HUBBLE
SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to Collect World Class Science
DAILY
REPORT #5074
PERIOD
COVERED: 5am April 13 - 5am April 14, 2010 (DOY 103/09:00z-104/09:00z)
OBSERVATIONS
SCHEDULED
ACS/WFC3
11882
CCD
Hot Pixel Annealing
This
program continues the monthly anneal that has taken place every
four
weeks for the last three cycles. We now obtain WFC biases and darks
before
and after the anneal in the same sequence as is done for the ACS
daily
monitor (now done 4 times per week). So the anneal observation
supplements
the monitor observation sets during the appropriate week.
Extended
Pixel Edge Response (EPER) and First Pixel Response (FPR) data
will
be obtained over a range of signal levels for the Wide Field
Channel
(WFC). This program emulates the ACS pre-flight ground
calibration
and post-launch SMOV testing (program 8948), so that results
from
each epoch can be directly compared. The High Resolution Channel
(HRC)
visits have been removed since it could not be repaired during
SM4.
This
program also assesses the read noise, bias structure, and amplifier
cross-talk
of ACS/WFC using the GAIN=1.4 A/D conversion setting. This
investigation
serves as a precursor to a more comprehensive study of WFC
performance
using GAIN=1.4.
COS/NUV/FUV/WFC3/UVIS/IR
11520
COS-GTO:
QSO Absorbers, Galaxies and Large-Scale Structures in the Local
Universe
This
is a program to probe the large scale structure of baryons in the
universe,
including addressing questions of baryon fraction, physical
conditions
and relationships between absorbers and large-scale
structures
of galaxies. Besides these specific goals, this proposed GTO
program
also probes a large enough total path length in Ly alpha and OVI
to
add significantly to what STIS/FUSE has already observed. Several
Galactic
High Velocity Cloud Complexes also are probed by these
sightlines,
particularly the M Complex. The total path length of this
proposed
program for Ly alpha large-scale structure surveys is
delta_z~5.5.
We
have selected a variety of targets to address these questions, under
the
following subcategories:
1.
Target 8 bright BL Lac objects to search for low contrast Ly alpha
absorbers
from the warm- hot interstellar medium (WHIM).
2.
Ly alpha cloud sizes: The targets are a bright AGN pair which yield
tangential
distance separations of 100--500 kpc at z=0.01--0.05, where
galaxy
surveys are excellent. This pair has two filaments and two voids
in
this distance range.
3.
Probes of starburst outflows: The targets are bright AGN, <= 100 kpc
in
projection out of the minor axis of nearby starburst galaxies.
4.
A large galaxy's gaseous halo: Three probes of the kinematics and
metallicity
of a single L* galaxy halo. These observations includes
G130M,
G160M exposures at SNR~20 and G285M at 2850A and SNR~10 for MgII.
The
2L* galaxy, ESO 157-G049 (cz=1678 km/s), being probed by these
sightlines
has an available H I 21cm map from ATCA, H alpha imaging from
CTIO
and long- slit spectra from MSSSO.
5.
Dwarf galaxy winds: These targets probe the kinematics and
metallicities
of outflows from active and inactive (in terms of star
formation)
dwarfs.
FGS
11792
Extrasolar
Planet XO-2b
We
propose observations of the newly discovered extrasolar planet XO-2b
and
its twin star XO-2. When combined with the transit light curve, the
FGS-derived
parallax will constrain the stellar mass of the host star
XO-2.
From the high signal-to-noise near-IR time series resulting from
NICMOS
grism spectroscopy, we will refine the system parameters, in
particular
radii of the star and planet. From the same data, we will
search
for evidence of water vapor in the atmosphere via transmission
spectroscopy.
Differential observations with NICMOS in the spectroscopic
mode
will be used to search for the small spectral changes that occur
during
planetary transits resulting from absorption of stellar light as
it
passes through the planetary atmosphere. Water is an important
constituent,
the detection of which would provide information on Oxygen,
and
it has a convenient strong band well-positioned for NICMOS.
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/CC
11845
CCD
Dark Monitor Part 2
Monitor
the darks for the STIS CCD.
STIS/CC
11847
CCD
Bias Monitor-Part 2
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/ACS/UVIS
11603
A
Comprehensive Study of Dust Formation in Type II Supernovae with HST,
Spitzer,
and Gemini
The
recent discovery of three extremely bright Type II SNe, (2007it,
2007oc,
2007od) gives us a unique opportunity to combine observations
with
HST, Spitzer, and Gemini to study the little understood dust
formation
process in Type II Sne. Priority 1 Spitzer Cycle 5 and band 1
Gemini
2008A time has already been approved for this project. Since
late-time
Type II Sne are faint and tend to be in crowded fields, we
need
the high sensitivity and high spatial resolution of ACS and
NICMOS/NIC2
for these observations. This project is motivated by the
recent
detection of large amounts of dust in high redshift galaxies. The
dust
in these high-z galaxies must come from young, massive stars so
Type
II Sne could be potential sources. The mechanism and the efficiency
of
dust condensation in Type II SN ejecta are not well understood,
largely
due to the lack of observational data. We plan to produce a
unique
dataset, combining spectroscopy and imaging in the visible, near-
and
mid-IR covering the key phase, 400-700 days after maximum when dust
is
known to form in the SN ejecta. Therefore, we are proposing for
coordinated
HST/NOAO observations (HST ACS, NICMOS/NIC2 & Gemini/GMOS
and
TReCS) which will be combined with our Spitzer Cycle 5 data to study
these
new bright Sne. The results of this program will place strong
constraints
on the formation of dust seen in young high redshift (z>5)
galaxies.
WFC3/IR
11666
Chilly
Pairs: A Search for the Latest-type Brown Dwarf Binaries and the
Prototype
Y Dwarf
We
propose to use HST/NICMOS to image a sample of 27 of the nearest (<
20
pc) and lowest luminosity T-type brown dwarfs in order to identify
and
characterize new very low mass binary systems. Only 3 late-type T
dwarf
binaries have been found to date, despite that fact that these
systems
are critical benchmarks for evolutionary and atmospheric models
at
the lowest masses. They are also the most likely systems to harbor Y
dwarf
companions, an as yet unpopulated putative class of very cold (T <
600
K) brown dwarfs. Our proposed program will more than double the
number
of T5-T9 dwarfs imaged at high resolution, with an anticipated
yield
of ~5 new binaries with initial characterization of component
spectral
types. We will be able to probe separations sufficient to
identify
systems suitable for astrometric orbit and dynamical mass
measurements.
We also expect one of our discoveries to contain the first
Y-type
brown dwarf. Our proposed program complements and augments
ongoing
ground-based adaptive optics surveys and provides pathway
science
for JWST.
WFC3/IR/S/C
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/UVIS
11595
Turning
Out the Light: A WFC3 Program to Image z>2 Damped Lyman Alpha
Systems
We
propose to directly image the star-forming regions of z>2 damped Lya
systems
(DLAs) using the WFC3/UVIS camera on the Hubble Space Telescope.
In
contrast to all previous attempts to detect the galaxies giving rise
to
high redshift DLAs, we will use a novel technique that completely
removes
the glare of the background quasar. Specifically, we will target
quasar
sightlines with multiple DLAs and use the higher redshift DLA as
a
``blocking filter'' (via Lyman limit absorption) to eliminate all FUV
emission
from the quasar. This will allow us to carry out a deep search
for
FUV emission from the lower redshift DLA, shortward of the Lyman
limit
of the higher redshift absorber. The unique filter set and high
spatial
resolution afforded by WFC3/UVIS will then enable us to directly
image
the lower redshift DLA and thus estimate its size, star- formation
rate
and impact parameter from the QSO sightline. We propose to observe
a
sample of 20 sightlines, selected primarily from the SDSS database,
requiring
a total of 40 HST orbits. The observations will allow us to
determine
the first FUV luminosity function of high redshift DLA
galaxies
and to correlate the DLA galaxy properties with the ISM
characteristics
inferred from standard absorption-line analysis to
significantly
improve our understanding of the general DLA population.
WFC3/UVIS
11714
Snapshot
Survey for Planetary Nebulae in Local Group Globular Clusters
Planetary
nebulae (PNe) in globular clusters (GCs) raise a number of
interesting
issues related to stellar and galactic evolution. The number
of
PNe known in Milky Way GCs, four, is surprisingly low if one assumes
that
all stars pass through a PN stage. However, it is likely that the
remnants
of stars now evolving in galactic GCs leave the AGB so slowly
that
any ejected nebula dissipates long before the star becomes hot
enough
to ionize it. Thus there should not be ANY PNe in Milky Way
GCs--but
there are four! It has been suggested that these Pne are the
result
of mergers of binary stars within GCs, i.e., that they are
descendants
of blue stragglers. The frequency of occurrence of PNe in
external
galaxies poses more questions, because it shows a range of
almost
an order of magnitude.
I
propose a SNAPshot survey aimed at discovering PNe in the GC systems
of
Local Group galaxies outside the Milky Way. These clusters, some of
which
may be much younger than their counterparts in our galaxy, might
contain
many more PNe than those of our own galaxy. I will use the
standard
technique of emission-line and continuum imaging, which easily
discloses
PNe. This proposal continues a WFPC2 program started in Cycle
16,
but with the more powerful WFC3. As a by-product, the survey will
also
produce color-magnitude diagrams for numerous clusters for the
first
time, reaching down to the horizontal branch.
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).
WFC3/UVIS
11908
Cycle
17: UVIS Bowtie Monitor
Ground
testing revealed an intermittent hysteresis type effect in the
UVIS
detector (both CCDs) at the level of ~1%, lasting hours to days.
Initially
found via an unexpected bowtie-shaped feature in flatfield
ratios,
subsequent lab tests on similar e2v devices have since shown
that
it is also present as simply an overall offset across the entire
CCD,
i.e., a QE offset without any discernable pattern. These lab tests
have
further revealed that overexposing the detector to count levels
several
times full well fills the traps and effectively neutralizes the
bowtie.
Each visit in this proposal acquires a set of three 3x3 binned
internal
flatfields: the first unsaturated image will be used to detect
any
bowtie, the second, highly exposed image will neutralize the bowtie
if
it is present, and the final image will allow for verification that
the
bowtie is gone.
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 6
6
FGS
REAcq
8
8
OBAD
with Maneuver 4
4
SIGNIFICANT
EVENTS: (None)