HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE<br /><br /><br />DAILY REPORT # 3279<br /><br /><br />PERIOD COVERED: DOY 13<br /><br /><br />OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED<br /><br /><br />NICMOS 8790<br /><br /><br />NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 1.<br /><br /><br />A new procedure proposed to alleviate the CR-persistence problem of NICMOS. Dark<br />frames will be obtained immediately upon exiting the SAA contour 23, and every<br />time a NICMOS exposure is scheduled within 50 minutes of coming out of the SAA.<br />The darks will be obtained in parallel in all three NICMOS Cameras. The POST-SAA<br />darks will be non-standard reference files available to users with a USEAFTER<br />date/time mark.<br /><br /><br />STIS/CCD 9066<br /><br /><br />Closing in on the Hydrogen Reionization Edge of the Universe.<br /><br /><br />The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph [CCD] was used in parallel constrain<br />the Hydrogen reionization edge in emission that marks the transition from a<br />neutral to a fully ionized IGM at a predicted redshifts.<br /><br /><br />ACS 9352<br /><br /><br />The Deceleration Test from Treasury Type Ia Supernovae at Redshifts 1.2 to 1.6<br /><br /><br />extraordinary result that needs a rigorous test. The case for cosmic<br />acceleration rests on the observation that SNe Ia at z ~ 0.5 are ~ 0.25 mag<br />fainter than they would be in a universe without acceleration. A powerful and<br />straightforward way to assess the reliability of the SN Ia measurement and the<br />conceptual framework of its interpretation is to look for cosmic deceleration at<br />z >= 1. This would be a clear signature of a mixed dark-matter and dark-energy<br />universe. Systematic errors in the SN Ia result attributed to grey dust or<br />cosmic evolution of the SN Ia peak luminosity would not show this change of<br />sign. We have demonstrated proof of this concept with a single SN Ia, SN 1997ff<br />at z = 1.7, found and followed by HST. The results suggest an early epoch of<br />deceleration, but this is too important a conclusion to rest on just one object.<br />Here we propose to use HST for observations of six SNe Ia in the range 1.2 <= z<br /><= 1.6, that will be discovered as a byproduct from proposed Treasury programs<br />for high-latitude ACS surveys. Six objects will provide a much firmer foundation<br />for a conclusion that touches on important questions of fundamental physics.<br /><br /><br />ACS 9426<br /><br /><br />Jupiter's Ring Plane Crossing of 2002-2003<br /><br /><br />Jupiter's ring system consists of three components: the main band, the<br />vertically-extended inner halo and the exterior gossamer rings. Each component<br />illustrates aspects of dust dynamics within Jupiter's inclined magnetic field<br />and its strong plasma environment. We will image all three components with ACS<br />during an unusual, extended period of edge-on viewing, December 2002 through<br />February 2003. For faint planetary rings, this geometry improves the<br />signal-to-noise ratio considerably and permits an unambiguous decoupling of<br />radial and vertical structure. Although the Jovian rings have been examined by<br />four spacecraft and from the ground, we are still lacking in a systematic set of<br />data that can distinguish between the ring's prominent dust population and its<br />embedded macroscopic source bodies. We also do not know the size distribution of<br />dust with sufficient accuracy to test rival theories of ring origin.<br />Observations of the system at a range of wavelengths and phase angles with ACS<br />will finally make this determination possible. Coordinated observations at the<br />W. M. Keck Telescope will extend our wavelength coverage well into the IR.<br /><br /><br />ACS/WFC 9433<br /><br /><br />The Size Distribution of Kuiper Belt Bodies<br /><br /><br />The Kuiper Belt is a population of remnant planetesimals from the formation of<br />the Solar System. Since the planetesimals in extrasolar systems are too faint to<br />see with present or planned telescopes, the Kuiper Belt is our best chance to<br />test models of accretional/collisional evolution against observations. Current<br />ground-based observations of Kuiper Belt Objects {KBOs} are consistent with a<br />pure power law size distribution N{D}propto D^-q, q~4.3. Current accretion<br />models predict a break to a shallower slope q=3.5 for objects of diameter D<~100<br />km. We will conduct a survey of 6 ACS/WFC fields to detect KBOs with R<28.5, and<br />diameters as small as D~10 km. The number of KBOs at these small sizes,<br />unmeasurable from the ground, will test the existence of the predicted break<br />with 95% confidence---we expect between 12 and 50 detections. A census of small<br />KBOs is also important in confirming the idea that short-period comets are<br />errant KBOs. With HST and ground- based followup, we can determine orbital<br />parameters for the detected KBOs, and search for dynamical populations which may<br />be deficient in D>100 km KBOs and hence not yet detected. In particular, we will<br />determine whether the current absence of objects with perihelia beyond 50 AU is<br />due to a truncation of the protoplanetary disk at some point in Solar System<br />history, or just a failure to accrete D>150 km objects.<br /><br /><br />ACS 9478<br /><br /><br />The Duty Cycle of Star Formation : Far-UV imaging of the Hubble Deep Field<br /><br /><br />We propose deep far-UV imaging of the Hubble Deep Field {HDF} with the ACS-SBC .<br />Previously, we surveyed 1/5 of the HDF in the UV and now propose to complete the<br />area. Near- and far-UV number counts suggest that there is a large population of<br />UV- bright starbursts at moderate redshifts {z<0.6}, and our proposed<br />observations will investigate their nature. We will measure the star formation<br />properties of these galaxies and their morphologies in the UV, optical, and<br />near-IR. This catalog of starbursts will also be important to the astronomical<br />community after Cycle 11 in interpreting planned SIRTF observations of the<br />field. We will also set strict limits on the flux escaping in intermediate<br />redshift {1<z<2} galaxies at wavelengths below the rest-frame 912 Angstrom Lyman<br />limit, and thus infer the contribution of star forming galaxies at z~ 5 to the<br />metagalactic ionizing radiation. Finally, we will measure the diffuse far-UV<br />background at 1600 Angstrom. The HDF is the best field in the sky for the<br />background measurements, given the legacy of ultra-deep observations at other<br />wavelengths. In the spirit of the Hubble Deep Fields, we waive proprietary<br />rights to these data.<br /><br /><br />ACS/WFPC2 9481<br /><br /><br />Pure Parallel Near-UV Observations with WFPC2 within High-Latitude ACS Survey<br />Fields<br /><br /><br />In anticipation of the allocation of ACS high-latitude imaging survey{s}, we<br />request a modification of the default pure parallel program for those WFPC2<br />parallels that fall within the ACS survey field. Rather than duplicate the red<br />bands which will be done much better with ACS, we propose to observe in the<br />near-ultraviolet F300W filter. These data will enable study of the rest-frame<br />ultraviolet morphology of galaxies at 0<z<1. We will determine the morphological<br />k-correction, and the location of star formation within galaxies, using a sample<br />that is likely to be nearly complete with multi-wavelength photometry and<br />spectroscopic redshifts. The results can be used to interpret observations of<br />higher redshift galaxies by ACS.<br /><br /><br />NICMOS 9484<br /><br /><br />The NICMOS Parallel Observing Program<br /><br /><br />We propose to manage the default set of pure parallels with NICMOS. Our<br />experience with both our GO NICMOS parallel program and the public parallel<br />NICMOS programs in cycle 7 prepared us to make optimal use of the parallel<br />opportunities. The NICMOS G141 grism remains the most powerful survey tool for<br />HAlpha emission-line galaxies at cosmologically interesting redshifts. It is<br />particularly well suited to addressing two key uncertainties regarding the<br />global history of star formation: the peak rate of star formation in the<br />relatively unexplored but critical 1<= z <= 2 epoch, and the amount of star<br />formation missing from UV continuum-based estimates due to high extinction. Our<br />proposed deep G141 exposures will increase the sample of known HAlpha emission-<br />line objects at z ~ 1.3 by roughly an order of magnitude. We will also obtain a<br />mix of F110W and F160W images along random sight-lines to examine the space<br />density and morphologies of the reddest galaxies. The nature of the extremely<br />red galaxies remains unclear and our program of imaging and grism spectroscopy<br />provides unique information regarding both the incidence of obscured star bursts and<br />the build up of stellar mass at intermediate redshifts. In addition to carrying out the parallel program<br />we will populate a public database with calibrated spectra and images, and<br />provide limited ground- based optical and near-IR data for the deepest parallel<br />fields.<br /><br /><br />WFPC2 9592<br /><br /><br />WFPC2 CYCLE 11 Standard Darks<br /><br /><br />This dark calibration program obtains dark frames every week in order to provide<br />data for the ongoing calibration of the CCD dark current rate, and to monitor<br />and characterize the evolution of hot pixels. Over an extended period these data<br />will also provide a monitor of radiation damage to the CCDs.<br /><br /><br />WFPC2 9594<br /><br /><br />WFPC2 CYCLE 11 SUPPLEMENTAL DARKS pt2/3<br /><br /><br />This dark calibration program obtains 3 dark frames every day to provide data<br />for monitoring and characterizing the evolution of hot pixels<br /><br /><br />WFPC2 9596<br /><br /><br />WFPC2 CYCLE 11 INTERNAL MONITOR<br /><br /><br />This calibration proposal is the Cycle 11 routine internal monitor for WFPC2, to<br />be run weekly to monitor the health of the cameras. A variety of internal<br />exposures are obtained in order to provide a monitor of the integrity of the CCD<br />camera electronics in both bays {gain 7 and gain 15}, a test for quantum<br />efficiency in the CCDs, and a monitor for possible buildup of contaminants on<br />the CCD windows.<br /><br /><br />WFPC2 9599<br /><br /><br />WFPC2 Cycle 11 UV Earth Flats<br /><br /><br />Monitor flat field stability. This proposal obtains sequences of earth streak<br />flats to improve the quality of pipeline flat fields for the WFPC2 UV filter<br />set. These Earth flats will complement the UV earth flat data obtained during<br />cycles 8-10.<br /><br /><br />STIS 9605<br /><br /><br />CCD Dark Monitor-Part 1<br /><br /><br />Monitor the darks for the STIS CCD<br /><br /><br />STIS 9607<br /><br /><br />CCD Bias Monitor - Part 1<br /><br /><br />Monitor the bias in the 1x1, 1x2, 2x1, and 2x2 bin settings at gain=1, and 1x1<br />at gain = 4, to build up high-S/N superbiases and track the evolution of hot<br />columns.<br /><br /><br />STIS 9615<br /><br /><br />Cycle 11 MAMA Dark Monitor<br /><br /><br />This test performs the routine monitoring of the MAMA detector dark noise. This<br />proposal will provide the primary means of checking on health of the MAMA<br />detectors systems through frequent monitoring of the background count rate. The<br />purpose is to look for evidence of change in dark indicative of detector problem<br />developing.<br /><br /><br />STIS 9633<br /><br /><br />STIS parallel archive proposal - Nearby Galaxies - Imaging and Spectroscopy<br /><br /><br />Using parallel opportunities with STIS which were not allocated by the TAC, we<br />propose to obtain deep STIS imagery with both the Clear {50CCD} and Long-Pass<br />{F28X50LP} filters in order to make color-magnitude diagrams and luminosity<br />functions for nearby galaxies. For local group galaxies, we also include G750L<br />slitless spectroscopy to search for e.g., Carbon stars, late M giants and S-type<br />stars. This survey will be useful to study the star formation histories,<br />chemical evolution, and distances to these galaxies. These data will be placed<br />immediately into the Hubble Data Archive.<br /><br /><br />ACS 9649<br /><br /><br />ACS internal CTE monitor<br /><br /><br />radiation exposure accumulates. This degradation will be closely monitored at<br />regular intervals, because it is likely to determine the useful lifetime of the<br />CCDs. All the data for this program is acquired using internal targets {lamps}<br />only, so all of the exposures should be taken during Earth occultation time {but<br />not during SAA passages}. This program emulates the ACS pre-flight ground<br />calibration and post-launch SMOV testing {program 8948}, so that results from<br />each epoch can be directly compared. Extended Pixel Edge Response {EPER} and<br />First Pixel Response {FPR} data will be obtained over a range of signal levels<br />for both the Wide Field Channel {WFC}, and the High Resolution Channel {HRC}.<br /><br /><br />ACS 9673<br /><br /><br />CCD Daily Monitor<br /><br /><br />This program consists of basic tests to monitor, the read noise, the development<br />of hot pixels and test for any source of noise in ACS CCD detectors. This<br />programme will be executed once a day for the entire lifetime of ACS<br /><br /><br />FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:<br /><br /><br />Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: [The following are preliminary reports of<br />potential non-nominal performance that will be investigated.] None<br /><br /><br />COMPLETED OPS REQs: NONE<br /><br /><br />OPS NOTES EXECUTED: NONE<br /><br /><br /> SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES<br />FGS GSacq 7 7<br />FGS REacq 5 5<br />FHST Update 14 14<br />LOSS of LOCK<br /><br /><br />SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: None