HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to Collect World Class Science

DAILY REPORT       #4948

PERIOD COVERED: 5am October 8 - 5am October 9, 2009 (DOY 281/09:00z-282/09:00z)

OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED

NIC 11408

NICMOS Focus and PAM Grid Tilt Tests

The purpose of this proposal is determine the PAM settings corresponding

to best focus for NIC1 and NIC2. A test will aslo be done on NIC3 in

order to establish that the nominal PAM position of -9.5mm relative to

mechanical zero results in an acceptable focus.

The program consists of: Visit 01: Focus sweep using NIC1 Visit 02:

Focus sweep using NIC2 Visit 03: Focus sweep using NIC3 Visit 04: Uplink

of revised PAM settings (if needed) Visit 05: PAM X/Y grid tilt for NIC1

Visit 06: PAM X/Y grid tilt for NIC2 Visit 07: PAM X/Y grid tilt for

NIC3 Visit 08: Uplink of revised PAM X/Y parameters (if needed)

The focus sweeps are based on the normal focus monitoring proposal

11320. The tilt grid measurements are based on proposal 8977 (NIC1) and

9645 (NIC2 and NIC3).

NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 11947

Extended Dark Monitoring

This program takes a series of darks to obtain darks (including

amplifier glow, dark current, and shading profiles) for all three

cameras in the read-out sequences used in Cycle 17. A set of 12 orbits

will be observed every two months for a total of 72 orbits for a 12

month Cycle 17. This is a continuation of Cycle 16 program 11330 scaled

down by ~80%.

The first orbit (Visit A0) should be scheduled in the NICMOS SMOV after

the DC Transfer Test (11406) and at least 36h before the Filter Wheel

Test (11407). Data download using fast track.

The following 28 orbits (visit A1-N2) should be scheduled AFTER the SMOV

Proposal 11407 (Filter Wheel Test). This is done in order to monitor the

dark current following an adjustment of the NCS set-point. These visits

should be executed until the final temperature is reached during SMOV.

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/WFC3/IR 11548

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

Environment in Star Formation

We propose NICMOS and WFC3/IR 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 11806

Coordinated Observations of LCROSS Impacts

We propose to observe the LCROSS (Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing

Satellite) impacts. This program will use STIS and WFC3 to observe the

Moon in conjunction with NASA's LCROSS mission (assuming Servicing

Mission 4 occurs before the LCROSS impacts). The goal is to determine

whether or not water ice and/or vapor is present in the subsurface of

the Moon. We will address this issue by 1) observing the sunlit ejecta

plume created by the LCROSS impacts and 2) examine the Lunar exosphere

for the presence of OH and other volatile species.

STIS/CCD 11844

CCD Dark Monitor Part 1

The purpose of this proposal is to monitor the darks for the STIS CCD.

STIS/CCD 11846

CCD Bias Monitor-Part 1

The purpose of this proposal is to 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.

WFC3/IR 11618

WFC3 Observations of VeLLOs and the Youngest Star Forming Environments

The Cores-to-Disks Spitzer Legacy team has discovered a number of

extremely low luminosity sources embedded deep within nearby (< 300 pc)

cores previously thought to be starless. With substellar masses, these

low luminosity sources represent either the youngest low-mass protostars

yet detected or the first embedded brown dwarfs. In either case, they

represent a new observed class of sources referred to as VeLLOs (Very

Low Luminosity Objects). We propose WFC3 F160W observations of a small

sample of these sources, to be combined with deep ground-based

observations at Ks, to address a broad set of issues concerning VeLLOs

and the environments within which they are forming. First, the

morphology of their outflow cavities will be traced, yielding estimates

of the inclinations and opening angles of the cavities and the

evolutionary stages of the VeLLOs. Second, our observations will reveal

background stars seen through the densest regions of cores harboring

these VeLLOs. The color-excesses of the background stars will yield the

highest angular resolution extinction maps necessary to directly probe

the inner density structure of these cores, found very soon after the

onset of collapse, which would constrain the initial conditions of

collapse within these isolated environments. In addition, we will

construct similar maps of the dense pre-protostellar core L694-2 and the

protostellar core B335. These maps will provide a snapshot of the

evolution of the inner density structure of a core prior to low-mass

star formation and soon thereafter, for comparison with the inner

density structure of cores that have formed VeLLOs. Finally, these

extinction maps will enable us to determine the core "centers", or

positions of peak column densities. Comparison of these centers with the

positions of the VeLLOs may yield insight regarding potential

differences between the formation of low-mass stars and brown dwarfs.

WFC3/UVIS 11594

A WFC3 Grism Survey for Lyman Limit Absorption at z=2

We propose to conduct a spectroscopic survey of Lyman limit absorbers at

redshifts 1.8 < z < 2.5, using WFC3 and the G280 grism. This proposal

intends to complete an approved Cycle 15 SNAP program (10878), which was

cut short due to the ACS failure. We have selected 64 quasars at 2.3 < z

< 2.6 from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Spectroscopic Quasar Sample, for

which no BAL signature is found at the QSO redshift and no strong metal

absorption lines are present at z > 2.3 along the lines of sight. The

survey has three main observational goals. First, we will determine the

redshift frequency dn/dz of the LLS over the column density range 16.0 <

log(NHI) < 20.3 cm^-2. Second, we will measure the column density

frequency distribution f(N) for the partial Lyman limit systems (PLLS)

over the column density range 16.0 < log(NHI) < 17.5 cm^-2. Third, we

will identify those sightlines which could provide a measurement of the

primordial D/H ratio. By carrying out this survey, we can also help

place meaningful constraints on two key quantities of cosmological

relevance. First, we will estimate the amount of metals in the LLS using

the f(N), and ground based observations of metal line transitions.

Second, by determining f(N) of the PLLS, we can constrain the amplitude

of the ionizing UV background at z~2 to a greater precision. This survey

is ideal for a snapshot observing program, because the on-object

integration times are all well below 30 minutes, and follow-up

observations from the ground require minimal telescope time due to the

QSO sample being bright.

WFC3/UVIS 11903

UVIS Photometric Zero Points

This proposal obtains the photometric zero points in 53 of the 62

UVIS/WFC3 filters: the 18 broad-band filters, 8 medium-band filters, 16

narrow-band filters, and 11 of the 20 quad filters (those being used in

cycle 17). The observations will be primary obtained by observing the

hot DA white dwarf standards GD153 and G191-B2B. A redder secondary

standard, P330E, will be observed in a subset of the filters to provide

color corrections. Repeat observations in 16 of the most widely used

cycle 17 filters will be obtained once per month for the first three

months, and then once every second month for the duration of cycle 17,

alternating and depending on target availability. These observations

will enable monitoring of the stability of the photometric system.

Photometric transformation equations will be calculated by comparing the

photometry of stars in two globular clusters, 47 Tuc and NGC 2419, to

previous measurements with other telescopes/instruments.

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 (Proposal 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               10                  10                    

FGS REAcq               06                  06                 

OBAD with Maneuver 08                  08                

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)