HUBBLE
SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science
DAILY
REPORT #4666
PERIOD
COVERED: 5am August 1 - 5am August 4, 2008 (DOY 214/0900z-217/0900z)
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
11797
Supplemental
WFPC2 CYCLE 16 Intflat Linearity Check and Filter Rotation
Anomaly
Monitor
Supplemental
observations to 11029, to cover period from Aug 08 to SM4.
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 11022 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.
Note:
These are supplemental observations to cover June to SM4 (oct 8
'08)
+ 6 months.
WFPC2
11794
Cycle
16 Visible Earth Flats
This
proposal monitors flatfield stability. This proposal obtains
sequences
of Earth streak flats to construct high quality flat fields
for
the WFPC2 filter set. These flat fields will allow mapping of the
OTA
illumination pattern and will be used in conjuction with previous
internal
and external flats to generate new pipeline superflats. These
Earth
flats will complement the Earth flat data obtained during cycles
4-15.
ACS/SBC
11791
The
Wavelength Dependence of Accretion Disk Structure
We
can now routinely measure the size of quasar accretion disks using
gravitational
microlensing of lensed quasars. The next step to testing
accretion
disk models is to measure the size of accretion disks as a
function
of wavelength, particularly at the UV and X-ray wavelengths
that
should probe the inner, strong gravity regime. Here we focus on two
four-image
quasar lenses that already have optical (R band) and X-ray
size
measurements using microlensing. We will combine the HST
observations
with ground-based monitoring to measure the disk size as a
function
of wavelength from the near-IR to the UV. We require HST to
measure
the image flux ratios in the ultraviolet continuum near the
Lyman
limit of the quasars. The selected targets have estimated black
hole
masses that differ by an order of magnitude, and we should find
wavelength
scalings for the two systems that are very different because
the
Blue/UV wavelengths should correspond to parts of the disk near the
inner
edge for the high mass system but not in the low mass system. The
results
will be modeled using a combination of simple thin disk models
and
complete relativistic disk models. While requiring only 18 orbits,
success
for one system requires observations in both Cycles 16 and 17.
WFPC2
11544
The
Dynamical Legacy of Star Formation
We
propose to use WFPC2 to conduct a wide-field imaging survey of the
young
cluster IC348. This program, in combination with archival HST
observations,
will allow us to measure precise proper motions for
individual
cluster members, characterizing the intra-cluster velocity
dispersion
and directly studying the dynamical signatures of star
formation
and early cluster evolution. Our projected astrometric
precision
(~1 mas in each epoch) will allow us to calculate individual
stellar
velocities to unprecedented precision (<0.5 mas/yr; <1 km/s) and
directly
relate these velocities to observed spatial substructure within
the
cluster. This survey will also allow us to probe small-scale star
formation
physics by searching for high-velocity stars ejected from
decaying
multiple systems, expanding our knowledge of multiplicity in
dense
environments, and identifying new substellar and planetary-mass
cluster
members based on kinematic membership tests.
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
11206
At
the Cradle of the Milky Way: Formation of the Most Massive Field Disk
Galaxies
at z>1
We
propose to obtain 2 orbit WFPC2 F814W images of a sample of the 15
most
massive galaxies found at $1 < z < 1.3$. These were culled from
over
20,000 Keck spectra collected as part of DEEP and are unique among
high
redshift massive galaxy samples in being kinematically selected.
Through
a recent HST NICMOS-2 imaging program {GO-10532}, we have
confirmed
that these galaxies have regular stellar disks, and their
emission
line kinematics are not due to gradients from merging
components.
These potentially very young galaxies are likely precursors
to
massive local disks, assuming no further merging. The proposed WFPC2
and
existing NIC-2 data provide colors, stellar masses, and ages of
bulge
and disk subcomponents, to assess whether old stellar bulges and
disks
are in place at that time or still being built, and constrain
their
formation epochs. Finally, this sample will yield the first
statistically
significant results on the $z > 1$ evolution of the
size-velocity-luminosity
scaling relations, for massive galaxies at
different
wavelengths, and constrain whether this evolution reflects
stellar
mass growth, or passive evolution, of either bulge or disk
components.
WFPC2
11203
A
Search for Circumstellar Disks and Planetary-Mass Companions around
Brown
Dwarfs in Taurus
During
a 1-orbit program in Cycle 14, we used WFPC2 to obtain the first
direct
image of a circumstellar disk around a brown dwarf. These data
have
provided fundamental new constraints on the formation process of
brown
dwarfs and the properties of their disks. To search for additional
direct
detections of disks around brown dwarfs and to search for
planetary-mass
companions to these objects, we propose a WFPC2 survey of
32
brown dwarfs in the Taurus star-forming region.
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
11166
The
Mass-dependent Evolution of the Black Hole-Bulge Relations
In
the local universe, the masses of giant black holes are correlated
with
the luminosities, masses and velocity dispersions of their host
galaxy
bulges. This indicates a surprisingly close connection between
the
evolution of galactic nuclei (on parsec scales) and of stars on kpc
scales.
A key observational test of proposed explanations for these
correlations
is to measure how they have evolved over cosmic time. Our
ACS
imaging of 20 Seyfert 1 galaxies at z=0.37 showed them to have
smaller
bulges (by a factor of 3) for a given central black hole mass
than
is found in galaxies in the present-day universe. However, since
all
our sample galaxies had black hole masses in the range 10^8.0--8.5
Msun,
we could only measure the OFFSET in black hole mass to bulge
luminosity
ratios from the present epoch. By extending this study to
black
hole masses another factor of 10 lower, we propose to determine
the
full CORRELATION of black hole mass with host galaxy properties at a
lookback
time of 4 Gyrs and to test mass-dependency of the evolution. We
have
selected 14 Seyfert galaxies from SDSS DR5 whose narrow Hbeta
emission
lines (and estimated nuclear luminosities) imply that they have
black
hole masses around 10^7 Msuns. We will soon complete our Keck
spectroscopic
measures of their bulge velocity dispersions. We need a
1-orbit
NICMOS image of each galaxy to separate its nonstellar
luminosity
from its bulge and disk. This will allow us to make the first
determination
of the full black hole/bulge relations at z=0.37 (e.g. M-L
and
M-sigma), as well as a test of whether active galaxies obey the
Fundamental
Plane relation at that epoch.
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}.
NIC2
11135
Extreme
Makeovers: Tracing the Transformation of Massive Galaxies at
z~2.5
To
obtain a full spectroscopic census of the universe at z~2.5 we have
conducted
a near-infrared spectroscopic survey for K-selected galaxies.
We
found that, in contrast to the local universe, massive high-redshift
galaxies
span a wide range of properties, varying from (dusty) star
burst
to "red and dead" galaxies. This may imply that massive galaxies
transform
from star-forming to quiescent galaxies in the targeted
redshift
range. To understand whether the 9 quiescent galaxies in our
sample
are the progenitors of local elliptical, we are observing them in
the
current cycle with NIC2. For cycle 16 we propose to complete our
sample
of massive z~2.5 galaxies and image the remaining 10 galaxies,
which
all have emission lines. Based on emission-line diagnostics, 6 of
these
galaxies are identified as star-forming objects and 4 harbor an
active
galactic nucleus. The goals are to 1) determine whether star
formation
in massive z~2.5 galaxies takes place in disks or is triggered
by
merger activity, 2) derive the contribution of AGNs to the rest-frame
optical
emission, and 3) test whether the morphologies are consistent
with
the idea that the star-forming galaxies, AGNs, and quiescent
galaxies
represent subsequent phases of an evolutionary sequence. The
combination
of both programs will provide the first morphological study
of
a spectroscopically confirmed massive galaxy sample at z~2.5.
WFPC2
11129
The
Star Formation History of the Fornax Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy
The
Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy is one of the most luminous dwarf
satellites
of the Milky Way. It is unusual in many ways: it hosts 5
globular
clusters, shows some relatively young stars, and has faint
sub-structures
which have been interpreted as signs of recent
interactions.
It is thus of great interest to learn the complete star
formation
history {SFH} of Fornax to establish a link between its
evolutionary
path and the predictions from numerical simulations, as a
test
of our understanding of dwarf galaxy evolution. Yet many questions
remain
open. Is the old stellar population made up of stars formed in a
very
early burst, perhaps before the epoch of re- ionization, or the
result
of a more continuous star formation between 13 and 9 Gyr ago ?
How
quickly did Fornax increase its metallicity during its initial
assembly
and during subsequent episodes of star formation ? Are
accretion
episodes required to explain the age-metallicity history of
Fornax
? However, there has never been a comprehensive study of the
global
SFH of the Fornax field based on data of sufficient depth to
unambiguously
measure the age mixture of the stellar populations and
their
spatial variation. We propose to use the WFPC2 to obtain very deep
images
in several fields across the central region of Fornax in order to
reach
the oldest main-sequence turnoffs. The number of fields is
determined
by the need to measure the SFH over different regions with
distinct
kinematics and metallicity. The resolution achievable with HST
is
crucial to answer these questions because, to derive the age
distribution
of the oldest stars, we are interested in I magnitude
differences
of the order 0.2 mag in crowded fields at V=24.5. We will
directly
measure the time variation in star-formation rate over the
entire
galaxy history, from first stars coeval with the Milky Way halo
to
the youngest populations 200 Myr ago. The combination of detailed CMD
analysis
with WFPC2 with our existing metallicity and kinematic
information
will allow us to trace out the early phases of its
evolution.
WFPC2
11103
A
Snapshot Survey of The Most Massive Clusters of Galaxies
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.
FLIGHT
OPERATIONS SUMMARY:
Significant
Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary reports
of
potential non-nominal performance that will be investigated.)
HSTARS:
11423
- GSAcq (1,2,1) failed to RGA Hold due to QF1STOPF flag on FGS-1
At 216/20:20:02 GSAcq (1,2,1) scheduled from 217/20:17:25 -
20:24:46
failed to RGA Hold due to stop flags QF1STOPF and QSTOP on FGS 1.
Possible observations affected: WFPC2 Proposal 11142, Observation
132 -
133 NICMOS Proposal 8795, Observation 72.
At 216/21:56:13 REAcq (1,2,1) scheduled from 216/21:53:17 -
22:00:38
failed due to QF1STOPF and QSTOP flags on FGS 1.
Possible observations affected: WFPC Proposal 11142, Observation
134 -
135 NICMOS Proposal 11142, Observation 73 - 74.
COMPLETED
OPS REQUEST: (None)
COMPLETED
OPS NOTES: (None)
SCHEDULED
SUCCESSFUL
FGS
GSacq
29
28
FGS
REacq
15
14
OBAD
with Maneuver
84
84
SIGNIFICANT
EVENTS: (None)