Date: May 4th 2006

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science

DAILY REPORT # 4106

PERIOD COVERED: UT May 03, 2006 (DOY 1123)

OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED

ACS/HRC 10525

Characterizing the Near-UV Environment of M Dwarfs: Implications for Extrasolar Planetary Searches and Astrobiology

We propose SNAP observations with the ACS HRC PR200L prism, designed to measure the near ultraviolet emission in a sample of 107 nearby M dwarfs The sample spans the mass range from 0 1 - 0 6 solar masses {temperature range 2200K - 4000K} where the UV energy distributions vary widely between active and inactive stars The strength and distribution of this UV emission can have critical consequences for the atmospheres of attendant planets Our proposed observations will provide desperately needed constraints on models of the habitability zone and the atmospheres of possible terrestrial planets orbiting M dwarf hosts, and will be used to sharpen TPF target selection In addition, the NUV data will be used in conjunction with existing optical, FUV and X-ray data to constrain a new generation of M dwarf atmospheric models, and to explore unanswered questions regarding the dynamo generation and magnetic heating in these low-mass stars

ACS/HRC 10539

Coronagraphic Imaging of Bright New Spitzer Debris Disks

Fifteen percent of bright main sequence stars possess dusty circumstellar debris disks revealed by far-infrared photometry These disks are signposts of planetary systems: collisions among larger, unseen parent bodies maintain the observed dust population against losses to radiation pressure and P-R drag Images of debris disks at optical, infrared, and millimeter wavelengths have shown central holes, rings, radial gaps, warps, and azimuthal asymmetries which indicate the presence of planetary mass perturbers Such images provide unique insights into the structure and dynamics of exoplanetary systems Relatively few debris disks have been spatially resolved Only nine have ever been resolved at any wavelength, and at wavelengths < 10 microns {where subarcsec resolution is available}, only seven: beta Pictoris, HR 4796, HD 141569, AU Mic, HD 107146, HD 92945, and Fomalhaut Imaging of many other debris disk targets has been attempted with various HST cameras/coronagraphs and adaptive optics, but without success The key property which renders a debris disk observable in scattered light is its dust optical depth The seven disks imaged so far all have a dust excess luminosity >~ 0 01% that of the central star; no disks with smaller optical depths have been detected Most main sequence stars known to meet this requirement have already been observed, so future progress in debris disk imaging depends on discovering additional stars with large infrared excess The Spitzer Space Telescope offers the best opportunity in 20 years to identify new examples of high optical depth debris disk systems We propose ACS coronagraphic imaging of nine bright, new debris disks uncovered during the first year of the Spitzer mission Our goal is to obtain the first resolved images of these disks at ~3 AU resolution, define the disk sizes and orientations, and uncover disk substructures indicative of planetary perturbations The results should double the number of debris disks observed at 0 06" resolution, and open a wider window into the structure of planetary systems

ACS/HRC/WFC 10514

Kuiper Belt Binaries: Probes of Early Solar System Evolution

Binaries in the Kuiper Belt are a scientific windfall: in them we have relatively fragile test particles which can be used as tracers of the early dynamical evolution of the outer Solar System We propose a Snapshot program using the ACS/HRC that has a potential discovery efficiency an order of magnitude higher than the HST observations that have already discovered the majority of known transneptunian binaries By more than doubling the number of observed objects in dynamically hot and cold subpopulations we will be able to answer, with statistical significance, the question of whether these groups differ in the abundance of binaries as a result of their particular dynamical paths into the Kuiper Belt Today's Kuiper Belt bears the imprints of the final stages of giant-planet building and migration; binaries may offer some of the best preserved evidence of that long-ago era

ACS/HRC/WFC 10758

ACS CCDs daily monitor

This program consists of a set of basic tests to monitor, the read noise, the development of hot pixels and test for any source of noise in ACS CCD detectors The files, biases and dark will be used to create reference files for science calibration This programme will be for the entire lifetime of ACS Changes from cycle 13:- The default gain for WFC is 2 e-/DN As before bias frames will be collected for both gain 1 and gain 2 Dark frames are acquired using the default gain {2} This program cover the period May, 31 2006- Oct, 1-2006 The first half of the program has a different proposal number: 10729

ACS/WFC 10503

The Star Formation Histories of Early Type Dwarf Galaxies in Low Density Environments: Clues from the Sculptor Group

We seek HST ACS/WFC time to conduct a detailed study of the stellar populations of 5 early-type {dE, dE/dIrr} dwarf galaxies in the nearby {~1 5 to 4 Mpc} Sculptor group Four of these systems have been recently found to contain modest amounts of HI, and existing ground-based and HST snapshot data point to the potential presence of small populations of young {blue} stars in at least three of these systems Consequently, they resemble the Local Group 'transition' objects Phoenix and LGS3 The relative number of such transition systems is thus substantially larger in the low density environment of the Scl group than for the Local Group Detailed stellar populations studies will allow estimation of the star formation histories, via stellar population modelling of the color-magnitude diagrams, of the target dwarfs, which in turn will connect to gas consumption and retention rates For the two nearer dwarfs we aim to reach below the horizontal branch {a first for any system beyond the Local Group} equivalent to a main sequence turnoff age of ~1 Gyr The observations of these two systems will also allow detection of RR Lyrae variables and thus direct confirmation of the presence of old populations For the other three dwarfs will we cover the first 2 5 mags of the red giant branch, equivalent to the main sequence termination for a ~300 Myr population The results will have implications for theories of galaxy formation and evolution, particularly with regard to the evolutionary relation between low luminosity dEs and dwarf irregulars

ACS/WFC 10592

An ACS Survey of a Complete Sample of Luminous Infrared Galaxies in the Local Universe

At luminosities above 10^11 4 L_sun, the space density of far-infrared selected galaxies exceeds that of optically selected galaxies These `luminous infrared galaxies' {LIRGs} are primarily interacting or merging disk galaxies undergoing enhanced star formation and Active Galactic Nuclei {AGN} activity, possibly triggered as the objects transform into massive S0 and elliptical merger remnants We propose ACS/WFC imaging of a complete sample of 88 L_IR > 10^11 4 L_sun luminous infrared galaxies in the IRAS Revised Bright Galaxy Sample {RBGS: i e , 60 micron flux density > 5 24 Jy} This sample is ideal not only in its completeness and sample size, but also in the proximity and brightness of the galaxies The superb sensitivity, resolution, and field of view of ACS/WFC on HST enables a unique opportunity to study the detailed structure of galaxies that sample all stages of the merger process Imaging will be done with the F439W and F814W filters {B and I-band} to examine as a function of both luminosity and merger state {i} the evidence at optical wavelengths of star formation and AGN activity and the manner in which instabilities {bars and bridges} in the galaxies may funnel material to these active regions, {ii} the relationship between star formation and AGN activity, and {iii} the structural properties {AGN, bulge, and disk components} and fundamental parameters {effective radius and surface brightness} of LIRGs and their similarity with putative evolutionary byproducts {elliptical, S0 and classical AGN host galaxies} This HST survey will also bridge the wavelength gap between a Spitzer imaging survey {covering seven bands in the 3 6-160 micron range} and a GALEX UV imaging survey of these galaxies, but will resolve complexes of star clusters and multiple nuclei at resolutions well beyond the capabilities of either Spitzer or GALEX The combined datasets will result in the most comprehensive multiwavelength study of interacting and merging galaxies to date

FGS 10612

Binary Stars in Cyg OB2: Relics of Massive Star Formation in a Super-Star Cluster

We propose to make a high angular resolution SNAP survey of the massive stars in the nearby, super-star cluster Cyg OB2 We will use FGS1r TRANS mode observations to search for astrometric companions in the separation range of 0 01 to 1 00 arcsec and in the magnitude difference range smaller than 4 magnitudes The observations will test the idea that the formation of very massive stars involves mergers and the presence of nearby companions Discovery of companions to massive stars in this relatively nearby complex will provide guidance in the interpretation of apparently supermassive stars in distant locations The search for companions will also be important for verification of fundamental parameters derived from spectroscopy, adjustments to main sequence fitting and distance estimations, determining third light contributions of eclipsing binaries, identifying wide colliding wind binaries, studying the relationship between orbital and spin angular momentum, and discovering binaries amenable to future mass determinations The massive star environment in Cyg OB2 may be similar to the kinds found in the earliest epoch of star formation, so that a study of the role of binaries in Cyg OB2 will help us understand the formation processes of the first stars in the Universe

NIC2 10755

Photometric Standard Clusters for Cross-Observatory Calibration

The goal of this program is to obtain NICMOS photometry of selected solar analog stars in selected Galactic clusters that will be used as on-orbit photometric standard star fields for JWST-NIRCAM The availability of such fields at JWST launch will facilitate rapid photometric calibration of NIRCAM The NIRCAM team plans to observe the chosen clusters with Spitzer- IRAC

NICMOS 8791

NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 2

A new procedure proposed to alleviate the CR-persistence problem of NICMOS Dark frames will be obtained immediately upon exiting the SAA contour 23, and every time a NICMOS exposure is scheduled within 50 minutes of coming out of the SAA The darks will be obtained in parallel in all three NICMOS Cameras The POST-SAA darks will be non-standard reference files available to users with a USEAFTER date/time mark The keyword 'USEAFTER=date/time' will also be added to the header of each POST-SAA DARK frame The keyword must be populated with the time, in addition to the date, because HST crosses the SAA ~8 times per day so each POST-SAA DARK will need to have the appropriate time specified, for users to identify the ones they need Both the raw and processed images will be archived as POST-SAA DARKSs Generally we expect that all NICMOS science/calibration observations started within 50 minutes of leaving an SAA will need such maps to remove the CR persistence from the science images Each observation will need its own CRMAP, as different SAA passages leave different imprints on the NICMOS detectors

WFPC2 10750

WFPC2 Cycle 14 UV Earth Flats

Monitor flat field stability This proposal obtains sequences of earth streak flats to improve the quality of pipeline flat fields for the WFPC2 UV filter set These Earth flats will complement the UV earth flat data obtained during cycles 8-13

FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

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

HSTARS: 10249 - GSacq(2,1,2) failed due to search radius limit exceeded @ 124/01:01:22z

COMPLETED OPS REQUEST: 17747-1 - Battery 2 Capacity Test Script & 5 Battery Pressure Limit COP (thru steps 27) 17746-0 - Continuous Engineering Recording for Battery # 2 BCT @ Record 123/1127-1157z, Rewind 123/1413, Record 123/1432-1546z, Record 123/2304-124/0014z, Record 124/0256-0349z

COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)

                    SCHEDULED      SUCCESSFUL      FAILURE TIMES

FGS GSacq 09 08 (Ref: HSTAR

10248)

FGS REacq 06 06 OBAD with Maneuver 30 30

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS:

FLASH Report Battery 2 Capacity Test Result -- 2006 Battery 2 Capacity Test Result: 55 3Ah @ 5A rate, 51 3Ah @ 9A End of Battery 2 discharge @124/08:44:44z

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