HUBBLE
SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to Collect World Class Science
DAILY
REPORT #5114
PERIOD
COVERED: 5am June 9 - 5am June 10, 2010 (DOY 160/09:00z-161/09:00z)
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
5
5
FGS
REAcq 10
10
OBAD
with Maneuver 2
2
SIGNIFICANT
EVENTS: (None)
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
11882
CCD
Hot Pixel Annealing
This
program continues the monthly anneal that has taken place every
four
weeks for the last three cycles. We now obtain WFC biases and darks
before
and after the anneal in the same sequence as is done for the ACS
daily
monitor (now done 4 times per week). So the anneal observation
supplements
the monitor observation sets during the appropriate week.
Extended
Pixel Edge Response (EPER) and First Pixel Response (FPR) data
will
be obtained over a range of signal levels for the Wide Field
Channel
(WFC). This program emulates the ACS pre-flight ground
calibration
and post-launch SMOV testing (program 8948), so that results
from
each epoch can be directly compared. The High Resolution Channel
(HRC)
visits have been removed since it could not be repaired during
SM4.
This
program also assesses the read noise, bias structure, and amplifier
cross-talk
of ACS/WFC using the GAIN=1.4 A/D conversion setting. This
investigation
serves as a precursor to a more comprehensive study of WFC
performance
using GAIN=1.4.
COS/NUV
11705
Physical
Properties of Quasar Outflows: From BALs to Mini-BALs
Accretion
disk outflows are important components of quasar environments.
They
might play a major role in facilitating accretion, regulating star
formation
in the host galaxies and distributing metals to the
surrounding
gas. They reveal themselves most conspicuously via broad
absorption
lines (BALs), but they appear even more frequently in other
guises
such as the weaker and narrower "mini-BALs." How are these
diverse
outflow features related? Are mini-BALs really just "mini"
versions
of the BALs, or do they represent a fundamentally different
type
of outflow, with different degrees of ionization, column densities,
mass
loss rates, physical origins, etc.?
We
propose HST-COS spectroscopy to make the first quantitative
assessment
of the outflow physical conditions across the full range of
weak/narrow
mini-BALs to strong/broad BALs. Our strategy is to measure
key
diagnostic lines (SVI, OVI, CIII, SIV, PV, etc.) at 930A - 1130A
(rest-
frame) in a sample of 7 outflow quasars with known mini-BALs
through
weak BALs. We will then 1) combine the COS data with
ground-based
spectra of the same quasars to include more lines (CIV,
SiIV)
at longer wavelengths, and 2) include in our analysis a nearly
identical
UV/optical dataset obtained previously for a sample of quasars
with
strong BALs. Our study of this combined dataset will be an
essential
next step toward a more global understanding of quasar
outflows.
COS/NUV/FUV
11727
UV
Spectroscopy of Local Lyman Break Galaxy Analogs: New Clues to Galaxy
Formation
in the Early Universe
Much
of our information about galaxy evolution and the interaction
between
galaxies and the IGM at high-z has been provided by the Lyman
Break
Galaxies (LBGs). However, it is difficult to investigate these
faint
and distant objects in detail. To address this, we have used the
GALEX
All-Sky Imaging Survey and the SDSS to identify for the first time
a
rare population of low- redshift galaxies with properties remarkably
similar
to the high-redshift LBGs. These local "Lyman Break Analogs"
(LBAs)
resemble LBGs in terms of morphology, size, UV luminosity, star
formation
rate, UV surface brightness, stellar mass, velocity
dispersion,
metallicity, and dust content. We are assembling a wide
range
of data on these objects with the goal of using them as local
laboratories
for better understanding the relevant astrophysical
processes
in LBGs. These data include HST imaging (95 orbits in Cy15 and
16),
Spitzer photometry and spectroscopy, Chandra and XMM X-ray imaging
and
spectroscopy, and near-IR integral field spectroscopy (VLT, Keck,
and
Gemini). In this proposal we are requesting the most important
missing
puzzle piece: far-UV spectra with a signal-to-noise and spectral
resolution
significantly better than available for typical LBGs. We will
use
these spectra to study the LBA's galactic winds, probe the processes
that
regulate the escape of Ly-a and Lyman continuum radiation,
determine
chemical abundances for the stars and gas, and constrain the
form
of the high-end of the Initial Mass Function. Adding these new COS
data
will give us vital information about these extraordinary sites of
star
formation in the local universe. In so-doing it will also shed new
light
on the processes that led to the formation of stars, the building
of
galaxies, and the enrichment and heating of the IGM in the early
universe.
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.
WFC3/IR
11696
Infrared
Survey of Star Formation Across Cosmic Time
We
propose to use the unique power of WFC3 slitless spectroscopy to
measure
the evolution of cosmic star formation from the end of the
reionization
epoch at z>6 to the close of the galaxy- building era at
z~0.3.Pure
parallel observations with the grisms have proven to be
efficient
for identifying line emission from galaxies across a broad
range
of redshifts. The G102 grism on WFC3 was designed to extend this
capability
to search for Ly-alpha emission from the first galaxies.
Using
up to 250 orbits of pure parallel WFC3 spectroscopy, we will
observe
about 40 deep (4-5 orbit) fields with the combination of G102
and
G141, and about 20 shallow (2-3 orbit) fields with G141 alone.
Our
primary science goals at the highest redshifts are: (1) Detect Lya
in
~100 galaxies with z>5.6 and measure the evolution of the Lya
luminosity
function, independent of of cosmic variance; 2) Determine the
connection
between emission line selected and continuum-break selected
galaxies
at these high redshifts, and 3) Search for the proposed
signature
of neutral hydrogen absorption at re-ionization. At
intermediate
redshifts we will (4) Detect more than 1000 galaxies in
Halpha
at 0.5<z<1.8 to measure the evolution of the extinction-corrected
star
formation density across the peak epoch of star formation. This is
over
an order-of-magnitude improvement in the current statistics, from
the
NICMOS Parallel grism survey. (5) Trace ``cosmic downsizing" from
0.5<z<2.2;
and (6) Estimate the evolution in reddening and metallicty in
star-
forming galaxies and measure the evolution of the Seyfert
population.
For hundreds of spectra we will be able to measure one or
even
two line pair ratios -- in particular, the Balmer decrement and
[OII]/[OIII]
are sensitive to gas reddening and metallicity. As a bonus,
the
G102 grism offers the possibility of detecting Lya emission at
z=7-8.8.
To
identify single-line Lya emitters, we will exploit the wide
0.8--1.9um
wavelength coverage of the combined G102+G141 spectra. All
[OII]
and [OIII] interlopers detected in G102 will be reliably separated
from
true LAEs by the detection of at least one strong line in the G141
spectrum,
without the need for any ancillary data. We waive all
proprietary
rights to our data and will make high-level data products
available
through the ST/ECF.
WFC3/IR
11719
A
Calibration Database for Stellar Models of Asymptotic Giant Branch
Stars
Studies
of galaxy formation and evolution rely increasingly on the
interpretation
and modeling of near-infrared observations. At these
wavelengths,
the brightest stars are intermediate mass asymptotic giant
branch
(AGB) stars. These stars can contribute nearly 50% of the
integrated
luminosity at near infrared and even optical wavelengths,
particularly
for the younger stellar populations characteristic of
high-redshift
galaxies (z>1). AGB stars are also significant sources of
dust
and heavy elements. Accurate modeling of AGB stars is therefore of
the
utmost importance.
The
primary limitation facing current models is the lack of useful
calibration
data. Current models are tuned to match the properties of
the
AGB population in the Magellanic Clouds, and thus have only been
calibrated
in a very narrow range of sub-solar metallicities.
Preliminary
observations already suggest that the models are
overestimating
AGB lifetimes by factors of 2-3 at lower metallicities.
At
higher (solar) metallicities, there are no appropriate observations
for
calibrating the models.
We
propose a WFC3/IR SNAP survey of nearby galaxies to create a large
database
of AGB populations spanning the full range of metallicities and
star
formation histories. Because of their intrinsically red colors and
dusty
circumstellar envelopes, tracking the numbers and bolometric
fluxes
of AGB stars requires the NIR observations we propose here. The
resulting
observations of nearby galaxies with deep ACS imaging offer
the
opportunity to obtain large (100-1000's) complete samples of AGB
stars
at a single distance, in systems with well-constrained star
formation
histories and metallicities.
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
12019
After
the Fall: Fading AGN in Post-starburst Galaxies
We
propose joint Chandra and HST observations of an extraordinary sample
of
12 massive post-starburst galaxies at z=0.4-0.8 that are in the
short-lived
evolution phase a few 100 Myr after the peak of
merger-driven
star formation and AGN activity. We will use the data to
measure
X-ray luminosities, black hole masses, and accretion rates; and
with
the accurate "clocks" provided by post-starburst stellar
populations,
we will directly test theoretical models that predict a
power-law
decay in the AGN light curve. We will also test whether star
formation
and black hole accretion shut down in lock-step, quantify
whether
the black holes transition to radiatively inefficient accretion
states,
and constrain the observational signatures of black hole
mergers.
WFC3/UVIS
11595
Turning
Out the Light: A WFC3 Program to Image z>2 Damped Lyman Alpha
Systems
We
propose to directly image the star-forming regions of z>2 damped Lya
systems
(DLAs) using the WFC3/UVIS camera on the Hubble Space Telescope.
In
contrast to all previous attempts to detect the galaxies giving rise
to
high redshift DLAs, we will use a novel technique that completely
removes
the glare of the background quasar. Specifically, we will target
quasar
sightlines with multiple DLAs and use the higher redshift DLA as
a
``blocking filter'' (via Lyman limit absorption) to eliminate all FUV
emission
from the quasar. This will allow us to carry out a deep search
for
FUV emission from the lower redshift DLA, shortward of the Lyman
limit
of the higher redshift absorber. The unique filter set and high
spatial
resolution afforded by WFC3/UVIS will then enable us to directly
image
the lower redshift DLA and thus estimate its size, star- formation
rate
and impact parameter from the QSO sightline. We propose to observe
a
sample of 20 sightlines, selected primarily from the SDSS database,
requiring
a total of 40 HST orbits. The observations will allow us to
determine
the first FUV luminosity function of high redshift DLA
galaxies
and to correlate the DLA galaxy properties with the ISM
characteristics
inferred from standard absorption-line analysis to
significantly
improve our understanding of the general DLA population.
WFC3/UVIS
11697
Proper
Motion Survey of Classical and SDSS Local Group Dwarf Galaxies
Using
the superior resolution of HST, we propose to continue our proper
motion
survey of Galactic dwarf galaxies. The target galaxies include
one
classical dwarf, Leo II, and six that were recently identified in
the
Sloan Digital Sky Survey data: Bootes I, Canes Venatici I, Canes
Venatici
II, Coma Berenices, Leo IV, and Ursa Major II. We will observe
a
total of 16 fields, each centered on a spectroscopically-confirmed
QSO.
Using QSOs as standards of rest in measuring absolute proper
motions
has proven to be the most accurate and most efficient method.
HST
is our only option to quickly determine the space motions of the
SDSS
dwarfs because suitable ground-based imaging is only a few years
old
and such data need several decades to produce a proper motion. The
two
most distant galaxies in our sample will require time baselines of
four
years to achieve our goal of a 30-50 km/s uncertainty in the
tangential
velocity; given this and the finite lifetime of HST, it is
imperative
that first-epoch observations be taken in this cycle. The
SDSS
dwarfs have dramatically lower surface brightnesses and
luminosities
than the classical dwarfs. Proper motions are crucial for
determining
orbits of the galaxies and knowing the orbits will allow us
to
test theories for the formation and evolution of these galaxies and,
more
generally, for the formation of the Local 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
11700
Bright
Galaxies at z>7.5 with a WFC3 Pure Parallel Survey
The
epoch of reionization represents a special moment in the history of
the
Universe as it is during this era that the first galaxies and star
clusters
are formed. Reionization also profoundly affects the
environment
where subsequent generations of galaxies evolve. Our
overarching
goal is to test the hypothesis that galaxies are responsible
for
reionizing neutral hydrogen. To do so we propose to carry out a pure
parallel
WFC3 survey to constrain the bright end of the redshift z>7.5
galaxy
luminosity function on a total area of 176 arcmin^2 of sky.
Extrapolating
the evolution of the luminosity function from z~6, we
expect
to detect about 20 Lyman Break Galaxies brighter than M_* at z~8
significantly
improving the current sample of only a few galaxies known
at
these redshifts. Finding significantly fewer objects than predicted
on
the basis of extrapolation from z=6 would set strong limits to the
brightness
of M_*, highlighting a fast evolution of the luminosity
function
with the possible implication that galaxies alone cannot
reionize
the Universe. Our observations will find the best candidates
for
spectroscopic confirmation, that is bright z>7.5 objects, which
would
be missed by small area deeper surveys. The random pointing nature
of
the program is ideal to beat cosmic variance, especially severe for
luminous
massive galaxies, which are strongly clustered. In fact our
survey
geometry of 38 independent fields will constrain the luminosity
function
like a contiguous single field survey with two times more area
at
the same depth. Lyman Break Galaxies at z>7.5 down to m_AB=26.85 (5
sigma)
in F125W will be selected as F098M dropouts, using three to five
orbits
visits that include a total of four filters (F606W, F098M, F125W,
F160W)
optimized to remove low-redshift interlopers and cool stars. Our
data
will be highly complementary to a deep field search for high- z
galaxies
aimed at probing the faint end of the luminosity function,
allowing
us to disentangle the degeneracy between faint end slope and
M_*
in a Schechter function fit of the luminosity function. We waive
proprietary
rights for the data. In addition, we commit to release the
coordinates
and properties of our z>7.5 candidates within one month from
the
acquisition of each field.