HUBBLE
SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to Collect World Class Science
DAILY
REPORT #4965
PERIOD
COVERED: 5am November 3 - 5am November 4, 2009 (DOY 307/10:00z-308/10:00z)
OBSERVATIONS
SCHEDULED
ACS/WFC
11782
Measuring
the Shape and Orientation of the Galactic Dark-Matter Halo
using
Hypervelocity Stars
We
propose to obtain high-resolution images of five hypervelocity stars
in
the Galactic halo in order to establish the first-epoch astrometric
frame
for them, as a part of a long-term program to measure precise
proper
motions. The origin of these recently discovered stars, all with
positive
radial velocities above 540 km/s, is consistent only with being
ejected
from the deep potential well of the massive black hole at the
Galactic
center. The deviations of their space motions from purely
radial
trajectories probe the departures from spherical symmetry of the
Galactic
potential, mainly due to the triaxiality of the dark-matter
halo.
Reconstructing the full three-dimensional space motion of the
hypervelocity
stars, through astrometric proper motions, provides a
unique
opportunity to measure the shape and orientation of the dark
halo.
The hypervelocity stars allow measurement of the potential up to
75
kpc from the center, independently of and at larger distances than
are
afforded by tidal streams of satellite galaxies such as the
Sagittarius
dSph galaxy. HVS3 may be associated with the LMC, rather
then
the Galactic center, and would therefore present a case for a
supermassive
black hole at the center of the LMC. We request one orbit
with
ACS/WFC for each of the five hypervelocity stars to establish their
current
positions relative to background galaxies. We will request a
repeated
observation of these stars in Cycle 17, which will conclusively
measure
the astrometric proper motions.
COS/NUV
11896
NUV
Spectroscopic Sensitivity Monitoring
The
purpose of this proposal is to monitor sensitivity of each NUV
grating
mode to detect any changes due to contamination or other causes.
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
11848
CCD
Read Noise Monitor
This
proposal measures the read noise of all the amplifiers (A, B, C, D)
on
the STIS CCD using pairs of bias frames. Full-frame and binned
observations
are made in both Gain 1 and Gain 4, with binning factors of
1x1,
1x2, 2x1, and 2x2. All exposures are internals. Pairs of visits are
scheduled
monthly for the first four months and then bi-monthly after
that.
WFC3/ACS/IR/WFC
11563
Galaxies
at z~7-10 in the Reionization Epoch: Luminosity Functions to
<0.2L*
from Deep IR Imaging of the HUDF and HUDF05 Fields
The
first generations of galaxies were assembled around redshifts
z~7-10+,
just 500-800 Myr after recombination, in the heart of the
reionization
of the universe. We know very little about galaxies in this
period.
Despite great effort with HST and other telescopes, less than
~15
galaxies have been reliably detected so far at z>7, contrasting with
the
~1000 galaxies detected to date at z~6, just 200-400 Myr later, near
the
end of the reionization epoch. WFC3 IR can dramatically change this
situation,
enabling derivation of the galaxy luminosity function and its
shape
at z~7-8 to well below L*, measurement of the UV luminosity
density
at z~7-8 and z~8-9, and estimates of the contribution of
galaxies
to reionization at these epochs, as well as characterization of
their
properties (sizes, structure, colors). A quantitative leap in our
understanding
of early galaxies, and the timescales of their buildup,
requires
a total sample of ~100 galaxies at z~7-8 to ~29 AB mag. We can
achieve
this with 192 WFC3 IR orbits on three disjoint fields
(minimizing
cosmic variance): the HUDF and the two nearby deep fields of
the
HUDF05. Our program uses three WFC3 IR filters, and leverages over
600
orbits of existing ACS data, to identify, with low contamination, a
large
sample of over 100 objects at z~7-8, a very useful sample of ~23
at
z~8-9, and limits at z~10. By careful placement of the WFC3 IR and
parallel
ACS pointings, we also enhance the optical ACS imaging on the
HUDF
and a HUDF05 field. We stress (1) the need to go deep, which is
paramount
to define L*, the shape, and the slope alpha of the luminosity
function
(LF) at these high redshifts; and (2) the far superior
performance
of our strategy, compared with the use of strong lensing
clusters,
in detecting significant samples of faint z~7-8 galaxies to
derive
their luminosity function and UV ionizing flux. Our recent z~7.4
NICMOS
results show that wide-area IR surveys, even of GOODS-like depth,
simply
do not reach faint enough at z~7-9 to meet the LF and UV flux
objectives.
In the spirit of the HDF and the HUDF, we will waive any
proprietary
period, and will also deliver the reduced data to STScI. The
proposed
data will provide a Legacy resource of great value for a wide
range
of archival science investigations of galaxies at redshifts z~2-9.
The
data are likely to remain the deepest IR/optical images until JWST
is
launched, and will provide sources for spectroscopic followup by
JWST,
ALMA and EVLA.
WFC3/IR
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/UV
12045
Evolution
of the 2009 Single Impact on Jupiter
The
19 July 2009 impact on Jupiter captured worldwide attention, and
sparked
a highly successful WFC3 imaging program during SMOV, with the
last
Hubble image acquired on 8 August. Continuing ground-based
observations
have revealed significant differences between this event
and
the Shoemaker-Levy 9 impacts in 1994: a single impact event offers a
chance
to study the longer-term evolution of the impact debris field
without
confusion due to overlapping aerosol debris clouds, and this
debris
field evolved more slowly than the SL9 sites. Initial analysis of
our
first data set reveals possible curved streamlines that correspond
to
no known tropospheric vortex. To constrain the stratospheric velocity
field
traced by the impact-generated aerosols, we request 10-hour
separated
data (a temporal sampling rate which we could not obtain
during
SMOV) that are crucial for tracking coherent albedo features. We
also
requested (but were not granted) a single orbit of high-resolution
near-infrared
images. These data would have provided the sharpest
visible
and near-infrared images of the site, providing context for the
ongoing
worldwide campaign of lower-resolution ground-based
observations.
WFC3/UV
11588
Galaxy-Scale
Strong Lenses from the CFHTLS Survey
We
aim to investigate the origin and evolution of early-type galaxies
using
gravitational lensing, modeling the mass profiles of objects over
a
wide range of redshifts. The low redshift (z = 0.2) sample is already
in
place following the successful HST SLACS survey; we now propose to
build
up and analyze a sample of comparable size (~50 systems) at high
redshift
(0.4 < z < 0.9) using HST WFC3 Snapshot observations of lens
systems
identified by the SL2S collaboration in the CFHT legacy survey.
WFC3/UV
11657
The
Population of Compact Planetary Nebulae in the Galactic Disk
We
propose to secure narrow- and broad-band images of compact planetary
nebulae
(PNe) in the Galactic Disk to study the missing link of the
early
phases of post-AGB evolution. Ejected AGB envelopes become PNe
when
the gas is ionized. PNe expand, and, when large enough, can be
studied
in detail from the ground. In the interim, only the HST
capabilities
can resolve their size, morphology, and central stars. Our
proposed
observations will be the basis for a systematic study of the
onset
of morphology. Dust properties of the proposed targets will be
available
through approved Spitzer/IRS spectra, and so will the
abundances
of the alpha- elements. We will be able thus to explore the
interconnection
of morphology, dust grains, stellar evolution, and
populations.
The target selection is suitable to explore the nebular and
stellar
properties across the galactic disk, and to set constraints on
the
galactic evolutionary models through the analysis of metallicity and
population
gradients.
WFC3/UV
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).
FLIGHT
OPERATIONS SUMMARY:
Significant
Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary reports
of
potential non-nominal performance that will be investigated.)
HSTARS:
12065
- SIC&DH safed during LOS at 307/18:37:42z due to failure of SIC&DH
Pit toggle test.
COMPLETED
OPS REQUEST:
18743-1
- Recover NICMOS to SAA Operate with FPA Temp Sensor (skip steps 3-5)
@ 307/1538z
18735-1
- Adjust NCS CPL Setpoint @ 307/1550z, 307/1714z
18744-1
- Recover SICDH @ 307/2238z
18745-0
- Execute Safemode Recovery @ 307/2242z
18749-3
- Recover SICDH to normal mode @ 308/0010z
18747-0
- Re-enable ACR to Reset S1 MEB @ 308/0012z
18746-0
- Re-enable NSSC-1 HV Protect Function @ 308/0020z
18751-0
- Recover WFC3 to Operate @ 308/0050z
18750-0
- Recover the ESMNCSCPL PCE @ 308/0127z
COMPLETED
OPS NOTES: (None)
SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL
FGS
GSAcq 10 10
FGS
REAcq 06 06
OBAD
with Maneuver 05 05
SIGNIFICANT
EVENTS:
At
307/15:37z, Ops Request 18743 was successfully completed to transition
NICMOS
from safe to SAA Operate.
At
307/19:10:17z, AOS telemetry indicates the SIC&DH safed during LOS.
Ops
request 18744 to power cycle the CDH2, perform SI memory dumps and
safe
all the payload elements was successfully completed at 307/22:38z.
Ops
request 18749-3 to recovery CDH2 to normal was successfully
completed
at 308/00:08. Ops request 18746 to re-enable NSSC-1 HV
protection
was completed at 308/00:21. WFC3 was recovered to operate
without
power cycling the TECs at 308/00:50 via ops request 18751.
Ops
Request 18750 was successfully completed at 308/01:30 UTC,
recovering
the ESM up to its Operate mode, placing the NCS CPL in its
Standby
state at a reservoir setpoint of -34 degC, and re-enabling the
PCE
to restore visibility into various NCC telemetry.