Notice: For the foreseeable future, the daily reports may
contain
apparent discrepancies between some proposal descriptions
and the listed
instrument usage. This is due to the conversion of
previously approved
ACS WFC or HRC observations into WFPC2, or NICMOS
observations
subsequent to the loss of ACS CCD science capability in
late January.
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class
Science
DAILY REPORT # 4368
PERIOD COVERED: UT May 22, 2007 (DOY 142)
OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED
WFPC2 10800
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 to
continue a Snapshot program using the ACS/HRC that has a
demonstrated
discovery potential an order of magnitude higher than the
HST
observations that have already discovered the majority of
known
transneptunian binaries. With this continuation we seek to
reach the
original goals of this project: to accumulate a
sufficiently large
sample in each of the distinct populations collected in
the Kuiper Belt
to be able to measure, with statistical significance, how
the fraction
of binaries varies as a function 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.
WFPC2 10832
Solving the microlensing puzzle: An HST high-resolution
imaging approach
We propose to use the HST Advanced Camera for Surveys High
Resolution
Channel to obtain high resolution imaging data for 10
bona-fide LMC
microlensing events seen in the original MACHO survey. The
purpose of
this survey will be to assess whether or not the lens and
source stars
have separated enough to be resolved since the original
microlensing
event took place - about a decade has passed since the
original MACHO
survey and the HST WFPC2 follow-up observations of the
microlensing
events. If the components of the lensing event are
resolved, we will
determine the apparent magnitude and color of both the
lens and the
source stars. These data, in combination with Spitzer/IRAC
data and
Magellan near-IR JHK data, will be used to ascertain the
basic
properties of the lens stars. With the majority of the
microlensing
events in the original MACHO survey observed at the
highest spatial
resolution currently possible, we will be able to draw
important
conclusions as to what fraction of these events have
lenses which belong
to some population of dwarf stars in the disk and what
fraction must be
due to lenses in the halo or beyond. These data will
greatly increase
our understanding of the structure of the Galaxy by
characterizing the
stellar population responsible for the gravitational
microlensing.
ACS/SBC 10862
Comprehensive Auroral Imaging of Jupiter and Saturn during
the
International Heliophysical Year
A comprehensive set of observations of the auroral
emissions from
Jupiter and Saturn is proposed for the International
Heliophysical Year
in 2007, a unique period of especially concentrated
measurements of
space physics phenomena throughout the solar system. We
propose to
determine the physical relationship of the various auroral
processes at
Jupiter and Saturn with conditions in the solar wind at
each planet.
This can be accomplished with campaigns of observations,
with a sampling
interval not to exceed one day, covering at least one
solar rotation.
The solar wind plasma density approaching Jupiter will be
measured by
the New Horizons spacecraft, and a separate campaign near
opposition in
May 2007 will determine the effect of large-scale
variations in the
interplanetary magnetic field {IMF} on the Jovian aurora
by
extrapolation from near-Earth solar wind measurements. A
similar Saturn
campaign near opposition in Jan. 2007 will combine
extrapolated solar
wind data with measurements from a wide range of locations
within the
Saturn magnetosphere by Cassini. In the course of making
these
observations, it will be possible to fully map the auroral
footprints of
Io and the other satellites to determine both the local
magnetic field
geometry and the controlling factors in the
electromagnetic interaction
of each satellite with the corotating magnetic field and
plasma density.
Also in the course of making these observations, the
auroral emission
properties will be compared with the properties of the
near-IR
ionospheric emissions {from ground- based observations}
and non thermal
radio emissions, from ground-based observations for
Jupiter?s decametric
radiation and Cassini plasma wave measurements of the
Saturn Kilometric
Radiation {SKR}.
NIC2 10858
NICMOS Imaging of the z ~ 2 Spitzer Spectroscopic Sample
of
Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies
We propose to obtain NICMOS images of the first large
sample of high-z
ultra-luminous infrared galaxies {ULIRGs} whose redshifts
and physical
states have been determined with Spitzer mid-IR spectra.
The detection
of strong silicate absorption and/or PAH emission lines
suggest that the
these sources are a mixture of highly obscured starbursts,
AGNs and
composite systems at z=2. Although some of the spectra
show PAH emission
similar to local starburst ULIRGs, their bolometric
luminosities are
roughly an order of magnitude higher. One important
question is if major
mergers, which are the trigger for 95% of local ULIRGs,
also drive this
enormous energy output observed in our z=2 sample. The
NICMOS images
will allow us to {1} measure surface brightness profiles
of z~2 ULIRGs
and establish if major mergers could be common among our
luminous
sources at these early epochs, {2} determine if starbursts
and AGNs
classified based on their mid-IR spetra would have
different
morphological signatures, thus different dynamic state;
{3} make
comparisons with the similar studies of ULIRGs at z ~ 0 -
1, thus infer
any evolutionary connections between high-z ULIRGs and the
formation of
normal, massive galaxies and quasars observed today.
NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 8794
NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 5
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.
FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:
Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are
preliminary reports
of potential non-nominal performance that will be
investigated.)
HSTARS:
10826 - GSacq(2,3,2) failed due to search radius limit
exceeded.
At
143/02:56:44 GSacq(2,3,2) scheduled at 143/02:51.21 failed due to
search
radius limit exceeded on FGS 2. An ESB a05 was also received.
OBAD1
showed errors of V1=212.02, V2=2117.52, V3=481.67, RSS=2181.94.
OBAD2
showed errors of V1=12.95, V2=20.99, V3=18.46, and RSS=30.81.
COMPLETED OPS REQUEST: (None)
18087-0 - MSS/Gyro1 Converge & Remove Test#34
@142/1305z
18091-1 - PCS KF OOT Support,142/1308z
18088-1 - MSS/Gyro1 Initialization Test#13 for
day142@142/1958z
COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)
SCHEDULED
SUCCESSFUL
FGS GSacq 08
07
FGS REacq 03
03
OBAD with Maneuver
22
22
SIGNIFICANT EVENTS:
Evaluation of Universal Kalman Filter performance
continued. Multiple
text segments were executed, all of them successfully.
Details follow.
The KF was halted at 142/12:30. It was restarted at
142/12:33 with the
MSS, CSS and Gyro1 sensor inputs enabled. The
initialization occurred
during orbit day in F2G. The Gyro1 sensor input was
removed at 142/12:51
in orbit day, in F2G, during a slow changing B-field and
while the
vehicle was inertially fixed. All UKF parameters showed
nominal
operation. The test was to monitor the removal of the
Gyro1 sensor input
from an MSS/CSS/Gyro1 converged filter (MC_G1_HNS, Test
#34). The filter
was halted again at 142/13:03 to remove the CSS input from
the filter to
restore the current operational configuration of MSS only
input. The
filter was restarted at 142/13:05.
The filter was halted at 142/19:38. It was restarted at
142/19:42 with
the MSS and Gyro1 sensor inputs enabled. The
initialization occurred
during orbit day during a T2G guiding interval and during
a fast
changing B-field period while the vehicle was inertially
fixed. All UKF
parameters showed nominal operation. The test was an
MSS/Gyro1
Initialization test case with the vehicle inertially fixed
during a fast
changing B-field (M_G1_INF, Test #13). The filter was
halted again at
142/19:56. reconfigured to use only MSS input and
restarted at
142/19:58.