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 # 4379
PERIOD COVERED: UT June 07, 2007 (DOY 158)
OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED
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}.
ACS/SBC 11074
ACS/SBC Darks in Support of Specific SBC Science
Observations
This program provides SBC DARK visits to be scheduled in
conjuction with
certain specific science observations which require the
SBC to be turned
on in the orbit preceeding the science observation.
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.
NIC2 11157
NICMOS Imaging Survey of Dusty Debris Around Nearby Stars
Across the
Stellar Mass Spectrum
Association of planetary systems with dusty debris disks
is now quite
secure, and advances in our understanding of planet
formation and
evolution can be achieved by the identification and
characterization of
an ensemble of debris disks orbiting a range of central
stars with
different masses and ages. Imaging debris disks in
starlight scattered
by dust grains remains technically challenging so that
only about a
dozen systems have thus far been imaged. A further advance
in this field
needs an increased number of imaged debris disks. However,
the technical
challege of such observations, even with the superb
combination of HST
and NICMOS, requires the best targets. Recent HST imaging
investigations
of debris disks were sample-limited not limited by the
technology used.
We performed a search for debris disks from a
IRAS/Hipparcos cross
correlation which involved an exhaustive background
contamination check
to weed out false excess stars. Out of ~140 identified
debris disks, we
selected 22 best targets in terms of dust optical depth
and disk angular
size. Our target sample represents the best currently
available target
set in terms of both disk brightness and resolvability.
For example, our
targets have higher dust optical depth, in general, than
newly
identified Spitzer disks. Also, our targets cover a wider
range of
central star ages and masses than previous debris disk
surveys. This
will help us to investigate planetary system formation and
evolution
across the stellar mass spectrum. The technical
feasibility of this
program in two-gyro mode guiding has been proven with on-
orbit
calibration and science observations during HST cycles 13,
14, and 15.
NIC3 11080
Exploring the Scaling Laws of Star Formation
As a variety of surveys of the local and distant Universe
are
approaching a full census of galaxy populations, our
attention needs to
turn towards understanding and quantifying the physical
mechanisms that
trigger and regulate the large-scale star formation rates
{SFRs} in
galaxies.
WFPC2 10841
A Proper Motion Search for Intermediate Mass Black Holes
in Globular
Clusters {2nd Epoch Observations}
Establishing the presence or absence of intermediate-mass
black holes
{IMBH} in globular clusters is crucial for understanding
the evolution
of dense stellar systems. Observationally, this search has
been hampered
by the low number of stars with known velocities in the
central few
arcseconds. This limits our knowledge of the velocity
dispersion in the
region where the gravitational influence of any IMBH would
be felt. In
Cycle 13, we successfully obtained ACS/HRC images of the
centers of five
carefully chosen Galactic globular clusters {GO-10401} for
a new proper
motion study. Although the science case was approved and
the first epoch
images obtained, the requested future cycle observations
were not
granted {due to a general policy decision based on the
strong
uncertainties at the time concerning the immediate future
of HST}. We
have now assessed the quality of the first epoch
observations. The HRC
resolution reveals many isolated stars in to the very
center of each
cluster that remained blended or unresolved in previous
WFPC2 data.
Given a two year baseline, we are confident that we can
achieve the
proper motion precision required to place strict limits on
the presence
of an IMBH. Therefore, we request the second-epoch,
follow-up
observations to GO-10401 in order to measure the proper
motions of stars
in our target clusters. These velocity measurements will
allow us to:
{i} place constraints on the mass of a central black hole
in each
cluster; {ii} derive the internal velocity dispersion as a
function of
cluster radius; {iii} verify or reject previous reports of
cluster
rotation; and {iv} directly measure velocity anisotropy as
a function of
radius. If no second epoch data are obtained then the
observing time
already invested in the first epoch will have been wasted.
WFPC2 10873
The Radio-quiet Jet Flow in Markarian 34
The properties of AGN jet flows are notoriously difficult
to ascertain.
We are currently studying jets in Seyferts by combining
emission-line
diagnostics with radio observations. We have devised a
method of
analysis which -- with only modest and reasonable
assumptions -- leads
to a physical description of the jet flow: its mass,
momentum and energy
flux, along with its density, velocity and Mach number. We
have applied
this method to a rich dataset on Markarian 78 and
discovered that its
jet is very weak, slow, and dense relative to the kind of
jets found in
radio loud AGN {Whittle \& Wilson 2004, Whittle et al
2005, 2006}. Such
a difference between radio quiet and radio loud jet flows
would be a
major result -- if it were found to be generally true. We
have more
modest observations of a further six Seyferts with jets,
but only one of
these -- Mkn 34 -- approaches Mkn 78 as a clean enough
case to allow our
full analysis. Our existing VLA and STIS data are
excellent, but the HST
archive emission-line and continuum images are of poor
quality and low
resolution. We are requesting just 3 orbits to obtain higher
S/N images
at high resolution {ACS/HRC} in [OIII] 5007, [OII] 3727,
green and red
continuum, bringing the total dataset up to a par with
that of Mkn 78.
We will then be able to apply our full analysis to
determine the nature
of the jet flow in this second radio quiet AGN.
FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:
Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are
preliminary reports
of potential non-nominal performance that will be
investigated.)
HSTARS:
10853 - GSACQ(2,1,1) failed
GSACQ(2,1,1) at 159/02:18:36 failed to RGA control at 02:22:40 with
QF2STOPF and QSTOP flags set.
10854 - GSACQ(1,0,1) failed
GSACQ(1,0,1) at 159/03:56:14 failed to RGA control with QF1STOPF and
QSTOP flags set. #44 commands did not update since previous REACQ(1,2,1)
at 00:31:50.
COMPLETED OPS REQUEST:
18098-1 - Dump NICMOS memory after suspend @ 158/1054z
18099-0 - NICMOS Suspend Recovery @ 158/2005z
SCHEDULED
SUCCESSFUL
FGS GSacq 08
06
FGS REacq
05
05
OBAD with Maneuver
26
26
COMPLETED OPS NOTES:
1615-0 - Exec 272 during NICMOS Suspend @ 158/1230z
SIGNIFICANT EVENTS:
Flash Reports
NICMOS suspended at 158/05:14:05 due to Filter Wheel #2
move out of
tolerance. HST was in an LOS at the time of the anomaly,
and engineering
data has been dumped and is in the process of being
analyzed.
NICMOS Recovery Complete:
NICMOS successfully recovered to Operate mode at
158/18:42z. The NICMOS
Filter Wheel #2 moved back to its blank position as
expected. The PAM
was moved to its intermediate position, PAM I at
158/20:09. NICMOS
appears to be operating nominally.
At ~159/2:15 UTC several NICMOS observations (accums on
cameras 1-3)
were successfully collected and dumped to the SSR. No
anomalous behavior
was observed