HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class
Science
DAILY REPORT #
4166
PERIOD COVERED: UT July 28,29,30 2006 (DOY
209,210,211)
OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED
NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 8794
NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 5
A new procedure proposed to alleviate the CR-persistence problem of
NICMOS. Dark frames will be obtained immediately upon exiting the
SAA
contour 23, and every time a NICMOS exposure is scheduled within 50
minutes of coming out of the SAA. The darks will be obtained in
parallel
in all three NICMOS Cameras. The POST-SAA darks will be non-
standard
reference files available to users with a USEAFTER date/time mark.
The
keyword 'USEAFTER=date/time' will also be added to the header of
each
POST-SAA DARK frame. The keyword must be populated with the time, in
addition to the date, because HST crosses the SAA ~8 times per day
so
each POST-SAA DARK will need to have the appropriate time specified,
for
users to identify the ones they need. Both the raw and processed
images
will be archived as POST-SAA DARKSs. Generally we expect that all
NICMOS
science/calibration observations started within 50 minutes of leaving
an
SAA will need such maps to remove the CR persistence from the
science
images. Each observation will need its own CRMAP, as different SAA
passages leave different imprints on the NICMOS detectors.
FGS 10928
Calibrating Cosmological Chronometers: White Dwarf Masses
We propose to use HST/FGS1R to determine White Dwarf {WD} masses.
The
unmatched resolving power of HST/FGS1R will be utilized to follow up
four selected WD binary pairs. This high precision obtained with
HST/FGS1R simply cannot be equaled by any ground based technique.
This
proposed effort complements that done by CoI Nelan in which a sample
of
WDs is being observed with HST/FGS1R. This proposal will
dramatically
increase the number of WDs for which dynamical mass measurements are
possible, enabling a better calibration of the WD mass-radius
relation,
cooling curves, initial to final mass relations, and ultimately
giving
important clues to the star formation history of our Galaxy and the
age
of its disk as well as in other galaxies.
NIC1 10889
The Nature of the Halos and Thick Disks of Spiral Galaxies
We propose to resolve the extra-planar stellar populations of the
thick
disks and halos of seven nearby, massive, edge-on galaxies using
ACS,
NICMOS, and WFPC2 in parallel. These observations will provide
accurate
star counts and color-magnitude diagrams 1.5 magnitudes below the tip
of
the Red Giant Branch sampled along the two principal axes and one
intermediate axis of each galaxy. We will measure the metallicity
distribution functions and stellar density profiles from star counts
down to very low average surface brightnesses, equivalent to ~32
V-mag
per square arcsec. These observations will provide the definitive
HST
study of extra-planar stellar populations of spiral galaxies. Our
targets cover a range in galaxy mass, luminosity, and morphology and
as
function of these galaxy properties we will provide: - The first
systematic study of the radial and isophotal shapes of the diffuse
stellar halos of spiral galaxies - The most detailed comparative
study
to date of thick disk morphologies and stellar populations - A
comprehensive analysis of halo and thick disk metallicity
distributions
as a function of galaxy type and position within the galaxy. - A
sensitive search for tidal streams - The first opportunity to
directly
relate globular cluster systems to their field stellar population We
will use these fossil records of the galaxy assembly process
preserved
in the old stellar populations to test halo and thick disk formation
models within the hierarchical galaxy formation scheme. We will test
LambdaCDM predictions on sub-galactic scales, where it is difficult
to
test using CMB and galaxy redshift surveys, and where it faces its
most
serious difficulties.
ACS/HRC 10860
The largest Kuiper belt object
The past year has seen an explosion in the discoveries of
Pluto-sized
objects in the Kuiper belt. With the discoveries of the
methane-covered
2003 UB313 and 2005 FY9, the multiple satellite system of 2003 EL61,
and
the Pluto-Charon analog system of Orcus and its satellite, it is
finally
apparent that Pluto is not a unique oddball at the edge of the solar
system, but rather one of a family of similarly large objects in the
Kuiper belt and beyond. HST observations over the past decade have
been
critical for understanding the interior, surface, and atmosphere of
Pluto and Charon. We propose here a comprehensive series of
observations
designed to similarly expand our knowledge of these recently
discovered
Pluto-sized and near-Pluto-sized Kuiper belt objects. These
observations
will measure objects' sizes and densities, explore the outcome of
collisions in the outer solar system, and allow the first ever look
at
the interior structure of a Kuiper belt object. Our wide field
survey
that discovered all of these objects is nearly finished, so after
five
years of continuous searching we are finally almost complete in our
tally of these near-Pluto-sized objects. This large HST request is
the
culmination of this half-decade search for new planetary-sized
objects.
As has been demonstrated repeatedly by the approximately 100
previous
orbits devoted to the study of Pluto, only HST has the resolution
and
sensitivity for detailed study of these distant objects. With these
new
Pluto-sized objects only now being discovered we have a limited
window
left to still use HST for these critical observations.
ACS/HRC 10800
Kuiper Belt Binaries: Probes of Early Solar System Evolution
Binaries in the Kuiper Belt are a scientific windfall: in them we
have
relatively fragile test particles which can be used as tracers of
the
early dynamical evolution of the outer Solar System. We propose to
continue a Snapshot program using the ACS/HRC that has a
demonstrated
discovery potential an order of magnitude higher than the HST
observations that have already discovered the majority of known
transneptunian binaries. With this continuation we seek to reach the
original goals of this project: to accumulate a sufficiently large
sample in each of the distinct populations collected in the Kuiper
Belt
to be able to measure, with statistical significance, how the
fraction
of binaries varies as a function of their particular dynamical paths
into the Kuiper Belt. Today's Kuiper Belt bears the imprints of the
final stages of giant-planet building and migration; binaries may
offer
some of the best preserved evidence of that long-ago era.
NIC3 10761
The X-ray Spectral and Optical/IR Flux Variability in Magnetars
In the last decade it has become clear that there exists a small
subset
of pulsars that are powered neither by rotation nor accretion but by
the
decay of their enormous magnetic fields -- magnetars. The origin of
the
X-ray emission from magnetar-candidate AXPs {Anomalous X-ray Pulsars}
is
fairly well understood within the framework of the magnetar model.
However, where and how the optical/IR emission is produced is
unclear.
If, as recent models suggest, the optical/IR emission is
magnetospheric,
then any variation in the optical/IR flux should be accompanied by
variation in the X-ray spectra. We therefore propose for joint
Chandra-Hubble observations of two magnetar candidates in order to
test
the optical/IR emission models for magnetars.
ACS/HRC/WFC 10758
ACS CCDs daily monitor
This program consists of a set of basic tests to monitor, the read
noise, the development of hot pixels and test for any source of noise
in
ACS CCD detectors. The files, biases and dark will be used to create
reference files for science calibration. This programme will be for
the
entire lifetime of ACS. Changes from cycle 13:- The default gain for
WFC
is 2 e- /DN. As before bias frames will be collected for both gain 1
and
gain 2. Dark frames are acquired using the default gain {2}. This
program cover the period May, 31 2006- Oct, 1- 2006. The first half
of
the program has a different proposal number: 10729.
ACS/WFC 10624
Solving the Mystery of the Short-Hard Gamma-Ray Bursts
Eight years after the afterglow detections that revolutionized
studies
of the long-soft gamma-ray bursts, not even one afterglow of a
short-hard GRB has been seen, and the nature of these events has
become
one of the most important problems in GRB research. The Swift
satellite,
expected to be in full operation throughout Cycle 14, will report
few-
arcsecond localizations for short-hard bursts in minutes, enabling
prompt, deep optical afterglow searches for the first time.
Discovery
and observation of the first short-hard optical afterglows will
answer
most of the critical questions about these events: What are their
distances and energies? Do they occur in distant galaxies, and if so,
in
which regions of those galaxies? Are they the result of collimated
or
quasi-spherical explosions? In combination with an extensive
rapid-response ground-based campaign, we propose to make the
critical
high-sensitivity HST TOO observations that will allow us to answer
these
questions. If theorists are correct in attributing the short-hard
bursts
to binary neutron star coalescence events, then they will serve as
signposts to the primary targeted source population for ground-based
gravitational-wave detectors, and short-hard burst studies will have
a
vital role to play in guiding those observations.
ACS/HRC 10602
A Complete Multiplicity Survey of Galactic O2/O3/O3.5 Stars with ACS
Massive stars are preferentially formed in compact multiple systems
and
clusters and many of them remain spatially unresolved to date, even
in
our Galaxy. This has hindered the determination of the stellar upper
mass limit. The lack of an accurate knowledge of the multiplicity of
massive stars can also introduce biases in the calculation of the IMF
at
its high-mass end. We have recently used ACS/HRC to resolve HD 93129
A,
the earliest O- type star known in the Galaxy, into a 55 mas binary.
We
propose here to extend that work into a complete multi-filter ACS
imaging survey of all {20} known O2/O3/O3.5 Galactic stars to
characterize the multiplicity of the most massive stars. The data
will
be combined with existing FGS observations to explore as large a
parameter range as possible and to check for consistency. We will
also
derive the IMF of each system using a crowded-field photometry
package
and processing the data with CHORIZOS, a code that can derive
stellar
temperatures, extinctions, and extinction laws from multicolor
photometry.
ACS/WFC 10596
AGNs with Intermediate-mass Black Holes: A Test of the Black
Hole-Bulge
Paradigm
The recent progress in the study of central black holes in galactic
nuclei has led to a general consensus that supermassive {10^6-10^9
solar
mass} black holes are closely connected with the formation and
evolutionary history of large galaxies, especially their bulge
component. Two outstanding issues, however, remain unresolved. Can
central black holes form in the absence of a bulge? And does the
mass
function of central black holes extend below 10^6 solar masses?
Intermediate-mass black holes {10^4-10^6 solar masses}, if they
exist,
may offer important clues to the nature of the seeds of supermassive
black holes. In a first systematic search using the Sloan Digital
Sky
Survey, we have recently discovered 19 Type 1 AGNs with candidate
intermediate-mass black holes that reside in low-luminosity,
presumably
late-type host galaxies. Follow-up observations with Keck indicate
that
these objects obey the low-mass extension of the well-known
correlation
between black hole mass and bulge stellar velocity dispersion.
However,
very little is known about the host galaxies themselves, including
the
crucial question of whether they have bulges or not. We propose to
obtain ACS/WFC images of this unique sample of AGNs in order to
investigate the detailed structural properties of the host galaxies.
We
are particularly keen to determine whether the hosts contain bulges,
and
if so, where they lie on the fundamental plane of spheroids compared
to
the bulges of supermassive black holes. We will also be able to
measure
an accurate optical luminosity for the AGN, which is an essential
ingredient to improve the current mass estimates.
ACS/WFC 10587
Measuring the Mass Dependence of Early-Type Galaxy Structure
We propose two-color ACS-WFC Snapshot observations of a sample of
118
candidate early-type gravitational lens galaxies. Our lens-candidate
sample is selected to yield {in combination with earlier results} an
approximately uniform final distribution of 40 early-type strong
lenses
across a wide range of masses, with velocity dispersions {a
dynamical
proxy for mass} ranging from 125 to 300 km/s. The proposed program
will
deliver the first significant sample of low-mass gravitational
lenses.
All of our candidates have known lens and source redshifts from
Sloan
Digital Sky Survey data, and all are bright enough to permit
detailed
photometric and stellar-dynamical observation. We will constrain the
luminous and dark-matter mass profiles of confirmed lenses using
lensed-image geometry and lens-galaxy structural/photometric
measurements from HST imaging in combination with dynamical
measurements
from spatially resolved ground-based follow- up spectroscopy. Hence
we
will determine, in unprecedented detail, the dependence of
early-type
galaxy mass structure and mass-to-light ratio upon galaxy mass.
These
results will allow us to directly test theoretical predictions for
halo
concentration and star-formation efficiency as a function of mass
and
for the existence of a cuspy inner dark-matter component, and will
illuminate the structural explanation behind the fundamental plane
of
early-type galaxies. The lens-candidate selection and confirmation
strategy that we propose has been proven successful for high-mass
galaxies by our Cycle 13 Snapshot program {10174}. The program that
we
propose here will produce a complementary and unprecedented lens
sample
spanning a wide range of lens-galaxy masses.
NIC2/ACS/WFC/WFPC 10532 2 Kinematics and morphology of the most
massive
field disk galaxies at z>1
We propose to obtain 1 orbit NIC-2 images of a sample of the 15 most
massive galaxies found at $1 < z < 1.3$. These were culled from
over 20,
000 Keck spectra collected as part of DEEP and are unique among high
redshift massive galaxy samples in being kinematically selected. We
intend to test whether these potentially very young galaxies are
likely
precursors to massive local disks, assuming no further merging.
NIC-2
images provide rest-frame optical morphologies that will show
whether
they are normal disky systems or instead more disturbed looking
objects
with multiple subcomponents, mergers, peculiar structure, etc. NIC-2
provides near-IR resolutions sufficient to enable measurements of
bulges
and disks subcomponents. The near-IR will fill a critical gap in the
broad-band SED photometry of the galaxy and its subcomponents to
estimate mean stellar ages and stellar masses and to assess whether
old
stellar bulges and disks are in place at that time. Finally, this
sample
will yield the first statistically significant results on the $z >
1$
evolution of the Tully-Fisher relation for massive galaxies. In
addition, we propose parallel observations with ACS WFC {V and I
bands}
and WFPC2 {I-band}. These will target up to 700 galaxies at
redshifts
0.7 ... 1.2 for which the DEEP2 survey has obtained precision
redshifts
and high-resolution kinematic data. The added HST morphology and
color
information will allow a variety of detailed studies on dynamical,
structural, and photometric evolution of galaxies.
NIC1 10517
Imaging Astrometrically-Discovered Brown Dwarfs
We propose to image the astrometrically discovered companions of
three
M-dwarfs with NICMOS to more tightly constrain their masses and
determine their stellar or sub-stellar natures. Each of these
systems
has been observed with a sensitive ground-based adaptive optics
system
and no companions have been detected. NICMOS results will eliminate
an
ambiguity in the astrometric mass measurements that arises because a
companion that contributes significantly to the visible light
reduces
the motion of the center of light and mimics a small motion of the
center of mass. In addition the astrometric measurements made with
NICMOS will fix the scale of the system, distinguishing among
possible
orbits. Finally the color photometry will constrain the spectral
types
to within a couple of subtypes. When we measure the masses of
astrophysical objects, we test and assist the development of the
theoretical mass models. Models are based upon parameters such as
age
and metallicity. Determining the correct mass thus deepens our
understanding of the fundamental physics of stars and substellar
objects
NIC3/ACS/WFC 10504
Characterizing the Sources Responsible for Cosmic Reionization
Our group has demonstrated the role that massive clusters, acting as
powerful cosmic lenses, can play in constraining the abundance and
properties of low-luminosity star- forming sources beyond z~6; such
sources are thought to be responsible for ending cosmic
reionization.
The large magnification possible in the critical regions of well-
constrained clusters brings sources into view that lie at or beyond
the
limits of conventional exposures such as the UDF, as well as those
in
imaging surveys being undertaken with IRAC onboard Spitzer. We have
shown that the combination of HST and Spitzer is particularly
effective
in delivering the physical properties of these distant sources,
constraining their mass, age and past star formation history.
Indirectly, we therefore gain a valuable glimpse to yet earlier
epochs.
Recognizing the result {and limitations} of the UDF exposure, we
propose
a systematic search through 6 lensing clusters with ACS and NICMOS
for
further z~6-7 sources in conjunction with existing deep IRAC data.
Our
survey will mitigate cosmic variance and extend the search both to
lower
luminosities and, by virtue of the NICMOS/IRAC combination, to
higher
redshift. The goal is to count and characterize representative
sources
at z~6-10 and to delineate the redshift range of activity for the
planning of future observations.
FGS 10103
FGS Astrometry of a Star Hosting an Extrasolar Planet: The Mass of
Upsilon Andromedae d
We propose observations with HST/FGS to determine the astrometric
elements {perturbation orbit semimajor axis and inclination} produced
by
the outermost extra-solar planet orbiting the F8V star Upsilon
Andromedae. These observations will permit us to determine the
actual
mass of the planet by providing the presently unknown sin i factor
intrinsic to the radial velocity method which discovered this object.
An
inclination, i = 30degrees, within the range of one very low
precision
determination using reanalyzed HIPPARCOS intermediate data products,
would produce the observed radial velocity amplitude, K = 66 ms with
a
companion mass of ~8 M_Jupiter. Such a mass would induce in Upsilon
Andromedae a perturbation semi-major axis, Alpha = 0arcs0012, easily
within the reach of HST/FGS fringe tracking astrometry. The proposed
observations will yield a planetary mass, rather than, as previous
investigations have done, only suggest a planetary mass companion.
FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:
Significant Spacecraft Anomalies:
(The following are preliminary reports of potential non-nominal
performance that will be investigated.)
HSTARS:
#10384 GSACQ(2,3,2) fails to RGA control @ 211/03:01:04z
GSACQ(2,3,2) failed to acquire lock 3min 3sec after start of
observation. No Scan Step Limit or Search Radius Limit flags were
seen
in
extracted engineering data. REACQ(2,3,2) at 04:30:15 also failed at
04:44:01.
Observations affected: ACS 196 to 202.
#10385 GSAcq(2,1,2) failed to RGA Control @ 211/13:42:01z
The
GSAcq(2,1,2) failed to RGA Hold due to search radius limit exceeded
on FGS-2.
Pre-acquisition OBADs had (RSS) attitude error corrections
values of
4120.00 and 4236.78 arcseconds. OBAD success flags incremented
(mnemonic
GCHACL09 equals 2). Post-acquisition OBAD/MAP had 3-axis (RSS)
value of
137.60 arcseconds. REacq(2,1,2) @ 211/15:17:10 failed during
LOS.
Observations affected: NICMOS 45 thru 49.
COMPLETED OPS REQUEST: (None)
COMPLETED OPS NOTES:
#1512-0 Extra SSR Engineering Dump for DOY 209 @ 209/1258z
SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL
FGS
GSacq
21
19
FGS
REacq
23
21
OBAD with Maneuver
88
88
SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)
-Lynn
Lynn F. Bassford
CHAMP HST Missions Operations Manager
Lockheed Martin Technical Operations
GSFC PH#: 301-286-2876
"The Hubble Space Telescope is the astronomical observatory and
key to unlocking the most cosmic mysteries of the past, present and
future." - 7/26/6
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