E140M spectrum, then choosing the focus setting yielding the narrowest cross-correlation profile from the sequence This is similar to the focusing procedure used for the G140L grating during SMOV (PID 11484, Visit 3), except that the new focus sweep will extend to more extreme focus positions around 0 (+/-800 instead of +/-600) The inclusion of additional focus positions is necessary because the G140L focus curve from SMOV (cross-correlation FWHM vs focus position) is broad and shallow, making it difficult to measure the minimum in the curve After obtaining an exposure at the most extreme positive focus position (+800), the focus is returned to its nominal position (0) A final spectrum is then acquired at that position, for repeatability comparison with the earlier FOCUS=0 spectrum After the data are analyzed, a patchable constant SMS update of OSM1 focus for the G140L grating will be uplinked

WFC3/UV 12019

After the Fall: Fading AGN in Post-starburst Galaxies

We propose joint Chandra and HST observations of an extraordinary sample of 12 massive post-starburst galaxies at z=0 4-0 8 that are in the short-lived evolution phase a few 100 Myr after the peak of merger-driven star formation and AGN activity We will use the data to measure X-ray luminosities, black hole masses, and accretion rates; and with the accurate "clocks" provided by post-starburst stellar populations, we will directly test theoretical models that predict a power-law decay in the AGN light curve We will also test whether star formation and black hole accretion shut down in lock-step, quantify whether the black holes transition to radiatively inefficient accretion states, and constrain the observational signatures of black hole mergers

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/S/C 11929

IR Dark Current Monitor

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

WFC3/UVIS/IR 11909

UVIS Hot Pixel Anneal

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

WFC3/UVIS 11907

UVIS Cycle 17 Contamination Monitor

The UV throughput of WFC3 during Cycle 17 is monitored via weekly standard star observations in a subset of key filters covering 200-600nm and F606W, F814W as controls on the red end The data will provide a measure of throughput levels as a function of time and wavelength, allowing for detection of the presence of possible contaminants

WFC3/UVIS 11905

WFC3 UVIS CCD Daily Monitor

COS/NUV 11896

NUV Spectroscopic Sensitivity Monitoring

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

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 11845

CCD Dark Monitor Part 2

Monitor the darks for the STIS CCD

ACS/WFC3 11734

The Hosts of High Redshift Gamma-Ray Bursts

Gamma-ray bursts are the most luminous explosive events known, acting as beacons to the high redshift universe Long duration GRBs have their origin in the collapse of massive stars and thus select star forming galaxies across a wide range of redshift Due to their bright afterglows we can study the details of GRB host galaxies via absorption spectroscopy, providing redshifts, column densities and metallicities for galaxies far too faint to be accessible directly with current technology We have already obtained deep ground based observations for many hosts and here propose ACS/WFC3 and WFC3 observations of the fields of bursts at z>3 which are undetected in deep ground based images These observations will study the hosts in emission, providing luminosities and morphologies and will enable the construction of a sample of high-z galaxies with more detailed physical properties than has ever been possible before

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/IR 11677

Is 47 Tuc Young? Measuring its White Dwarf Cooling Age and Completing a Hubble Legacy

With this proposal we will firmly establish the age of 47 Tuc from its cooling white dwarfs 47 Tuc is the nearest and least reddened of the metal-rich disk globular clusters It is also the template used for studying the giant branches of nearby resolved galaxies In addition, the age sensitive magnitude spread between the main sequence turnoff and horizontal branch is identical for 47 Tuc, two bulge globular clusters and the bulge field population A precise relative age constraint for 47 Tuc, compared to the halo clusters M4 and NGC 6397, both of which we recently dated via white dwarf cooling, would therefore constrain when the bulge formed relative to the old halo globular clusters Of particular interest is that with the higher quality ACS data on NGC 6397, we are now capable with the technique of white dwarf cooling of determining ages to an accuracy of +/-0 4 Gyrs at the 95% confidence level Ages derived from the cluster turnoff are not currently capable of reaching this precision The important role that 47 Tuc plays in galaxy formation studies, and as the metal-rich template for the globular clusters, makes the case for a white dwarf cooling age for this metal-rich cluster compelling

Several recent analyses have suggested that 47 Tuc is more than 2 Gyrs younger than the Galactic halo Others have suggested an age similar to that of the most metal poor globular clusters The current situation is clearly uncertain and obviously a new approach to age dating this important cluster is required

With the observations of 47 Tuc, this project will complete a legacy for HST It will be the third globular cluster observed for white dwarf cooling; the three covering almost the full metallicity range of the cluster system Unless JWST has its proposed bluer filters (700 and 900 nm) this science will not be possible perhaps for decades until a large optical telescope is again in space Ages for globular clusters from the main sequence turnoff are less precise than those from white dwarf cooling making the science with the current proposal truly urgent

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/IR 11591

Are Low-Luminosity Galaxies Responsible for Cosmic Reionization?

Our group has demonstrated that massive clusters, acting as powerful cosmic lenses, can constrain the abundance and properties of low-luminosity star-forming sources beyond z~6; such sources are thought to be responsible for ending cosmic reionization The large magnification possible in the critical regions of well-constrained clusters brings sources into view that lie at or beyond the limits of conventional exposures such as the UDF We have shown that the combination of HST and Spitzer is particularly effective in delivering the physical properties of these distant sources, constraining their mass, age and past star formation history Indirectly, we therefore gain a valuable glimpse to yet earlier epochs Recognizing the result (and limitations) of blank field surveys, we propose a systematic search through 10 lensing clusters with ACS/F814W and WFC3/[F110W+F160W] (in conjunction with existing deep IRAC data) Our goal is to measure with great accuracy the luminosity function at z~7 over a range of at least 3 magnitude, based on the identification of about 50 lensed galaxies at 6 5

============================================================================== TOPIC: Daily Report #5185

http://groups google com/group/sci astro hubble/t/05fff62b61ca9d71?hl=en

== 1 of 1 == Date: Tues, Sep 21 2010 7:57Ã‚Â am From: "Cooper, Joe"

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to Collect World Class Science

DAILY REPORT #5185

PERIOD COVERED: 5am September 20 - 5am September 21, 2010 (DOY 263/09:00z-264/09:00z)

FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

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

HSTARS:

12420 - GSAcq(1,2,1) at 263/23:12:48z and REAcq(1,2,1) scheduled at 264/00:25:23z, at 264/02:01:18z, at 264/03:37:13z, and at 264/05:13:08z all failed to RGA Hold (gyro control) with Search Radius Limit Exceeded on FGS-1

Observations affected: COS 30-35 Proposal ID#11598; WFC3 18-19 Proposal ID#11905; STIS 9-10 Proposal ID#11845; WFC3 20-22 & 24-32 Proposal ID#11696; WFC3 23 Proposal ID#11929; STIS 11-13 Proposal ID#11847

HSTAR FOR DOY 253-254:

12418 - GSAcq(2,1,1) at 254/05:10:52z required multiple attempts to achieve CT-DV on FGS2 12419 - GSAcq(1,2,1) at 253/19:08:29Z required two attempts to achieve CT-DV on FGS1

COMPLETED OPS REQUEST:

18568-1 - LBBIAS Updates for Extended Gyro Guiding Intervals 18922-2 - R/T OBAD to Correct Attitude Error 18923-0 - R/T OBAD to Correct Attitude Error Before Next GSacq

COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)

                   SCHEDULED  SUCCESSFUL

FGS GSAcq 9 8 FGS REAcq 8 4 OBAD with Maneuver 6 6

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)

OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED:

ACS/WFC 11996

CCD Daily Monitor (Part 3)

ACS/WFC 12166

A Snapshot Survey of The Most Massive Clusters of Galaxies

ACS/WFC 12210

SLACS for the Masses: Extending Strong Lensing to Lower Masses and Smaller Radii

ACS/WFC3 11575

The Stellar Origins of Supernovae

Supernovae (SNe) have a profound effect on galaxies, and have been used recently as precise cosmological probes, resulting in the discovery of the accelerating Universe They are clearly very important events deserving of intense study Yet, even with nearly 4000 known SNe, we know relatively little about the stars which give rise to these powerful explosions The main limitation has been the lack of spatial resolution in pre-SN imaging data However, since 1999 our team has been at the vanguard of directly identifying SN progenitor stars in HST images From this exciting new line of study, the emerging trend from 5 detections for Type II- Plateau SNe is that their progenitors appear to be relatively low mass (8 to 20 Msun) red supergiants, although more cases are needed Nonetheless, the nature of the progenitors of Type Ib/c SNe, a subset of which are associated with the amazing gamma-ray bursts, remains ambiguous Furthermore, we remain in the continually embarrassing situation that we still do not yet know which progenitor systems explode as Type Ia SNe, which are currently being used for precision cosmology In Cycle 16 we have triggered on the Type Ic SN 2007gr and Type IIb SN 2008ax so far We propose to determine the identities of the progenitors of 4 SNe within 17 Mpc, which we expect to occur during Cycle 17, through ToO observations using ACS/HRC

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/FUV 11897

FUV Spectroscopic Sensitivity Monitoring

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

COS/FUV 11997

FUV Internal/External Wavelength Scale Monitor

This program monitors the offsets between the wavelength scale set by the internal wavecal versus that defined by absorption lines in external targets This is accomplished by observing two external targets in the SMC: SK191 with G130M and G160M and Cl* NGC 330 ROB B37 with G140L (SK191 is too bright to be observed with G140L) The cenwaves observed in this program are a subset of the ones used during Cycle 17 Observing all cenwaves would require a considerably larger number of orbits Constraints on scheduling of each target are placed so that each target is observed once every ~2-3 months Observing the two targets every month would also require a considerably larger number of orbits

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

COS/NUV/FUV 11598

How Galaxies Acquire their Gas: A Map of Multiphase Accretion and Feedback in Gaseous Galaxy Halos

COS/NUV/FUV 11728

The Impact of Starbursts on the Gaseous Halos of Galaxies

Perhaps the most important (yet uncertain) aspects of galaxy evolution are the processes by which galaxies accrete gas and by which the resulting star formation and black hole growth affects this accreting gas It is believed that both the form of the accretion and the nature of the feedback change as a function of the galaxy mass At low mass the gas comes in cold and the feedback is provided by massive stars At high mass, the gas comes in hot, and the feedback is from an AGN The changeover occurs near the mass where the galaxy population transitions from star-forming galaxies to red and dead ones The population of red and dead galaxies is building with cosmic time, and it is believed that feedback plays an important role in this process: shutting down star formation by heating and/or expelling the reservoir of cold halo gas To investigate these ideas, we propose to use COS far-UV spectra of background QSOs to measure the properties of the halo gas in a sample of galaxies near the transition mass that have undergone starbursts within the past 100 Myr to 1 Gyr The galactic wind associated with the starburst is predicted to have affected the properties of the gaseous halo To test this, we will compare the properties of the halos of the post-starburst galaxies to those of a control sample of galaxies matched in mass and QSO impact parameter Do the halos of the post-starburst galaxies show a higher incidence rate of Ly-Alpha and metal absorption-lines? Are the kinematics of the halo gas more disturbed in the post-starbursts? Has the wind affected the ionization state and/or the metallicity of the halo? These data will provide fresh new insights into the role of feedback from massive stars on the evolution of galaxies, and may also offer clues about the properties of the QSO metal absorption-line systems at high-redshift

NIC2/WFC3/IR 11548

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

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

STIS/CCD 11721

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

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

STIS/CCD 11845

CCD Dark Monitor Part 2

Monitor the darks for the STIS CCD

STIS/CCD 11847

CCD Bias Monitor-Part 2

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

STIS/CCD 11852

STIS CCD Spectroscopic Flats C17

The purpose of this proposal is to obtain pixel-to-pixel lamp flat fields for the STIS CCD in spectroscopic mode

WFC3/IR/S/C 11929

IR Dark Current Monitor

WFC3/UV 12215

Searching for the Missing Low-Mass Companions of Massive Stars

Recent results on binary companions of massive O stars appear to indicate that the distribution of secondary masses is truncated at low masses It thus mimics the distribution of companions of G dwarfs and also the Initial Mass Function (IMF), except that it is shifted upward by a factor of 20 in mass These results, if correct, provide a distribution of mass ratios that hints at a strong constraint on the star-formation process However, this intriguing result is derived from a complex simulation of data which suffer from observational incompleteness at the low-mass end

We propose a snapshot survey to test this result in a very direct way HST WFC3 images of a sample of the nearest Cepheids (which were formerly B stars of ~5 Msun) will search for low-mass companions down to M dwarfs We will confirm any companions as young stars, and thus true physical companions, through follow-up Chandra X-ray images Our survey will show clearly whether the companion mass distribution is truncated at low masses, but at a mass much higher than that of the IMF or G dwarfs

WFC3/UV/IR 12234

Differentiation in the Kuiper belt: a Search for Silicates on Icy Bodies

WFC3/UVIS 11905

WFC3 UVIS CCD Daily Monitor

WFC3/IR 11696

Infrared Survey of Star Formation Across Cosmic Time

WFC3/UVIS/IR 11700

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

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

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