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.

Observation of the three primary WD flux standards must be repeated to
refine the NICMOS absolute calibration and monitor for sensitivity
degradation. So far, NICMOS grism spectrophotometry is available for
only ~16 stars with good STIS spectra at shorter wavelengths. There are
more in the HST CALSPEC standard star data base with good STIS spectra
that would also become precise IR standards with NICMOS absolute SED
measurements. Monitoring the crucial three very red stars (M, L, T) for
variability and better S/N in the IR. Apparent variability was
discovered at shorter wavelengths during the ACS cross-calibration work
that revealed a ~2% discrepancy of the cool star fluxes with respect to
the hot primary WD standards. About a third of these stars are bright
enough to do in one orbit, the rest require 2 orbits.

We propose to check and improve the wavelength calibration of the SBC
PR110L and PR130L prisms by observing an additional calibrator target
for which observations failed in Cycle 14. Previous calibration
programs included two QSOs at redshifts z = 0.098 (PG1404+226), z =
0.168 (PG1322+659), and z=0.234 (PB5723), but the observation of a
further QSO at z = 0.313 (3C249.1) failed. This proposals aims to obtain
observations of 3C249.1. The observations of PB5723 show adequate
agreement of the wavelength of the Lyman alphaline as a function of
position but, while the rms is around 0.5 pixel, some spectra show
evidence of stretching of the wavelength scale. Given the steeply
increased use of the SBC prims in Cycle 16 it is desirable to obtain
additional observations in order to check the existing calibration,
identify any trends with time and thus improve the SBC prism wavelength
calibration.

This program is a version of the standard focus sweep used since cycle
7. It has been modified to go deeper and uses more narrow filters for
improved focus determination. A new source was added in Cycle 14 in
order to accommodate 2-gyro mode: the open cluster NGC1850. This source
is part of the current proposal. The old target, the open cluster
NGC3603, will be used whenever available and the new target used to fill
the periods when NGC3603 is not visible. Steps: a) Use refined target
field positions as determined from cycle 7 calibrations b) Use
MULTIACCUM sequences of sufficient dynamic range to account for defocus
c) Do a 17-point focus sweep, +/- 8mm about the PAM mechanical zeropoint
for each cameras 1 and 2, in 1.0mm steps. For NIC3 we step from -0.5mm
to -9.5mm relative to mechanical zero, in steps of 1.0mm. d) Use PAM X/Y
tilt and OTA offset slew compensations refined from previous focus
monitoring/optical alignment activities

The current census of binaries among the massive O-type stars is
seriously incomplete for systems in the period range from years to
millennia because the radial velocity variations are too small and the
angular separations too close for easy detection. Here we propose to
discover binaries in this observational gap through a Faint Guidance
Sensor SNAP survey of relatively bright targets listed in the Galactic O
Star Catalog. Our primary goal is to determine the binary frequency
among those in the cluster/association, field, and runaway groups. The
results will help us assess the role of binaries in massive star
formation and in the processes that lead to the ejection of massive
stars from their natal clusters. The program will also lead to the
identification of new, close binaries that will be targets of long term
spectroscopic and high angular resolution observations to determine
their masses and distances. The results will also be important for the
interpretation of the spectra of suspected and newly identified binary
and multiple systems.

The structure, formation and evolution of early-type galaxies is still
largely an open problem in cosmology: how does the Universe evolve from
large linear scales dominated by dark matter to the highly non-linear
scales of galaxies, where baryons and dark matter both play important,
interacting, roles? To understand the complex physical processes
involved in their formation scenario, and why they have the tight
scaling relations that we observe today {e.g. the Fundamental Plane}, it
is critically important not only to understand their stellar structure,
but also their dark-matter distribution from the smallest to the largest
scales. Over the last three years the SLACS collaboration has developed
a toolbox to tackle these issues in a unique and encompassing way by
combining new non-parametric strong lensing techniques, stellar
dynamics, and most recently weak gravitational lensing, with
high-quality Hubble Space Telescope imaging and VLT/Keck spectroscopic
data of early-type lens systems. This allows us to break degeneracies
that are inherent to each of these techniques separately and probe the
mass structure of early-type galaxies from 0.1 to 100 effective radii.
The large dynamic range to which lensing is sensitive allows us both to
probe the clumpy substructure of these galaxies, as well as their
low-density outer haloes. These methods have convincingly been
demonstrated, by our team, using smaller pilot-samples of SLACS lens
systems with HST data. In this proposal, we request observing time with
WFPC2 and NICMOS to observe 53 strong lens systems from SLACS, to obtain
complete multi-color imaging for each system. This would bring the total
number of SLACS lens systems to 87 with completed HST imaging and
effectively doubles the known number of galaxy-scale strong lenses. The
deep HST images enable us to fully exploit our new techniques, beat down
low-number statistics, and probe the structure and evolution of
early-type galaxies, not only with a uniform data-set an order of
magnitude larger than what is available now, but also with a fully
coherent and self-consistent methodological approach!

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.

We aim to determine physical properties of IR luminous galaxies at
0.3<z<2.7 by requesting coordinated HST/NIC2 and MIPS 70um observations
of a unique, 24um flux- limited sample with complete Spitzer mid-IR
spectroscopy. The 150 sources investigated in this program have S{24um}
> 0.8mJy and their mid-IR spectra have already provided the majority
targets with spectroscopic redshifts {0.3<z<2.7}. The proposed
150~orbits of NIC2 and 66~hours of MIPS 70um will provide the physical
measurements of the light distribution at the rest-frame ~8000A and
better estimates of the bolometric luminosity. Combining these
parameters together with the rich suite of spectral diagnostics from the
mid-IR spectra, we will {1} measure how common mergers are among LIRGs
and ULIRGs at 0.3<z<2.7, and establish if major mergers are the drivers
of z>1 ULIRGs, as in the local Universe. {2} study the co-evolution of
star formation and blackhole accretion by investigating the relations
between the fraction of starburst/AGN measured from mid-IR spectra vs.
HST morphologies, L{bol} and z. {3} obtain the current best estimates of
the far- IR emission, thus L{bol} for this sample, and establish if the
relative contribution of mid-to- far IR dust emission is correlated with
morphology {resolved vs. unresolved}.

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 {<10^6 solar masses}, if they exist, may
offer important clues to the nature of the seeds of supermassive black
holes. Using the SDSS, our group has successfully uncovered a new
population of AGNs with intermediate-mass black holes that reside in
low-luminosity galaxies. However, very little is known about the
detailed morphologies or structural parameters of the host galaxies
themselves, including the crucial question of whether they have bulges
or not. Surprisingly, the majority of the targets of our Cycle 14 pilot
program have structural properties similar to dwarf elliptical galaxies.
The statistics from this initial study, however, are really too sparse
to reach definitive conclusions on this important new class of black
holes. We wish to extend this study to a larger sample, by using the
Snapshot mode to obtain WFPC2 F814W images from a parent sample of 175
AGNs with intermediate-mass black holes selected from our final SDSS
search. We are particularly keen to determine whether the hosts contain
bulges, and if so, how the fundamental plane properties of the host
depend on the mass of their central black holes. We will also
investigate the environment of this unique class of AGNs.

Globular clusters evolve through dynamical interactions, with primordial
binaries extending the time until core collapse by up to an order of
magnitude, depending on the initial binary fraction. These dynamical
interactions plus mass segregation causes the binary fraction to rise in
the core but fall at larger radii. We hope to eventually test these
broad predictions by comparing them to the binary properties for
globular clusters at different states of evolution, defined by the ratio
of their age to the dynamical relaxation time at the half-light radius.
The most important unknown aspects in the modeling process are the
initial conditions of binaries in the cluster. Here we propose to
determine the initial binary fraction as a function of radius by
studying three of the dynamically youngest globular clusters {NGC 5053,
NGC 5466, and NGC 5897}. The presence of binaries thickens the Main
Sequence in a color-magnitude diagram, which can be detected with deep
multicolor images.

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.

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.

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.

The focus of HST is measured primarily with ACS/HRC over full CVZ orbits
to obtain accurate mean focus values via a well sampled breathing curve.
Coma and astigmatism are also determined from the same data in order to
further understand orbital effects on image quality and optical
alignments. To monitor the stability of ACS to WFPC2 relative focii,
we've carried over from previous focus monitor programs parallel
observations taken with the two cameras at suitable orientations of
previously observed targets, and interspersed them with the HRC CVZ
visits.

We will use 5 epochs of CXO and HST imaging to determine the X-ray and
UV size of the accretion disk of the lensed quasar RXJ1131--1231 using
microlensing. Based on preliminary data, we find that the X-ray source
is roughly 1/10 the size of the accretion disk in the rest-frame B-band.
The new observations will significantly reduce the uncertainties in this
estimate, provide a comparison between the size of the X-ray source and
the size of the accretion disk in the rest frame ultraviolet, and have
the signal-to-noise ratio necessary to begin examining the size of the
hard and soft-band X-ray emission regions separately. The results will
quantitatively test accretion disk theory and X-ray emission mechanisms.

Existing HST observations of nearby galaxies comprise a sparse and
highly non-uniform archive, making comprehensive comparative studies
among galaxies essentially impossible. We propose to secure HST's
lasting impact on the study of nearby galaxies by undertaking a
systematic, complete, and carefully crafted imaging survey of ALL
galaxies in the Local Universe outside the Local Group. The resulting
images will allow unprecedented measurements of: {1} the star formation
history {SFH} of a >100 Mpc^3 volume of the Universe with a time
resolution of Delta[log{t}]=0.25; {2} correlations between spatially
resolved SFHs and environment; {3} the structure and properties of thick
disks and stellar halos; and {4} the color distributions, sizes, and
specific frequencies of globular and disk clusters as a function of
galaxy mass and environment. To reach these goals, we will use a
combination of wide-field tiling and pointed deep imaging to obtain
uniform data on all 72 galaxies within a volume-limited sample extending
to ~3.5 Mpc, with an extension to the M81 group. For each galaxy, the
wide-field imaging will cover out to ~1.5 times the optical radius and
will reach photometric depths of at least 2 magnitudes below the tip of
the red giant branch throughout the limits of the survey volume. One
additional deep pointing per galaxy will reach SNR~10 for red clump
stars, sufficient to recover the ancient SFH from the color-magnitude
diagram. This proposal will produce photometric information for ~100
million stars {comparable to the number in the SDSS survey} and uniform
multi- color images of half a square degree of sky. The resulting
archive will establish the fundamental optical database for nearby
galaxies, in preparation for the shift of high- resolution imaging to
the near-infrared.

The reionization of intergalactic helium is thought to have occurred
between redshifts of about 3 and 4. Detailed study of HeII Lyman-alpha
absorption toward a handful quasars at 2.7<z<3.3 demonstrates the great
potential of such probes of the IGM, but the current critically-small
sample limits confidence in resulting cosmological inferences. The
requisite unobscured quasar sightlines to high-redshift are extremely
rare, especially due to severe absorption in random intervening
Lyman-limit systems, but SDSS provides thousands of z>3.1 quasars
potentially suitable for HeII studies. We have cross-correlated SDSS
quasars with GALEX UV sources to obtain a dozen new, very
high-confidence, candidate quasars/sightlines {z=3.1 to 4.1} potentially
useful for detailed HeII studies even with current HST instruments. We
propose brief, 2-orbit per target, reconnaissance spectral exposures
with the ACS SBC prism to definitively verify UV flux down to the HeII
break. Our combined SDSS/GALEX selection insures a very high-yield of
confirmations, as the quasars are already known to be UV-bright from
broadband GALEX images. The additional sightlines, extending to very
high-redshift, will directly enable ensemble spectral stacks, as well as
long exposure follow-up spectra, at high S/N with the ACS/SBC
ultraviolet prisms {or perhaps STIS or COS later}, to confidently
measure the spectrum and evolution of the ionizing background radiation,
the evolution of HeII opacity, and the density of intergalactic baryons.

We propose to finish our Cycle 11 optical survey for nearby debris disks
using the ACS/HRC coronagraph. Out of 43 orbits originally proposed for
the survey, 23 orbits were allocated, leading to a survey of 22 stars,
from which two new debris disks were imaged for the first time. Our
analysis of the initial survey gives an empirical estimate for the
detection rate of debris disks relative to heliocentric distance and
dust optical depth. Our target list for Cycle 15 is now optimized to
yield more frequent disk detections. Likewise our observing strategy is
improved to maximize sensitivity per telescope orbit allocated.
Therefore we present the most efficient survey possible. The scientific
motivation is to obtain scattered light images of previously unresolved
debris disks to determine their viewing geometry and physical
architecture, both of which may characterize the underlying planetary
system. We choose 25 debris disk targets for which we predict a
detection rate of 25% ? 5%. Four targets have extrasolar planets from
which the viewing geometry revealed by a disk detection will resolve the
v sin{i} ambiguity in the planet masses. These targets present the
remarkable opportunity of finally seeing a debris disk in system with
known planets.

HSTARS:
11082 - REAcq (1,2,2) failed to RGA Hold
           At AOS (334/23:25:15) observed that REAcq (1,2,2) scheduled from
          22:59:42 - 23:07:17 had failed to RGA Hold due to QSTOP & QF1STOPF flags
           on FGS 1. No 486 ESB messages were received. Due to LOS, the data from
          OBAD 1 & 2 is unavailable till an engineering data dump is performed.
          OBAD MAP data showed the following results: V1 -13.66, V2 -5.48, V3
          -5.82, RSS 15.83.