HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to Collect World Class Science

DAILY REPORT       #4965

PERIOD COVERED: 5am November 3 - 5am November 4, 2009 (DOY 307/10:00z-308/10:00z)

OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED

ACS/WFC 11782

Measuring the Shape and Orientation of the Galactic Dark-Matter Halo

using Hypervelocity Stars

We propose to obtain high-resolution images of five hypervelocity stars

in the Galactic halo in order to establish the first-epoch astrometric

frame for them, as a part of a long-term program to measure precise

proper motions. The origin of these recently discovered stars, all with

positive radial velocities above 540 km/s, is consistent only with being

ejected from the deep potential well of the massive black hole at the

Galactic center. The deviations of their space motions from purely

radial trajectories probe the departures from spherical symmetry of the

Galactic potential, mainly due to the triaxiality of the dark-matter

halo. Reconstructing the full three-dimensional space motion of the

hypervelocity stars, through astrometric proper motions, provides a

unique opportunity to measure the shape and orientation of the dark

halo. The hypervelocity stars allow measurement of the potential up to

75 kpc from the center, independently of and at larger distances than

are afforded by tidal streams of satellite galaxies such as the

Sagittarius dSph galaxy. HVS3 may be associated with the LMC, rather

then the Galactic center, and would therefore present a case for a

supermassive black hole at the center of the LMC. We request one orbit

with ACS/WFC for each of the five hypervelocity stars to establish their

current positions relative to background galaxies. We will request a

repeated observation of these stars in Cycle 17, which will conclusively

measure the astrometric proper motions.

COS/NUV 11896

NUV Spectroscopic Sensitivity Monitoring

The purpose of this proposal is to monitor sensitivity of each NUV

grating mode to detect any changes due to contamination or other causes.

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.

STIS/CCD 11848

CCD Read Noise Monitor

This proposal measures the read noise of all the amplifiers (A, B, C, D)

on the STIS CCD using pairs of bias frames. Full-frame and binned

observations are made in both Gain 1 and Gain 4, with binning factors of

1x1, 1x2, 2x1, and 2x2. All exposures are internals. Pairs of visits are

scheduled monthly for the first four months and then bi-monthly after

that.

WFC3/ACS/IR/WFC 11563

Galaxies at z~7-10 in the Reionization Epoch: Luminosity Functions to

<0.2L* from Deep IR Imaging of the HUDF and HUDF05 Fields

The first generations of galaxies were assembled around redshifts

z~7-10+, just 500-800 Myr after recombination, in the heart of the

reionization of the universe. We know very little about galaxies in this

period. Despite great effort with HST and other telescopes, less than

~15 galaxies have been reliably detected so far at z>7, contrasting with

the ~1000 galaxies detected to date at z~6, just 200-400 Myr later, near

the end of the reionization epoch. WFC3 IR can dramatically change this

situation, enabling derivation of the galaxy luminosity function and its

shape at z~7-8 to well below L*, measurement of the UV luminosity

density at z~7-8 and z~8-9, and estimates of the contribution of

galaxies to reionization at these epochs, as well as characterization of

their properties (sizes, structure, colors). A quantitative leap in our

understanding of early galaxies, and the timescales of their buildup,

requires a total sample of ~100 galaxies at z~7-8 to ~29 AB mag. We can

achieve this with 192 WFC3 IR orbits on three disjoint fields

(minimizing cosmic variance): the HUDF and the two nearby deep fields of

the HUDF05. Our program uses three WFC3 IR filters, and leverages over

600 orbits of existing ACS data, to identify, with low contamination, a

large sample of over 100 objects at z~7-8, a very useful sample of ~23

at z~8-9, and limits at z~10. By careful placement of the WFC3 IR and

parallel ACS pointings, we also enhance the optical ACS imaging on the

HUDF and a HUDF05 field. We stress (1) the need to go deep, which is

paramount to define L*, the shape, and the slope alpha of the luminosity

function (LF) at these high redshifts; and (2) the far superior

performance of our strategy, compared with the use of strong lensing

clusters, in detecting significant samples of faint z~7-8 galaxies to

derive their luminosity function and UV ionizing flux. Our recent z~7.4

NICMOS results show that wide-area IR surveys, even of GOODS-like depth,

simply do not reach faint enough at z~7-9 to meet the LF and UV flux

objectives. In the spirit of the HDF and the HUDF, we will waive any

proprietary period, and will also deliver the reduced data to STScI. The

proposed data will provide a Legacy resource of great value for a wide

range of archival science investigations of galaxies at redshifts z~2-9.

The data are likely to remain the deepest IR/optical images until JWST

is launched, and will provide sources for spectroscopic followup by

JWST, ALMA and EVLA.

WFC3/IR 11929

IR Dark Current Monitor

Analyses of ground test data showed that dark current signals are more

reliably removed from science data using darks taken with the same

exposure sequences as the science data, than with a single dark current

image scaled by desired exposure time. Therefore, dark current images

must be collected using all sample sequences that will be used in

science observations. These observations will be used to monitor changes

in the dark current of the WFC3-IR channel on a day-to-day basis, and to

build calibration dark current ramps for each of the sample sequences to

be used by GOs in Cycle 17. For each sample sequence/array size

combination, a median ramp will be created and delivered to the

calibration database system (CDBS).

WFC3/UV 12045

Evolution of the 2009 Single Impact on Jupiter

The 19 July 2009 impact on Jupiter captured worldwide attention, and

sparked a highly successful WFC3 imaging program during SMOV, with the

last Hubble image acquired on 8 August. Continuing ground-based

observations have revealed significant differences between this event

and the Shoemaker-Levy 9 impacts in 1994: a single impact event offers a

chance to study the longer-term evolution of the impact debris field

without confusion due to overlapping aerosol debris clouds, and this

debris field evolved more slowly than the SL9 sites. Initial analysis of

our first data set reveals possible curved streamlines that correspond

to no known tropospheric vortex. To constrain the stratospheric velocity

field traced by the impact-generated aerosols, we request 10-hour

separated data (a temporal sampling rate which we could not obtain

during SMOV) that are crucial for tracking coherent albedo features. We

also requested (but were not granted) a single orbit of high-resolution

near-infrared images. These data would have provided the sharpest

visible and near-infrared images of the site, providing context for the

ongoing worldwide campaign of lower-resolution ground-based

observations.

WFC3/UV 11588

Galaxy-Scale Strong Lenses from the CFHTLS Survey

We aim to investigate the origin and evolution of early-type galaxies

using gravitational lensing, modeling the mass profiles of objects over

a wide range of redshifts. The low redshift (z = 0.2) sample is already

in place following the successful HST SLACS survey; we now propose to

build up and analyze a sample of comparable size (~50 systems) at high

redshift (0.4 < z < 0.9) using HST WFC3 Snapshot observations of lens

systems identified by the SL2S collaboration in the CFHT legacy survey.

WFC3/UV 11657

The Population of Compact Planetary Nebulae in the Galactic Disk

We propose to secure narrow- and broad-band images of compact planetary

nebulae (PNe) in the Galactic Disk to study the missing link of the

early phases of post-AGB evolution. Ejected AGB envelopes become PNe

when the gas is ionized. PNe expand, and, when large enough, can be

studied in detail from the ground. In the interim, only the HST

capabilities can resolve their size, morphology, and central stars. Our

proposed observations will be the basis for a systematic study of the

onset of morphology. Dust properties of the proposed targets will be

available through approved Spitzer/IRS spectra, and so will the

abundances of the alpha- elements. We will be able thus to explore the

interconnection of morphology, dust grains, stellar evolution, and

populations. The target selection is suitable to explore the nebular and

stellar properties across the galactic disk, and to set constraints on

the galactic evolutionary models through the analysis of metallicity and

population gradients.

WFC3/UV 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:

12065 - SIC&DH safed during LOS at 307/18:37:42z due to failure of SIC&DH

           Pit toggle test.

COMPLETED OPS REQUEST:

18743-1 - Recover NICMOS to SAA Operate with FPA Temp Sensor (skip steps 3-5)

              @ 307/1538z

18735-1 - Adjust NCS CPL Setpoint @ 307/1550z, 307/1714z

18744-1 - Recover SICDH @ 307/2238z

18745-0 - Execute Safemode Recovery @ 307/2242z

18749-3 - Recover SICDH to normal mode @ 308/0010z

18747-0 - Re-enable ACR to Reset S1 MEB @ 308/0012z

18746-0 - Re-enable NSSC-1 HV Protect Function @ 308/0020z

18751-0 - Recover WFC3 to Operate @ 308/0050z

18750-0 - Recover the ESMNCSCPL PCE @ 308/0127z

COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)

                       SCHEDULED      SUCCESSFUL 

FGS GSAcq               10                  10                

FGS REAcq               06                  06                                                                                               

OBAD with Maneuver 05                  05                

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS:

At 307/15:37z, Ops Request 18743 was successfully completed to transition

NICMOS from safe to SAA Operate.

At 307/19:10:17z, AOS telemetry indicates the SIC&DH safed during LOS.

Ops request 18744 to power cycle the CDH2, perform SI memory dumps and

safe all the payload elements was successfully completed at 307/22:38z.

Ops request 18749-3 to recovery CDH2 to normal was successfully

completed at 308/00:08. Ops request 18746 to re-enable NSSC-1 HV

protection was completed at 308/00:21. WFC3 was recovered to operate

without power cycling the TECs at 308/00:50 via ops request 18751.

Ops Request 18750 was successfully completed at 308/01:30 UTC,

recovering the ESM up to its Operate mode, placing the NCS CPL in its

Standby state at a reservoir setpoint of -34 degC, and re-enabling the

PCE to restore visibility into various NCC telemetry.