HUBBLE
SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to Collect World Class Science
DAILY
REPORT #4946
PERIOD
COVERED: 5am October 6 - 5am October 7, 2009 (DOY 279/09:00z-280/09:00z)
OBSERVATIONS
SCHEDULED
COS/FUV
11592
Testing
the Origin(s) of the Highly Ionized High-Velocity Clouds: A
Survey
of Galactic Halo Stars at z>3 kpc
Cosmological
simulation predicts that highly ionized gas plays an
important
role in the formation and evolution of galaxies and their
interplay
with the intergalactic medium. The NASA HST and FUSE missions
have
revealed high-velocity CIV and OVI absorption along extragalactic
sightlines
through the Galactic halo. These highly ionized high-velocity
clouds
(HVCs) could cover 85% of the sky and have a detection rate
higher
than the HI HVCs. Two competing, equally exciting, theories may
explain
the origin of these highly ionized HVCs: 1) the "Galactic"
theory,
where the HVCs are the result of feedback processes and trace
the
disk-halo mass exchange, perhaps including the accretion of matter
condensing
from an extended corona; 2) the "Local Group" theory, where
they
are part of the local warm-hot intergalactic medium, representing
some
of the missing baryonic matter of the Universe. Only direct
distance
determinations can discriminate between these models. Our group
has
found that some of these highly ionized HVCs have a Galactic origin,
based
on STIS observations of one star at z<5.3 kpc. We propose an HST
FUV
spectral survey to search for and characterize the high velocity NV,
CIV,
and SiIV interstellar absorption toward 24 stars at much larger
distances
than any previous searches (4<d<21 kpc, 3<|z|<13 kpc). COS
will
provide atomic to highly ionized species (e.g., OI, CII, CIV, SiIV)
that
can be observed at sufficient resolution (R~22, 000) to not only
detect
these highly ionized HVCs but also to model their properties and
understand
their physics and origins. This survey is only possible
because
of the high sensitivity of COS in the FUV spectral range.
COS/FUV/ACS/WFC/WFC3/UV/
11632 NUV The Gaseous Corona of M31
We
propose to obtain ultraviolet spectroscopy of the halo of M31, to
probe
for a hot corona on scales of 30-40 pc from the galaxy. We seek to
obtain
absorption line spectra of O I, Mg II, Si II, C IV, and Si IV
toward
bright QSOs located behind the galaxy. One of the sightlines
falls
on the projection of Ibata's giant stream. All background sources
have
been vetted with GALEX photometry and are therefore bright enough
for
observation. If hot gas is detected with this initial study, we will
endeavor
to use a grid of background sources to map the structure and
kinematics
of this gas in detail. M31 is the nearest major spiral galaxy
for
which such a study can be undertaken, other than our own Milky Way.
Recent
studies find a substantial population of HI high velocity clouds
at
distances form M31 of up to 50 kpc, and there is well documented
evidence
of disrupted satellites and tidal streams. These observations
will
shed light on the hot gaseous halo of M31, but also will help in
interpreting
QSO sightlines at high redshift.
NIC
11413
NICMOS
Mode-2 Coronagraphic Target Acquisition Test
NICMOS
coronagraphy is extremely sensitive to small centering errors
which
can result from imperfections in the target acquisition (TA)
process.
During HST Cycle 7 the on-board (TA) process was augmented
which
resulted in post-acquisition dispersions of target placements
w.r.t.
the fiducial position in the occulting system with 1-sigma RSX
(a)
dispersions of 0.08 mas (or ~ 1/10 pixel) between targets and (b)
repeatability
of 0.04 mas for identically executed target acquisitions
of
the same target. This levels of acquisition precision and accuracy
are
required to enable high-contrast imaging near occulted targets of
which
the system is capable. This proposal corresponds to SMOV activity
NIC-10.
NIC1
11205
The
Effects of Multiplicity on the Evolution of Young Stellar Objects: A
NICMOS
Imaging Study
We
propose to use NICMOS to investigate the multiplicity of young
stellar
objects (YSOs) in the Orion B molecular cloud. Previous
observations
with the Spitzer Space Telescope have revealed a remarkable
star
forming filament near the NGC 2068 reflection nebula. The
population
of YSOs associated with the filament exhibit a surprisingly
wide
range of circumstellar evolutionary states, from deeply embedded
protostars
to T Tauri accretion disks. Many of the circumstellar disks
themselves
show evidence for significant dust evolution, including grain
growth
and settling and cleared inner holes, apparently in spite of the
very
young age of these stars. We will estimate the binary fraction of a
representative
sample of objects in these various stages of evolution in
order
to test whether companions may play a significant role in that
evolution.
NIC1/NIC2/NIC3
11947
Extended
Dark Monitoring
This
program takes a series of darks to obtain darks (including
amplifier
glow, dark current, and shading profiles) for all three
cameras
in the read-out sequences used in Cycle 17. A set of 12 orbits
will
be observed every two months for a total of 72 orbits for a 12
month
Cycle 17. This is a continuation of Cycle 16 program 11330 scaled
down
by ~80%.
The
first orbit (Visit A0) should be scheduled in the NICMOS SMOV after
the
DC Transfer Test (11406) and at least 36h before the Filter Wheel
Test
(11407). Data download using fast track.
The
following 28 orbits (visit A1-N2) should be scheduled AFTER the SMOV
Proposal
11407 (Filter Wheel Test). This is done in order to monitor the
dark
current following an adjustment of the NCS set-point. These visits
should
be executed until the final temperature is reached during SMOV.
NIC1/NIC2/NIC3
8795
NICMOS
Post-SAA Calibration - CR Persistence Part 6
This
is 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 'Use After' 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 darks. 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/WFC3/IR
11548
Infrared
Imaging of Protostars in the Orion A Cloud: The Role of
Environment
in Star Formation
We
propose NICMOS and WFC3/IR observations of a sample of 252 protostars
identified
in the Orion A cloud with the Spitzer Space Telescope. These
observations
will image the scattered light escaping the protostellar
envelopes,
providing information on the shapes of outflow cavities, the
inclinations
of the protostars, and the overall morphologies of the
envelopes.
In addition, we ask for Spitzer time to obtain 55-95 micron
spectra
of 75 of the protostars. Combining these new data with existing
3.6
to 70 micron photometry and forthcoming 5-40 micron spectra measured
with
the Spitzer Space Telescope, we will determine the physical
properties
of the protostars such as envelope density, luminosity,
infall
rate, and outflow cavity opening angle. By examining how these
properties
vary with stellar density (i.e. clusters vs. groups vs.
isolation)
and the properties of the surrounding molecular cloud; we can
directly
measure how the surrounding environment influences protostellar
evolution,
and consequently, the formation of stars and planetary
systems.
Ultimately, this data will guide the development of a theory of
protostellar
evolution.
STIS/CCD
11844
CCD
Dark Monitor Part 1
The
purpose of this proposal is to monitor the darks for the STIS CCD.
STIS/CCD
11846
CCD
Bias Monitor-Part 1
The
purpose of this proposal is to 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.
STIS/CCD
11849
STIS
CCD Hot Pixel Annealing
This
purpose of this activity is to repair radiation induced hot pixel
damage
to the STIS CCD by warming the CCD to the ambient instrument
temperature
and annealing radiation-damaged pixels.
Radiation
damage creates hot pixels in the STIS CCD Detector. Many of
these
hot pixels can be repaired by warming the CCD from its normal
operating
temperature near -83 deg. C to the ambient instrument
temperature
(~ +5 deg. C) for several hours. The number of hot pixels
repaired
is a function of annealing temperature. The effectiveness of
the
CCD hot pixel annealing process is assessed by measuring the dark
current
behavior before and after annealing and by searching for any
window
contamination effects.
WFC3/IR/S/C
11929
IR
Dark Current Monitor
Analyses
of ground test data showed that dark current signals are more
reliably
removed from science data using darks taken with the same
exposure
sequences as the science data, than with a single dark current
image
scaled by desired exposure time. Therefore, dark current images
must
be collected using all sample sequences that will be used in
science
observations. These observations will be used to monitor changes
in
the dark current of the WFC3-IR channel on a day-to-day basis, and to
build
calibration dark current ramps for each of the sample sequences to
be
used by GOs in Cycle 17. For each sample sequence/array size
combination,
a median ramp will be created and delivered to the
calibration
database system (CDBS).
WFC3/UVI/IR
11557
The
Nature of Low-Ionization BAL QSOs
The
rare subclass of optically-selected QSOs known as low-ionization
broad
absorption line (LoBAL) QSOs show signs of high-velocity gas
outflows
and reddened continua indicative of dust obscuration. Recent
studies
show that galaxies hosting LoBAL QSOs tend to be ultraluminous
infrared
systems that are undergoing mergers, and that have dominant
young
(< 100 Myr) stellar populations. Such studies support the idea
that
LoBAL QSOs represent a short- lived phase early in the life of
QSOs,
when powerful AGN-driven winds are blowing away the dust and gas
surrounding
the QSO. If so, understanding LoBALs would be critical in
the
study of phenomena regulating black hole and galaxy evolution, such
as
AGN feedback and the early stages of nuclear accretion. These
results,
however, come from very small samples that may have serious
selection
biases. We are therefore taking a more aggressive approach by
conducting
a systematic multiwavelength study of a volume limited sample
of
LoBAL QSOs at 0.5 < z < 0.6 drawn from SDSS. We propose to image
their
host galaxies in two bands using WFC3/UVIS and WFC3/IR to study
the
morphologies for signs of recent tidal interactions and to map their
interaction
and star forming histories. We will thus determine whether
LoBAL
QSOs are truly exclusively found in young merging systems that are
likely
to be in the early stages of nuclear accretion.
WFC3/UVIS
11905
WFC3
UVIS CCD Daily Monitor
The
behavior of the WFC3 UVIS CCD will be monitored daily with a set of
full-frame,
four-amp bias and dark frames. A smaller set of 2Kx4K
subarray
biases are acquired at less frequent intervals throughout the
cycle
to support subarray science observations. The internals from this
proposal,
along with those from the anneal procedure (Proposal 11909),
will
be used to generate the necessary superbias and superdark reference
files
for the calibration pipeline (CDBS).
WFC3/UVIS
11908
Cycle
17: UVIS Bowtie Monitor
Ground
testing revealed an intermittent hysteresis type effect in the
UVIS
detector (both CCDs) at the level of ~1%, lasting hours to days.
Initially
found via an unexpected bowtie-shaped feature in flatfield
ratios,
subsequent lab tests on similar e2v devices have since shown
that
it is also present as simply an overall offset across the entire
CCD,
i.e., a QE offset without any discernable pattern. These lab tests
have
further revealed that overexposing the detector to count levels
several
times full well fills the traps and effectively neutralizes the
bowtie.
Each visit in this proposal acquires a set of three 3x3 binned
internal
flatfields: the first unsaturated image will be used to detect
any
bowtie, the second, highly exposed image will neutralize the bowtie
if
it is present, and the final image will allow for verification that
the
bowtie is gone.
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
7
7
FGS
REAcq
7
7
OBAD
with Maneuver
5
5
SIGNIFICANT
EVENTS: (None)