HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science



DAILY REPORT #4727



PERIOD COVERED: 5am October 29 - 5am October 30, 2008 (DOY

303/0900z-304/0900z)



OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED



ACS/SBC 11322



BEA UV Contamination Monitor



The observations consist of imaging and spectroscopy with ACS/SBC of the

scaled OB association NGC 604 in M33 prior to SM4. Data will be obtained

with the F122M, F150LP, F165LP filters and the PR130L prism. The

observations will allow any UV contamination to be monitored by

comparing these data with identical observations to be obtaining during

the BEA phase of SMOV4. Also included are a suite of internal Deuterium

lamp flat fields to be acquired shortly before the servicing mission for

comparison with exactly the same set to be acquired in SMOV/11398.



NIC3 11107



Imaging of Local Lyman Break Galaxy Analogs: New Clues to Galaxy

Formation in the Early Universe



We have used the ultraviolet all-sky imaging survey currently being

conducted by the Galaxy Evolution Explorer {GALEX} to identify for the

first time a rare population of low-redshift starbursts with properties

remarkably similar to high-redshift Lyman Break Galaxies {LBGs}. These

"compact UV luminous galaxies" {UVLGs} resemble LBGs in terms of size,

SFR, surface brightness, mass, metallicity, kinematics, dust, and color.

The UVLG sample offers the unique opportunity of investigating some very

important properties of LBGs that have remained virtually inaccessible

at high redshift: their morphology and the mechanism that drives their

star formation. Therefore, in Cycle 15 we have imaged 7 UVLGs using ACS

in order to 1} characterize their morphology and look for signs of

interactions and mergers, and 2} probe their star formation histories

over a variety of timescales. The images show a striking trend of small-

scale mergers turning large amounts of gas into vigorous starbursts {a

process referred to as dissipational or "wet" merging}. Here, we propose

to complete our sample of 31 LBG analogs using the ACS/SBC F150LP {FUV}

and WFPC2 F606W {R} filters in order to create a statistical sample to

study the mechanism that triggers star formation in UVLGs and its

implications for the nature of LBGs. Specifically, we will 1} study the

trend between galaxy merging and SFR in UVLGs, 2} artificially redshift

the FUV images to z=1-4 and compare morphologies with those in similarly

sized samples of LBGs at the same rest-frame wavelengths in e.g. GOODS,

UDF, and COSMOS, 3} determine the presence and morphology of significant

stellar mass in "pre-burst" stars, and 4} study their immediate

environment. Together with our Spitzer {IRAC+MIPS}, GALEX, SDSS and

radio data, the HST observations will form a unique union of data that

may for the first time shed light on how the earliest major episodes of

star formation in high redshift galaxies came about. This proposal was

adapted from an ACS HRC+WFC proposal to meet the new Cycle 16 observing

constraints, and can be carried out using the ACS/SBC and WFPC2 without

compromising our original science goals.



WFPC2 11130



AGNs with Intermediate-mass Black Holes: Testing the Black Hole-Bulge

Paradigm, Part II



The recent progress in the study of central black holes in galactic

nuclei has led to a general consensus that supermassive {10^6-10^9 solar

mass} black holes are closely connected with the formation and

evolutionary history of large galaxies, especially their bulge

component. Two outstanding issues, however, remain unresolved. Can

central black holes form in the absence of a bulge? And does the mass

function of central black holes extend below 10^6 solar masses?

Intermediate-mass black holes {<10^6 solar masses}, if they exist, may

offer important clues to the nature of the seeds of supermassive black

holes. Using the SDSS, our group has successfully uncovered a new

population of AGNs with intermediate-mass black holes that reside in

low-luminosity galaxies. However, very little is known about the

detailed morphologies or structural parameters of the host galaxies

themselves, including the crucial question of whether they have bulges

or not. Surprisingly, the majority of the targets of our Cycle 14 pilot

program have structural properties similar to dwarf elliptical galaxies.

The statistics from this initial study, however, are really too sparse

to reach definitive conclusions on this important new class of black

holes. We wish to extend this study to a larger sample, by using the

Snapshot mode to obtain WFPC2 F814W images from a parent sample of 175

AGNs with intermediate- mass black holes selected from our final SDSS

search. We are particularly keen to determine whether the hosts contain

bulges, and if so, how the fundamental plane properties of the host

depend on the mass of their central black holes. We will also

investigate the environment of this unique class of AGNs.



WFPC2 11289



SL2S: The Strong Lensing Legacy Survey



Recent systematic surveys of strong galaxy-galaxy lenses {CLASS, SLACS,

GOODS, etc.} are producing spectacular results for galaxy masses roughly

below a transition mass M~10^13 Mo. The observed lens properties and

their evolution up to z~0.2, consistent with numerical simulations, can

be described by isothermal elliptical potentials. In contrast, modeling

of giant arcs in X-ray luminous clusters {halo masses M >~10^13 Mo}

favors NFW mass profiles, suggesting that dark matter halos are not

significantly affected by baryon cooling. Until recently, lensing

surveys were neither deep nor extended enough to probe the intermediate

mass density regime, which is fundamental for understanding the assembly

of structures. The CFHT Legacy Survey now covers 125 square degrees, and

thus offers a large reservoir of strong lenses probing a large range of

mass densities up to z~1. We have extracted a list of 150 strong lenses

using the most recent CFHTLS data release via automated procedures.

Following our first SNAPSHOT proposal in cycle 15, we propose to

continue the Hubble follow-up targeting a larger list of 130 lensing

candidates. These are intermediate mass range candidates {between

galaxies and clusters} that are selected in the redshift range of 0.2-1

with no a priori X-ray selection. The HST resolution is necessary for

confirming the lensing candidates, accurate modeling of the lenses, and

probing the total mass concentration in galaxy groups up to z~1 with the

largest unbiased sample available to date.



FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:



Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary reports

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



HSTARS:

11561 - GSAcq 2,1,2 failed to RGA Hold

At Acquisition of data (303/21:39:54), GSAcq 2,1,2 scheduled from

303/21:12:52 - 21:20:03 had failed to RGA Hold due to QF2STOPF and QSTOP

flags being set. Acquisition failed at 303/21:16:20.



Observations affected: WFPC Proposal 11289, observations 102 - 104.



COMPLETED OPS REQUEST: (None)



COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)



SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL

FGS GSacq 11 10

FGS REacq 02 02

OBAD with Maneuver 26 26



SIGNIFICANT EVENTS:



Flash Report ACS Recovered from Safe Mode:

ACS was successfully recovered via stored commanding from Safe mode to

Operate mode at 303/13:36:00.



Flash Report ACS Recovered from Safe Mode Part 2:

The ACS SBC MAMA LV power supply was successfully initialized @303/14:51

and all SBC MAMA voltages, currents, and temperatures were within

operational ranges.