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Daily 3529
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
DAILY REPORT # 3529 PERIOD COVERED: DOY 12/2004 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED ACS 9984 Cosmic Shear With ACS Pure Parallels Small distortions in the shapes of background galaxies by foreground mass provide a powerful method of directly measuring the amount and distribution of dark matter. Several groups have recently detected this weak lensing by large-scale structure, also called cosmic shear. The high resolution and sensitivity of HST/ACS provide a unique opportunity to measure cosmic shear accurately on small scales. Using 260 parallel orbits in Sloan textiti {F775W} we will measure for the first time: beginlistosetlength sep0cm setlengthemsep0cm setlength opsep0cm em the cosmic shear variance on scales 0.7 arcmin, em the skewness of the shear distribution, and em the magnification effect. endlist Our measurements will determine the amplitude of the mass power spectrum sigma_8Omega_m^0.5, with signal-to-noise {s/n} ~ 20, and the mass density Omega_m with s/n=4. They will be done at small angular scales where non-linear effects dominate the power spectrum, providing a test of the gravitational instability paradigm for structure formation. Measurements on these scales are not possible from the ground, because of the systematic effects induced by PSF smearing from seeing. Having many independent lines of sight reduces the uncertainty due to cosmic variance, making parallel observations ideal. ACS/CCD/WFC 9978 The Ultra Deep Field with ACS The ACS Ultra Deep Field {UDF} is a survey carried out by using Director's Discretionary time. The main science driver are galaxy evolution and cosmology. The primary instrument is the Advanced Camera for Surveys but WFPC2 and NICMOS will also be used in parallel. The data will be made public. The UDF consists of a single ultra-deep field {410 orbits in total} within the CDF-S GOODS area. The survey will use four filters: F435W {55 orbits}, F606W {55 orbits}, F775W {150 orbits}, and F850LP {150 orbits}. The F435W {B} and F606W {V} exposures will be one magnitude deeper than the equivalent HDF filters. The F775W {I} exposure will be 1.5 magnitude deeper than the equivalent HDF exposure. The depth in F775W and F850LP is optimized for searching very red objects - like z=6 galaxies - at the detection limit of the F850LP image. The pointing will be RA{J2000}=3 32 40.0 and Decl.{J2000}=-27 48 00. These coordinates may change slightly due to guide star availability and implementation issues. We will attempt to include in the field both a spectroscopically confirmed z=5.8 galaxy and a spectroscopically confirmed type Ia SN at z=1.3. The pointing avoids the gaps with the lowest effective exposure on the Chandra ACIS image of CDFS. This basic structure of the survey represents a consensus recommendation of a Scientific Advisory Committee to the STScI Director Steven Beckwith. A local Working Group is looking in detail at the implementation of the survey. ACS/HRC 9747 An Imaging Survey of the Statistical Frequency of Binaries Among Exceptionally-Young Dynamical Families in the Main Asteroid Belt We propose an ambitious SNAPSHOT program to determine the frequency of binaries among two very young asteroid families in the Main Belt, with potentially profound implications. These families {of C- and S-type} have recently been discovered {Nesvorny et al. 2002, Nature 417, 720}, through dynamical modeling, to have been formed at 5.8 MY and 8.3 MY ago in catastrophic impact events. This is the first time such precise and young ages have been assigned to a family. Main-belt binaries are almost certainly produced by collisions, and we would expect a young family to have a significantly higher frequency of binaries than the background, because they may not yet have been destroyed by impact or longer-term gravitational instabilities. In fact, one of the prime observables from such an event should be the propensity for satellites. This is the best way that new numerical models for binary production by collisions {motivated largely by our ground-based discoveries of satellites among larger asteroids}, can be validated and calibrated. HST is the only facility that can be used to search for binaries among such faint objects {V17.5}. We will also measure two control clusters, one being an "old" family, and the other a collection of background asteroids that do not have a family association, and further compare with our determined value for the frequency of large main-belt binaries {2%}. We request visits to 180 targets, using ACS/HRC. ACS/HRC/WFC 10044 ACS internal CTE monitor The charge transfer efficiency {CTE} of the ACS CCD detectors will decline as damage due to on-orbit radiation exposure accumulates. This degradation will be closely monitored at regular intervals, because it is likely to determine the useful lifetime of the CCDs. All the data for this program is acquired using internal targets {lamps} only, so all of the exposures should be taken during Earth occultation time {but not during SAA passages}. 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. Extended Pixel Edge Response {EPER} and First Pixel Response {FPR} data will be obtained over a range of signal levels for both the Wide Field Channel {WFC}, and the High Resolution Channel {HRC}. ACS/HRC/WFC 10059 CCD Daily Monitor This program consists of basic tests to monitor, the read noise, the development of hot pixels and test for any source of noise in ACS CCD detectors. This programme will be executed once a day for the entire lifetime of ACS. ACS/WFC 9860 ESSENCE: Measuring the Dark Energy Equation of State The accelerating universe appears to be dominated by a dark energy with a significant negative pressure. The ratio of the pressure to density of this mysterious energy {its equation of state} is an observable which can differentiate between the proliferating candidate theories. We propose to estimate the dark energy equation of state by observing Type Ia supernovae at redshifts near z=0.7 with HST in concert with the on-going ESSENCE NOAO Survey program that is discovering and studying supernovae between 0.3z0.8. We show that an interesting constraint on the equation of state can be made with supernovae observed at modest redshifts given the current knowledge of the matter density. We will follow 10 Type Ia supernovae discovered from the ground and passed to HST without disrupting its schedule. The full data set will constrain the equation of state to 10% and strictly limit the range of possible dark energy models. In keeping with the ESSENCE policy, these observations will available to the community immediately. NIC/NIC3 9865 The NICMOS Parallel Observing Program We propose to continue managing the NICMOS pure parallel program. Based on our experience, we are well prepared to make optimal use of the parallel opportunities. The improved sensitivity and efficiency of our observations will substantially increase the number of line-emitting galaxies detected. As our previous work has demonstrated, the most frequently detected line is Halpha at 0.7z1.9, which provides an excellent measure of current star formation rate. We will also detect star-forming and active galaxies in other redshift ranges using other emission lines. The grism observations will produce by far the best available Halpha luminosity functions over the crucial--but poorly observed--redshift range where galaxies appear to have assembled most of their stellar mass. This key process of galaxy evolution needs to be studied with IR data; we found that observations at shorter wavelengths appear to have missed a large fraction of the star-formation in galaxies, due to dust reddening. We will also obtain deep F110W and F160W images, to examine the space densities and morphologies of faint red galaxies. In addition to carrying out the public parallels, we will make the fully reduced and calibrated images and spectra available on-line, with some ground-based data for the deepest parallel fields included. NIC2 9752 A Search for the Exciting Sources in OMC-1 through NICMOS Polarization Measurements Orion contains the site of the nearest region of massive star formation to the Sun; only here can this pivotal process in galactic evolution be studied at the highest resolution. There are 10^5 solar luminosities of radiation emitted from the Orion Molecular Cloud {OMC-1}, possibly from a young massive star or protostar, or possibly from several, less luminous sources. Either way, the powering source{s} in the closest site of massive star formation has still not yet been identified. Here we propose to apply a new tool to determine which, of several prospective sources, might prove to be the heart of OMC-1. The sources cannot be seen directly because they lie in, or behind, a warm, dense molecular cloud. However, their presence can be inferred in polarized light, through the manner in which light is scattered off neighboring clouds. Heretofore, the spatial resolution has not been adequate to identify the locations of individual stars. We propose to use the NICMOS polarizers combined with the high spatial resolution of HST to achieve this, in spite of the high density of candidate objects in the core of Orion. The demands of accurately measuring the polarization vectors of small, diffuse objects relative to the surrounding background from dust-scattered light requires the high Strehl ratio and stable point-spread function only achievable from space. NIC3 9979 The Ultra Deep Field - NICMOS Parallels This is a plan to manage the NICMOS pure parallels of the ACS Ultra Deep Survey. We will obtain a mix of F110W and F160W images along sight-lines within the mosaiced ACS fields of the CDF-S GOODS and GEMS surveys, with these sight-lines enabling an examination of the space density and morphologies of the reddest galaxies. NICMOS 8791 NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 2 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 images. Each observation will need its own CRMAP, as different SAA passages leave different imprints on the NICMOS detectors. STIC/CCD 9800 Tracking the Evolution of a Knotty, High- Speed Jet in the Carbon Star, V Hydrae The carbon star V Hydrae is experiencing heavy mass loss as it undergoes the transition from AGB star to pre-planetary nebula. This is possibly the earliest object known in this brief phase. Molecular observations reveal that a bipolar nebula has been established even at this early stage. Using STIS on the HST, we have discovered a high-velocity { 200 km/s} jet or blob of gas which was ejected only ~2 years ago from near the star. A second STIS observation 11 months later clearly showed both its proper motion and the fact that it is being strongly decelerated. We propose STIS monitoring of this remarkable event for an additional 3 years, in order to: 1} obtain a precise dynamical and cooling history of this blob, and 2} determine whether the ejection of such blobs is associated with, or perhaps phased with, the 530-day stellar period. This ejection event is likely to hold the key to understanding why initially spherical mass outflows adopt a bipolar geometry during the post-AGB phase of stellar evolution. We not only have the opportunity to look on as the circumstellar envelope is sculpted by this and perhaps other collimated mass ejections, but we also have an unprecedented chance to constrain the mechanism for mass ejection, and thereby help solve a long-standing puzzle. Finally, molecular line observations and our previous STIS H$lpha$ observations show that the V Hya system contains a prominent, central disk. We propose a follow-up study in H$lpha$ in order to better define the disk properties, and thereby to determine whether the disk plays a role in the collimation of the emerging blob. We will use the data to constrain hydrodynamical models of collimated jet interactions with the ambient circumstellar medium in V Hydrae, in order to set quantitative constraints on the physical properties of the blobby outflow. STIS/CCD 10017 CCD Dark Monitor-Part 1 Monitor the darks for the STIS CCD. STIS/CCD 10019 CCD Bias Monitor - Part 1 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. STIS/CCD 10085 STIS Pure Parallel Imaging Program: Cycle 12 This is the default archival pure parallel program for STIS during cycle 12. STIS/CCD 9981 The Ultra Deep Field - STIS parallels We propose to obtain slitless spectroscopy of objects in the GEMS and GOODS area around the UDF. STIS/MA1 10034 Cycle 12 MAMA Dark Monitor This test performs the routine monitoring of the MAMA detector dark noise. This proposal will provide the primary means of checking on health of the MAMA detectors systems through frequent monitoring of the background count rate. The purpose is to look for evidence of change in dark indicative of detector problem developing. STIS/MA1 10083 HST UV Images of Saturn's Aurora Coordinated with Cassini Solar Wind Measurements A key measurement goal of the Cassini mission to Saturn is to obtain simultaneous solar wind and auroral imaging measurements in a campaign scheduled for Jan. 2004. Cassini will measure the solar wind approaching Saturn continuously from 9 Jan. - 6 Feb., but not closer to Saturn due to competing spacecraft orientation constraints. The only system capable of imaging Saturn's aurora in early 2004 will be HST. In this community DD proposal we request the minimum HST time needed to support the Cassini mission during the solar wind campaign with UV images of Saturn's aurora. Saturn's magnetosphere is intermediate between the "closed" Jovian case with large internal sources of plasma and the Earth's magnetosphere which is open to solar wind interactions. Saturn's aurora has been shown to exhibit large temporal variations in brightness and morphology from Voyager and HST observations. Changes of auroral emitted power exceeding one order of magnitude, dawn brightenings, and latitudinal motions of the main oval have all been observed. Lacking knowledge of solar wind conditions near Saturn, it has not been possible to determine its role in Saturn's auroral processes, nor the mechanisms controlling the auroral precipitation. During Cassini's upcoming approach to Saturn there will be a unique opportunity to answer these questions. We propose to image one complete rotation of Saturn to determine the corotational and longitudinal dependences of the auroral activity. We will then image the active sector of Saturn once every two days for a total coverage of 26 days during the Cassini campaign to measure the upstream solar wind parameters. This is the minimum coverage needed to ensure observations of the aurora under solar wind pressure variations of more than a factor of two, based on the solar wind pressure variations measured by Voyager 2 near Saturn on the declining phase of solar activity. The team of proposers has carried out a similar coordinated observing campaign of Jupiter during the Cassini flyby, resulting in a set of papers and HST images on the cover of Nature on 28 February 2002. WFPC2 10068 WFPC2 CYCLE 12 Standard Darks This dark calibration program obtains dark frames every week in order to provide data for the ongoing calibration of the CCD dark current rate, and to monitor and characterize the evolution of hot pixels. Over an extended period these data will also provide a monitor of radiation damage to the CCDs. WFPC2 10069 WFPC2 CYCLE 12 Supplemental Darks, Part 1/3 This dark calibration program obtains 3 dark frames every day to provide data for monitoring and characterizing the evolution of hot pixels. WFPC2 10072 WFPC2 CYCLE 12 INTERNAL MONITOR This calibration proposal is the Cycle 12 routine internal monitor for WFPC2, to be run weekly to monitor the health of the cameras. A variety of internal exposures are obtained in order to provide a monitor of the integrity of the CCD camera electronics in both bays {gain 7 and gain 15}, a test for quantum efficiency in the CCDs, and a monitor for possible buildup of contaminants on the CCD windows. WFPC2 10084 WFII parallel archive proposal This is the generic target version of the WFPC2 Archival Pure Parallel program. The program will be used to take parallel images of random areas of the sky, following the recommendations of the 2002 Parallels Working Group. WFPC2 9712 Pure Parallel Near-UV Observations with WFPC2 within High-Latitude ACS Survey Fields In anticipation of the allocation of ACS high-latitude imaging survey{s}, we request a modification of the default pure parallel program for those WFPC2 parallels that fall within the ACS survey field. Rather than duplicate the red bands which will be done much better with ACS, we propose to observe in the near-ultraviolet F300W filter. These data will enable study of the rest-frame ultraviolet morphology of galaxies at 0z1. We will determine the morphological k-correction, and the location of star formation within galaxies, using a sample that is likely to be nearly complete with multi-wavelength photometry and spectroscopic redshifts. The results can be used to interpret observations of higher redshift galaxies by ACS. WFPC2 9980 The Ultra Deep Field - WFPC2 Parallels The ACS Ultra Deep Field {UDF} is a survey carried out by using Director's Discretionary time. The main science drivers are galaxy evolution and cosmology. The primary instrument is the Advanced Camera for Surveys but WFPC2, NICMOS, and STIS will also be used in pure parallel mode. The data will be made public. The UDF consists of a single ultra-deep field {410 orbits in total} within the CDF-S GOODS area. We request a modification of the default pure parallel programs. Rather than duplicate the redder bands which will be done much better with ACS, we propose to observe in the near-ultraviolet F300W filter. These data will enable study of the rest-frame ultraviolet morphology of galaxies at 0z1, allowing determination of the morphological k-correction and the location of star formation within galaxies, using a sample that is likely to be nearly complete with multi-wavelength photometry and spectroscopic redshifts. The results can be used to interpret observations of higher redshift galaxies by ACS. FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY: Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be investigated.) None COMPLETED OPS REQs: NONE OPS NOTES EXECUTED: NONE SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES FGS GSacq 06 06 FGS REacq 08 08 FHST Update 12 12 LOSS of LOCK SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: None |
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