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 # 4387
PERIOD COVERED: UT June 19, 2007 (DOY 170)
OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED
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.
FGS 10927
The Weight-Watcher Program for Subdwarfs
We propose to use HST/FGS1r to measure five subdwarf
spectroscopic
binaries to determine masses for the components. Their
metallicities,
[Fe/H], range from -0.5 to -2.5, and their projected
minimum separations
range from 9 to 24 mas. These binaries are resolvable with
HST/FGS1r but
not any ground-based technique. Currently, there are only
two subdwarf
systems having any mass measurements. The proposed work
will boost the
total number of subdwarf systems with masses from two to
seven, and
allow us to construct the first mass-luminosity relation
for
low-metallicity stars.
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.
NIC3 10792
Quasars at Redshift z=6 and Early Star Formation History
We propose to observe four high-redshift quasars {z=6} in
the NIR in
order to estimate relative Fe/Mg abundances and the
central black hole
mass. The results of this study will critically constrain
models of
joint quasar and galaxy formation, early star formation,
and the growth
of supermassive black holes. Different time scales and
yields for
alpha-elements {like O or Mg} and for iron result into an
iron
enrichment delay of ~0.3 to 0.6 Gyr. Hence, despite the
well-known
complexity of the FeII emission line spectrum, the ratio
iron/alpha -
element is a potentially useful cosmological clock. The
central black
hole mass will be estimated based on a recently revised
back hole mass -
luminosity relationship. The time delay of the iron
enrichment and the
time required to form a supermassive black hole {logM>8
Msol, tau
~0.5Gyr} as evidenced by quasar activity will be used to
date the
beginning of the first intense star formation, marking the
formation of
the first massive galaxies that host luminous quasars, and
to constrain
the epoch when supermassive black holes start to grow by
accretion.
NIC3 11072
Measuring the Physical Properties of the first two WASP
transiting
extrasolar planets
We have recently discovered the first two transiting
extrasolar planets
from the Wide Angle Search for Planets {WASP} project and
confirmed both
as planets using SOPHIE radial velocity measurements. Both
WASP-1b and
WASP-2b orbit about stars brighter than V=12, and are thus
ideal targets
for HST followup. WASP-1b is probably inflated in a manner
similar to
HD209458b but is in a closer orbit about the parent, which
itself is the
earliest-type parent star yet announced for a transiting
extrasolar
planet. At 0.03 AU from the parent star, WASP-2b is close
to the minimum
separation at which planets of this mass range are thought
to survive.
We request DD observations of WASP-1b and WASP- 2b, to
constrain the
masses and radii of both objects to a precision of a few
tenths of a
percent. Both parent stars have very similar brightnesses
to the TrES-1
parent star, thus we will achieve equivalent photometric
precision to
previous successful observations of TrES-1b. As all
further physical
investigations {such as interior heating} depend on
precise mass- and
radius-determinations, this investigation is the essential
next step in
uncovering the physical characteristics of these planets
and their
parent stars. We have requested 12 orbits, though 9 orbits
would provide
the minimum acceptable coverage for our program. The
consortium will
formally announce the discoveries of WASP-1b and WASP-2b
on Tuesday 26th
September 2006. We ask that all material in this proposal
be kept
confidential until that date. We can supply the discovery
paper on
request after this date.
WFPC2 10890
Morphologies of the Most Extreme High-Redshift
Mid-IR-Luminous Galaxies
The formative phase of the most massive galaxies may be
extremely
luminous, characterized by intense star- and
AGN-formation. Till now,
few such galaxies have been unambiguously identified at
high redshift,
restricting us to the study of low-redshift ultraluminous
infrared
galaxies as possible analogs. We have recently discovered
a sample of
objects which may indeed represent this early phase in
galaxy formation,
and are undertaking an extensive multiwavelength study of
this
population. These objects are bright at mid-IR wavelengths
{F[24um]>0.8mJy}, but deep ground based imaging
suggests extremely faint
{and in some cases extended} optical counterparts
{R~24-27}. Deep K-band
images show barely resolved galaxies. Mid-infrared
spectroscopy with
Spitzer/IRS reveals that they have redshifts z ~ 2-2.5,
suggesting
bolometric luminosities ~10^{13-14}Lsun! We propose to
obtain deep ACS
F814W and NIC2 F160W images of these sources and their
environs in order
to determine kpc-scale morphologies and surface photometry
for these
galaxies. The proposed observations will help us determine
whether these
extreme objects are merging systems, massive obscured
starbursts {with
obscuration on kpc scales!} or very reddened {locally
obscured} AGN
hosted by intrinsically low-luminosity galaxies.
WFPC2 10915
ACS Nearby Galaxy Survey
Existing HST observations of nearby galaxies comprise a
sparse and
highly non-uniform archive, making comprehensive
comparative studies
among galaxies essentially impossible. We propose to
secure HST's
lasting impact on the study of nearby galaxies by
undertaking a
systematic, complete, and carefully crafted imaging survey
of ALL
galaxies in the Local Universe outside the Local Group.
The resulting
images will allow unprecedented measurements of: {1} the
star formation
history {SFH} of a >100 Mpc^3 volume of the Universe
with a time
resolution of Delta[log{t}]=0.25; {2} correlations between
spatially
resolved SFHs and environment; {3} the structure and
properties of thick
disks and stellar halos; and {4} the color distributions,
sizes, and
specific frequencies of globular and disk clusters as a
function of
galaxy mass and environment. To reach these goals, we will
use a
combination of wide-field tiling and pointed deep imaging
to obtain
uniform data on all 72 galaxies within a volume-limited
sample extending
to ~3.5 Mpc, with an extension to the M81 group. For each
galaxy, the
wide-field imaging will cover out to ~1.5 times the
optical radius and
will reach photometric depths of at least 2 magnitudes
below the tip of
the red giant branch throughout the limits of the survey
volume. One
additional deep pointing per galaxy will reach SNR~10 for
red clump
stars, sufficient to recover the ancient SFH from the
color-magnitude
diagram. This proposal will produce photometric
information for ~100
million stars {comparable to the number in the SDSS
survey} and uniform
multi- color images of half a square degree of sky. The
resulting
archive will establish the fundamental optical database
for nearby
galaxies, in preparation for the shift of high- resolution
imaging to
the near-infrared.
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:
18103-1 - MSS/CSS Gyro2 Converged & Remove Gyro2
Test#39 for day 170
18054-0 - Preview KF Sun Vector Data via Telemetry Diags
SCHEDULED
SUCCESSFUL
FGS
GSacq
06
06
FGS REacq
08
08
OBAD with Maneuver
28
28
COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)
SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)