HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science

 

DAILY REPORT       # 4522

 

PERIOD COVERED: UT January 008, 2008 (DOY 008)

 

OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED

 

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 11142

 

Revealing the Physical Nature of Infrared Luminous Galaxies at 0.3

 

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}.

 

NIC2 11183

 

Ultraviolet Imaging of Lyman-Alpha-Selected Galaxies at High Redshift

 

We propose to carry out deep NICMOS/NIC2 imaging in the rest-frame,

ultraviolet continuum of galaxies discovered in the Magellan Multi-Slit

Lyman Alpha Survey. This spectroscopic survey identified ultra-faint,

redshift 5.7 Lyman-alpha emitters (LAEs) in a 15 nm wide, OH-free band

at 819 nm. Imaging with HST is the only way to measure their continuum

intensity near rest-frame 160 nm. The ultraviolet photometry will

directly measure the rate of star formation in common objects; and, when

combined with groundbased Lyman-alpha luminosities, provide a reliable

cross- calibration of Lyman-alpha attenuation and emission equivalent

width. Direct measurement of the size of the star-forming regions,

unresolved in the groundbased data, will extend measurements of the

intensity of star formation to common objects in the high-redshift

universe. Gaseous outflows from these galaxies are thought to be the

source of their asymmetric line profiles, and area-averaged star

formation rates are needed to calibrate feedback recipes, as well as

eventually extend the Schmidt-Kennicutt law to high-redshift. The three

targets proposed in Cycle~16 lie in fields covered by major galaxy

surveys, are not as bright as the unusually luminous sources identified

by such surveys at high-redshift, and present an opportunity to study

properties of more common galaxies at high-redshift.

 

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               05                  05               

FGS REacq               09                  09      

OBAD with Maneuver 28                  28               

 

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)