HUBBLE
SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science
DAILY
REPORT # 4603
PERIOD
COVERED: 5am May 02 - 5am May 05, 2008 (DOY 123/0900z - 126/0900z)
OBSERVATIONS
SCHEDULED
NIC1/NIC2/NIC3
8795
NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 6
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 i
mages.
Each observation will need its own CRMAP, as different SAA
passages
leave different imprints on the NICMOS detectors.
NIC
11495
The
first direct detection of an extrasolar planetary stratosphere?
We
request NICMOS grism spectroscopy to observe the transit of WASP-3b.
This
newly discovered planet is the hottest nearby planet discovered so
far.
The atmosphere is predicted to be so hot that TiO and VO remain in
the
gas phase, creating a hot, strongly absorbing stratosphere. This
molecular
absorption will cause a 6% enhancement in the transit depth at
0.8
microns, compared to that at 1.3 microns. NICMOS/G096 and
NICMOS/G141
observations will therefore provide a straightforward test
of
the hot stratosphere hypothesis. The HST observations will provide a
precisely
determined radius measurement. This is required to drive
advances
in theories of planetary formation, evolution, and atmospheric
physics
and chemistry. The atmospheric TiO and VO absorption is
predicted
to cause an anomalously high IR brightness temperature for the
planet.
We need HST's direct test of the hot stratosphere hypothesis
promptly
to enable appropriate cold-Spitzer observations to be planned
and
interpreted. Spitzer is likely to exhaust its cryogens before these
observations
could be scheduled via the cycle 17 GO process.
NIC1/NIC2/NIC3
11321
NICMOS
Cycle 16 Flats Stability
This
calibration proposal is the Cycle 16 NICMOS flat field monitor
program.
A series of camera 1, 2, & 3 flat fields will be obtained to
monitor
the health of the cameras.
FGS
11213
Distances
to Eclipsing M Dwarf Binaries
We
propose HST FGS observations to measure accurate distances of 5
nearby
M dwarf eclipsing binary systems, from which model-independent
luminosities
can be calculated. These objects have either poor or no
existing
parallax measurements. FGS parallax determinations for these
systems,
with their existing dynamic masses determined to better than
0.5%,
would serve as model-independent anchor points for the low-mass
end
of the mass-luminosity diagram.
WFPC2
11202
The
Structure of Early-type Galaxies: 0.1-100 Effective Radii
The
structure, formation and evolution of early-type galaxies is still
largely
an open problem in cosmology: how does the Universe evolve from
large
linear scales dominated by dark matter to the highly non-linear
scales
of galaxies, where baryons and dark matter both play important,
interacting,
roles? To understand the complex physical processes
involved
in their formation scenario, and why they have the tight
scaling
relations that we observe today {e.g. the Fundamental Plane}, it
is
critically important not only to understand their stellar structure,
but
also their dark-matter distribution from the smallest to the largest
scales.
Over the last three years the SLACS collaboration has developed
a
toolbox to tackle these issues in a unique and encompassing way by
combining
new non-parametric strong lensing techniques, stellar
dynamics,
and most recently weak gravitational lensing, with
high-quality
Hubble Space Telescope imaging and VLT/Keck spectroscopic
data
of early-type lens systems. This allows us to break degeneracies
that
are inherent to each of these techniques separately and probe the
mass
structure of early-type galaxies from 0.1 to 100 effective radii.
The
large dynamic range to which lensing is sensitive allows us both to
probe
the clumpy substructure of these galaxies, as well as their
low-density
outer haloes. These methods have convincingly been
demonstrated,
by our team, using smaller pilot-samples of SLACS lens
systems
with HST data. In this proposal, we request observing time with
WFPC2
and NICMOS to observe 53 strong lens systems from SLACS, to obtain
complete
multi-color imaging for each system. This would bring the total
number
of SLACS lens systems to 87 with completed HST imaging and
effectively
doubles the known number of galaxy-scale strong lenses. The
deep
HST images enable us to fully exploit our new techniques, beat down
low-number
statistics, and probe the structure and evolution of
early-type
galaxies, not only with a uniform data-set an order of
magnitude
larger than what is available now, but also with a fully
coherent
and self-consistent methodological approach!
NIC2/WFPC2
11142
Revealing
the Physical Nature of Infrared Luminous Galaxies at 0.3<z<2.7
Using
HST and Spitzer
We
aim to determine physical properties of IR luminous galaxies at
0.3<z<2.7
by requesting coordinated HST/NIC2 and MIPS 70um observations
of
a unique, 24um flux-limited sample with complete Spitzer mid-IR
spectroscopy.
The 150 sources investigated in this program have S{24um}
>
0.8mJy and their mid-IR spectra have already provided the majority
targets
with spectroscopic redshifts {0.3<z<2.7}. The proposed
150~orbits
of NIC2 and 66~hours of MIPS 70um will provide the physical
measurements
of the light distribution at the rest-frame ~8000A and
better
estimates of the bolometric luminosity. Combining these
parameters
together with the rich suite of spectral diagnostics from the
mid-IR
spectra, we will {1} measure how common mergers are among LIRGs
and
ULIRGs at 0.3<z<2.7, and establish if major mergers are the drivers
of
z>1 ULIRGs, as in the local Universe. {2} study the co-evolution of
star
formation and blackhole accretion by investigating the relations
between
the fraction of starburst/AGN measured from mid-IR spectra vs.
HST
morphologies, L{bol} and z. {3} obtain the current best estimates of
the
far-IR emission, thus L{bol} for this sample, and establish if the
relative
contribution of mid-to-far IR dust emission is correlated with
morphology
{resolved vs. unresolved}.
NIC1
11117
The
Search for Atmospheric Water in the Transiting Planet HD189733b
We propose
to use the NICMOS camera to search for transit NIR signatures
of
atmospheric water in HD189733b. While water absorption bands exist in
the
optical and IR, space-based NIR signatures are uniquely positioned
to
offer the best chance at detection. Using narrow band photometric
filters,
we will be able to detect absorption signatures while the
planet
is in primary transit. A positive detection would be the first
proof
of water on an extrasolar planet. Furthermore, it would provide
invaluable
planetary information, constraining the entire chemistry. As
a
byproduct of the high SNR required for our primary science goal, we
will
be able to improve on the value of the planetary radius, a result
independent
of our primary science objective. The accurate radius
estimate,
together with planet structure models, will allow constraining
the
planet interior and its relationship with formation models and
stellar
metallicity.
NIC3
11107
Imaging
of Local Lyman Break Galaxy Analogs: New Clues to Galaxy
Formation
in the Early Universe
We
have used the ultraviolet all-sky imaging survey currently being
conducted
by the Galaxy Evolution Explorer {GALEX} to identify for the
first
time a rare population of low-redshift starbursts with properties
remarkably
similar to high-redshift Lyman Break Galaxies {LBGs}. These
"compact
UV luminous galaxies" {UVLGs} resemble LBGs in terms of size,
SFR,
surface brightness, mass, metallicity, kinematics, dust, and color.
The
UVLG sample offers the unique opportunity of investigating some very
important
properties of LBGs that have remained virtually inaccessible
at
high redshift: their morphology and the mechanism that drives their
star
formation. Therefore, in Cycle 15 we have imaged 7 UVLGs using ACS
in order
to 1} characterize their morphology and look for signs of
interactions
and mergers, and 2} probe their star formation histories
over
a variety of timescales. The images show a striking trend of small-
scale
mergers turning large amounts of gas into vigorous starbursts {a
process
referred to as dissipational or "wet" merging}. Here, we propose
to
complete our sample of 31 LBG analogs using the ACS/SBC F150LP {FUV}
and
WFPC2 F606W {R} filters in order to create a statistical sample to
study
the mechanism that triggers star formation in UVLGs and its
implications
for the nature of LBGs. Specifically, we will 1} study the
trend
between galaxy merging and SFR in UVLGs, 2} artificially redshift
the
FUV images to z=1-4 and compare morphologies with those in similarly
sized
samples of LBGs at the same rest-frame wavelengths in e.g. GOODS,
UDF,
and COSMOS, 3} determine the presence and morphology of significant
stellar
mass in "pre- burst" stars, and 4} study their immediate
environment.
Together with our Spitzer {IRAC+MIPS}, GALEX, SDSS and
radio
data, the HST observations will form a unique union of data that
may
for the first time shed light on how the earliest major episodes of
star
formation in high redshift galaxies came about. This proposal was
adapted
from an ACS HRC+WFC proposal to meet the new Cycle 16 observing
constraints,
and can be carried out using the ACS/SBC and WFPC2 without
compromising
our original science goals.
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
26
26
FGS
REacq
15
15
OBAD
with Maneuver 82
81
SIGNIFICANT
EVENTS: (None)