HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science

DAILY REPORT       #4917

PERIOD COVERED: 5am August 25 - 5am August 26, 2009 (DOY 237/09:00z-238/09:00z)

OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED

ACS/WFC3 11013

Continued M31 Monitoring for Black Hole X-ray Nova

We have been caring out a Chandra (GO+GTO) and HST (GO) program to find

Black Hole X-ray Nova (BHXN) and their optical counterparts in M31 for

several years. To date we have found >2 dozen BHXN and 3 HST optical

counterparts for these BHXN. Our results suggest a rather high ratio of

BH to neutron star (NS) binaries, or a high duty cycle for the BHXN. We

propose to continue this program, with the goal of determining the

orbital period distribution and duty cycles of these BHXN. Current

results yield 3 orbital periods and 3 upper limits. Our proposed

observations will ~double the total number of periods and therefore

yield sufficient numbers to make a first approximation of the orbital

period distribution. The orbital period distribution is the fundamental

observable parameter any binary stellar evolution models must match, and

the duty cycle is very poorly known but directly influences the binary

lifetime. M31 is the only galaxy in which this extra-galactic study of

BHXN is feasible. Furthermore, the 2 HST observations will allow us to

estimate the orbital period of a single super-Eddington source.

COS 11484

COS FUV Optics Alignment and Focus

After FUV detector functionality has been confirmed in COS25 (program

11483) and the initial focus updates determined in COS08 and COS 09

(programs 11468 and 11469), a sequence of 13 FUV focus-sweep exposures

of a sharp-lined external target will be made with each grating (4

orbits per grating) to perform a fine-focus sweep. After the data are

analyzed, a patchable constant SMS update of OSM1 focus for each grating

will be uplinked. A verification visit will be executed after the

uplink. Observations require high S/N and should be taken in TIME-TAG

(FLASH=YES) mode.

NIC2/WFC3/IR 11548

NICMOS Imaging of Protostars in the Orion A Cloud: The Role of

Environment in Star Formation

We propose NICMOS observations of a sample of 252 protostars identified

in the Orion A cloud with the Spitzer Space Telescope. These

observations will image the scattered light escaping the protostellar

envelopes, providing information on the shapes of outflow cavities, the

inclinations of the protostars, and the overall morphologies of the

envelopes. In addition, we ask for Spitzer time to obtain 55-95 micron

spectra of 75 of the protostars. Combining these new data with existing

3.6 to 70 micron photometry and forthcoming 5-40 micron spectra measured

with the Spitzer Space Telescope, we will determine the physical

properties of the protostars such as envelope density, luminosity,

infall rate, and outflow cavity opening angle. By examining how these

properties vary with stellar density (i.e. clusters vs groups vs

isolation) and the properties of the surrounding molecular cloud; we can

directly measure how the surrounding environment influences protostellar

evolution, and consequently, the formation of stars and planetary

systems. Ultimately, this data will guide the development of a theory of

protostellar evolution.

STIS/CCD 11844

CCD Dark Monitor Part 1

Monitor the darks for the STIS CCD.

STIS/CCD 11846

CCD Bias Monitor-Part 1

Monitor the bias in the 1x1, 1x2, 2x1, and 2x2 bin settings at gain=1,

and 1x1 at gain = 4, to build up high-S/N superbiases and track the

evolution of hot columns.

STIS20 11402

STIS-20 NUV MAMA Dark Monitor

The STIS NUV-MAMA dark current is dominated by a phosphorescent glow

from the detector window. Meta-stable states in this window are

populated by cosmic ray impacts, which, days later, can be thermally

excited to an unstable state from which they decay, emitting a UV

photon. The equilibrium population of these meta-stable states is larger

at lower temperatures; so warming up the detector from its cold safing

will lead to a large, but temporary, increase in the dark current.

To monitor the decay of this glow, and to determine the equilibrium dark

current for Cycle 17, four 1380s NUV-MAMA ACCUM mode darks should be

taken each week during the SMOV period. Once the observed dark current

has reached an approximate equilibrium with the mean detector

temperature, the frequency of this monitor can be reduced to one pair of

darks per week.

WFC3/ACS/UVIS 11360

Star Formation in Nearby Galaxies

Star formation is a fundamental astrophysical process; it controls

phenomena ranging from the evolution of galaxies and nucleosynthesis to

the origins of planetary systems and abodes for life. The WFC3,

optimized at both UV and IR wavelengths and equipped with an extensive

array of narrow-band filters, brings unique capabilities to this area of

study. The WFC3 Scientific Oversight Committee (SOC) proposes an

integrated program on star formation in the nearby universe which will

fully exploit these new abilities. Our targets range from the

well-resolved R136 in 30 Dor in the LMC (the nearest super star cluster)

and M82 (the nearest starbursting galaxy) to about half a dozen other

nearby galaxies that sample a wide range of star-formation rates and

environments. Our program consists of broad band multiwavelength imaging

over the entire range from the UV to the near-IR, aimed at studying the

ages and metallicities of stellar populations, revealing young stars

that are still hidden by dust at optical wavelengths, and showing the

integrated properties of star clusters. Narrow-band imaging of the same

environments will allow us to measure star-formation rates, gas

pressure, chemical abundances, extinction, and shock morphologies. The

primary scientific issues to be addressed are: (1) What triggers star

formation? (2) How do the properties of star-forming regions vary among

different types of galaxies and environments of different gas densities

and compositions? (3) How do these different environments affect the

history of star formation? (4) Is the stellar initial mass function

universal or determined by local conditions?

WFC3/UVIS 11432

UVIS Internal Flats

This proposal will be used to assess the stability of the flat field

structure for the UVIS detector. Flat fields will be obtained for all

filters using the internal D2 and Tungsten lamps.

This proposal corresponds to Activity Description ID WF19. It should

execute only after the following proposals have executed: WF08 - 11421

WF09 - 11422 WF11 - 11424 WF15 - 11428

WFC3/UVIS 11446

WFC3 UVIS Dark Current, Readnoise, and CTE

This proposal obtains full-frame, four-amp readout bias and dark frames

at regularly- spaced intervals throughout SMOV in order to assess and

monitor dark current, bad (warm, hot, dead) pixels, and readnoise. In

addition, a set of internals using the WFC3 calsystem are taken to

provide a baseline CTE measurement. WFC3-33

WFC3/UVIS 11905

WFC3 UVIS CCD Daily Monitor

The behavior of the WFC3 UVIS CCD will be monitored daily with a set of

full-frame, four-amp bias and dark frames. A smaller set of 2Kx4K

subarray biases are acquired at less frequent intervals throughout the

cycle to support subarray science observations. The internals from this

proposal, along with those from the anneal procedure (11909), will be

used to generate the necessary superbias and superdark reference files

for the calibration pipeline (CDBS).

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               04                  04                

FGS REAcq               13                  13               

OBAD with Maneuver 03                  03               

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)