Notice: For the foreseeable future, the daily reports may
contain
apparent discrepancies between some proposal descriptions
and the listed
instrument usage. This is due to the conversion of
previously approved
ACS WFC or HRC observations into WFPC2, or NICMOS
observations
subsequent to the loss of ACS CCD science capability is
late January.
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class
Science
DAILY REPORT # 4310
PERIOD COVERED: UT March 01, 2007 (DOY 060)
OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED
ACS/SBC 10862
Comprehensive Auroral Imaging of Jupiter and Saturn during
the
International Heliophysical Year
A comprehensive set of observations of the auroral
emissions from
Jupiter and Saturn is proposed for the International
Heliophysical Year
in 2007, a unique period of especially concentrated
measurements of
space physics phenomena throughout the solar system. We
propose to
determine the physical relationship of the various auroral
processes at
Jupiter and Saturn with conditions in the solar wind at
each planet.
This can be accomplished with campaigns of observations,
with a sampling
interval not to exceed one day, covering at least one
solar rotation.
The solar wind plasma density approaching Jupiter will be
measured by
the New Horizons spacecraft, and a separate campaign near
opposition in
May 2007 will determine the effect of large-scale
variations in the
interplanetary magnetic field {IMF} on the Jovian aurora
by
extrapolation from near-Earth solar wind measurements. A
similar Saturn
campaign near opposition in Jan. 2007 will combine
extrapolated solar
wind data with measurements from a wide range of locations
within the
Saturn magnetosphere by Cassini. In the course of making
these
observations, it will be possible to fully map the auroral
footprints of
Io and the other satellites to determine both the local
magnetic field
geometry and the controlling factors in the
electromagnetic interaction
of each satellite with the corotating magnetic field and
plasma density.
Also in the course of making these observations, the
auroral emission
properties will be compared with the properties of the
near-IR
ionospheric emissions {from ground-based observations} and
non thermal
radio emissions, from ground-based observations for Jupiter?s
decametric
radiation and Cassini plasma wave measurements of the
Saturn Kilometric
Radiation {SKR}.
ACS/SBC 11050
ACS UV contamination monitor
The observations consist of imaging and spectroscopy with
SBC of
the cluster NGC 6681 in order to monitor the temporal
evolution of the
UV sensitivity of the SBC.
ACS/SBC 11056
Improved Sensitivity SBC Prisms
The flux calibration of the SBC {PR110L and PR130L} will
be improved by
observing for each prism white dwarf standards {WD1657+343
and LTT9491}.
The blue standard star WD1657+343 has previously been
observed with
ACS/SBC and will serve as a reference point to track time
dependent
variations. LTT9491 is much redder and thus will be used
to investigate
the sensitivity curve of ?red? targets to check for a
potential red leak
of the SBC. Additionally, LTT9491 shows various strong
absorption lines
which can be used to confirm the wavelength calibration of
the PR110L
and PR130L prisms. The standard stars are observed at a
variety of
pointings across the SBC detector in order to map spatial
variations.
LTT9491 will also be observed with ACS/HRC PR200L to
obtain an improved
flux calibration from about 1800 A to 4000 A.
FGS 10931
Dynamical Masses and Radii of Four White Dwarf Stars
We will use FGS1R in its high angular resolution observing
mode (TRANS)
to
resolve the white dwarf binary systems. Each exposure will
be comprised
of
about 20 scans. The interferograms derived from each scan
will be cross-
correlated and co-added to yield a high SNR. To further
surpress the
noise
(these targets are near the FGS's faint limiting
magnitude), the
co-added
inteferograms will be carefully smoothed by being
represented as a
piece-wise We will use FGS1R in its high angular
resolution observing
mode (TRANS) to resolve the white dwarf binary systems.
Each exposure
will be comprised of about 20 scans. The interferograms
derived from
each scan will be cross-correlated and co-added to yield a
high SNR. To
further surpress the noise(these targets are near the
FGS's faint
limiting magnitude), the co-added inteferograms will be
carefully
smoothed by being represented as a piece-wise smooth
segmanted
polynomial. These observations will yield the separation
and position
angle of the binary components, as well as the brightness
of each. In
addition, the binary and field stars simultaneously in the
FGS FOV will
be observed in POS mode to accurately determine the
relative positions
of the stars. This will facilitate the construction of an
inertial
reference frame for the binary, thereby allowing the
relative orbit that
will be ultimately determined from the TRANS data to be
converted into a
physical orbit. This will allow us to determine the relative
mass of
each white dwarf in the binarty system. In addition, the
POS mode data
will give the proper motion and parallax of the binary,
which will allow
us to compute the mass and radius of each white dwarf.
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.
NIC2 10802
SHOES-Supernovae, HO, for the Equation of State of Dark
energy
The present uncertainty in the value of the Hubble
constant {resulting
in an uncertainty in Omega_M} and the paucity of
redshifts exceeding 1 are now the leading obstacles to
determining the
nature of dark energy. We propose a single, integrated set
of
observations for Cycle 15 that will provide a 40%
improvement in
constraints on dark energy. This program will observe
known Cepheids in
six reliable hosts of
uncertainty in H_0 by a factor of two because of the
smaller dispersion
along the instability strip, the diminished extinction,
and the weaker
metallicity dependence in the infrared. In parallel with
ACS, at the
same time the NICMOS observations are underway, we will
discover and
follow a sample of
measurements, along with prior constraints from WMAP, will
provide a
great improvement in HST's ability to distinguish between
a static,
cosmological constant and dynamical dark energy. The Hubble
Space
Telescope is the only instrument in the world that can
make these IR
measurements of Cepheids beyond the Local Group, and it is
the only
telescope in the world that can be used to find and follow
supernovae at
z > 1. Our program exploits both of these unique
capabilities of HST to
learn more about one of the greatest mysteries in science.
NIC3 10836
The Red Sequence at 1.3 < z < 1.4 in Galaxy Clusters
We propose to obtain NIC3/F160W imaging of three new
IRAC-selected
galaxy clusters at 1.3 < z < 1.5. In combination
with deep ACS/F850LP
images being obtained in Cycle 14, the resulting precision
photometry in
a rest ~U - R color will allow us to construct color-
magnitude diagrams
which can be used to measure the slope and scatter in the
red sequence
galaxies, thereby constraining the history of star
formation in the
early-type galaxies. The number of
morphologically-selected early-type
galaxies more luminous than L* will allow us to test the
predictions of
the hierarchical merging scenario for galaxy formation in
clusters at
the highest available redshifts in galaxy clusters.
WFPC2 10890
Morphologies of the Most Extreme High-Redshift
Mid-IR-Luminous Galaxies
The formative phase of the most massive galaxies may be
extremely
luminous, characterized by intense star- and
AGN-formation. Till now,
few such galaxies have been unambiguously identified at
high redshift,
restricting us to the study of low-redshift ultraluminous
infrared
galaxies as possible analogs. We have recently discovered
a sample of
objects which may indeed represent this early phase in
galaxy formation,
and are undertaking an extensive multiwavelength study of
this
population. These objects are bright at mid-IR wavelengths
{F[24um]>0.8mJy}, but deep ground based imaging
suggests extremely faint
{and in some cases extended} optical counterparts
{R~24-27}. Deep K-band
images show barely resolved galaxies. Mid-infrared
spectroscopy with
Spitzer/IRS reveals that they have redshifts z ~ 2-2.5,
suggesting
bolometric luminosities ~10^{13-14}Lsun! We propose to
obtain deep ACS
F814W and NIC2 F160W images of these sources and their
environs in order
to determine kpc-scale morphologies and surface photometry
for these
galaxies. The proposed observations will help us determine
whether these
extreme objects are merging systems, massive obscured
starbursts {with
obscuration on kpc scales!} or very reddened {locally
obscured} AGN
hosted by intrinsically low-luminosity galaxies.
WFPC2 11029
WFPC2 CYCLE 15 Intflat Linearity Check and Filter Rotation
Anomaly
Monitor
Intflat observations will be taken to provide a linearity
check: the
linearity test consists of a series of intflats in F555W,
in each gain
and each shutter. A combination of intflats, visflats, and
earthflats
will be used to check the repeatability of filter wheel
motions.
{Intflat sequences tied to decons, visits 1-18 in prop
10363, have been
moved to the cycle 15 decon proposal xxxx for easier
scheduling.} Note:
long-exposure WFPC2 intflats must be scheduled during ACS
anneals to
prevent stray light from the WFPC2 lamps from
contaminating long ACS
external exposures.
WFPC2 11096
Hubble Heritage imaging of Jupiter during the New Horizons
encounter HST
Proposal 11096
WFPC2 images of Jupiter in Feb 2007 in support of New
Horizons flyby of
Jupiter. This Hubble Heritage DD program is working in
concert with the
existing GO programs by John Clarke {10862} and John
Spencer {10871}.
FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:
Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are
preliminary reports
of potential non-nominal performance that will be
investigated.)
HSTARS:
10723 - GSACQ(2,1,2) failed, Search Radius Limit Exceeded
on FGS 2
GSACQ(2,1,2) at 060/11:52:07 failed due to
Search Radius Limit Exceeded
on FGS 2 at 11:57:44.
10724 - GSAcq (2,1,1) results in Fine Lock Back-up (2,0,2)
At 061/02:29:23 GSAcq (2,1,1) scheduled from
061/02:26:00-02:33:12
resulted in Fine Lock Back-up (2,0,2) using FGS
2, due to (QF1STOPF)
stop flag indication on the secondary FGS.
OBAD #1 RSS: 755.71
OBAD #2 RSS: 12.44
COMPLETED OPS REQUEST: (None)
COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)
SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL
FGS GSacq 12 11
FGS REacq 02 02
OBAD with Maneuver 28 28
SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)