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 # 4495
PERIOD COVERED: UT November 27, 2007 (DOY 331)
OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED
WFPC2 10905
The Dynamic State of the Dwarf Galaxy Rich Canes
Venatici I Region
With accurate distances, the nearest groups of galaxies
can be resolved
in 3 dimensions and the radial component of the motions of
galaxies due
to local density perturbations can be distinquished from
cosmological
expansion components. Currently, with the ACS, galaxy distances
within 8
Mpc can be measured effectively and efficiently by detecting the tip
of
the red giant branch {TRGB}. Of four principal groups at high
galactic
latitude in this domain, the Canes Venatici I Group {a} is the
least
studied, {b} is the most populated, though overwhelmingly by
dwarf
galaxies, and {c} is likely the least dynamically evolved. It
is
speculated that galaxies in low mass groups may fail to retain
baryons
as effectively as those in high mass groups, resulting in
significantly
higher mass-to-light ratios. The CVn I Group is suspected to
lie in the
mass regime where the speculated astrophysical processes that
affect
baryon retention are becoming important.
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.
NIC2 11197
Sweeping Away the Dust: Reliable Dark Energy with an
Infrared Hubble
Diagram
We propose building a high-z Hubble Diagram using type
Ia supernovae
observed in the infrared rest-frame J-band. The infrared has a
number of
exceptional properties. The effect of dust extinction is
minimal,
reducing a major systematic that may be biasing dark
energy
measurements. Also, recent work indicates that type Ia supernovae
are
true standard candles in the infrared meaning that our Hubble
diagram
will be resistant to possible evolution in the Phillip's relation
over
cosmic time. High signal-to-noise measurements of 16 type Ia events
at
z~0.4 will be compared with an independent optical Hubble diagram
from
the ESSENCE project to test for a shift in the derived dark
energy
equation of state due to a systematic bias. In Cycle 15 we
obtained
NICMOS photometry of 8 ESSENCE supernovae and are awaiting
template
observations to place them on the IR Hubble diagram. Here we
request
another 8 supernovae be studied in the final season of the
ESSENCE
search. Because of the bright sky background, H-band photometry of
z~0.4
supernovae is not feasible from the ground. Only the superb
image
quality and dark infrared sky seen by HST makes this test possible.
This
experiment may also lead to a better, more reliable way of mapping
the
expansion history of the universe with the Joint Dark Energy Mission.
NIC3 11082
NICMOS Imaging of GOODS: Probing the Evolution of the
Earliest Massive
Galaxies, Galaxies Beyond Reionization, and the High
Redshift Obscured
Universe
(uses ACS/SBC and WFPC2)
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 11079
Treasury Imaging of Star Forming Regions in the Local
Group:
Complementing the GALEX and NOAO Surveys
We propose to use WFPC2 to image the most interesting
star-forming
regions in the Local Group galaxies, to resolve their young
stellar
populations. We will use a set of filters including F170W, which
is
critical to detect and characterize the most massive stars, to whose
hot
temperatures colors at longer wavelengths are not sensitive.
WFPC2's
field of view ideally matches the typical size of the
star-forming
regions, and its spatial resolution allows us to measure
individual
stars, given the proximity of these galaxies. The resulting H-R
diagrams
will enable studies of star-formation properties in these regions,
which
cover largely differing metallicities {a factor of 17, compared to
the
factor of 4 explored so far} and characteristics. The results
will
further our understanding of the star-formation process, of
the
interplay between massive stars and environment, the properties of
dust,
and will provide the key to interpret integrated measurements
of
star-formation indicators {UV, IR, Halpha} available for
several
hundreds more distant galaxies. Our recent deep surveys of
these
galaxies with GALEX {FUV, NUV} and ground-based imaging {UBVRI,
Halpha,
[OIII] and [SII]} provided the identification of the most relevant
SF
sites. In addition to our scientific analysis, we will provide
catalogs
of HST photometry in 6 bands, matched corollary ground-based data,
and
UV, Halpha and IR integrated measurements of the associations,
for
comparison of integrated star-formation indices to the
resolved
populations. We envisage an EPO component.
WFPC2 11178
Probing Solar System History with Orbits, Masses, and
Colors of
Transneptunian Binaries
The recent discovery of numerous transneptunian binaries
{TNBs} opens a
window into dynamical conditions in the protoplanetary disk
where they
formed as well as the history of subsequent events which sculpted
the
outer Solar System and emplaced them onto their present day
heliocentric
orbits. To date, at least 47 TNBs have been discovered, but only
about a
dozen have had their mutual orbits and separate colors
determined,
frustrating their use to investigate numerous important
scientific
questions. The current shortage of data especially cripples
scientific
investigations requiring statistical comparisons among the
ensemble
characteristics. We propose to obtain sufficient astrometry
and
photometry of 23 TNBs to compute their mutual orbits and system
masses
and to determine separate primary and secondary colors, roughly
tripling
the sample for which this information is known, as well as extending
it
to include systems of two near-equal size bodies. To make the
most
efficient possible use of HST, we will use a Monte Carlo technique
to
optimally schedule our observations.
WFPC2 11289
SL2S: The Strong Lensing Legacy Survey
Recent systematic surveys of strong galaxy-galaxy lenses
{CLASS, SLACS,
GOODS, etc.} are producing spectacular results for galaxy
masses roughly
below a transition mass M~10^13 Mo. The observed lens
properties and
their evolution up to z~0.2, consistent with numerical
simulations, can
be described by isothermal elliptical potentials. In
contrast, modeling
of giant arcs in X-ray luminous clusters {halo masses M
>~10^13 Mo}
favors NFW mass profiles, suggesting that dark matter halos
are not
significantly affected by baryon cooling. Until recently,
lensing
surveys were neither deep nor extended enough to probe the
intermediate
mass density regime, which is fundamental for understanding the
assembly
of structures. The CFHT Legacy Survey now covers 125 square degrees,
and
thus offers a large reservoir of strong lenses probing a large range
of
mass densities up to z~1. We have extracted a list of 150 strong
lenses
using the most recent CFHTLS data release via automated
procedures.
Following our first SNAPSHOT proposal in cycle 15, we propose
to
continue the Hubble follow-up targeting a larger list of 130
lensing
candidates. These are intermediate mass range candidates
{between
galaxies and clusters} that are selected in the redshift range of
0.2-1
with no a priori X-ray selection. The HST resolution is necessary
for
confirming the lensing candidates, accurate modeling of the lenses,
and
probing the total mass concentration in galaxy groups up to z~1 with
the
largest unbiased sample available to date.
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
08
08
FGS REacq
06
06
OBAD with Maneuver 26
26
SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)