HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE<br /><br /><br />DAILY REPORT # 3409<br /><br /><br />PERIOD COVERED: DOY 202<br /><br /><br />OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED<br /><br /><br />NICMOS 8791<br /><br /><br />NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 2<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. The keyword 'USEAFTER=date/time' will also be added to the<br />header of each POST-SAA DARK frame. The keyword must be populated with the time,<br />in addition to the date, because HST crosses the SAA ~8 times per day so each<br />POST-SAA DARK will need to have the appropriate time specified, for users to<br />identify the ones they need. Both the raw and processed images will be archived<br />as POST-SAA DARKSs. Generally we expect that all NICMOS science/calibration<br />observations started within 50 minutes of leaving an SAA will need such maps to<br />remove the CR persistence from the science images. Each observation will need<br />its own CRMAP, as different SAA passages leave different imprints on the NICMOS<br />detectors.<br /><br /><br />HST 9382<br /><br /><br />A Large Targeted Survey for z < 1.6 Damped Lyman Alpha Lines in SDSS QSO<br />MgII-FeII Systems.<br /><br /><br />We have searched the first public release of SDSS QSO spectra for low-z {z<1.65}<br />metal absorption lines and found over 200 large rest equivalent width MgII-FeII<br />systems. Previously, we empirically showed that such systems are good tracers of<br />large neutral gas columns, with ~50% being classical damped Lyman alpha {DLA}<br />systems {N_HI>=2*10^20 cm^-2}. Here we propose to follow up a well-defined<br />subset of 79 of them to search for DLAs with 0.47<z<1.60. Only QSOs brighter<br />than g'=19 were selected. The QSO emission and DLA absorption redshifts were<br />constrained to virtually eliminate data loss due to intervening Lyman limit<br />absorption. Consequently, we expect to discover ~40 new DLAs, which is a<br />three-fold increase in this redshift interval. This will significantly improve<br />our earlier low-z DLA statistical results on their incidence, cosmological mass<br />density, and N_HI distribution. The results will also allow us to better<br />quantify the empirical DLA -- metal-line correlation. With this improved<br />understanding, the need for follow-up UV spectroscopy will lessen and, with the<br />release of the final database of SDSS QSO spectra {an ~25-fold increase}, the<br />number of low-z DLAs could be increased arbitrarily. Thus, the power of the<br />large and statistically-sound SDSS database in combination with a proven<br />technique for finding low-z DLAs will, over the next few years, essentially<br />solve the problem of making an accurate determination of the cosmic evolution of<br />the neutral gas component down to z~0.4.<br /><br /><br />NICMOS/STIS CCD 9405<br /><br /><br />The Origin of Gamma-Ray Bursts<br /><br /><br />The rapid and accurate localization of gamma-ray bursts {GRBs} promised by a<br />working HETE-2 during the coming year may well revolutionize our ability to<br />study these enigmatic, highly luminous transients. We propose a program of HST<br />and Chandra observations to capitalize on this extraordinary opportunity. We<br />will perform some of the most stringent tests yet of the standard model, in<br />which GRBs represent collimated relativistic outflows from collapsing massive<br />stars. NICMOS imaging and STIS CCD spectroscopy will detect broad atomic<br />features of supernovae underlying GRB optical transients, at luminosities more<br />than three times fainter than SN 1998bw. UV, optical, and X-ray spectroscopy<br />will be used to study the local ISM around the GRB. Chandra spectroscopy will<br />investigate whether the GRB X-ray lines are from metals freshly ripped from the<br />stellar core by the GRB. HST and CTIO infra-red imaging of the GRBs and their<br />hosts will be used to determine whether `dark' bursts are the product of<br />unusually strong local extinction; imaging studies may for the first time locate<br />the hosts of `short' GRBs. Our early polarimetry and late-time broadband imaging<br />will further test physical models of the relativistic blast wave that produces<br />the bright GRB afterglow, and will provide unique insight into the influence of<br />the GRB environment on the afterglow.<br /><br /><br />STIS 9417<br /><br /><br />New Clues to the Origin of the Extreme Helium Stars<br /><br /><br />The extreme helium stars {EHes} are H-poor supergiants whose origins are not yet<br />understood despite thorough analyses of optical spectra. This proposal seeks<br />STIS echelle spectra for 7 stars from which novel data on their chemical<br />compositions will be obtained to pin down key abundances. First, even the EHe's<br />initial metallicity is uncertain; certain abundance ratios - e.g., Ca/S, Ti/S,<br />and Fe/S - imply alterations of surface abundances among elements from Na to Ni<br />resulting from fractionation or diffusive separation, possibly the result of<br />winnowing of dust grains from gas. The zinc abundance measurable only from UV<br />spectra will be a powerful clue to the true metallicity because it is known not<br />to be removed by such winnowing. Second, elements affected by the s-process, the<br />last of the major nucleosynthetic processes for which surface abundances are<br />unknown for EHes, will be studied. The new abundances will be used to probe the<br />evolutionary origins of these peculiar stars by comparisons with theoretical<br />scenarios involving a merger of white dwarfs or a final He-shell flash in a low<br />mass white dwarf, and with observed abundances for R Coronae Borealis stars that<br />would seem to be close relatives of the EHes. Spectrophotometric observations of<br />EHes obtained with GO 8603 will give accurate estimates of effective temperature<br />and surface gravity that will be used in our abundance determinations.<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 9595<br /><br /><br />WFPC2 CYCLE 11 SUPPLEMENTAL DARKS pt3/3<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 />STIS 9606<br /><br /><br />CCD Dark Monitor-Part 2<br /><br /><br />Monitor the darks for the STIS CCD.<br /><br /><br />STIS 9608<br /><br /><br />CCD Bias Monitor - Part 2<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 9613<br /><br /><br />STIS CCD Spectroscopic Flats C11<br /><br /><br />Obtain CCD flats on the STIS CCD in spectroscopic mode.<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 9674<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 />STIS 9708<br /><br /><br />STIS Pure Parallel Imaging Program: Cycle 11<br /><br /><br />This is the default archival pure parallel program for STIS during cycle 11.<br /><br /><br />WFPC2 9709<br /><br /><br />POMS Test Proposal: WFII parallel archive proposal<br /><br /><br />This is the generic target version of the WFPC2 Archival Pure Parallel program.<br />The program will be used to take parallel images of random areas of the sky,<br />following the recommendations of the 2002 Parallels Working Group.<br /><br /><br />ACS 9799<br /><br /><br />A Snapshot Survey of Galactic Bulge Globular Clusters<br /><br /><br />The globular clusters toward the Galactic bulge remain among the least studied<br />of the Galaxy's globular clusters, primarily because severe photometric crowding<br />has hindered ground-based imaging. We propose a snapshot survey {3 month<br />proprietary period} using ACS on board HST to produce a complete sample of<br />color-magnitude diagrams for these clusters. The high spatial resolution of HST<br />gives photometry vastly superior to even the best ground-based color-magnitude<br />diagrams. Measurement of the horizontal and red giant branches gives reddening<br />and distance, from which physical parameters for the clusters are derived. Ages<br />to be derived are of special interest because this population may contain the<br />oldest clusters in the Galaxy. Additionally, the separation of cluster members<br />from contaminating field stars will give far superior structural parameters than<br />can be derived from the ground. Many of these clusters have especially<br />concentrated cores; due to their proximity to the Galactic Center, they may have<br />experienced far greater dynamical evolution due to bulge shocking. If stellar<br />encounters are capable of modifying stellar populations, these clusters probably<br />are the best place to look for such effects. Because ground-based study of these<br />clusters has been so difficult, we believe that this survey is potentially an<br />important part of HST's legacy.<br /><br /><br />NIC2 9801<br /><br /><br />Are OH/IR Stars the Youngest post-AGB stars? A NICMOS Imaging Survey<br /><br /><br />Essentially all well-characterized preplanetary nebulae {PPNe}-- objects in<br />transition between the AGB and planetary nebula evolutionary phases - are<br />bipolar, whereas the mass-loss envelopes of AGB stars are strikingly spherical.<br />In order to understand the processes leading to bipolar mass-ejection, we need<br />to know at what stage of stellar evolution does bipolarity in the mass-loss<br />first manifest itself. We have recently hypothesized that most OH/IR stars<br />{evolved mass- losing stars with OH maser emission} are very young PPNe. We are<br />conducting a multiwavelength survey program of imaging and spectroscopic<br />observations of such objects, using a large, morphologically unbiased sample<br />selected using IRAS 12-to-25 micron colors. Our ongoing HST/SNAP imaging survey<br />of the optically bright half of this sample with WFPC2 and ACS is highly<br />successful: 19/32 objects observed are extended with bipolar/multipolar shapes<br />{remaining objects are unresolved}. Slightly more than 50% of our sample are<br />optically too faint or undetected but have strong near-IR counterparts -- we<br />therefore propose a NICMOS SNAPshot imaging survey of these optically-faint<br />OH/IR stars. These observations are crucial for determining how and when the<br />bipolar geometry asserts itself. The results from our NICMOS survey {together<br />with the WFPC2/ACS survey} will allow us to draw general conclusions about the<br />onset of bipolar mass-ejection during late stellar evolution. Our complementary<br />program of interferometric mapping of the OH maser emission in our sources is<br />yielding kinematic information with spatial resolution comparable to that in the<br />HST images. The HST/radio data will provide crucial input for theories of<br />post-AGB stellar evolution. In addition, these data will also indicate whether<br />the multiple concentric rings, "searchlight beams'', and truncated equatorial<br />disks recently discovered with HST in a few PPNe, are common or rare phenomena.<br /><br /><br />ACS/STIS/MA2 9829<br /><br /><br />HST / Chandra Monitoring of a Dramatic Flare in the M87 Jet<br /><br /><br />As the nearest galaxy with an optical jet, M87 affords an unparalleled<br />opportunity to study extragalactic jet phenomena at the highest resolution.<br />During 2002, HST and Chandra monitoring of the M87 jet have detected a dramatic<br />flare in knot HST-1 located ~1" from the nucleus. Its brightness has increased<br />ten-fold in the optical band, and continues to increase, and the X-rays show a<br />similarly dramatic outburst. In both bands this HST-1 now rivals the nucleus in<br />brightness. To our knowledge this is the first incidence of an optical or X-ray<br />outburst from a jet region which is spatially distinct from the core source;<br />this presents an unprecedented opportunity to study the processes responsible<br />for non-thermal variability and the X-ray emission. We propose four epochs of<br />HST/ACS monitoring during Cycle 12, as well as seven epochs of Chandra/ACIS<br />observation {5ksec each}. We also include a brief STIS observation that will be<br />used with prior STIS data to measure proper motions, and ACS polarimetry to map<br />the magnetic field structure. The results of this investigation are of key<br />importance not only for understanding the nature of the X-ray emission of the<br />M87 jet, but also for understanding flares in blazar jets, which are highly<br />variable, but where we have never before been able to resolve the flaring region<br />in the optical or X-rays. These observations will allow us to test synchrotron<br />emission models for the X-ray outburst, constrain particle acceleration and loss<br />timescales, and study the jet dynamics associated with this flaring component.<br /><br /><br />ACS 9984<br /><br /><br />Cosmic Shear With ACS Pure Parallels<br /><br /><br />Small distortions in the shapes of background galaxies by foreground mass<br />provide a powerful method of directly measuring the amount and distribution of<br />dark matter. Several groups have recently detected this weak lensing by<br />large-scale structure, also called cosmic shear. The high resolution and<br />sensitivity of HST/ACS provide a unique opportunity to measure cosmic shear<br />accurately on small scales. Using 260 parallel orbits in Sloan textiti {F775W}<br />we will measure for the first time: beginlistosetlength sep0cm setlengthemsep0cm<br />setlength opsep0cm em the cosmic shear variance on scales <0.7 arcmin, em the<br />skewness of the shear distribution, and em the magnification effect. endlist Our<br />measurements will determine the amplitude of the mass power spectrum<br />sigma_8Omega_m^0.5, with signal-to-noise {s/n} ~ 20, and the mass density<br />Omega_m with s/n=4. They will be done at small angular scales where non-linear<br />effects dominate the power spectrum, providing a test of the gravitational<br />instability paradigm for structure formation. Measurements on these scales are<br />not possible from the ground, because of the systematic effects induced by PSF<br />smearing from seeing. Having many independent lines of sight reduces the<br />uncertainty due to cosmic variance, making parallel observations ideal.<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.]<br /><br /><br />HSTAR 9091: Upon AOS @ 202/12:25:30Z, HST was operating in FL backup on FGS 3 only.<br /> Further information from engineering recorder dump. FGS 2 acquired FL<br /> @ 202/12:24:27Z, then lost FL @ 202/12:24:31Z. No Scan Step or Search Radius<br /> flags were seen in the extracted engineering data. No further attempt was made<br /> to acquire FL on FGS 2. Under investigation.<br /><br /><br />HSTAR 9092: Structure Current [CSTRUCCP] flagged OOL at a value of 1.6 Ampere for one<br /> sample @ 202/15:15:39Z. Limit is 1.2 Ampere. Flagged OOL again @ 202/15:19:56Z<br /> at 1.6 Ampere and again @ 202/15:20:41Z for one sample. Under investigation.<br /><br /><br />COMPLETED OPS REQs: None<br /><br /><br />OPS NOTES EXECUTED:<br />1136-2 SSR Dumping Procedures Operational @202/1752z<br /><br /><br /> SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES<br />FGS GSacq 8 8<br />FGS REacq 9 9<br />FHST Update 15 15<br />LOSS of LOCK<br /><br /><br />SIGNIFICANT EVENTS:<br /><br /><br />SA Section 5 experienced a partial short to structure 202/14:08Z - 14:43Z [orbit night].<br />Structure current of ~ 0.2 Ampere was present during the period when the SPAs were connected.<br />Structure current stepped to ~ 0.62 Ampere when the +E and =BB SPAs were commanded open by FSW.<br />The fault was evident for 43 minutes in orbit day until it cleared at 202/15:26Z and has not<br />been observed since. The fault had no detectable impact on battery charging. PCS analysis<br />did not detect any disturbance for the time period of the event. See HSTAR 9092.