HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science



DAILY REPORT #4651



PERIOD COVERED: 5am July 11 - 5am July 14, 2008 (DOY193/0900z-196/0900z)



OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED



NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 8795



NICMOS Post-SAA Calibration - CR Persistence Part 6



A new procedure proposed to alleviate the CR-persistence problem of

NICMOS. Dark frames will be obtained immediately upon exiting the SAA

contour 23, and every time a NICMOS exposure is scheduled within 50

minutes of coming out of the SAA. The darks will be obtained in parallel

in all three NICMOS Cameras. The POST-SAA darks will be non-standard

reference files available to users with a USEAFTER date/time mark. The

keyword 'USEAFTER=date/time' will also be added to the header of each

POST-SAA DARK frame. The keyword must be populated with the time, in

addition to the date, because HST crosses the SAA ~8 times per day so

each POST-SAA DARK will need to have the appropriate time specified, for

users to identify the ones they need. Both the raw and processed images

will be archived as POST-SAA DARKSs. Generally we expect that all NICMOS

science/calibration observations started within 50 minutes of leaving an

SAA will need such maps to remove the CR persistence from the science i

mages. Each observation will need its own CRMAP, as different SAA

passages leave different imprints on the NICMOS detectors.



NIC3 11545



A NICMOS Survey of Newly-Discovered Young Massive Clusters



We are on the cusp of a revolution in massive star research triggered by

2MASS and Spitzer/GLIMPSE, and now is the ideal time to capitalize on

these projects by performing the first survey of massive stars in young

stellar clusters throughout the Galactic plane. A search of the 2MASS

and GLIMPSE surveys has produced over 450 newly-identified massive

stellar cluster candidates in the Galactic plane which are hidden from

our view at optical wavelengths due to extinction. Here we propose a

program of 29 orbits to image the most promising candidate clusters in

broad and narrow band filters using HST/NICMOS. We will be complementing

these observations with approved Spitzer and Chandra programs,

numerous approved and planned ground-based spectroscopic observations,

and state-of-the-art modeling. We expect to substantially increase the

numbers of massive stars known in the Galaxy, including main sequence OB

stars and post-main sequence stars in the Red Supergiant, Luminous Blue

Variable and Wolf-Rayet stages. Ultimately, this program will address

many of the fundamental topics in astrophysics: the slope to the initial

mass function (IMF), an upper-limit to the masses of stars, the

formation and evolution of the most massive stars, gamma-ray burst (GRB)

progenitors, the chemical enrichment of the interstellar medium, and

nature of the first stars in the Universe.



NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 11330



NICMOS Cycle 16 Extended Dark



This takes a series of Darks in parallel to other instruments.



S/C 11320



NICMOS Focus Monitoring Cycle 16



This program is a version of the standard focus sweep used since cycle

7. It has been modified to go deeper and uses more narrow filters for

improved focus determination. A new source was added in Cycle 14 in

order to accommodate 2-gyro mode: the open cluster NGC1850. This source

is part of the current proposal. The old target, the open cluster

NGC3603, will be used whenever available and the new target used to fill

the periods when NGC3603 is not visible. Steps: a) Use refined target

field positions as determined from cycle 7 calibrations b) Use

MULTIACCUM sequences of sufficient dynamic range to account for defocus

c) Do a 17-point focus sweep, +/- 8mm about the PAM mechanical zeropoint

for each cameras 1 and 2, in 1.0mm steps. For NIC3 we step from -0.5mm

to -9.5mm relative to mechanical zero, in steps of 1.0mm. d) Use PAM X/Y

tilt and OTA offset slew compensations refined from previous focus

monitoring/optical alignment activities



NIC2 11237



The Origin of the Break in the AGN Luminosity Function



We propose to use NICMOS imaging to measure rest-frame optical

luminosities and morphological properties of a complete sample of faint

AGN host galaxies at redshifts z ~ 1.4. The targets are drawn from the

VLT-VIMOS Deep Survey, and they constitute a sample of the lowest

luminosity type 1 AGN known at z > 1. The spectroscopically estimated

black hole masses are up to an order of magnitude higher than expected

given their nuclear luminosities, implying highly sub-Eddington

accretion rates. This exactly matches the prediction made by recent

theoretical models of AGN evolution, according to which the faint end of

the AGN luminosity function is populated mainly by big black holes that

have already exhausted a good part of their fuel. In this proposal we

want to test further predictions of that hypothesis, by focusing on the

host galaxy properties of our low-luminosity, low- accretion AGN. If the

local ratio between black hole and bulge masses holds at least

approximately at these redshifts, one expects most of these

low-luminosity AGN to reside in fairly big ellipticals with stellar

masses around and above 10^11 solar masses (in contrast to the Seyfert

phenomenon in the local universe). With NICMOS imaging we will find out

whether that is true, implying also a sensitive test for the validity of

the M_BH/M_bulge relation at z ~ 1.4.



WFPC2 11235



HST NICMOS Survey of the Nuclear Regions of Luminous Infrared Galaxies

in the Local Universe



At luminosities above 10^11.4 L_sun, the space density of far-infrared

selected galaxies exceeds that of optically selected galaxies. These

`luminous infrared galaxies' {LIRGs} are primarily interacting or

merging disk galaxies undergoing enhanced star formation and Active

Galactic Nuclei {AGN} activity, possibly triggered as the objects

transform into massive S0 and elliptical merger remnants. We propose

NICMOS NIC2 imaging of the nuclear regions of a complete sample of 88

L_IR > 10^11.4 L_sun luminous infrared galaxies in the IRAS Revised

Bright Galaxy Sample {RBGS: i.e., 60 micron flux density > 5.24 Jy}.

This sample is ideal not only in its completeness and sample size, but

also in the proximity and brightness of the galaxies. The superb

sensitivity and resolution of NICMOS NIC2 on HST enables a unique

opportunity to study the detailed structure of the nuclear regions,

where dust obscuration may mask star clusters, AGN and additional nuclei

from optical view, with a resolution significantly higher than possible

with Spitzer IRAC. This survey thus provides a crucial component to our

study of the dynamics and evolution of IR galaxies presently underway

with Wide-Field, HST ACS/WFC and Spitzer IRAC observations of these 88

galaxies. Imaging will be done with the F160W filter {H-band} to examine

as a function of both luminosity and merger stage {i} the luminosity and

distribution of embedded star clusters, {ii} the presence of optically

obscured AGN and nuclei, {iii} the correlation between the distribution

of 1.6 micron emission and the mid-IR emission as detected by Spitzer

IRAC, {iv} the evidence of bars or bridges that may funnel fuel into the

nuclear region, and {v} the ages of star clusters for which photometry

is available via ACS/WFC observations. The NICMOS data, combined with

the HST ACS, Spitzer, and GALEX observations of this sample, will result

in the most comprehensive study of merging and interacting galaxies to

date.



WFPC2 11222



Direct Detection and Mapping of Star Forming Regions in Nearby, Luminous

Quasars



We propose to carry out narrow-band emission line imaging observations

of 8 quasars at z=0.05-0.15 with the WFPC2 ramp filters and with the

NICMOS narrow-band filters. We will obtain images in the [O II], [O

III], H-beta, and Pa-alpha emission line bands to carry out a series of

diagnostic tests aimed at detecting and mapping out star-forming regions

in the quasar host galaxies. This direct detection of star-forming

regions will confirm indirect indications for star formation in quasar

host galaxies. It will provide a crucial test for models of quasar and

galaxy evolution, that predict the co-existence of starbursts and

"monsters" and will solve the puzzle of why different indicators of star

formation give contradictory results. A secondary science goal is to

assess suggested correlations between quasar luminosity and the size of

the narrow-line region.



FGS 11212



Filling the Period Gap for Massive Binaries



The current census of binaries among the massive O-type stars is

seriously incomplete for systems in the period range from years to

millennia because the radial velocity variations are too small and the

angular separations too close for easy detection. Here we propose to

discover binaries in this observational gap through a Faint Guidance

Sensor SNAP survey of relatively bright targets listed in the Galactic O

Star Catalog. Our primary goal is to determine the binary frequency

among those in the cluster/association, field, and runaway groups. The

results will help us assess the role of binaries in massive star

formation and in the processes that lead to the ejection of massive

stars from their natal clusters. The program will also lead to the

identification of new, close binaries that will be targets of long term

spectroscopic and high angular resolution observations to determine

their masses and distances. The results will also be important for the

interpretation of the spectra of suspected and newly identified binary

and multiple systems.



FGS 11211



An Astrometric Calibration of Population II Distance Indicators



In 2002 HST produced a highly precise parallax for RR Lyrae. That

measurement resulted in an absolute magnitude, M{V}= 0.61+/-0.11, a

useful result, judged by the over ten refereed citations each year

since. It is, however, unsatisfactory to have the direct,

parallax-based, distance scale of Population II variables based on a

single star. We propose, therefore, to obtain the parallaxes of four

additional RR Lyrae stars and two Population II Cepheids, or W Vir

stars. The Population II Cepheids lie with the RR Lyrae stars on a

common K-band Period- Luminosity relation. Using these parallaxes to

inform that relationship, we anticipate a zero- point error of 0.04

magnitude. This result should greatly strengthen confidence in the

Population II distance scale and increase our understanding of RR Lyrae

star and Pop II Cepheid astrophysics.



FGS 11210



The Architecture of Exoplanetary Systems



Are all planetary systems coplanar? Concordance cosmogony makes that

prediction. It is, however, a prediction of extrasolar planetary system

architecture as yet untested by direct observation for main sequence

stars other than the Sun. To provide such a test, we propose to carry

out FGS astrometric studies on four stars hosting seven companions. Our

understanding of the planet formation process will grow as we match not

only system architecture, but formed planet mass and true distance from

the primary with host star characteristics for a wide variety of host

stars and exoplanet masses. We propose that a series of FGS astrometric

observations with demonstrated 1 millisecond of arc per-observation

precision can establish the degree of coplanarity and component true

masses for four extrasolar systems: HD 202206 {brown dwarf+planet}; HD

128311 {planet+planet}, HD 160691 = mu Arae {planet+planet}, and HD

222404AB = gamma Cephei {planet+star}. In each case the companion is

identified as such by assuming that the minimum mass is the actual mass.

For the last target, a known stellar binary system, the companion orbit

is stable only if coplanar with the AB binary orbit.



WEPC2 11196



An Ultraviolet Survey of Luminous Infrared Galaxies in the Local

Universe



At luminosities above 10^11.4 L_sun, the space density of far-infrared

selected galaxies exceeds that of optically selected galaxies. These

Luminous Infrared Galaxies {LIRGs} are primarily interacting or merging

disk galaxies undergoing starbursts and creating/fueling central AGN. We

propose far {ACS/SBC/F140LP} and near {WFPC2/PC/F218W} UV imaging of a

sample of 27 galaxies drawn from the complete IRAS Revised Bright Galaxy

Sample {RBGS} LIRGs sample and known, from our Cycle 14 B and I-band ACS

imaging observations, to have significant numbers of bright {23 < B < 21

mag} star clusters in the central 30 arcsec. The HST UV data will be

combined with previously obtained HST, Spitzer, and GALEX images to {i}

calculate the ages of the clusters as function of merger stage, {ii}

measure the amount of UV light in massive star clusters relative to

diffuse regions of star formation, {iii} assess the feasibility of using

the UV slope to predict the far-IR luminosity {and thus the star

formation rate} both among and within IR-luminous galaxies, and {iv}

provide a much needed catalog of rest- frame UV morphologies for

comparison with rest-frame UV images of high-z LIRGs and Lyman Break

Galaxies. These observations will achieve the resolution required to

perform both detailed photometry of compact structures and spatial

correlations between UV and redder wavelengths for a physical

interpretation our IRX-Beta results. The HST UV data, combined with the

HST ACS, Spitzer, Chandra, and GALEX observations of this sample, will

result in the most comprehensive study of luminous starburst galaxies to

date.



WFPC2 11167



A Unique High Resolution Window to Two Strongly Lensed Lyman Break

Galaxies



On rare occasions, the otherwise very faint Lyman Break Galaxies {LBGs}

are magnified by gravitational lensing to provide exceptional targets

for detailed spectroscopic and imaging studies. We propose HST WFPC2 and

NICMOS imaging of two strongly lensed Lyman Break Galaxies {LBGs} that

were recently discovered by members of our team. These two LBGs -- the

"8 O'Clock Arc" and the "SDSS J1206+5142 Arc" -- are currently the

brightest known LBGs, roughly 3 times brighter than the former

record-holder, MS1512-cB58 {a.k.a. "cB58"}. The z=2.73 "8 O'Clock Arc"

extends ~10 arcsec in length and is magnified by a factor of 12. The

z=2.00 "SDSS J1206+5142 Arc" also extends ~10 arcsec in length and is

magnified by a factor of 30. Due to their brightness and magnification,

these two strongly lensed LBGs offer an unprecedented opportunity for

the very detailed investigation of two individual galaxies at high

redshift. We are currently pursuing a vigorous ground-based campaign to

obtain multi- wavelength {UV, optical, NIR, radio} observations of these

two LBGs, but our campaign currently lacks a means of obtaining

high-resolution optical/NIR imaging -- a lack that currently only HST

can address. Our prime objective for this proposal is to obtain high

resolution HST images of these two systems with two-orbit WFPC2 images

in the BVI bands and two-orbit NICMOS/NIC2 images in the J and H bands.

These data will allow us to construct detailed lensing models, probe the

mass and light profiles of the lenses and their environments, and

constrain the star formation histories and rest-frame UV/optical

spectral energy distributions of the LBGs.



NIC1/NIC2 11155



Dust Grain Evolution in Herbig Ae Stars: NICMOS Coronagraphic Imaging

and Polarimetry



We propose to take advantage of the sensitive coronagraphic capabilities

of NICMOS to obtain multiwavelength coronagraphic imaging and

polarimetry of primordial dust disks around young intermediate-mass

stars {Herbig Ae stars}, in order to advance our understanding of how

dust grains are assembled into larger bodies. Because the polarization

of scattered light is strongly dependent on scattering particle size and

composition, coronagraphic imaging polarimetry with NICMOS provides a

uniquely powerful tool for measuring grain properties in spatially

resolved circumstellar disks. It is widely believed that planets form

via the gradual accretion of planetesimals in gas-rich, dusty

circumstellar disks, but the connection between this suspected process

and the circumstellar disks that we can now observe around other stars

remains very uncertain. Our proposed observations, together with

powerful 3-D radiative transfer codes, will enable us to quantitatively

determine dust grain properties as a function of location within disks,

and thus to test whether dust grains around young stars are in fact

growing in size during the putative planet-formation epoch. HST imaging

polarimetry of Herbig Ae stars will complement and extend existing

polarimetric studies of disks around lower-mass T Tauri stars and debris

disks around older main-sequence stars. When combined with these

previous studies, the proposed research will help us establish the

influence of stellar mass on the growth of dust grains into larger

planetesimals, and ultimately to planets. Our results will also let us

calibrate models of the thermal emission from these disks, a critical

need for validating the properties of more distant disks inferred on the

basis of spectral information alone.



ACS/SBC 11151



Evaluating the Role of Photoevaporation of Protoplanetary Disk Dispersal



Emission produced by accretion onto the central star leads to

photoevaporation, which may play a fundamental role in disk dispersal.

Models of disk photoevaporation by the central star are challenged by

two potential problems: the emission produced by accretion will be

substantially weaker for low-mass stars, and photoevaporation must

continue as accretion slows. Existing FUV spectra of CTTSs are biased to

solar-mass stars with high accretion rates, and are therefore

insufficient to address these problems. We propose use HST/ACS SBC

PR130L to obtain FUV spectra of WTTSs and of CTTSs at low masses and

mass accretion rates to provide crucial data to evaluate

photoevaporation models. We will estimate the FUV and EUV luminosities

of low-mass CTTSs with small mass accretion rates, CTTSs with transition

disks and slowed accretion, and of magnetically-active WTTSs.



WFPC2/NIC3/ACS/SBC 11144



Building on the Significant NICMOS Investment in GOODS: A Bright,

Wide-Area Search for z>=7 Galaxies



One of the most exciting frontiers in observational cosmology has been

to trace the buildup and evolution of galaxies from very early times.

While hierarchical theory teaches us that the star formation rate in

galaxies likely starts out small and builds up gradually, only recently

has it been possible to see evidence for this observationally through

the evolution of the LF from z~6 to z~3. Establishing that this build up

occurs from even earlier times {z~7-8} has been difficult, however, due

to the small size of current high-redshift z~7-8 samples -- now

numbering in the range of ~4-10 sources. Expanding the size of these

samples is absolutely essential, if we are to push current studies of

galaxy buildup back to even earlier times. Fortunately, we should soon

be able to do so, thanks to ~50 arcmin**2 of deep {26.9 AB mag at 5

sigma} NICMOS 1.6 micron data that will be available over the two ACS

GOODS fields as a result of one recent 180-orbit ACS backup program and

a smaller program. These data will nearly triple the deep near-IR

imaging currently available and represent a significant resource for

finding and characterizing the brightest high-redshift sources -- since

high-redshift candidates can be easily identified in these data from

their red z-H colours. Unfortunately, the red z-H colours of these

candidates are not sufficient to determine that these sources are at

z>=7, and it is important also to have deep photometry at 1.1 microns.

To obtain this crucial information, we propose to follow up each of

these z-H dropouts with NICMOS at 1.1 microns to determine which are at

high redshift and thus significantly expand our sample of luminous, z>=7

galaxies. Since preliminary studies indicate that these candidates occur

in only 30% of the NIC3 fields, our follow-up strategy is ~3 times as

efficient as without this preselection and 9 times as efficient as a

search in a field with no pre-existing data. In total, we expect to

identify ~8 luminous z-dropouts and possibly ~2 z~10 J-dropouts as a

result of this program, more than tripling the number currently known.

The increased sample sizes are important if we are to solidify current

conclusions about galaxy buildup and the evolution of the LF from z~8.

In addition to the high redshift science, these deep 1.1 micron data

would have significant value for many diverse endeavors, including {1}

improving our constraints on the stellar mass density at z~7-10 and {2}

doubling the number of galaxies at z~6 for which we can estimate dust

obscuration.



NIC2/WFPC2 11142



Revealing the Physical Nature of Infrared Luminous Galaxies at 0.3<z<2.7

Using HST and Spitzer



We aim to determine physical properties of IR luminous galaxies at

0.3<z<2.7 by requesting coordinated HST/NIC2 and MIPS 70um observations

of a unique, 24um flux-limited sample with complete Spitzer mid-IR

spectroscopy. The 150 sources investigated in this program have S{24um}

> 0.8mJy and their mid-IR spectra have already provided the majority

targets with spectroscopic redshifts {0.3<z<2.7}. The proposed

150~orbits of NIC2 and 66~hours of MIPS 70um will provide the physical

measurements of the light distribution at the rest-frame ~8000A and

better estimates of the bolometric luminosity. Combining these

parameters together with the rich suite of spectral diagnostics from the

mid-IR spectra, we will {1} measure how common mergers are among LIRGs

and ULIRGs at 0.3<z<2.7, and establish if major mergers are the drivers

of z>1 ULIRGs, as in the local Universe. {2} study the co-evolution of

star formation and blackhole accretion by investigating the relations

between the fraction of starburst/AGN measured from mid-IR spectra vs.

HST morphologies, L{bol} and z. {3} obtain the current best estimates of

the far-IR emission, thus L{bol} for this sample, and establish if the

relative contribution of mid-to-far IR dust emission is correlated with

morphology {resolved vs. unresolved}.



WFPC2 11129



The Star Formation History of the Fornax Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy



The Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy is one of the most luminous dwarf

satellites of the Milky Way. It is unusual in many ways: it hosts 5

globular clusters, shows some relatively young stars, and has faint

sub-structures which have been interpreted as signs of recent

interactions. It is thus of great interest to learn the complete star

formation history {SFH} of Fornax to establish a link between its

evolutionary path and the predictions from numerical simulations, as a

test of our understanding of dwarf galaxy evolution. Yet many questions

remain open. Is the old stellar population made up of stars formed in a

very early burst, perhaps before the epoch of re- ionization, or the

result of a more continuous star formation between 13 and 9 Gyr ago ?

How quickly did Fornax increase its metallicity during its initial

assembly and during subsequent episodes of star formation ? Are

accretion episodes required to explain the age-metallicity history of

Fornax ? However, there has never been a comprehensive study of the

global SFH of the Fornax field based on data of sufficient depth to

unambiguously measure the age mixture of the stellar populations and

their spatial variation. We propose to use the WFPC2 to obtain very deep

images in several fields across the central region of Fornax in order to

reach the oldest main-sequence turnoffs. The number of fields is

determined by the need to measure the SFH over different regions with

distinct kinematics and metallicity. The resolution achievable with HST

is crucial to answer these questions because, to derive the age

distribution of the oldest stars, we are interested in I magnitude

differences of the order 0.2 mag in crowded fields at V=24.5. We will

directly measure the time variation in star-formation rate over the

entire galaxy history, from first stars coeval with the Milky Way halo

to the youngest populations 200 Myr ago. The combination of detailed CMD

analysis with WFPC2 with our existing metallicity and kinematic

information will allow us to trace out the early phases of its

evolution.



WFPC2 11039



Polarizers Closeout



Observations of standard stars and a highly polarized reflection nebula

are made as a final calibration for the WFPC2 polarizers. VISFLATS are

also obtained.



FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:



Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary reports

of potential non-nominal performance that will be investigated.)



HSTARS:

11386 - GSACQ(2,0,2) failed

GSACQ(2,0,2) at 194/13:34:20 failed to RGA control with QF2STOPF and

QSTOP flags set at 13:39:26. No other flags were seen. Three 486 ESB

"1805" messages (T2G_MOVING_TARGET_DETECTED) were received at that time,

with two more received at 13:41:06 and 13:41:18.



Observations affected: Astrometry, Proposal 11210.







COMPLETED OPS REQUEST:

18250-0 - Off-Line +BB SPA Trim Relay @ 193/1406z





COMPLETED OPS NOTES: None



SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL

FGS GSacq 23 22

FGS REacq 16 16

OBAD with Maneuver 78 78



SIGNIFICANT EVENTS:



Battery 3 SPA Off-lined Flash Report:



The +BB SPA Trim relay (Battery 3) was off-lined to counteract the

post-beta-peak warming of the Bay 2 battery module. Commanding to

off-line the SPA was performed at 193/1405 GMT via Ops Request 18250. In

the orbit immediately following the uplink Battery 3�s peak temperature

was below 5.0 degrees C. The same action was taken following the beta

peak in May.