HUBBLE
SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science
DAILY
REPORT # 4583
PERIOD
COVERED: UT April 04,05,06, 2008 (DOY 095,096,097)
OBSERVATIONS
SCHEDULED
NIC1/NIC2/NIC3
8795
NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 6
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 i
mages.
Each observation will need its own CRMAP, as different SAA
passages
leave different imprints on the NICMOS detectors.
WFPC2
11509
Astrometric
Centroiding for Saturated Stars
This
is a WFPC2 program that will calibrate the use of diffraction
spikes
to centroid saturated stellar images. The purpose is to provide
an
astrometric calibration of this method, which has been used for a
series
of HST observations of Sirius and its companion, Sirius being so
bright
that it is saturated in the shortest possible WFPC2 exposures. We
will
obtain both unsaturated and saturated images of 109 Vir, a star of
type
A0 V whose color is very similar to that of Sirius, but it is more
than
5 mag fainter. This will allow a direct calibration of any offsets
between
the centroid indicated by the diffraction spikes (or other PSF
features)
and the true stellar centroid.
WFPC2
11343
Identifying
the host galaxies for optically dark gamma-ray bursts
We propose
to use the high spatial resolution capabilities of Chandra to
obtain
precise positions for a sample of Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) with no
optical
afterglows, where the optical light is suppressed relative to
the
X-ray flux. These bursts are likely to be highly obscured and may
have
different environments from the optically bright GRBs. Our Chandra
observations
will (unlike Swift-XRT positions) allow for the unique
identification
of a host galaxy. To locate these host galaxies we will
follow
up our Chandra positions with deep optical and IR observations
with
HST. The ultimate aim is to understand any differences between the
host
galaxies of optically dark and bright GRBs, and how these affect
the
use of GRBs as tracers of starformation and galaxy evolution at high
redshift.
NIC1/NIC2/NIC3
11330
NICMOS
Cycle 16 Extended Dark
This
takes a series of Darks in parallel to other instruments.
S/C
11320
NICMOS
Focus Monitoring Cycle 16
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
NIC1/NIC2/NIC3
11319
NICMOS
Photometric Stability Monitoring
This
NICMOS calibration proposal carries out photometric monitoring
observations
during Cycle 15. The format is the same as the Cycle 14
version
of the program (10725), but a few modifications were made with
respect
to the Cycle 12 program 9995 and Cycle 13 program 10381.
Provisions
had to be made to adopt to 2-gyro mode (G191B2B was added as
extra
target to provide target visibility through most of the year).
Where
before 4 or 7 dithers were made in a filter before we moved to the
next
filter, now we observe all filters at one position before moving to
the
next dither position. While the previous method was chosen to
minimize
the effect of persistence, we now realize that persistence may
be
connected to charge trapping and by moving through the filter such
that
the count rate increases, we reach equilibrium more quickly between
charge
being trapped and released. We have also increased exposure times
where
possible to reduce the charge trapping non-linearity effects.
WFPC2
11229
SEEDS:
The Search for Evolution of Emission from Dust in Supernovae with
HST
and Spitzer
The
role that massive stars play in the dust content of the Universe is
extremely
uncertain. It has long been hypothesized that dust can
condense
within the ejecta of supernovae {SNe}, however there is a
frustrating
discrepancy between the amounts of dust found in the early
Universe,
or predicted by nucleation theory, and inferred from SN
observations.
Our SEEDS collaboration has been carefully revisiting the
observational
case for dust formation by core- collapse SNe, in order to
quantify
their role as dust contributors in the early Universe. As dust
condenses
in expanding SN ejecta, it will increase in optical depth,
producing
three simultaneously observable phenomena: {1} increasing
optical
extinction; {2} infrared {IR} excesses; and {3} asymmetric
blue-shifted
emission lines. Our SEEDS collaboration recently reported
all
three phenomena occurring in SN2003gd, demonstrating the success of
our
observing strategy, and permitting us to derive a dust mass of up to
0.02
solar masses created in the SN. To advance our understanding of the
origin
and evolution of the interstellar dust in galaxies, we propose to
use
HST's WFPC2 and NICMOS instruments plus Spitzer's photometric
instruments
to monitor ten recent core-collapse SNe for dust formation
and,
as a bonus, detect light echoes that can affect the dust mass
estimates.
These space-borne observations will be supplemented by
ground-based
spectroscopic monitoring of their optical emission line
profiles.
These observations would continue our 2-year HST and Spitzer
monitoring
of this phenomena in order to address two key questions: Do
all
SNe produce dust? and How much dust do they produce? As all the SN
are
within 15 Mpc, each SN stands an excellent chance of detection with
HST
and Spitzer and of resolving potential light echoes.
FGS
11210
The
Architecture of Exoplanetary Systems
Are
all planetary systems coplanar? Concordance cosmogony makes that
prediction.
It is, however, a prediction of extrasolar planetary system
architecture
as yet untested by direct observation for main sequence
stars
other than the Sun. To provide such a test, we propose to carry
out
FGS astrometric studies on four stars hosting seven companions. Our
understanding
of the planet formation process will grow as we match not
only
system architecture, but formed planet mass and true distance from
the
primary with host star characteristics for a wide variety of host
stars
and exoplanet masses. We propose that a series of FGS astrometric
observations
with demonstrated 1 millisecond of arc per-observation
precision
can establish the degree of coplanarity and component true
masses
for four extrasolar systems: HD 202206 {brown dwarf+planet}; HD
128311
{planet+planet}, HD 160691 = mu Arae {planet+planet}, and HD
222404AB
= gamma Cephei {planet+star}. In each case the companion is
identified
as such by assuming that the minimum mass is the actual mass.
For
the last target, a known stellar binary system, the companion orbit
is
stable only if coplanar with the AB binary orbit.
WFPC2
11202
The
Structure of Early-type Galaxies: 0.1-100 Effective Radii
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!
WEPC2
11196
An
Ultraviolet Survey of Luminous Infrared Galaxies in the Local
Universe
At
luminosities above 10^11.4 L_sun, the space density of far-infrared
selected
galaxies exceeds that of optically selected galaxies. These
Luminous
Infrared Galaxies {LIRGs} are primarily interacting or merging
disk
galaxies undergoing starbursts and creating/fueling central AGN. We
propose
far {ACS/SBC/F140LP} and near {WFPC2/PC/F218W} UV imaging of a
sample
of 27 galaxies drawn from the complete IRAS Revised Bright Galaxy
Sample
{RBGS} LIRGs sample and known, from our Cycle 14 B and I-band ACS
imaging
observations, to have significant numbers of bright {23 < B < 21
mag}
star clusters in the central 30 arcsec. The HST UV data will be
combined
with previously obtained HST, Spitzer, and GALEX images to {i}
calculate
the ages of the clusters as function of merger stage, {ii}
measure
the amount of UV light in massive star clusters relative to
diffuse
regions of star formation, {iii} assess the feasibility of using
the
UV slope to predict the far-IR luminosity {and thus the star
formation
rate} both among and within IR-luminous galaxies, and {iv}
provide
a much needed catalog of rest- frame UV morphologies for
comparison
with rest-frame UV images of high-z LIRGs and Lyman Break
Galaxies.
These observations will achieve the resolution required to
perform
both detailed photometry of compact structures and spatial
correlations
between UV and redder wavelengths for a physical
interpretation
our IRX-Beta results. The HST UV data, combined with the
HST
ACS, Spitzer, Chandra, and GALEX observations of this sample, will
result
in the most comprehensive study of luminous starburst galaxies to
date.
NIC1/NIC2
11139
NICMOS
Observations of the Microquasar GRS 1758-258
The
galactic black hole candidate GRS 1758-258 is normally one of the
brightest
persistent gamma-ray sources in the vicinity of the galactic
center.
It is a microquasar with relativistic radio jets emanating from
a
central variable source. Microquasars are excellent nearby test
laboratories
for studying the complex accretion and outflow processes
that
take place near black hole horizons. Despite an accurate location
provided
by Chandra and the VLA and over a decade of careful
ground-based
studies, the optical/infrared counterpart to GRS 1758-258
remains
unknown. A stellar counterpart is expected, but the current
candidates
are all more than 2 sigma from the center of the error
circle.
The ground-based infrared flux limits are also right at the
values
expected for the synchrotron emission from the outflow from the
black
hole, and possibly for the emission from the accretion disk. This
leaves
open the question as to what is powering this very energetic
persistent
source. Here we propose to use NICMOS to perform broad-band
imaging
of the GRS 1758- 258 error box. These images will be more than
three
magnitudes more sensitive than the current ground-based ones. The
resulting
spectra will reveal the thermal/non- thermal nature of the
sources
in the region of the error box, and the high spatial resolution
images
may reveal a jet structure. We propose to perform three visits of
two
orbits each spanning the suggested 18.45 day binary orbital period
of
the system: a correct counterpart identification should be confirmed
by
its variability. We will also aim to support the HST observations
with
X- and gamma-ray observations using Swift or INTEGRAL, and with
longer
wavelength observations from the ground.
WFPC2
11122
Expanding
PNe: Distances and Hydro Models
We
propose to obtain repeat narrowband images of a sample of eighteen
planetary
nebulae {PNe} which have HST/WFPC2 archival data spanning time
baselines
of a decade. All of these targets have previous high
signal-to-noise
WFPC2/PC observations and are sufficiently nearby to
have
readily detectable expansion signatures after a few years. Our main
scientific
objectives are {a} to determine precise distances to these
PNe
based on their angular expansions, {b} to test detailed and highly
successful
hydrodynamic models that predict nebular morphologies and
expansions
for subsamples of round/elliptical and axisymmetric PNe, and
{c}
to monitor the proper motions of nebular microstructures in an
effort
to learn more about their physical nature and formation
mechanisms.
The proposed observations will result in high-precision
distances
to a healthy subsample of PNe, and from this their expansion
ages,
luminosities, CSPN properties, and masses of their ionized cores.
With
good distances and our hydro models, we will be able to determine
fundamental
parameters {such as nebular and central star masses,
luminosity,
age}. The same images allow us to monitor the changing
overall
ionization state and to search for the surprisingly
non-homologous
growth patterns to bright elliptical PNe of the same sort
seen
by Balick & Hajian {2004} in NGC 6543. Non-uniform growth is a sure
sign
of active pressure imbalances within the nebula that require
careful
hydro models to understand.
NIC3
11120
A
Paschen-Alpha Study of Massive Stars and the ISM in the Galactic
Center
The
Galactic center (GC) is a unique site for a detailed study of a
multitude
of complex astrophysical phenomena, which may be common to
nuclear
regions of many galaxies. Observable at resolutions
unapproachable
in other galaxies, the GC provides an unparalleled
opportunity
to improve our understanding of the interrelationships of
massive
stars, young stellar clusters, warm and hot ionized gases,
molecular
clouds, large scale magnetic fields, and black holes. We
propose
the first large-scale hydrogen Paschen alpha line survey of the
GC
using NICMOS on the Hubble Space Telescope. This survey will lead to
a
high resolution and high sensitivity map of the Paschen alpha line
emission
in addition to a map of foreground extinction, made by
comparing
Paschen alpha to radio emission. This survey of the inner 75
pc
of the Galaxy will provide an unprecedented and complete search for
sites
of massive star formation. In particular, we will be able to (1)
uncover
the distribution of young massive stars in this region, (2)
locate
the surfaces of adjacent molecular clouds, (3) determine
important
physical parameters of the ionized gas, (4) identify compact
and
ultra-compact HII regions throughout the GC. When combined with
existing
Chandra and Spitzer surveys as well as a wealth of other
multi-wavelength
observations, the results will allow us to address such
questions
as where and how massive stars form, how stellar clusters are
disrupted,
how massive stars shape and heat the surrounding medium, and
how
various phases of this medium are interspersed.
WFPC2
11113
Binaries
in the Kuiper Belt: Probes of Solar System Formation and
Evolution
The
discovery of binaries in the Kuiper Belt and related small body
populations
is powering a revolutionary step forward in the study of
this
remote region. Three quarters of the known binaries in the Kuiper
Belt
have been discovered with HST, most by our snapshot surveys. The
statistics
derived from this work are beginning to yield surprising and
unexpected
results. We have found a strong concentration of binaries
among
low-inclination Classicals, a possible size cutoff to binaries
among
the Centaurs, an apparent preference for nearly equal mass
binaries,
and a strong increase in the number of binaries at small
separations.
We propose to continue this successful program in Cycle 16;
we
expect to discover at least 13 new binary systems, targeted to
subgroups
where these discoveries can have the greatest impact.
WFPC2
11111
A
Search for an Intermediate Mass Black Hole in the Globular Cluster NGC
6266
We
propose to search for an intermediate mass black hole (IMBH) in the
core
of the galactic globular cluster NGC 6266. Based on a comparison
between
the observed central surface brightness profiles of 38 globular
clusters
and state-of-the art N- body simulations, NGC 6266 offers the
best
hope of detecting an IMBH among these objects. This detection would
be significant
for at least two reasons. It would be the first concrete
discovery
of an IMBH, revealing unique information about the environment
in
which these objects form, and second, its discovery would provide a
powerful
validation on the N-body simulations used to track the
dynamical
evolution of globular clusters.
WFPC2
11083
The
Structure, Formation and Evolution of Galactic Cores and Nuclei
A
surprising result has emerged from the ACS Virgo Cluster Survey
{ACSVCS},
a program to obtain ACS/WFC gz imaging for a large, unbiased
sample
of 100 early-type galaxies in the Virgo Cluster. On subarcsecond
scales
{i.e., <0.1"-1"}, the HST brightness profiles vary systematically
from
the brightest giants {which have nearly constant surface brightness
cores}
to the faintest dwarfs {which have compact stellar nuclei}.
Remarkably,
the fraction of galaxy mass contributed by the nuclei in the
faint
galaxies is identical to that contributed by supermassive black
holes
in the bright galaxies {0.2%}. These findings strongly suggest
that
a single mechanism is responsible for both types of Central Massive
Object:
most likely internally or externally modulated gas inflows that
feed
central black holes or lead to the formation of "nuclear star
clusters".
Understanding the history of gas accretion, star formation
and
chemical enrichment on subarcsecond scales has thus emerged as the
single
most pressing question in the study of nearby galactic nuclei,
either
active or quiescent. We propose an ambitious HST program {199
orbits}
that constitutes the next, obvious step forward:
high-resolution,
ultraviolet {WFPC2/F255W} and infrared {NIC1/F160W}
imaging
for the complete ACSVCS sample. By capitalizing on HST's unique
ability
to provide high-resolution images with a sharp and stable PSF at
UV
and IR wavelengths, we will leverage the existing optical HST data to
obtain
the most complete picture currently possible for the history of
star
formation and chemical enrichment on these small scales. Equally
important,
this program will lead to a significant improvement in the
measured
structural parameters and density distributions for the stellar
nuclei
and the underlying galaxies, and provide a sensitive measure of
"frosting"
by young stars in the galaxy cores. By virtue of its superb
image
quality and stable PSF, NICMOS is the sole instrument capable of
the
IR observations proposed here. In the case of the WFPC2
observations,
high-resolution UV imaging {< 0.1"} is a capability unique
to
HST, yet one that could be lost at any time.
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
10916
A
Study of SN Ejecta in the Core-Collapse Supernova Remnant G292.0+1.8:
Cas
A's Older Cousin
Recent
studies of the southern oxygen-rich supernova remnant {SNR}
G292.0+1.8
have shown it to be the only Galactic SNR to exhibit all the
features
we expect in young remnants of core- collapse supernovae: an
outer
shell behind an expanding primary shock, high-velocity fragments
of
undiluted metal-rich ejecta, and a central pulsar surrounded by a
pulsar-wind
nebula. G292.0+1.8's optical emission consists of numerous
knots
and filaments of O- and S-rich ejecta spread throughout much of
the
remnant shell, many with radially oriented pencil-like geometries
that
may trace their origins to Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities during the
SN
event. The evolution and fine-scale structure of SN debris in young
remnants
is poorly understood and largely uncharted territory. For
testing
models for the distribution of metal-rich ejecta from
core-collapse
SNe, how the ejecta evolve and clump, and how SN shocks
interact
with the local circumstellar medium, the 3000-yr-old G292.0+1.8
remnant
rivals the 320-yr-old Cas A remnant in importance. We therefore
propose
the first HST images of G292.0+1.8 in order to characterize the
fine-scale
spatial distribution of the ejecta, their sub-arcsecond
chemical
make-up, and the detailed structure and scale lengths for
metal-rich
SN ejecta clumps. The proposed HST images of G292.0+1.8 will
be used
in conjunction with existing Spitzer Cycle 1 infrared data and
an
upcoming 0.5 Msec Chandra X-ray image. We expect to achieve the same
kind
of results for G292 that have already been obtained for Cas A.
High-resolution
HST images of this remnant, combined with Spitzer and
Chandra
data and contrasted with a similar data set on Cas A, will
provide
superb multiwavelength benchmarks for both very young and older
core-collapse
SNRs.
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
24
24
FGS
REacq
16
16
OBAD
with Maneuver
78
78
SIGNIFICANT
EVENTS:
At
approximately 2008/094 13:32 GMT (9:32 am local), BM SOC, SOC1, SOC2
and
PSI Test Limits were successfully increased by 10Ah via OPS request
18220.
Ground limits for the battery pressures and FSW SOC were also
updated
via OPS note 1682. EPS SEs observed the expected FSW SOC
increase
upon uplink of the new value. Nominal system performance was
observed
for the rest of the EPS system.