HUBBLE
SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science
DAILY
REPORT # 4588
PERIOD
COVERED: UT April 11,12,13, 2008 (DOY 102,103,104)
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
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.
WFPC2
11235
HST
NICMOS Survey of the Nuclear Regions 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 enhanced star formation and Active
Galactic
Nuclei {AGN} activity, possibly triggered as the objects
transform
into massive S0 and elliptical merger remnants. We propose
NICMOS
NIC2 imaging of the nuclear regions of a complete sample of 88
L_IR
> 10^11.4 L_sun luminous infrared galaxies in the IRAS Revised
Bright
Galaxy Sample {RBGS: i.e., 60 micron flux density > 5.24 Jy}.
This
sample is ideal not only in its completeness and sample size, but
also
in the proximity and brightness of the galaxies. The superb
sensitivity
and resolution of NICMOS NIC2 on HST enables a unique
opportunity
to study the detailed structure of the nuclear regions,
where
dust obscuration may mask star clusters, AGN and additional nuclei
from
optical view, with a resolution significantly higher than possible
with
Spitzer IRAC. This survey thus provides a crucial component to our
study
of the dynamics and evolution of IR galaxies presently underway
with
Wide-Field, HST ACS/WFC and Spitzer IRAC observations of these 88
galaxies.
Imaging will be done with the F160W filter {H-band} to examine
as
a function of both luminosity and merger stage {i} the luminosity and
distribution
of embedded star clusters, {ii} the presence of optically
obscured
AGN and nuclei, {iii} the correlation between the distribution
of
1.6 micron emission and the mid- IR emission as detected by Spitzer
IRAC,
{iv} the evidence of bars or bridges that may funnel fuel into the
nuclear
region, and {v} the ages of star clusters for which photometry
is
available via ACS/WFC observations. The NICMOS data, combined with
the
HST ACS, Spitzer, and GALEX observations of this sample, will result
in
the most comprehensive study of merging and interacting galaxies to
date.
FGS
11211
An
Astrometric Calibration of Population II Distance Indicators
In
2002 HST produced a highly precise parallax for RR Lyrae. That
measurement
resulted in an absolute magnitude, M{V}= 0.61+/-0.11, a
useful
result, judged by the over ten refereed citations each year
since.
It is, however, unsatisfactory to have the direct,
parallax-based,
distance scale of Population II variables based on a
single
star. We propose, therefore, to obtain the parallaxes of four
additional
RR Lyrae stars and two Population II Cepheids, or
stars.
The Population II Cepheids lie with the RR Lyrae stars on a
common
K-band Period-Luminosity relation. Using these parallaxes to
inform
that relationship, we anticipate a zero-point error of 0.04
magnitude.
This result should greatly strengthen confidence in the
Population
II distance scale and increase our understanding of RR Lyrae
star
and Pop II Cepheid astrophysics.
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.
NIC3
11195
Morphologies
of the Most Extreme High-Redshift Mid-IR-luminous Galaxies
II:
The `Bump' Sources
The
formative phase of some of the most massive galaxies may be
extremely
luminous, characterized by intense star- and AGN-formation.
Till
now, few such galaxies have been unambiguously identified at high
redshift,
and thus far we have been restricted to studying the
low-redshift
ultraluminous infrared galaxies as possible analogs. We
have
recently discovered a sample of objects which may indeed represent
this
early phase in galaxy formation, and are undertaking an extensive
multiwavelength
study of this population. These objects are optically
extremely
faint {R>26} but nevertheless bright at mid-infrared
wavelengths
{F[24um] > 0.5 mJy}. Mid-infrared spectroscopy with
Spitzer/IRS
reveals that they have redshifts z~2, implying luminosities
~1E13
Lsun. Their mid-IR SEDs fall into two broad, perhaps overlapping,
categories.
Sources with brighter F[24um] exhibit power-law SEDs and SiO
absorption
features in their mid-IR spectra characteristic of AGN,
whereas
those with fainter F[24um] show a "bump" characteristic of the
redshifted
1.6um peak from a stellar population, and PAH emission
characteristic
of starformation. We have begun obtaining HST images of
the
brighter sources in Cycle 15 to obtain identifications and determine
kpc-scale
morphologies for these galaxies. Here, we aim to target the
second
class {the "bump" sources} with the goal of determining if these
constitute
morphologically different objects, or simply a "low-AGN"
state
of the brighter class. The proposed observations will help us
determine
whether these objects are merging systems, massive obscured
starbursts
{with obscuration on kpc scales!} or very reddened {locally
obscured}
AGN hosted by intrinsically low-luminosity galaxies.
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
optimally
schedule our observations.
NIC2/NIC1/NIC3
11159
The
True Galactic Bulge Luminosity Function
We
propose to obtain second epoch imaging of the deep Galactic bulge
field
observed using NICMOS by Zoccali et al. (2000). The bulge
luminosity
and mass function suffered from 30-50% contamination by
foreground
disk stars, which was impossible to correct for in the
original
study. Revisiting the field after 9 years, we propose to
segregate
the foreground disk stars because they have large transverse
velocities,
thus revealing the luminosity function of Galactic bulge low
mass
stars to near the hydrogen burning limit. The slope of the mass
function
has implications for galaxy formation and for understanding the
nature
of microlensing in the Galactic bulge.
NIC3
11149
Characterizing
the Stellar Populations in Lyman-Alpha Emitters and Lyman
Break
Galaxies at 5.7<z<7 in the Subaru Deep Field
The
epoch of reionization marks a major phase transition of the
Universe,
during which the intergalactic space became transparent to UV
photons.
Determining when this occurred and the physical processes
involved
represents the latest frontier in observational cosmology. Over
the
last few years, searches have intensified to identify the population
of
high-redshift (z>6) galaxies that might be responsible for this
process,
but the progress is hampered partly by the difficulty of
obtaining
physical information (stellar mass, age, star formation
rate/history)
for individual sources. This is because the number of z>6
galaxies
that have both secure spectroscopic redshifts and high-quality
infrared
photometry (especially with Spitzer/IRAC) is still fairly
small.
Considering that only several photometric points are available
per
source, and that many model SEDs are highly degenerate, it is
crucial
to obtain as many observational constraints as possible for each
source
to ensure the validity of SED modeling. To better understand the
physical
properties of high-redshift galaxies, we propose here to
conduct
HST/NICMOS (72 orbits) and Spitzer/IRAC (102 hours) imaging of
spectroscopically
confirmed, bright (z<26 mag (AB)) Ly-alpha emitters
(LAEs)
and Lyman-break galaxies (LBGs) at 5.7<z<7 selected from the
Subaru
Deep Field. Spectroscopic redshifts remove one critical free
parameter
from SED modeling while bright source magnitudes ensure
high-quality
photometric data. By making accurate determinations of
stellar
masses, ages, and star-formation histories, we will specifically
address
the following major questions: (1) Do LAEs and LBGs represent
physically
different galaxy populations at z>6 as suggested recently?
(2)
Is Ly-alpha emission systematically suppressed at z>6 with respect
to
continuum emission? (i.e., are we reaching the epoch of incomplete
reionization?),
and (3) Do we see any sign of abnormally young stellar
population
in any of the z>6 galaxies?
NIC2
11143
NICMOS
imaging of submillimeter galaxies with CO and PAH redshifts
We
propose to obtain F110W and F160W imaging of 10 z~2.4 submillimeter
galaxies
{SMGs} whose optical redshifts have been confirmed by the
detection
of millimeter CO and/or mid- infrared PAH emission. With the
4000A
break falling within/between the two imaging filters, we will be
able
to study these sources' spatially resolved stellar populations
{modulo
extinction} in the rest-frame optical. SMGs' large luminosities
appear
to be due largely to merger-triggered starbursts; high-resolution
NICMOS
imaging will help us understand the stellar masses, mass ratios,
and
other properties of the merger progenitors, valuable information in
the
effort to model the mass assembly history of the universe.
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.
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
11099
A
"silver bullet" for the sources of reionization
Recent
discoveries of z>6 galaxies have given us the first glimpse of
the
Universe shortly after the era of reionization. The questions arose
whether
these first galaxies can be made responsible for the
reionization
process, and how long did it last. Neither observations nor
theory
provide a clean answer. In particular observations give results
that
are barely mutually consistent and need to be further tested.
Observing
high redshift (z>7) sources is in general difficult, mostly
due
to the high luminosity distance to these objects, and partly due to
the
lower expected stellar masses compared to objects at moderate
redshifts.
We
propose to use one of the most massive, merging cluster 1E0657-56
(z=0.295)
as a cosmic telescopes to efficiently probe the high-redshift
universe.
The gravitational potential well of this cluster provides
several
magnitudes of magnification, enabling study of intrinsically
lower
luminosity galaxies.As we discuss in the proposal, due to its
highly
elongated mass distribution and ideal redshift the bullet cluster
is
a prime candidate for this study. We propose deep NICMOS and WFPC2
observations;
with much reduced observing time compared to e.g. NICMOS
UDF
we expect an order of magnitude more (~5 candidates) z>7 objects.
They
will also likely be multiply imaged, and since the geometry of
images
depends upon the redshift, we will be able to confirm their
nature,
thereby not requiring (often prohibitive at these magnitudes)
spectroscopic
follow-up. This will enable us to count high-redshift
sources
and constrain their luminosity function; a task made possible
with
the help of gravitational lensing even in the pre-JWST era.
FLIGHT
OPERATIONS SUMMARY:
Significant
Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary reports
of
potential non-nominal performance that will be investigated.)
HSTARS:
11249
- GSacq(2,1,2) failed to RGA control. @ 102/1514z
During LOS GSaq(2,1,2) scheduled at 102/15:14:50 failed to RGA
control.
The GSacq failed due to receiving stop flag QF2STOPF on FGS 2. The
Map
at 15:23:32 showed errors of V1=17.15, V2=9.04, V3=3.75, and
RSS=19.75.
11252
- OBAD Failed Identification (ESB 1902) @ 104/1625z
At Acquisition of Signal (104/16:25:46) received three (3) 486 STB
ESB
1902 "OBAD Failed ID" messages. Vehicle was in RGA
control, M2G mode
with OBAD flag mnemonics showing GOBSTAT=255 (Attitude
Determination
Error) and GCHACL09=1 or (Failed State). OBAD Map at 15:40:16
showed
errors of: V1 -32245.59, V2 6342.19, V3 -51499.65, RSS 61091.86
arc-seconds. The GSAcquisition at 15:32:59 was not attempted as
the #44
commands had not updated. Ops Request 17543-2 was successfully
executed
and copies of the dump for tables 369 & 370 are attached.
Awaiting next
available engineering data dump to perform further analysis.
11253
- GSAcq (2,3,3) results in RGA Control @ 104/1625z
At Acquisition of Signal (104/16:25:46) GSAcq (2,3,3) scheduled
from
(15:32:59-15:40:16) had not attempted due to both pre-acquisition
OBAD's
failing. GSAcq #44 commands did not update. OBAD #1 RSS error was
61102.55 arc-seconds. OBAD #2 RSS error was 56101.50 arc-seconds.
OBAD
Map RSS error was 61091.86 arc-seconds.
COMPLETED
OPS REQUEST:
17543-2
- Dump OBAD tables after failed OBAD (Generic) @ 104/1643z
COMPLETED
OPS NOTES: (None)
SCHEDULED
SUCCESSFUL
FGS
GSacq
23
21
FGS
REacq
11
11
OBAD
with Maneuver
70
68
SIGNIFICANT
EVENTS:
Flash
Report: FGS ITS Test
The
ITS tests scheduled from 105:02:42 - 105:06:00 performed as
expected.
The first ITS test was monitored in real time and no anomalous
behavior
was seen. The other ITS tests occurred in ZOEs and the data
will
be looked at when it is merged. There were no problems indicated in
telemetry
when telemetry was reacquired after the tests were performed.
The
subsequent guide star acquisitions have all been successful.
All
SSR ENG data was dumped at 105/0749z