Notice: Due to the conversion of some ACS WFC or HRC observations into

WFPC2, or NICMOS observations after the loss of ACS CCD science

capability in January, there may be an occasional discrepancy between a

proposal's listed (and correct) instrument usage and the abstract that

follows it.

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science

DAILY REPORT      #4481

PERIOD COVERED: UT November 01, 2007 (DOY 305)

OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED

FGS 11213

Distances to Eclipsing M Dwarf Binaries

We propose HST FGS observations to measure accurate distances of 5

nearby M dwarf eclipsing binary systems, from which model-independent

luminosities can be calculated. These objects have either poor or no

existing parallax measurements. FGS parallax determinations for these

systems, with their existing dynamic masses determined to better than

0.5%, would serve as model-independent anchor points for the low-mass

end of the mass-luminosity diagram.

NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 11330

NICMOS Cycle 16 Extended Dark

This takes a series of Darks in parallel to other instruments.

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 DARKs. 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.

S/C 11163

Accreting Pulsating White Dwarfs in Cataclysmic Variables

Recent ground-based observations have increased the number of known

pulsating white dwarfs in close binaries with active mass transfer

{cataclysmic variables} from 5 to 11 systems. Our past Cycles 8 and 11

STIS observations of the first 2 known, followed by our Cycle 13 SBC

observations of the next 3 discovered, revealed the clear presence of

the white dwarf and increased amplitude of the pulsations in the UV

compared to the optical. The temperatures derived from the UV spectra

show 4 systems are much hotter than non- interacting pulsating white

dwarfs. A larger sample is needed to sort out the nature of the

instability strip in accreting pulsators i.e. whether effects of

composition and rotation due to accretion result in a well-defined

instability strip as a function of Teff.

WFPC2 11027

Visible Earth Flats

This proposal monitors flatfield stability. This proposal obtains

sequences of Earth streak flats to construct high quality flat fields

for the WFPC2 filter set. These flat fields will allow mapping of the

OTA illumination pattern and will be used in conjunction with previous

internal and external flats to generate new pipeline superflats. These

Earth flats will complement the Earth flat data obtained during cycles

4-14.

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 11103

A Snapshot Survey of The Most Massive Clusters of Galaxies

We propose the continuation of our highly successful SNAPshot survey of

a sample of 125 very X-ray luminous clusters in the redshift range

0.3-0.7. As demonstrated by the 25 snapshots obtained so far in Cycle14

and Cycle15 these systems frequently exhibit strong gravitational

lensing as well as spectacular examples of violent galaxy interactions.

The proposed observations will provide important constraints on the

cluster mass distributions, the physical nature of galaxy-galaxy and

galaxy-gas interactions in cluster cores, and a set of optically bright,

lensed galaxies for further 8-10m spectroscopy. All of our primary

science goals require only the detection and characterization of

high-surface-brightness features and are thus achievable even at the

reduced sensitivity of WFPC2. Because of their high redshift and thus

compact angular scale our target clusters are less adversely affected by

the smaller field of view of WFPC2 than more nearby systems.

Acknowledging the broad community interest in this sample we waive our

data rights for these observations. Due to a clerical error at STScI our

approved Cycle15 SNAP program was barred from execution for 3 months and

only 6 observations have been performed to date - reinstating this SNAP

at Cycle16 priority is of paramount importance to reach meaningful

statistics.

WFPC2 11124

The Origin of QSO Absorption Lines from QSOs

We propose using WFPC2 to image the fields of 10 redshift z ~ 0.7

foreground {FG} QSOs which lie within ~29-151 kpc of the sightlines to

high-z background {BG} QSOs. A surprisingly high fraction of the BG QSO

spectra show strong MgII {2796,2803} absorption lines at precisely the

same redshifts as the FG QSOs. The high resolution capabilities of WFPC2

are needed to understand the origin of these absorption systems, in two

ways. First, we wish to explore the FG QSO environment as close as

possible to the position of the BG QSO, to search for interloping group

or cluster galaxies which might be responsible for the absorption, or

irregularly shaped post-merger debris between the FG and BG QSO which

may indicate the presence of large amount of disrupted gas along a

sightline. Similarly, high resolution images are needed to search for

signs of tidal interactions between any galaxies which might be found

close to the FG QSO. Such features might provide evidence of young

merging events causing the start of QSO duty cycles and producing

outflows from the central AGN. Such winds may be responsible for the

observed absorption lines. Second, we seek to measure the intrinsic

parameters of the FG QSO host galaxy, such as luminosity and morphology,

to correlate with the properties of the MgII absorption lines. We wish

to observe each field through the F814W filter, close to the rest-frame

B-band of the FG QSO. These blue data can reveal enhanced star formation

regions close to the nucleus of the host galaxy, which may be indicative

of galaxy mergers with the FG QSO host. The FG QSO environment offers

quite a different set of phenomena which might be responsible for MgII

absorption, providing an important comparison to studies of MgII

absorption from regular field galaxies.

WFPC2 11167

A Unique High Resolution Window to Two Strongly Lensed Lyman Break

Galaxies

On rare occasions, the otherwise very faint Lyman Break Galaxies {LBGs}

are magnified by gravitational lensing to provide exceptional targets

for detailed spectroscopic and imaging studies. We propose HST WFPC2 and

NICMOS imaging of two strongly lensed Lyman Break Galaxies {LBGs} that

were recently discovered by members of our team. These two LBGs -- the

"8 O'Clock Arc" and the "SDSS J1206+5142 Arc" -- are currently the

brightest known LBGs, roughly 3 times brighter than the former

record-holder, MS1512-cB58 {a.k.a. "cB58"}. The z=2.73 "8 O'Clock Arc"

extends ~10 arcsec in length and is magnified by a factor of 12. The

z=2.00 "SDSS J1206+5142 Arc" also extends ~10 arcsec in length and is

magnified by a factor of 30. Due to their brightness and magnification,

these two strongly lensed LBGs offer an unprecedented opportunity for

the very detailed investigation of two individual galaxies at high

redshift. We are currently pursuing a vigorous ground-based campaign to

obtain multi-wavelength {UV, optical, NIR, radio} observations of these

two LBGs, but our campaign currently lacks a means of obtaining

high-resolution optical/NIR imaging -- a lack that currently only HST

can address. Our prime objective for this proposal is to obtain high

resolution HST images of these two systems with two-orbit WFPC2 images

in the BVI bands and two-orbit NICMOS/NIC2 images in the J and H bands.

These data will allow us to construct detailed lensing models, probe the

mass and light profiles of the lenses and their environments, and

constrain the star formation histories and rest-frame UV/optical

spectral energy distributions of the LBGs.

WFPC2 11312

The Local Cluster Substructure Survey {LoCuSS}: Deep Strong Lensing

Observations with WFPC2 LoCuSS is a systematic and detailed

investigation of the mass, substructure, and thermodynamics of 100 X-ray

luminous galaxy clusters at 0.15<z<0.3. The primary goal is to test our

recent suggestion that this population is dominated by dynamically

immature disturbed clusters, and that the observed mass-temperature

relation suffers strong structural segregation. If confirmed, this would

represent a paradigm shift in our observational understanding of

clusters, that were hitherto believed to be dominated by mature,

undisturbed systems. We propose to complete our successful Cycle 15

program {SNAP:10881} which prior to premature termination had delivered

robust weak-lensing detections in 17 clusters, and candidate

strongly-lensed arcs in 11 of these 17. These strong and weak lensing

signals will give an accurate measure of the total mass and structure of

the dark matter distribution that we will subsequently compare with

X-ray and Sunyaev Zeldovich Effect observables. The broader applications

of our project include 1} the calibration of mass-temperature and

mass-SZE scaling relations which will be critical for the calibration of

proposed dark energy experiments, and 2} the low redshift baseline study

of the demographics of massive clusters to aid interpretation of future

high redshift {z>1} cluster samples. To complete the all-important high

resolution imaging component of our survey, we request deep WFPC2

observations of 20 clusters through the F606W filter, for which

wide-field weak-lensing data are already available from our Subaru

imaging program. The combination of deep WFPC2 and Subaru data for these

20 clusters will enable us to achieve the science program approved by

the Cycle 15 TAC.

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                06                 06                   

FGS REacq                09                 09               

OBAD with Maneuver  30                 30        

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)