HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World
Class Science
DAILY REPORT #4705
PERIOD COVERED: 5am September 26 - 5am September 29,
2008 (DOY 270/0900z-273/0900z)
OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED
WFPC2 11796
WFPC2 Cycle 16 Decontaminations and Associated
Observations
This proposal is for the WFPC2 decons. Also included are
instrument
monitors tied to decons: photometric stability check, focus
monitor,
pre- and post-decon internals (bias, intflats, kspots, & darks),
UV
throughput check, VISFLAT sweep, and internal UV flat check.
WFPC2 11289
SL2S: The Strong Lensing Legacy Survey
Recent systematic surveys of strong galaxy-galaxy lenses
{CLASS, SLACS,
GOODS, etc.} are producing spectacular results for galaxy
masses roughly
below a transition mass M~10^13 Mo. The observed lens
properties and
their evolution up to z~0.2, consistent with numerical
simulations, can
be described by isothermal elliptical potentials. In
contrast, modeling
of giant arcs in X-ray luminous clusters {halo masses M
>~10^13 Mo}
favors NFW mass profiles, suggesting that dark matter halos
are not
significantly affected by baryon cooling. Until recently,
lensing
surveys were neither deep nor extended enough to probe the
intermediate
mass density regime, which is fundamental for understanding the
assembly
of structures. The CFHT Legacy Survey now covers 125 square degrees,
and
thus offers a large reservoir of strong lenses probing a large range
of
mass densities up to z~1. We have extracted a list of 150 strong
lenses
using the most recent CFHTLS data release via automated
procedures.
Following our first SNAPSHOT proposal in cycle 15, we propose
to
continue the Hubble follow-up targeting a larger list of 130
lensing
candidates. These are intermediate mass range candidates
{between
galaxies and clusters} that are selected in the redshift range of
0.2-1
with no a priori X-ray selection. The HST resolution is necessary
for
confirming the lensing candidates, accurate modeling of the lenses,
and
probing the total mass concentration in galaxy groups up to z~1 with
the
largest unbiased sample available to date.
FGS 11228
Extrasolar Planet XO-2b
We propose observations of the newly discovered
extrasolar planet XO-2b
and its twin star XO- 2. When combined with the
transit light curve, the
FGS-derived parallax will constrain the stellar mass
of the host star
XO-2. From the high signal-to-noise near-IR time series
resulting from
NICMOS grism spectroscopy, we will refine the system
parameters, in
particular radii of the star and planet. From the same data,
we will
search for evidence of water vapor in the atmosphere via
transmission
spectroscopy. Differential observations with NICMOS in the
spectroscopic
mode will be used to search for the small spectral changes that
occur
during planetary transits resulting from absorption of stellar light
as
it passes through the planetary atmosphere. Water is an
important
constituent, the detection of which would provide information on
Oxygen,
and it has a convenient strong band well-positioned for NICMOS.
WFPC2 11218
Snapshot Survey for Planetary Nebulae in Globular
Clusters of the Local
Group
Planetary nebulae {PNe} in globular clusters {GCs} raise
a number of
interesting issues related to stellar and galactic evolution. The
number
of PNe known in Milky Way GCs, 4, is surprisingly low if one
assumes
that all stars pass through a PN stage. However, it is likely that
the
remnants of stars now evolving in Galactic GCs leave the AGB so
slowly
that any ejected nebula dissipates long before the star becomes
hot
enough to ionize it. Thus there should not be ANY PNe in Milky
Way
GCs--but there are four! It has been suggested that these PNe are
the
result of mergers of binary stars within GCs, i.e., that they
are
descendants of blue stragglers. The frequency of occurrence of PNe
in
external galaxies poses more questions, because it shows a range
of
almost an order of magnitude. I propose a Snapshot survey aimed
at
discovering PNe in the GC systems of Local Group galaxies more
distant
than the Magellanic Clouds. These clusters, some of which may be
much
younger than their counterparts in the Milky Way, might contain
many
more PNe than those of our own galaxy. I will use the standard
technique
of emission-line and continuum imaging, which easily discloses PNe.
FGS 11212
Filling the Period Gap for Massive Binaries
The current census of binaries among the massive O-type
stars is
seriously incomplete for systems in the period range from years
to
millennia because the radial velocity variations are too small and
the
angular separations too close for easy detection. Here we propose
to
discover binaries in this observational gap through a Faint
Guidance
Sensor SNAP survey of relatively bright targets listed in the
Galactic O
Star Catalog. Our primary goal is to determine the binary
frequency
among those in the cluster/association, field, and runaway groups.
The
results will help us assess the role of binaries in massive
star
formation and in the processes that lead to the ejection of
massive
stars from their natal clusters. The program will also lead to
the
identification of new, close binaries that will be targets of long
term
spectroscopic and high angular resolution observations to
determine
their masses and distances. The results will also be important for
the
interpretation of the spectra of suspected and newly identified
binary
and multiple systems.
FGS 11212
Filling the Period Gap for Massive
Binaries
The current census of binaries among the massive O-type
stars is
seriously incomplete for systems in the period range from years to
millennia because the radial velocity variations are too small and the
angular separations too close for easy detection. Here we propose to
discover binaries in this observational gap through a Faint Guidance
Sensor SNAP survey of relatively bright targets listed in the Galactic
O
Star Catalog. Our primary goal is to determine the binary frequency
among those in the cluster/association, field, and runaway groups. The
results will help us assess the role of binaries in massive star
formation and in the processes that lead to the ejection of massive
stars from their natal clusters. The program will also lead to the
identification of new, close binaries that will be targets of long term
spectroscopic and high angular resolution observations to determine
their masses and distances. The results will also be important for the
interpretation of the spectra of suspected and newly identified binary
and multiple systems.
WEPC2 11196
An Ultraviolet Survey 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 starbursts and creating/fueling central
AGN. We
propose far {ACS/SBC/F140LP} and near {WFPC2/PC/F218W} UV imaging of
a
sample of 27 galaxies drawn from the complete IRAS Revised Bright
Galaxy
Sample {RBGS} LIRGs sample and known, from our Cycle 14 B and I-band
ACS
imaging observations, to have significant numbers of bright {23 < B
< 21
mag} star clusters in the central 30 arcsec. The HST UV data will
be
combined with previously obtained HST, Spitzer, and GALEX images to
{i}
calculate the ages of the clusters as function of merger stage,
{ii}
measure the amount of UV light in massive star clusters relative
to
diffuse regions of star formation, {iii} assess the feasibility of
using
the UV slope to predict the far-IR luminosity {and thus the
star
formation rate} both among and within IR-luminous galaxies, and
{iv}
provide a much needed catalog of rest- frame UV morphologies
for
comparison with rest-frame UV images of high-z LIRGs and Lyman
Break
Galaxies. These observations will achieve the resolution required
to
perform both detailed photometry of compact structures and
spatial
correlations between UV and redder wavelengths for a
physical
interpretation our IRX-Beta results. The HST UV data, combined with
the
HST ACS, Spitzer, Chandra, and GALEX observations of this sample,
will
result in the most comprehensive study of luminous starburst galaxies
to
date.
ACS/SBC 11158
HST Imaging of UV Emission in Quiescent Early-type
Galaxies
We have constructed a sample of early type galaxies at
z~0.1 that have
blue UV-optical colors, yet also show no signs of optical
emission, or
extended blue light. We have cross-correlated the SDSS catalog
and the
Galaxy Evolution Explorer Medium Imaging Survey to select a sample
of
galaxies where this UV emission is strongest. The origin of the
UV
rising flux in these galaxies continues to be debated, and
the
possibility that some fraction of these galaxies may be experiencing
low
levels of star formation cannot be excluded. There is also a
possibility
that low level AGN activity {as evidenced by a point source}
is
responsible We propose to image the UV emission using the HST/SBC and
to
explore the morphology of the UV emission relative to the optical
light.
WFPC2 11130
AGNs with Intermediate-mass Black Holes: Testing the
Black Hole-Bulge
Paradigm, Part II
The recent progress in the study of central black holes
in galactic
nuclei has led to a general consensus that supermassive
{10^6-10^9 solar
mass} black holes are closely connected with the formation
and
evolutionary history of large galaxies, especially their
bulge
component. Two outstanding issues, however, remain unresolved.
Can
central black holes form in the absence of a bulge? And does the
mass
function of central black holes extend below 10^6 solar
masses?
Intermediate-mass black holes {<10^6 solar masses}, if they exist,
may
offer important clues to the nature of the seeds of supermassive
black
holes. Using the SDSS, our group has successfully uncovered a
new
population of AGNs with intermediate-mass black holes that reside
in
low-luminosity galaxies. However, very little is known about
the
detailed morphologies or structural parameters of the host
galaxies
themselves, including the crucial question of whether they have
bulges
or not. Surprisingly, the majority of the targets of our Cycle 14
pilot
program have structural properties similar to dwarf elliptical
galaxies.
The statistics from this initial study, however, are really too
sparse
to reach definitive conclusions on this important new class of
black
holes. We wish to extend this study to a larger sample, by using
the
Snapshot mode to obtain WFPC2 F814W images from a parent sample of
175
AGNs with intermediate- mass black holes selected from our final
SDSS
search. We are particularly keen to determine whether the hosts
contain
bulges, and if so, how the fundamental plane properties of the
host
depend on the mass of their central black holes. We will
also
investigate the environment of this unique class of AGNs.
WFPC2 11113
Binaries in the Kuiper Belt: Probes of Solar System
Formation and
Evolution
The discovery of binaries in the Kuiper Belt and related
small body
populations is powering a revolutionary step forward in the study
of
this remote region. Three quarters of the known binaries in the
Kuiper
Belt have been discovered with HST, most by our snapshot surveys.
The
statistics derived from this work are beginning to yield surprising
and
unexpected results. We have found a strong concentration of
binaries
among low-inclination Classicals, a possible size cutoff to
binaries
among the Centaurs, an apparent preference for nearly equal
mass
binaries, and a strong increase in the number of binaries at
small
separations. We propose to continue this successful program in Cycle
16;
we expect to discover at least 13 new binary systems, targeted
to
subgroups where these discoveries can have the greatest impact.
WFPC2 10884
The Dynamical Structure of Ellipticals in the Coma and
Abell 262
Clusters
We propose to obtain images of 13 relatively luminous
early type
galaxies in the Coma cluster and Abell 262 for which we have
already
collected ground based major and minor axis spectra and images.
The
higher resolution HST images will enable us to study the central
regions
of these galaxies which is crucial to our dynamical modelling.
The
complete data set will allow us to perform a full dynamical analysis
and
to derive the dark matter content and distribution, the stellar
orbital
structure, and the stellar population properties of these
objects,
probing the predictions of galaxy formation models. The
dynamical
analysis will be performed using an up-to- date axi-symmetric
orbit
superposition code.
FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:
Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are
preliminary reports
of potential non-nominal performance that will be
investigated.)
HSTARS:
11511 - NSSC-1 is safed, PIT toggle test
failed
Upon
acqusition of signal at 272/00:52:19 vehicle telemetry was in HF
format
with NSSC-1 in fixed format. Two 486 ESB messages "D24"
(SICDH_TOGGLE_TEST_FAIL)
and "D01" (SAFE_HLD_MACROS_ACTIVE_INFO) were
received
at 00:10:41 according to ESB dump. SCDHSAFA (Safing Macro
Active),
SDSTOGF (Toggle Failure Counter), SSiCDHT (SIC&DH Toggle OK
Flag), and SSIPTBE (PIT Togggle Test) flags were set.
Science Observations Affected in Proposals: WFPC Proposal
ID
#11289, #11130, #11796, #11113, #11107, #11218, #11302; #11793,
#11103,
#11797 and ACS Proposal ID #11196,
11515 - GSAcq(1,2,2) failed to RGA Hold (Gyro
Control)
Upon acquisition of signal at 272/15:19:30,the GSAcq(1,2,2)scheduled
at
272/15:16:41 - 15:24:46 had begun acquisition walkdown, then
at
272/15:20:19 acquisition walkdown failed to RGA Hold due to
(QF1STOPF)
stop indication flag set on FGS-1.
The payload had safed. Affected data are included in the HSTAR
11511.
COMPLETED OPS REQUEST:
18294-3 - Perform NSSC-1
Hardware memory dump @ 272/0554z
18295-0 - Turn off CDH regulator @
272/0727z
18296-0 - Reset CU command counter @ 272/1734z
18297-0 - Switch
to CU RIUB and perform H/W dump @ 272/1815z
18298-0 - power cycle CU/SDF A @
272/1851z
18300-0 - NSSC-1 Fill Data Test @ 272/2233z
COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)
SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL
FGS
GSacq
41
40
FGS
REacq
00
00
OBAD with Maneuver
82
82
SIGNIFICANT EVENTS:
Flash Report: SI C&DH Safing
The SI C&DH Toggle test failed at 272/00:10:41z.
Dumps and analysis are
on-going.