HUBBLE
SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science 
 
DAILY
REPORT      #4903 
 
PERIOD
COVERED: 5am August 5 - 5am August 6, 2009 (DOY 217/09:00z-218/09:00z) 
 
OBSERVATIONS
SCHEDULED 
 
ACS/WFC3
11882 
 
CCD
Hot Pixel Annealing 
 
All
the data for this program is acquired using internal targets (lamps)
only,
so all of the exposures should be taken during Earth occultation
time
(but not during SAA passages). This program emulates the ACS
pre-flight
ground calibration and post launch SMOV testing (program
8948),
so that results from each epoch can be directly compared.
Extended
Pixel Edge Response (EPER) and First Pixel Response (FPR) data
will
be obtained over a range of signal levels for the Wide Field
Channel
(WFC). The High Resolution Channel (HRC) visits have been
removed
since it could not be repaired during SM4. 
 
COS
11474 
 
COS
NUV Internal/External Wavelength Scales 
 
Observe
external radial velocity standard targets (preferably, though
not
required, in CVZ) in TIME-TAG (FLASH=YES) mode with as many grating
and
central wavelength combinations as feasible. The purpose is to
obtain
zero-point offsets for the wavelength scale (internal wavecal
lamp
scale to external standard wavelength scale) for all central
wavelengths.
Following this determination, adjustments of the nominal
science
target spectral range for each grating and central wavelength
combination
will be made via SMS patchable constant for nominal OSM2
positions
corresponding to each central wavelength. Subsequent to this
modification
of the wavelength scale (and its verification in COS 15 -
program
11475), NUV science-related operations and wavelength-scale
dependent
EROs can commence. 
 
COS
11475 
 
COS
Internal NUV Wavelength Verification 
 
This
program will be executed after the uplink of the OSM2 position
updates
derived from the determination of the wavelength-scale zero
points
and desired spectral ranges for each grating in activity COS14
(program
11474 - COS NUV Internal/External Wavelength Scales). This
program
will verify that the operational spectral ranges for each
grating,
central wavelength, and FP-POS are those desired. Subsequent to
a
successful verification, COS NUV ERO observations and NUV science can
be
enabled. An internal wavelength calibration spectrum using the
default
PtNe lamp (lamp 1) with each NUV grating at each central
wavelength
setting and each FP-POS position will be obtained for the
verification.
Additional exposures and waits between certain exposures
will
be required to avoid - and to evaluate - mechanism drifts. 
 
STIS/CCD
11844 
 
CCD
Dark Monitor Part 1 
 
Monitor
the darks for the STIS CCD. 
 
STIS/CCD
11846 
 
CCD
Bias Monitor-Part 1 
 
Monitor
the bias in the 1x1, 1x2, 2x1, and 2x2 bin settings at gain=1,
and
1x1 at gain = 4, to build up high-S/N superbiases and track the
evolution
of hot columns. 
 
WFC3
11552 
 
Characterization
of the WFC3 IR Grisms 
 
Image
displacement, spectral trace and dispersion, and throughput of the
IR
G102 and G141 grisms will be verified. The HST flux standard GD 153
will
be observed in a 5-point pattern in the IR field of view, which
will
provide image displacement, spectral trace, and throughput
measurements
as a function of location within the FOV. Similarly, the
planetary
nebula PN HB12 will be observed in a 9-point pattern in the IR
field
of view, which will provide dispersion measurements as a function
of
FOV position. 
 
WFC3
11808 
 
WFC3
UVIS Bowtie Monitor 
 
The
UVIS detector was observed during ground testing to occasionally
exhibit
flat field and dark variations with a bowtie pattern. These
variations
are most significant as ~1% flat field (gain) variations
across
the field of view. It is believed that this represents a state or
condition
into which the detector can transition for reasons and under
circumstances
which are not currently understood. It is also very
unlikely
that most science observations will determine the state (bowtie
or
no-bowtie) of the detector. Ground test data indicates that this
state
is long lived (many hours to ~one day). Hysteresis or memory of
past
light exposure is also associated with this state. 
 
Recent
evidence suggests that exposing the detector to ~200k to 500k
electrons
may quench this state. This proposal obtains an internal flat
field
sequence of three exposures: one at 10x full well with two at 0.5x
full
well immediately before and after. Each exposure is 3x3 binned to
reduce
the data volume required. 
 
These
visits should be scheduled 2x per day until further direction is
provided.
 
WFC3/UVI
11565 
 
A
Search for Astrometric Companions to Very Low-Mass, Population II
Stars
 
We
propose to carry out a SNAPshot search for astrometric companions in
a
subsample of very low-mass, halo subdwarfs identified within 120
parsecs
of the Sun. These ultra-cool M subdwarfs are local
representatives
of the lowest-mass H-burning objects from the Galactic
Population
II. The expected 3-4 astrometric doubles that will be
discovered
will be invaluable in that they will be the first systems
from
which gravitational masses of metal-poor stars at the bottom of the
main
sequence can be directly measured. 
 
WFC3/UVI
11580 
 
Watching
Young Planetary Nebulae Grow: The Movie 
 
The
development of magneto-hydro gas dynamical models is the key to the
understanding
of both the physics (processes) and astronomy (initial
conditions)
of astrophysical nebulae of all sorts. The models are
reaching
their highest degree of accuracy when applied to and compared
against
pre Planetary Nebulae (pPNe) thanks to the simplicity, relative
lack
of extinction, and the detail of the imaging and kinematic data
that
have bcome available for these objects. The primary barrier to
progress
is inadequate kinematic data of pPNe against which the
predictions
models can be tested. Unlike PNe, pPNe do not emit emission
lines
for detailed Doppler measurements. Therefore it is essential to
find
another way to monitor the morphological evolution. 
 
Only
HST can uncover the dynamics of the growth patterns by subtracting
multi-epoch
images spanning a decade or more. We have selected four pPNe
with
highly collimated outflows in different evolutionary stages for
which
high-quality first epoch images were obtained from 1996 to 2002.
All
of them display regularly shaped thin rims, sharp edges, and
symmetric
pairs of knots or bowshocks that are ideal for our purposes.
We
will closely mimic many of the earlier exposures using ACS and to
monitor
changes in structures. The morphology and its evolution will be
compared
to 3-D MHD models with adaptive grids in order to build a far
clearer
picture of the nuclear geometry which shaped the outflows and
constrained
their propagation to the present. We shall also obtain R, J,
and
H images for use with a 3-D dust radiative transfer code LELUYA to
model
the dust distribution deep into the nuclear zones. 
 
WFC3/UVI
11628 
 
Globular
Cluster Candidates for Hosting a Central Black Hole 
 
We
are continuing our study of the dynamical properties of globular
clusters
and we propose to obtain surface brightness profiles for high
concentration
clusters. Our results to date show that the distribution
of
central surface brightness slopes do not conform to standard models.
This
has important implications for how they form and evolve, and
suggest
the possible presence of central intermediate-mass black holes.
From
our previous archival proposals (AR-9542 and AR- 10315), we find
that
many high concentration globular clusters do not have flat cores or
steep
central cusps, instead they show weak cusps. Numerical simulations
suggest
that clusters with weak cusps may harbor intermediate-mass black
holes
and we have one confirmation of this connection with omega
Centauri.
This cluster shows a shallow cusp in its surface brightness
profile,
while kinematical measurements suggest the presence of a black
hole
in its center. Our goal is to extend these studies to a sample
containing
85% of the Galactic globular clusters with concentrations
higher
than 1.7 and look for objects departing from isothermal behavior.
The
ACS globular cluster survey (GO-10775) provides enough objects to
have
an excellent coverage of a wide range of galactic clusters, but it
contains
only a couple of the ones with high concentration. The proposed
sample
consists of clusters whose light profile can only be adequately
measured
from space-based imaging. This would take us close to
completeness
for the high concentration cases and therefore provide a
more
complete list of candidates for containing a central black hole.
The
dataset will also be combined with our existing kinematic
measurements
and enhanced with future kinematic studies to perform
detailed
dynamical modeling. 
 
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:
18672-0
- Set up ACS memory monitor for ASIC single bit error counter @ 217/2010z
18671-0
- COS FUV High Voltage Update @ 217/2150z
 
COMPLETED
OPS NOTES: (None) 
 
               
       SCHEDULED     
SUCCESSFUL 
FGS
GSAcq       
       09            
    09              
FGS
REAcq         
     10           
     10            
OBAD
with Maneuver
10           
     10           
 
SIGNIFICANT
EVENTS: (None)