HUBBLE
SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science
DAILY
REPORT # 4612
PERIOD
COVERED: 5am May 15 - 5am May 16, 2008 (DOY 136/0900z-137/0900z)
OBSERVATIONS
SCHEDULED
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.
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
11219
Active
Galactic Nuclei in nearby galaxies: a new view of the origin of
the
radio-loud radio-quiet dichotomy?
Using
archival HST and Chandra observations of 34 nearby early-type
galaxies
{drawn from a complete radio selected sample} we have found
evidence
that the radio-loud/radio-quiet dichotomy is directly connected
to
the structure of the inner regions of their host galaxies in the
following
sense: [1] Radio-loud AGN are associated with galaxies with
shallow
cores in their light profiles [2] Radio-quiet AGN are only
hosted
by galaxies with steep cusps. Since the brightness profile is
determined
by the galaxy's evolution, through its merger history, our
results
suggest that the same process sets the AGN flavour. This
provides
us with a novel tool to explore the co-evolution of galaxies
and
supermassive black holes, and it opens a new path to understand the
origin
of the radio-loud/radio-quiet AGN dichotomy. Currently our
analysis
is statistically incomplete as the brightness profile is not
available
for 82 of the 116 targets. Most galaxies were not observed
with
HST, while in some cases the study is obstructed by the presence of
dust
features. We here propose to perform an infrared NICMOS snapshot
survey
of these 82 galaxies. This will enable us to i} test the reality
of
the dichotomic behaviour in a substantially larger sample; ii} extend
the
comparison between radio-loud and radio-quiet AGN to a larger range
of
luminosities.
NIC2/WFPC2
11142
Revealing
the Physical Nature of Infrared Luminous Galaxies at 0.3<z<2.7
Using
HST and Spitzer
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}.
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
11222
Direct
Detection and Mapping of Star Forming Regions in Nearby, Luminous
Quasars
We
propose to carry out narrow-band emission line imaging observations
of
8 quasars at z=0.05-0.15 with the WFPC2 ramp filters and with the
NICMOS
narrow-band filters. We will obtain images in the [O II], [O
III],
H-beta, and Pa-alpha emission line bands to carry out a series of
diagnostic
tests aimed at detecting and mapping out star-forming regions
in
the quasar host galaxies. This direct detection of star-forming
regions
will confirm indirect indications for star formation in quasar
host
galaxies. It will provide a crucial test for models of quasar and
galaxy
evolution, that predict the co-existence of starbursts and
"monsters"
and will solve the puzzle of why different indicators of star
formation
give contradictory results. A secondary science goal is to
assess
suggested correlations between quasar luminosity and the size of
the
narrow-line region.
WFPC2
11352
Mass
and distance of the sub-Saturn microlensing planet
OGLE-2007-BLG-349Lb
OGLE-2007-BLG-349Lb
is the seventh planet discovered using gravitational
microlensing,
with planet/star mass ratio 2.8e-4. These microlensing
planets
lie in the cold, outer reaches of their solar systems and are
difficult
to detect by other techniques because of their long periods.
However,
microlensing detections by themselves generally give only the
planet/star
mass ratio, not the absolute planet mass. HST observations
have
yielded host star masses and distances for two previous
microlensing
planets. Here, we propose to apply a proven technique to
measure
the mass and distance of the newest microlensing planet, which
was
discovered only two weeks ago. We will use WFPC2 observations to
unambiguously
determine whether the blended light seen during the event
is
due to the host star (rather than a random interloper) and a
combination
of WFPC2 and NICMOS observations to obtain photometric
estimates
of the mass and distance. Two epochs of observations are
required,
one at high magnification (in the very near future) and the
other
at baseline (but not too late -- to avoid having the lens move
substantially
away from the source).
WFPC2
11498
2008
Passage of Jupiter's Great Red Spot and Oval BA
Jupiter's
largest anticyclonic storm, the Great Red Spot (GRS), drifts
slowly
westward relative to the radio rotation rate of the planet
(System
III W. longitude). In contrast, the next largest storm, Oval BA
(a.k.a.
the Little Red Spot or LRS), drifts slowly eastward. The
relative
drift of the two is approximately 0.5 deg/day, resulting in a
passage
of the storms every two years. The GRS sits at ~22 deg. S
planetographic
latitude, while the LRS resides at ~33 deg. S latitude.
Both
vortices deflect nearby eastward and westward winds jets around
their
periphery, and are somewhat confined to their latitude bands by
the
alternating, and nearly constant, zonal wind field. However, they do
oscillate
slightly in latitude, particularly near the times of a
passage,
in part because the deflected wind jets push to keep the spots
separated.
It is during these passages that the LRS, and its predecessor
white
ovals, is most likely to show changes in size and morphology,
which
are related to the internal wind fields and regulate the vertical
cloud
structure of the vortex. For example, GRS passages in 1998 and
2000
preceded the merger of the three white ovals into the single large
Oval
BA, after the ovals and intervening cyclonic cells were deflected
by
the GRS.
We
propose to study the 2008 passage to look for changes in internal
vortex
winds, nearby zonal winds and vortex upper cloud structure,
particularly
in particle size and opacity, using five orbits of WFPC2
and
two orbits of NICMOS. These data will be combined with a multitude
of
planned ground-based coverage to offer an unprecedented view of a
GRS/Oval
passage, which will give insight on cloud structure, dynamics,
and
possibly even water abundance below the cloud decks (water abundance
governs
the distance of interaction between the two spots). HST is
required
to provide adequate spatial resolution and wavelength coverage
while
observing the passage. The 2008 passage is expected to be
especially
important, as Jupiter underwent a global upheaval in 2007,
with
disturbances near the GRS and LRS. This upheaval began after the
normal
Cycle 16 proposal deadline, raising the priority of these
observations
enough to warrant a request for HST time.
WFPC2
11518
Mutual
eclipses of a Kuiper belt-satellite system
Ground-based
observations two weeks ago strongly suggest that the orbit
of
the small inner satellite of 2003 EL61, the 5th largest known dwarf
planet,
is possibly precisely edge-on and thus somewhere in the middle
of
a ~3 year long cycle of mutual eclipses, occultations, and transits.
We
anticipate that with another year of ground-based observation we may
have
sufficient data to accurately predict the times and durations of
these
events, but by then the events may well be over. If events are
indeed
occurring,
measurement of the timing and depths of such events
provides
a wealth of precise geometric information for constraining
sizes,
shapes, orbits, and dynamics of the system.
We
propose to obtain 5 quick WFPC2 visits to 2003 EL61 over the ~19 day
orbital
period of the inner satellite to determine a precise orbit and
predict
mutual event times. We will instantly (within ~1 day of the end
of
the observations) make these predictions public to allow the maximum
number
of attempts to collect the data as possible.
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
10
10
FGS
REacq
04
04
OBAD
with Maneuver
28
28
SIGNIFICANT
EVENTS: (None)