HUBBLE
SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to Collect World Class Science
DAILY
REPORT #5024
PERIOD
COVERED: 5am February 1 - 5am February 2, 2010 (DOY 032/10:00z-033/10:00z)
OBSERVATIONS
SCHEDULED
ACS/WFC
11995
CCD
Daily Monitor (Part 2)
This
program comprises basic tests for measuring the read noise and dark
current
of the ACS WFC and for tracking the growth of hot pixels. The
recorded
frames are used to create bias and dark reference images for
science
data reduction and calibration. This program will be executed
four
days per week (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun) for the duration of Cycle 17. To
facilitate
scheduling, this program is split into three proposals. This
proposal
covers 320 orbits (20 weeks) from 1 February 2010 to 20 June
2010.
ACS/WFC3
11604
The
Nuclear Structure of OH Megamaser Galaxies
We
propose a snapshot survey of a complete sample of 80 OH megamaser
galaxies.
Each galaxy will be imaged with the ACS/WFC through F814W and
a
linear ramp filter (FR656N or FR716N or FR782N or FR853N) allowing us
to
study both the spheroid and the gas morphology in Halpha + [N II]. We
will
use the 9% ramps FR647M (5370-7570 angstroms) centered at 7000
angstroms
and FR914M (7570-10, 719 angstroms) 8000 angstroms for
continuum
subtraction for the high and low z objects respectively. OH
megamaser
galaxies (OHMG) form an important class of ultraluminous
IR-galaxies
(ULIRGs) whose maser lines emit QSO-like luminosities.
ULIRGs
in general are associated with recent mergers but it is often
unclear
whether their power output is dominated by starbursts or a
hidden
QSO because of the high absorbing columns which hide their nuclei
even
at X-ray wavelengths. In contrast, OHMG exhibit strong evidence for
the
presence of an energetically important and recently triggered active
nucleus.
In particular it is clear that much of the gas must have
already
collapsed to form a nuclear disk which may be the progenitor of
a
circum-nuclear torus, a key element of the unified scheme of AGN. A
great
advantage of studying OHMG systems over the general ULIRG
population,
is that the circum-nuclear disks are effectively "fixed" at
an
inner, edge on, orientation, eliminating varying inclination as a
nuisance
parameter. We will use the HST observations in conjunction with
existing
maser and spectroscopic data to construct a detailed picture of
the
circum-nuclear regions of a hitherto relatively neglected class of
galaxy
that may hold the key to understanding the relationship between
galaxy
mergers, nuclear star-formation, and the growth of massive black
holes
and the triggering of nuclear activity.
COS/FUV
11897
FUV
Spectroscopic Sensitivity Monitoring
The
purpose of this proposal is to monitor sensitivity in each FUV
grating
mode to detect any changes due to contamination or other causes.
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/MA2
11568
A
SNAPSHOT Survey of the Local Interstellar Medium: New NUV Observations
of
Stars with Archived FUV Observations
We
propose to obtain high-resolution STIS E230H SNAP observations of
MgII
and FeII interstellar absorption lines toward stars within 100
parsecs
that already have moderate or high-resolution far-UV (FUV),
900-1700
A, observations available in the MAST Archive. Fundamental
properties,
such as temperature, turbulence, ionization, abundances, and
depletions
of gas in the local interstellar medium (LISM) can be
measured
by coupling such observations. Due to the wide spectral range
of
STIS, observations to study nearby stars also contain important data
about
the LISM embedded within their spectra. However, unlocking this
information
from the intrinsically broad and often saturated FUV
absorption
lines of low-mass ions, (DI, CII, NI, OI), requires first
understanding
the kinematic structure of the gas along the line of
sight.
This can be achieved with high resolution spectra of high-mass
ions,
(FeII, MgII), which have narrow absorption lines, and can resolve
each
individual velocity component (interstellar cloud). By obtaining
short
(~10 minute) E230H observations of FeII and MgII, for stars that
already
have moderate or high- resolution FUV spectra, we can increase
the
sample of LISM measurements, and thereby expand our knowledge of the
physical
properties of the gas in our galactic neighborhood. STIS is the
only
instrument capable of obtaining the required high resolution data
now
or in the foreseeable future.
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/UV/ACS/WFC
12050
20th
Anniversary of HST Launch
The
20th anniversary of HST's launch on April 24, 2010 will be a
significant
milestone both in the Hubble mission and in the history of
U.S.
space astronomy. Already plans are in place for many activities
surrounding
this anniversary that take advantage of the "teachable
moment"
afforded by this event. A new, high-impact image from Hubble is
a
necessary component of this mix. We are proposing here to meet that
need
with new observations of a dramatic region of the Carina Nebula
only
partially observed previously with Hubble. The release of the large
mosaic
of the Carina Nebula for HST's 17th anniversary was one of the
largest
Hubble images ever released (Fig. 1). It contains numerous
dramatic
details including the pillar containing HH 901 (Fig. 2) which
was
itself released as a separate detail image. What is not widely
realized,
however, is that the HST data in the Carina mosaic is limited
to
H-alpha only. The oxygen (502 nm) and sulfur (673 nm) images were
obtained
with the MOSAIC camera at CTIO. These low resolution images
were
combined with the much higher resolution HST data to produce the
final
color image composite. When the full mosaic is viewed, the loss of
resolution
is an acceptable compromise. However, when zooming in on
details,
the effect is noticeable. We have selected the most dramatic
portion
to return to with WFC3 to obtain HST resolution in a complete
filter
set. In order to highlight the new capabilities of WFC3 as well
as
foreshadowing the capabilities of JWST, we will obtain a full 3-color
composite
in the IR channel of WFC3 in addition
WFC3/UVIS
11714
Snapshot
Survey for Planetary Nebulae in Local Group Globular Clusters
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, four, 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 outside the Milky Way. These clusters, some of
which
may be much younger than their counterparts in our galaxy, 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. This proposal continues a WFPC2 program started in Cycle
16,
but with the more powerful WFC3. As a by-product, the survey will
also
produce color-magnitude diagrams for numerous clusters for the
first
time, reaching down to the horizontal branch.
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.
WFC3/UVIS/IR
11644
A
Dynamical-Compositional Survey of the Kuiper Belt: A New Window Into
the
Formation of the Outer Solar System
The
eight planets overwhelmingly dominate the solar system by mass, but
their
small numbers, coupled with their stochastic pasts, make it
impossible
to construct a unique formation history from the dynamical or
compositional
characteristics of them alone. In contrast, the huge
numbers
of small bodies scattered throughout and even beyond the
planets,
while insignificant by mass, provide an almost unlimited number
of
probes of the statistical conditions, history, and interactions in
the
solar system. To date, attempts to understand the formation and
evolution
of the Kuiper Belt have largely been dynamical simulations
where
a hypothesized starting condition is evolved under the
gravitational
influence of the early giant planets and an attempt is
made
to reproduce the current observed populations. With little
compositional
information known for the real Kuiper Belt, the test
particles
in the simulation are free to have any formation location and
history
as long as they end at the correct point. Allowing compositional
information
to guide and constrain the formation, thermal, and
collisional
histories of these objects would add an entire new dimension
to
our understanding of the evolution of the outer solar system. While
ground
based compositional studies have hit their flux limits already
with
only a few objects sampled, we propose to exploit the new
capabilities
of WFC3 to perform the first ever large-scale
dynamical-compositional
study of Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs) and their
progeny
to study the chemical, dynamical, and collisional history of the
region
of the giant planets. The sensitivity of the WFC3 observations
will
allow us to go up to two magnitudes deeper than our ground based
studies,
allowing us the capability of optimally selecting a target list
for
a large survey rather than simply taking the few objects that can be
measured,
as we have had to do to date. We have carefully constructed a
sample
of 120 objects which provides both overall breadth, for a general
understanding
of these objects, plus a large enough number of objects in
the
individual dynamical subclass to allow detailed comparison between
and
within these groups. These objects will likely define the core
Kuiper
Belt compositional sample for years to come. While we have many
specific
results anticipated to come from this survey, as with any
project
where the field is rich, our current knowledge level is low, and
a
new instrument suddenly appears which can exploit vastly larger
segments
of the population, the potential for discovery -- both
anticipated
and not -- is extraordinary.
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
10
10
FGS
REAcq
07
07
OBAD
with Maneuver 05
05
SIGNIFICANT
EVENTS: (None)