HUBBLE
SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to Collect World Class Science
DAILY
REPORT #5075
PERIOD
COVERED: 5am April 14 - 5am April 15, 2010 (DOY 104/09:00z-105/09:00z)
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/WFC/WFC3/IR
11802
WFC3/IR
Observations of Strongly Lensing Clusters
We
propose WFC3/IR observations of the massive lensing clusters Abell
1689
and Abell 1703 to constrain the properties of both cluster and
background
field galaxies. The dataset will also help constrain the
photometric
redshift of A1689-zD1, the bright galaxy candidate at z~7.6.
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/CC
11845
CCD
Dark Monitor Part 2
Monitor
the darks for the STIS CCD.
STIS/CC
11847
CCD
Bias Monitor-Part 2
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/ACS/IR
11584
Resolving
the Smallest Galaxies with ACS
An
order of magnitude more dwarf galaxies are expected to inhabit the
Local
Group, based on currently accepted galaxy formation models, than
have
been observed. This discrepancy has been noted in environments
ranging
from the field to rich clusters, with evidence emerging that
lower
density regions contain fewer dwarfs per giant than higher density
regions,
in further contrast to model predictions. However, there is no
complete
census of the faintest dwarf galaxies in any environment. The
discovery
of the smallest and faintest dwarfs is hampered by the
limitations
in detecting such compact or low surface brightness
galaxies,
and this is compounded by the great difficulty in determining
accurate
distances to, or ascertaining group membership for, such faint
objects.
The M81 group provides a powerful means for establishing
membership
for faint galaxies in a low density region. With a distance
modulus
of 27.8, the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) appears at I ~
24,
just within the reach of ground based surveys. We have completed a
65
square degree survey in the region around M81 with the CFHT/MegaCam.
Half
of our survey was completed before Cycle 16 and we were awarded
time
with WFPC2 to observe 15 new candidate dwarf galaxy group members
in
F606W and F814W bands in order to construct color-magnitude diagrams
from
which to measure accurate TRGB distances and determine star
formation
and metallicity histories. The data obtained show that 8 - 9
of
these objects are galaxies at the same distance as M81. In completing
our
survey, we have discovered an additional 8 candidate galaxies we
propose
to image with ACS in order to measure TRGB distances and
establish
membership. We also wish to re-observe our smallest candidate
group
member and a tidal dwarf candidate with deeper observations made
possible
with ACS. Once membership has been established for this second
set
of candidates, we will have a complete census of the dwarf galaxy
population
in the M8 group to M_r ~ -10, allowing us to obtain a firm
measurement
of the luminosity function faint-end slope, and, combined
with
previous HST data, to provide a complete inventory of the age and
abundance
properties for the collapsed core of the M81 group.
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/IR
11662
Improving
the Radius-Luminosity Relationship for Broad-Lined AGNs with a
New
Reverberation Sample
The
radius-luminosity (R-L) relationship is currently the fundamental
basis
for all techniques used to estimate black hole masses in AGNs, in
both
the nearby and distant universe. However, the current R-L
relationship
is based on 34 objects that cover a limited range in black
hole
mass and luminosity. To improve our understanding of black hole
growth
and evolution, the R-L relationship must be extended to cover a
broader
range of black hole masses using the technique known as
reverberation
mapping. To this end, we have been awarded an
unprecedented
64 nights on the Lick Observatory 3-m telescope between
March
24 and May 31, 2008, to spectroscopically monitor 12 AGNs in order
to
measure their black hole masses. To properly determine the
luminosities
of these 12 AGNs, we must correct them for their
host-galaxy
starlight contributions using high-resolution images.
Previous
work by Bentz et al. (2006) has shown that the starlight
correction
to AGN luminosity measurements is an essential component to
interpreting
the R-L relationship. The correction will be substantial
for
each of the 12 sources we will monitor, as the AGNs are relatively
faint
and embedded in nearby, bright galaxies. Starlight corrections are
not
possible with ground-based images, as the PSF and bulge
contributions
become indistinguishable under typical seeing conditions,
and
adaptive optics are not yet operational in the spectral range where
the
corrections are needed. In addition, spectral decompositions are
very
model-dependent and are limited by the degree of accuracy to which
we
understand emission processes and stellar populations in galaxies.
Without
correcting for starlight, we will be unable to apply the results
of
our Spring 2008 campaign to the body of knowledge from previous
reverberation
mapping work. Therefore, we propose to obtain high
resolution,
high dynamic range images of the host galaxies of the 12
AGNs
in our ground-based monitoring sample, as well as one white dwarf
which
will be used as a PSF model.
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 C to the ambient instrument temperature (~ +5 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.
FLIGHT
OPERATIONS SUMMARY:
Significant
Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary reports
of
potential non-nominal performance that will be investigated.)
HSTARS:
12247
- STIS CCD Dark Image Shifted One Column to the Left
The STIS Science Team has reported the one dark science image
taken on
2010/003/13:37:00.000 for Proposal 11849 - STIS CCD Hot Pixel
Annealing.
COMPLETED
OPS REQUEST: (None)
COMPLETED
OPS NOTES: (None)
SCHEDULED
SUCCESSFUL
FGS
GSAcq
12
12
FGS
REAcq
8
8
OBAD
with Maneuver 6
6
SIGNIFICANT
EVENTS: (None)