HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to Collect World Class Science

DAILY REPORT      #4967

PERIOD COVERED: 5am November 5 - 5am November 6, 2009 (DOY 309/10:00z-310/10:00z)

OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED

COS/NUV/FUV/WFC3/UV/IR 11528

COS-GTO: Studies of the HeII Reionization Epoch

Intergalactic Ly-alpha opacity suggests that H I was reionized at z ~ 6,

while He II reionization was delayed to z ~ 3. Both epochs are slightly

in disagreement with recent (WMAP-3) inferences from the CMB optical

depth, which suggest that IGM reionization occurred at z = 10.7 (+2.7,

-2.3) (Spergel et al. 2007). However, these two methods are sensitive to

different ranges of ionization (neutral fractions), which allows a

partially ionized IGM between z = 6-10 produced by early stars and black

holes. One of the major contributions of FUSE to cosmological studies

was the detection of He II Ly-alpha (Gunn-Peterson) absorption in the

spectra of two AGN at redshifts z = 2.72-2.89. The He II absorption is

quite patchy between redshifts z = 2.6 and 3.2 probably because the IGM

is clumpy and the reionization process is affected by source

fluctuations, spectra, and radiative transfer through the IGM.

Observations of the He II absorption can therefore be used as

diagnostics of the ionizing sources and radiative transport over large

(30-50 Mpc) distances through the IGM. The ionizing radiation field

appears to be softer (higher He II/H I) in the galaxy voids. These void

regions may be ionized by local soft sources (dwarf starburst galaxies),

or the QSO radiation may softened by escape from AGN cores and transport

through denser regions in the cosmic web.With COS, we will observe the

brightest He II target, HE2347-4342, a QSO with z_em = 2.885. Our goal

is to obtain a G130M moderate-resolution (R = 20, 000) spectrum from

1145-1450A. Because COS has far greater throughput than either STIS or

FUSE, we will be able to resolve and characterize the He II absorption

lines. The region shortward of the redshifted He II (Ly-alpha)

corresponds to z = 2.77-2.92, where He II exhibits patchy transmission

and absorption. The ratio of He II/H I (Ly-alpha line) opacities will

provide information on the ionizing radiation field (and ionizing

sources) at 1 and 4 ryd. We will perform similar He II studies on three

other targets, HS1700+6416, PKS1935-692, and Q0302-003.

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.

WFC3/IR 11202

The Structure of Early-type Galaxies: 0.1-100 Effective Radii

The structure, formation and evolution of early-type galaxies is still

largely an open problem in cosmology: how does the Universe evolve from

large linear scales dominated by dark matter to the highly non-linear

scales of galaxies, where baryons and dark matter both play important,

interacting, roles? To understand the complex physical processes

involved in their formation scenario, and why they have the tight

scaling relations that we observe today (e.g. the Fundamental Plane), it

is critically important not only to understand their stellar structure,

but also their dark-matter distribution from the smallest to the largest

scales. Over the last three years the SLACS collaboration has developed

a toolbox to tackle these issues in a unique and encompassing way by

combining new non-parametric strong lensing techniques, stellar

dynamics, and most recently weak gravitational lensing, with

high-quality Hubble Space Telescope imaging and VLT/Keck spectroscopic

data of early-type lens systems. This allows us to break degeneracies

that are inherent to each of these techniques separately and probe the

mass structure of early-type galaxies from 0.1 to 100 effective radii.

The large dynamic range to which lensing is sensitive allows us both to

probe the clumpy substructure of these galaxies, as well as their

low-density outer haloes. These methods have convincingly been

demonstrated, by our team, using smaller pilot-samples of SLACS lens

systems with HST data. In this proposal, we request observing time with

WFC3 and NICMOS to observe 53 strong lens systems from SLACS, to obtain

complete multi-color imaging for each system. This would bring the total

number of SLACS lens systems to 87 with completed HST imaging and

effectively doubles the known number of galaxy-scale strong lenses. The

deep HST images enable us to fully exploit our new techniques, beat down

low-number statistics, and probe the structure and evolution of early-

type galaxies, not only with a uniform data-set an order of magnitude

larger than what is available now, but also with a fully-coherent and

self-consistent methodological approach!

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:

FOR DAY 302

12067 - GSAcq(1,2,1) at 302/22:12:17 lost lock shortly after achieving

           FL-DV on FGS2.

COMPLETED OPS REQUEST: (None)

COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)

                      SCHEDULED      SUCCESSFUL

FGS GSAcq               6                   6                

FGS REAcq               7                   7                                                                                               

OBAD with Maneuver 8                   8                

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)