Date: April 29th 2010

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Daily Report #5083 - 1 messages, 1 author http://groups google com/group/sci astro hubble/t/4465a9ac697fe068?hl=en
Daily Report #5084 - 1 messages, 1 author http://groups google com/group/sci astro hubble/t/556e3a0df7b009c9?hl=en

============================================================================== TOPIC: Daily Report #5083

http://groups google com/group/sci astro hubble/t/4465a9ac697fe068?hl=en

== 1 of 1 == Date: Tues, Apr 27 2010 7:47Ã‚Â am From: "Cooper, Joe"

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to Collect World Class Science

DAILY REPORT #5083

PERIOD COVERED: 5am April 26 - 5am April 27, 2010 (DOY 116/09:00z-117/09:00z)

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/WFC3 11669

The Origins of Short Gamma-Ray Bursts

During the past decade extraordinary progress has been made in determining the origin of long- duration gamma-ray bursts It has been conclusively shown that these objects derive from the deaths of massive stars Nonetheless, the origin of their observational cousins, short-duration gamma-ray bursts (SGRBs) remains a mystery While SGRBs are widely thought to result from the inspiral of compact binaries, this is a conjecture SGRBs have been found in elliptical galaxies, Abell Clusters, star-forming dwarfs and even an edge-on spiral Whether they primarily result from an old population, a young population, or rapid evolution of binaries in globular clusters remains open

Here we propose to employ two related sets of observations which may dramatically advance our understanding of short bursts The first is a variant of a technique that we pioneered and used to great effect in elucidating the origins of long-duration bursts We will examine a statistical sample of hosts and measure the degree to which SGRB locations trace the red or blue light of their hosts, and thus old or young stellar populations This will allow us to study the demographics of the SGRB population in a manner largely free of the distance dependent selection effects which have so far bedeviled this field In the second line of attack we will use two targets of opportunity to obtain extremely precise positions of up to two nearby bursts -- one on a star-forming galaxy and the other on a elliptical Observation of the star-formation galaxy could link at least some bursts directly to a young population; however, a discovery in later images of a globular cluster at the site of the explosion in an elliptical would provide revolutionary evidence that SGRBs are formed from compact binaries

COS/FUV 11895

FUV Detector Dark Monitor

Monitor the FUV detector dark rate by taking long science exposures without illuminating the detector The detector dark rate and spatial distribution of counts will be compared to pre-launch and SMOV data in order to verify the nominal operation of the detector Variations of count rate as a function of orbital position will be analyzed to find dependence of dark rate on proximity to the SAA Dependence of dark rate as function of time will also be tracked

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

S/C 12046

COS FUV DCE Memory Dump

Whenever the FUV detector high voltage is on, count rate and current draw information is collected, monitored, and saved to DCE memory Every 10 msec the detector samples the currents from the HV power supplies (HVIA, HVIB) and the AUX power supply (AUXI) The last 1000 samples are saved in memory, along with a histogram of the number of occurrences of each current value

In the case of a HV transient (known as a "crackle" on FUSE), where one of these currents exceeds a preset threshold for a persistence time, the HV will shut down, and the DCE memory will be dumped and examined as part of the recovery procedure However, if the current exceeds the threshold for less than the persistence time (a "mini-crackle" in FUSE parlance), there is no way to know without dumping DCE memory By dumping and examining the histograms regularly, we will be able to monitor any changes in the rate of "mini-crackles" and thus learn something about the state of the detector

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/MA/CC 12079

STIS PtCr/Ne Lamp Ratios

We will provide improved information on the ratio of the STIS wavelength calibration lamps at all wavelengths The LINE & HITM1 lamps have faded by a factor of several since launch, and at the shortest wavelengths the fading is enough to have significantly impacted the S/N of the wavecals The FUV flux of the HITM2 lamp has not been checked since 1997, and so a detailed comparison of all three lamps is needed to support a proper wavelength calibration for GO proposals

WFC3/UV/ACS/WFC 11636

First Resolved Imaging of Escaping Lyman Continuum

The emission from star-forming galaxies appears to be responsible for reionization of the universe at z > 6 However, the models that attempt to describe the detailed impact of high-redshift galaxies on the surrounding inter-galactic medium (IGM) are strongly dependent upon several uncertain parameters Perhaps the most uncertain is the fraction of HI-ionizing photons produced by young stars that escape into the IGM Most attempts to measure this "escape fraction" have produced null results Recently, a small subset of z~3 Lyman Break Galaxies (LBGs) has been found exhibiting large escape fractions It remains unclear however, what differentiates them from other LBGs Several models attempt to explain how such a large fraction of ionizing continuum can escape through the HI and dust in the ISM (eg "chimneys" created by SNe winds, globular cluster formation, etc ), each producing unique signatures which can be observed with resolved imaging of the escaping Lyman continuum To date, there are only six LBGs with individual detections of escaping Lyman continuum at any redshift We propose a single deep, high resolution WFC3/UVIS image of the ionizing continuum (F336W) and the rest-frame UV/optical (F606W/F814W/F160W) of five of these six LBGs with large escape fractions These LBGs have a high surface density and large escape fractions, and lie at the optimal redshift for Lyman continuum imaging with UVIS filters, making our sample especially suitable for follow-up With these data we will discern the mechanisms responsible for producing large escape fractions, and therefore gain insight into the process of reionization

WFC3/UVIS 11650

Mutual Orbits, Colors, Masses, and Bulk Densities of 3 Cold Classical Trans-Neptunian Binaries

Many Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs) have been found to be binary or multiple systems As in other astrophysical settings, Trans-Neptunian Binaries (TNBs) offer uniquely valuable information Their mutual orbits allow the direct determination of their system masses, perhaps the most fundamental physical quantity of any astronomical object Their frequency of occurrence and dynamical characteristics provide clues to formation conditions and evolution scenarios affecting both the binaries and their single neighbors Combining masses with sizes, bulk densities can be measured Densities constrain bulk composition and internal structure, key clues to TNO origins and evolution over time Several TNB bulk densities have been determined, hinting at interesting trends But none of them belongs to the Cold Classical sub-population, the one group of TNOs with demonstrably distinct physical characteristics Two top-priority Spitzer programs will soon observe and measure the sizes of 3 Cold Classical TNBs This proposal seeks to determine the mutual orbits and thus masses of these systems, enabling computation of their densities

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

WFPC2 11340

X-ray Observations of 11 Millisecond Pulsars in M28

We propose a deep X-ray survey of the globular cluster M28 which will yield a wealth of important and unique science, ranging from the first direct measurement of the magnetic field of a millisecond pulsar and constraints on the neutron star equation of state to likely X-ray/optical (HST) detection of a re-exchanged binary MSP The proposed joint HST WFPC2 observation will tie the X-ray, optical, and radio data to a common astrometric frame allowing an unambiguous identification of numerous cataclysmic variables and active binaries in M28 as well as making possible the first direct optical detection of a millisecond pulsar

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 07 07 FGS REAcq 09 09 OBAD with Maneuver 07 07

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)

============================================================================== TOPIC: Daily Report #5084

http://groups google com/group/sci astro hubble/t/556e3a0df7b009c9?hl=en

== 1 of 1 == Date: Wed, Apr 28 2010 7:36Ã‚Â am From: "Cooper, Joe"

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to Collect World Class Science

DAILY REPORT #5084

PERIOD COVERED: 5am April 27 - 5am April 28, 2010 (DOY 117/09:00z-118/09:00z)

OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED

ACS/WFC/WFC3/UV 11578

The Extremely Metal-Poor BCD Galaxy DDO 68: a Young Galaxy in the Local Universe ?

A long standing question in astrophysics is the existence of young galaxies, in which stars are now forming for the first time, in the nearby (i e , present-day) universe Such galaxies would be the local analogs of primordial galaxies observed at high redshift The most promising candidates have long been the most metal-poor systems, including dwarf irregulars (dIrrs) and blue compact dwarfs (BCDs) However, in many dIrrs and BCDs studied with HST an old (1 Gyr) underlying stellar population, as traced by red giant branch (RGB) stars, has been unambiguously detected Even in I Zw 18, which is the most-metal poor prototype of the class and long the most controversial case, our group has recently succeeded in detecting an RGB Nonetheless, there remains the possibility that the star formation histories of BCDs/dIrrs vary from galaxy to galaxy, and that truly young galaxies do exist in the local universe A new test of these issues has only recently become possible with the identification of DDO 68 as an extremely metal-poor galaxy with an oxygen abundance equal to that of I Zw 18 (12+(O/H)=7 21) This galaxy is about a factor of 2-3 closer than I Zw 18, which yields the opportunity to avoid the many ambiguities that have plagued studies of I Zw 18 Also, DDO 68 resides in a void, making it more likely that star formation has been suppressed for a very long time We will observe DDO 68 with ACS/WFC in F606W and F814W, plus F658N (Halpha) to correct the broad F606W for gas contamination We will use WFC3 in parallel with the same filters to study radial population gradients Deep color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) reaching the depth of one magnitude below the predicted RGB tip will be constructed and interpreted based on synthetic CMD fitting These data will determine unambiguously whether DDO 68 has an underlying old (RGB) stellar population or is forming stars for the first time Finding just a single nearby ``young'' galaxy would have profound cosmological implications

COS/NUV/FUV/WFC3/UVIS/IR 11533

COS-GTO: Accretion Flows and Winds of Pre-Main Sequence Stars

COS will obtain spectra of T Tauri stars to study accretion flows and wind absorption features in ultraviolet emission lines Observations of several T Tauri stars with different inclination angles with respect to the line of sight will determine the temperature distributions, flow velocities, and column densities of both inflows and outflows for these stars

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 11852

STIS CCD Spectroscopic Flats C17

The purpose of this proposal is to obtain pixel-to-pixel lamp flat fields for the STIS CCD in spectroscopic mode

STIS/CCD/FGS 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 11597

Spectroscopy of IR-Selected Galaxy Clusters at 1 < z < 1 5

We propose to obtain WFC3 G141 and G102 slitless spectroscopy of galaxy clusters at 1 < z < 1 5 that were selected from the IRAC survey of the Bootes NDWFS field Our IRAC survey contains the largest sample of spectroscopically confirmed clusters at z > 1 The WFC3 grism data will measure H-alpha to determine SFR, and fit models to the low resolution continua to determine stellar population histories for the brighter cluster members, and redshifts for the red galaxies too faint for ground-based optical spectroscopy

WFC3/IR 11936

IR Grism Flux Calibration

This program will determine image displacement, spectral trace and flux calibration for the IR G102 and G141 grisms as a function of spatial position within the field of view The HST flux standard GD71 will be observed in a 9-point pattern in the IR field of view, which will provide the necessary image displacement, spectral trace, and throughput measurements

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 11636

First Resolved Imaging of Escaping Lyman Continuum

WFC3/UVIS 11594

A WFC3 Grism Survey for Lyman Limit Absorption at z=2

We propose to conduct a spectroscopic survey of Lyman limit absorbers at redshifts 1 8 < z < 2 5, using WFC3 and the G280 grism This proposal intends to complete an approved Cycle 15 SNAP program (10878), which was cut short due to the ACS failure We have selected 64 quasars at 2 3 < z < 2 6 from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Spectroscopic Quasar Sample, for which no BAL signature is found at the QSO redshift and no strong metal absorption lines are present at z

2 3 along the lines of sight The survey has three main observational goals First, we will determine the redshift frequency dn/dz of the LLS over the column density range 16 0 < log(NHI) < 20 3 cm^-2 Second, we will measure the column density frequency distribution f(N) for the partial Lyman limit systems (PLLS) over the column density range 16 0 < log(NHI) < 17 5 cm^-2 Third, we will identify those sightlines which could provide a measurement of the primordial D/H ratio By carrying out this survey, we can also help place meaningful constraints on two key quantities of cosmological relevance First, we will estimate the amount of metals in the LLS using the f(N), and ground based observations of metal line transitions Second, by determining f(N) of the PLLS, we can constrain the amplitude of the ionizing UV background at z~2 to a greater precision This survey is ideal for a snapshot observing program, because the on-object integration times are all well below 30 minutes, and follow-up observations from the ground require minimal telescope time due to the QSO sample being bright

WFC3/UVIS 11905

WFC3 UVIS CCD Daily Monitor

WFC3/UVI 11911

UVIS L-Flats and Geometric Distortion

Multiple pointing observations of the globular cluster Omega Centauri (NGC 5139) will be used to measure the filter-dependent low frequency flat field (L-flat) corrections and stability for a key set of 10 broadband filters used by GO programs The selected filters are F225W, F275W, F336W, F390W, F438W, F555W, F606W, F775W, F814W and F850LP By measuring relative changes in brightness of a star over different portions of the detector, we will determine local variations in the UVIS detector response The broad wavelength range covered by these observations will allow us to derive the L-flat correction for the remaining wide, medium and narrow-band UVIS filters The same data will also be used to determin and correct the geometric distotrion that affects UVIS data The broad wavelength range covered by these observations will allow us to measure the geometric distortion dependence with wavelength and filters and to provide the most appropriate correction over the entire wavelength range provided by UVIS

ACS/WFC 11995

CCD Daily Monitor (Part 2)

FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be investigated )

HSTARS:

12255 - Following successful GSAcq(2,3,3), a Loss of Lock occurred while guiding with FGS-2, and FGS-3 at 188/04:27:02z Subsequent REAcqs(2,3,3) were successful

Observations possibly affected WFC3 47 Proposal ID#11911, ACS #85, Proposal ID#11995

COMPLETED OPS REQUEST: (None)

COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)

                  SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES

FGS GSAcq 06 06 FGS REAcq 10 10 OBAD with Maneuver 03 03 LOSS of LOCK 118/04:29:57z

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)

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