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 in late January.

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science

DAILY REPORT      # 4373

PERIOD COVERED: UT May 30, 2007 (DOY 150)

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}.

FGS 11214

HST/FGS Astrometric Search for Young Planets Around Beta Pic and AU Mic

Beta Pic and AU Mic are two nearby Vega-type debris disk stars. Both of

these disk systems have been spatially resolved in exquisite detail,

predominantly via the ACS coronagraph and WFPC-2 cameras onboard HST.

These images exhibit a wealth of morphological features which provide

compelling indirect evidence that these systems likely harbor

short-period planetary body{ies}. We propose to use the superlative

astrometric capabilities of HST/FGS to directly detect these planets,

hence provide the first direct planet detection in a Vega-type system

whose disk has been imaged at high spatial resolution.

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 10603

Multiwavelength Imaging of Edge-on Protoplanetary Disks: Quantifying the

Growth of Circumstellar Dust

Young, edge-on circumstellar disks are uniquely valuable laboratories

for the study of planet formation. In these objects, the central star is

occulted from direct view, significant PSF artifacts are absent, and the

disk is clearly seen as a central dust lane flanked by faint disk

reflected light. The detailed morphology of these nebulae and its

variation with wavelength provide crucial information on the disk

internal structure and the properties of its constituent dust grains. A

key observable is the slope defining the wavelength dependence of the

dust scattering opacity, which becomes shallower when grain growth has

taken place; multiwavelength resolved disk images are the key dataset

enabling such measurements. Recent analyses of three different edge-on

disks have revealed a diversity in their dust properties that is

indicative of different degrees of dust grain evolution having taken

place in each system. This characterization of disk grain growth, when

applied comparatively to a larger sample of these objects, would enable

the construction of an evolutionary sequence of young disks at

successive stages on the road to planet formation. In pursuit of this

goal, we have identified a sample of 15 edge-on disks previously

discovered by HST or groundbased telescopes, but for which high

fidelity, high spatial resolution images do not yet exist in both the

optical and near-infrared. We propose broad- band multicolor imaging

with NICMOS of all these targets, and ACS imaging of nine of these

targets In combination with existing data, the proposed images will form

a complete database of high resolution optical/near-IR images for these

15 disk systems. Scattered light modeling will be used to derive the

disk structure and dust properties, yielding results that will be of

fundamental importance for our understanding of grain properties during

protoplanetary disk evolution.

NIC2 11157

NICMOS Imaging Survey of Dusty Debris Around Nearby Stars Across the

Stellar Mass Spectrum

Association of planetary systems with dusty debris disks is now quite

secure, and advances in our understanding of planet formation and

evolution can be achieved by the identification and characterization of

an ensemble of debris disks orbiting a range of central stars with

different masses and ages. Imaging debris disks in starlight scattered

by dust grains remains technically challenging so that only about a

dozen systems have thus far been imaged. A further advance in this field

needs an increased number of imaged debris disks. However, the technical

challege of such observations, even with the superb combination of HST

and NICMOS, requires the best targets. Recent HST imaging investigations

of debris disks were sample-limited not limited by the technology used.

We performed a search for debris disks from a IRAS/Hipparcos cross

correlation which involved an exhaustive background contamination check

to weed out false excess stars. Out of ~140 identified debris disks, we

selected 22 best targets in terms of dust optical depth and disk angular

size. Our target sample represents the best currently available target

set in terms of both disk brightness and resolvability. For example, our

targets have higher dust optical depth, in general, than newly

identified Spitzer disks. Also, our targets cover a wider range of

central star ages and masses than previous debris disk surveys. This

will help us to investigate planetary system formation and evolution

across the stellar mass spectrum. The technical feasibility of this

program in two-gyro mode guiding has been proven with on- orbit

calibration and science observations during HST cycles 13, 14, and 15.

NIC3 11080

Exploring the Scaling Laws of Star Formation

As a variety of surveys of the local and distant Universe are

approaching a full census of galaxy populations, our attention needs to

turn towards understanding and quantifying the physical mechanisms that

trigger and regulate the large-scale star formation rates {SFRs} in

galaxies.

NIC3 11082

NICMOS Imaging of GOODS: Probing the Evolution of the Earliest Massive

Galaxies, Galaxies Beyond Reionization, and the High Redshift Obscured

Universe

Deep near-infrared imaging provides the only avenue towards

understanding a host of astrophysical problems, including: finding

galaxies and AGN at z > 7, the evolution of the most massive galaxies,

the triggering of star formation in dusty galaxies, and revealing

properties of obscured AGN. As such, we propose to observe 60 selected

areas of the GOODS North and South fields with NICMOS Camera 3 in the

F160W band pointed at known massive M > 10^11 M_0 galaxies at z > 2

discovered through deep Spitzer imaging. The depth we will reach {26.5

AB at 5 sigma} in H_160 allows us to study the internal properties of

these galaxies, including their sizes and morphologies, and to

understand how scaling relations such as the Kormendy relationship

evolved. Although NIC3 is out of focus and undersampled, it is currently

our best opportunity to study these galaxies, while also sampling enough

area to perform a general NIR survey 1/3 the size of an ACS GOODS field.

These data will be a significant resource, invaluable for many other

science goals, including discovering high redshift galaxies at z > 7,

the evolution of galaxies onto the Hubble sequence, as well as examining

obscured AGN and dusty star formation at z > 1.5. The GOODS fields are

the natural location for HST to perform a deep NICMOS imaging program,

as extensive data from space and ground based observatories such as

Chandra, GALEX, Spitzer, NOAO, Keck, Subaru, VLT, JCMT, and the VLA are

currently available for these regions. Deep high-resolution

near-infrared observations are the one missing ingredient to this

survey, filling in an important gap to create the deepest, largest, and

most uniform data set for studying the faint and distant universe. The

importance of these images will increase with time as new facilities

come on line, most notably WFC3 and ALMA, and for the planning of future

JWST observations.

WFPC2 10902

The Nearest Luminous Blue Compact Galaxies: A Window on Galaxy Formation

As we move to intermediate and high redshifts, Luminous Blue Compact

Galaxies {LBCGs} become increasingly common. The nearest LBCGs, with

their violent starbursts and rich populations of super star clusters

{SSCs} and globular clusters {GCs}, thus provide ideal laboratories for

studying galaxy evolution. Many LBCGs appear to be involved in mergers

between dwarf galaxies, triggering their starbursts. The starburst

regions in LBCGs consist of numerous young star clusters, whose

populations are both easily measurable with HST and easily modelled.

Studying cluster populations provides a powerful probe of the starburst

and merger history which is possible neither for closer objects {of

which there are too few} or for those at high redshift {which are too

far away}. We have previously studied the closest LBCG with WFPC2 and

found hundreds of bright compact SSCs and GCs. In particular, we found a

population of intermediate-age {~2 Gyr} GCs, indicating a past event of

massive cluster formation. We now propose a multi-wavelength study of

the three other LBCGs with the highest known number of SSCs. The

extinction is small in these galaxies and age estimates robust. The age

distribution of GCs and SSCs will be used to study the past evolution of

the galaxies. For each LBCG, we will map its cluster formation history,

unveiling its merger and starburst history, and thereby shed light on

some of the processes involved in galaxy evolution at high redshift.

WFPC2 11022

WFPC2 Cycle 15 Decontaminations and Associated Observations

This proposal is for the WFPC2 decons. Also included are instrument

monitors tied to decons: photometric stability check, focus monitor,

pre- and post-decon internals {bias, intflats, kspots, & darks}, UV

throughput check, VISFLAT sweep, and internal UV flat check.

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)

                        SCHEDULED      SUCCESSFUL

FGS GSacq                09                  09                  

FGS REacq                04                  04                  

OBAD with Maneuver  26                  26                  

COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)