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Corrected Daily 3919
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science DAILY REPORT #3918 PERIOD COVERED: UT August 05-07, 2005 (DOY 217-219) OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED FGS 9335 Masses of Pre-Main Sequence Binaries We propose to continue to map the orbits of young star binaries in the Taurus and Ophiuchus star forming regions. Our goal is to measure their masses dynamically. This is important because there are still no low mass young stars with reliably known masses so calculations of their evolution to the main sequence are uncalibrated. NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 8793 NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 4 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. ACS/HRC 10627 A Snapshot Survey of Post-AGB Objects and Proto-Planetary Nebulae We propose an ACS/HRC snapshot survey of 50 post-AGB sources, objects which have evolved from the AGB but may or may not become planetary nebulae {PNe}. This survey will complement existing HST images of proto-planetary nebulae {PPNe} and PNe in addressing circumstellar envelope morphology as a function of: 1} the progenitor star mass; 2} the chemical composition; and 3} evolutionary stage. We will connect the observed diversity of nebualar shapes with the main physical and chemical conditions characterizing post-AGB objects, to identify the mechanism that breaks the symmetry of AGB mass loss. To our knowledge, no previous HST projects have been specifically designed to address this issue. From our database of 360 post-AGB candidates, we have selected approximately 50 targets, none of which have been or are being observed with HST, to sample different central star masses, chemical compositions, and evolutionary stages, uniformly across the sky. These new data will also provide important constraints to a quantitative analysis of Spitzer Space Telescope {SST} observations planned for a similar sample of objects. We will model the HST images and SST spectra using our axisymmetric dust code 2-Dust, to derive dust density distributions, pole to equator density ratios, dust shell masses, inclination angles as well as dust composition. ACS/HRC 10623 HST Optical Snapshot Survey of Intermediate Redshift Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies Ultraluminous infrared galaxies {ULIGs} are commonly believed to be a transitory phase in the evolution of disk galaxy mergers into QSOs. However, a recently reported discrepancy between the morphological and structural properties of z 0.13 ULIGs and z = 0.12-0.25 QSOs with M{V} -23.5 has cast doubt on their evolutionary connection. We propose an ACS snapshot survey of a sample of 39 ULIGs with z = 0.35-1.0. These galaxies are the best suited for comparison with luminous z=0.12-0.25 QSOs because {1} they are at larger lookback times than local ULIGs, and thus are likely representative of the systems that evolve into lower redshift luminous QSOs, {2} they have luminosities comparable to luminous QSOs and, {3} they are selected in a manner that biases the sample towards harboring imbedded AGN, and thus are the most likely precursors to optical QSOs. High resolution HST ACS images will allow a determination of galaxy morphology and reveal the presence of bright AGN. The 2-D profile of each galaxy will be modeled using GALFIT, with the AGN comprising one component of the fit where applicable to better characterize the underlying galaxy. Fundamental parameters {effective radius and surface brightness, and F814W-band magnitude} of the underlying galaxy will thus be measured and compared with the host galaxies of the luminous QSO sample. This imaging campaign will consume a modest amount of HST time, but will provide for the first time a statistically significant view of ULIGs at look-back times of 30-65% the age of the universe, and sufficient resolution and sensitivity to conduct a meaningful comparison with z=0.12-0.25 QSOs, as well as with local {z 0.3} IRAS- detected and distant {z 2} SCUBA-detected ULIGs. ACS/WFC 10588 The Host Galaxies of Post-Starburst Quasars We propose to use ACS to conduct a snapshot imaging survey of post-starburst quasars now being discovered in signficant numbers by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Post-starburst quasars are broad-lined AGN that also possess Balmer jumps and high-n Balmer absorption lines indicative of luminous stellar populations on order of 100 Myr old. These objects, representing a few percent of the z 0.5 quasar population, may be an evolutionary stage in the transition of ultraluminous infrared galaxies into normal quasars, or a type of galaxy interaction that triggers both star formation and nuclear activity. These sources may also illustrate how black hole mass/bulge mass correlations arise. Ground-based imaging of individual poststarburst quasars has revealed merger remnants, binary systems, and single point sources. Our ACS snapshots will enable us to determine morphologies and binary structure on sub-arcsecond scales {surely present in the sample and impossible to do without HST}, as well as basic host galaxy properties. We will be looking for relationships among morphology, particularly separation of double nuclei, the starburst age, the quasar black hole mass and accretion rate, that will lead to an understanding of the triggering activity and mutual evolution. This project will bring quantitative data and statistics to the previously fuzzy and anecdotal topic of the "AGN- starburst connection" and help test the idea that post-starburst quasars are an early evolutionary stage of normal quasars. ACS/WFC 10587 Measuring the Mass Dependence of Early-Type Galaxy Structure We propose two-color ACS-WFC Snapshot observations of a sample of 118 candidate early-type gravitational lens galaxies. Our lens-candidate sample is selected to yield {in combination with earlier results} an approximately uniform final distribution of 40 early- type strong lenses across a wide range of masses, with velocity dispersions {a dynamical proxy for mass} ranging from 125 to 300 km/s. The proposed program will deliver the first significant sample of low-mass gravitational lenses. All of our candidates have known lens and source redshifts from Sloan Digital Sky Survey data, and all are bright enough to permit detailed photometric and stellar-dynamical observation. We will constrain the luminous and dark-matter mass profiles of confirmed lenses using lensed- image geometry and lens-galaxy structural/photometric measurements from HST imaging in combination with dynamical measurements from spatially resolved ground- based follow-up spectroscopy. Hence we will determine, in unprecedented detail, the dependence of early-type galaxy mass structure and mass-to-light ratio upon galaxy mass. These results will allow us to directly test theoretical predictions for halo concentration and star-formation efficiency as a function of mass and for the existence of a cuspy inner dark-matter component, and will illuminate the structural explanation behind the fundamental plane of early-type galaxies. The lens-candidate selection and confirmation strategy that we propose has been proven successful for high-mass galaxies by our Cycle 13 Snapshot program {10174}. The program that we propose here will produce a complementary and unprecedented lens sample spanning a wide range of lens-galaxy masses. ACS/HRC 10525 Characterizing the Near-UV Environment of M Dwarfs: Implications for Extrasolar Planetary Searches and Astrobiology We propose SNAP observations with the ACS HRC PR200L prism, designed to measure the near ultraviolet emission in a sample of 107 nearby M dwarfs. The sample spans the mass range from 0.1 - 0.6 solar masses {temperature range 2200K - 4000K} where the UV energy distributions vary widely between active and inactive stars. The strength and distribution of this UV emission can have critical consequences for the atmospheres of attendant planets. Our proposed observations will provide desperately needed constraints on models of the habitability zone and the atmospheres of possible terrestrial planets orbiting M dwarf hosts, and will be used to sharpen TPF target selection. In addition, the NUV data will be used in conjunction with existing optical, FUV and X-ray data to constrain a new generation of M dwarf atmospheric models, and to explore unanswered questions regarding the dynamo generation and magnetic heating in these low-mass stars. ACS/WFC 10497 Cepheid Calibrations of the Luminosity of Two Reliable Type Ia Supernovae and a Re- determination of the Hubble Constant We propose to determine the luminosity of two type Ia supernovae {SNe Ia}, 1995al in NGC 3021 and SN 2002fk in NGC 1309, by observing Cepheids in their spiral hosts. Modern CCD photometry yields an extremely tight Hubble diagram for SNe Ia with a precisely determined intercept {i.e., Delta H_0/H_0}. Yet, the measurement of the true Hubble constant via SNe Ia is limited by the calibration derived from problematic and unreliable SN data. Most of the SNe Ia calibrated by HST to date are significantly compromised by the systematics of photographic photometry, high reddening and SN peculiarity, and by the photometric anomolies associated with WFPC2. The extended reach of ACS now provides opportunities to more reliably calibrate SNe Ia and H_0. Our Cepheid calibration of a reliable SN Ia dataset, SN 1994ae, using ACS in Cycle 11 resulted in a 15% increase in H_0 from the value derived by the HST SN Ia Calibration Program. Yet, there remains a terribly small sample of reliable SN Ia data sets on which to base such a crucial cosmological result. SN 1995al and SN 2002fk are two of the best observed SNe Ia both with little reddening. They provide two opportunities to use ACS for placing the calibration of H_0 via SN Ia on firmer footing and potentially improve its precision. ACS/WFC 10496 Decelerating and Dustfree: Efficient Dark Energy Studies with Supernovae and Clusters We propose a novel HST approach to obtain a dramatically more useful "dust free" Type Ia supernovae {SNe Ia} dataset than available with the previous GOODS searches. Moreover, this approach provides a strikingly more efficient search-and-follow-up that is primarily pre-scheduled. The resulting dark energy measurements do not share the major systematic uncertainty at these redshifts, that of the extinction correction with a prior. By targeting massive galaxy clusters at z 1 we obtain a five-times higher efficiency in detection of Type Ia supernovae in ellipticals, providing a well-understood host galaxy environment. These same deep cluster images then also yield fundamental calibrations required for future weak lensing and Sunyaev-Zel'dovich measurements of dark energy, as well as an entire program of cluster studies. The data will make possible a factor of two improvement on supernova constraints on dark energy time variation, and much larger improvement in systematic uncertainty. They will provide both a cluster dataset and a SN Ia dataset that will be a longstanding scientific resource. ACS/HRC 10473 Rings of Uranus: Dynamics, Particle Properties and Shepherding Moons We propose to image the rings and small inner satellites of Uranus using the High Resolution Channel of the ACS. The revolutionary capabilities of the ACS will allow us to address a variety of important questions relating to ring properties and ring-moon interactions. Observations at a range of wavelengths and phase angles will reveal the opposition surges of these rings and moons, providing information on color and surface structure. Measurements of the ring in front of the planet will provide complementary information on optical depth; any variations of optical depth with wavelength will reveal the rings' poorly-constrained population of embedded dust. The rings of Uranus are closing rapidly as the planet approaches equinox in 2007, an event that takes place only every 42 years. Using this opportunity, our observations will be repeated at different solar and terrestrial tilt angles; this sequence of images will be particularly valuable for constraining the physical thickness and packing density of the rings. We will place particular emphasis on the rotational variations of the Epsilon Ring, whose radial width {and therefore its packing density} varies by a factor of five. In addition, deep exposures through the CLEAR filter will enable us to detect and recover 4-5 km moons in or near the ring system. Dynamicists invoke numerous such moons to "shepherd" the many sharp ring boundaries, so this will serve as a definitive test of the theory. FGS 10432 Precise Distances to Nearby Planetary Nebulae We propose to carry out astrometry with the FGS to obtain accurate and precise distances to four nearby planetary nebulae. In 1992, Cahn et al. noted that ``The distances to Galactic planetary nebulae remain a serious, if not THE most serious, problem in the field, despite decades of study.'' Twelve years later, the same statement still applies. Because the distances to planetary nebulae are so uncertain, our understanding of their masses, luminosities, scale height, birth rate, and evolutionary state is severely limited. To help remedy this problem, HST astrometry can guarantee parallaxes with half the error of any other available approach. These data, when combined with parallax measurements from the USNO, will improve distance measurements by more than a factor of two, producing more accurate distances with uncertainties that are of the order of ~6%. Lastly, most planetary nebula distance scales in the literature are statistical. They require several anchor points of known distance in order to calibrate their zero point. Our program will provide "gold standard" anchor points by the end of 2006, a decade before any anticipated results from future space astrometry missions. NIC3 10406 NICMOS Imaging of Massive Galaxies at z ~ 2 We propose NICMOS F160W imaging of a sample of massive red galaxies from the Gemini Deep Deep Survey. These galaxies dominate the stellar mass density at 1.5 z 2 and are our best link to early galaxy formation. The NICMOS images will be used in conjunction with our ACS images and deep Gemini spectra to examine the formation and early evolution of massive ellpitcal galaxy progenitors. We waive all propretary rights to the data and wil make them available on our web site as we have done with the Gemini Deep Deep Survey spectra, catalogs and ACS images. ACS/WFC/NIC3 10405 Probing the establishment of galaxy morphologies in the best-studied high-redshift We propose deep ACS I-band imaging of arguably the best-studied high-redshift proto- cluster environment, a high-contrast structure in the SSA22 field at z=3.1. Our on-going study of this region has identified over 400 probable members of this structure across a 16-arcmin-square field, selected through narrow-band Lyman-alpha emission, Lyman- break photometric criteria and far-infrared/radio emission. Our proposed high-resolution imaging of galaxies in the z=3.1 structure and in the nearby field, will provide morphological information on galaxies over nearly two-orders of magnitude in local density at this early epoch. This will allow us for the first time to test whether galaxy morphology is defined at the formation of a galaxy or reflects processes acting on it during its lifetime. ACS/HRC/WFC 10389 ACS CCDs daily monitor - Cycle 13 - Part 2 This program consists of a set of basic tests to monitor, the read noise, the development of hot pixels and test for any source of noise in ACS CCD detectors. The files, biases and dark will be used to create reference files for science calibration. This program will be for the entire lifetime of ACS. ACS/HRC 10259 Planetary nebulae in the SMC: a study of stellar evolution and populations in an extremely low-metallicity environment The final phase of the evolution of low- and intermediate-mass stars, the planetary nebula {PN} ejection, is thought to largely contribute to the carbon and nitrogen enrichment in galaxies, in particular in old stellar populations. Stellar generations forming from a carbon- and nitrogen-enriched medium are a necessary condition for planetary and life formation. It is essential to understand how stars go through the process of shedding their chemically-enriched shells, and to test the predictions of stellar evolution theory on the relationship between stellar mass and elemental enrichment. Magellanic Cloud PNs are ideal probes for this study. Their abundances can be directly related to the mass of the central stars and to that of the stellar progenitor, without the great {distance and reddening} uncertainties that affect Galactic PNs. The UV lines are essential for calculating the abundances of the element related to stellar evolution {C, N, O} and to progenitor populations {e.g., Ne}. We propose to acquire UV spectroscopy of the SMC PNs whose morphology and central star properties has been previously determined by us with HST. We will derive the {C, N, O} abundance-to-mass relation, and determine the extent to which the mass of the progenitors of asymmetric PNs exceed that of symmetric PNs. We will also test the PN luminosity function, and probe cosmic recycling, in a very low-metallicity environment. ACS/WFC 10210 Groups of Dwarf Galaxies: Pools of Mostly Dark Matter? Within 5 Mpc, there are 6 groups with well-known luminous galaxies but there also appears to be a comparable number of groups containing only dwarfs. If these dwarf entities are truly bound then M/L values are an order of magnitude higher than values found for groups with luminous spiral galaxies. There are theoretical reasons to anticipate that low mass halos may frequently be mostly dark. The dynamical influence of low mass halos is negligible in familiar groups with luminous members. By contrast, a study of the dynamics of `groups of dwarfs' may provide direct evidence of the existence of dark matter potential wells with few baryons. The goal of the present study is to gather detailed information on the 3-D distribution of dwarf galaxies suspected to lie within 7 groups of dwarfs within 5 Mpc. Distances with 7% relative accuracy can be measured with the Tip of the Giant Branch method with ACS and integrations within 1 orbit per target. ACS/WFC/NIC2 10189 PANS-Probing Acceleration Now with Supernovae Type Ia supernovae {SNe Ia} provide the most direct evidence for an accelerating Universe, a result widely attributed to dark energy. Using HST in Cycle 11 we extended the Hubble diagram with 6 of the 7 highest-redshift SNe Ia known, all at z1.25, providing conclusive evidence of an earlier epoch of cosmic deceleration. The full sample of 16 new SNe Ia match the cosmic concordance model and are inconsistent with a simple model of evolution or dust as alternatives to dark energy. Understanding dark energy may be the biggest current challenge to cosmology and particle physics. To understand the nature of dark energy, we seek to measure its two most fundamental properties: its evolution {i.e., dw/dz}, and its recent equation of state {i.e., w{z=0}}. SNe Ia at z1, beyond the reach of the ground but squarely within the reach of HST with ACS, are crucial to break the degeneracy in the measurements of these two basic aspects of dark energy. The SNe Ia we have discovered and measured with HST in Cycle 11, now double the precision of our knowledge of both properties. Here we propose to quadruple the sample of SNe Ia at z1 in the next two cycles, complementing on-going surveys from the ground at z1, and again doubling the precision of dark energy constraints. Should the current best fit model prove to be the correct one, the precision expected from the current proposal will suffice to rule out a cosmological constant at the 99% confidence level. Whatever the result, these objects will provide the basis with which to extend our empirical knowledge of this newly discovered and dominant component of the Universe, and will remain one of the most significant legacies of HST. In addition, our survey and follow-up data will greatly enhance the value of the archival data within the target Treasury fields for galaxy studies. NIC2 10176 Coronagraphic Survey for Giant Planets Around Nearby Young Stars A systematic imaging search for extra-solar Jovian planets is now possible thanks to recent progress in identifying "young stars near Earth". For most of the proposed young {~ 30 Myrs} and nearby {~ 60 pc} targets, we can detect a few Jupiter-mass planets as close as a few tens of AUs from the primary stars. This represents the first time that potential analogs of our solar system - that is planetary systems with giant planets having semi-major axes comparable to those of the four giant planets of the Solar System - come within the grasp of existing instrumentation. Our proposed targets have not been observed for planets with the Hubble Space Telescope previously. Considering the very successful earlier NICMOS observations of low mass brown dwarfs and planetary disks among members of the TW Hydrae Association, a fair fraction of our targets should also turn out to posses low mass brown dwarfs, giant planets, or dusty planetary disks because our targets are similar to {or even better than} the TW Hydrae stars in terms of youth and proximity to Earth. Should HST time be awarded and planetary mass candidates be found, proper motion follow-up of candidate planets will be done with ground-based AOs. FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY: Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be investigated.) HSTARS: (None) 9908 - GSAcq (2,3,3) results in finelock backup (3,0,3) scan step lmt exc on FGS-2 @ 218/2314z GSAcq(2,3,3)scheduled at 218/23:14:50-23:22:09 resulted in finelock backup (3,0,3)using FGS-3 due to scan step limit exceeded on FGS-2 during walkdown. 9909 - GSAcq (2,1,2) results in finelock backup (1,0,1) scan step lmt exc on FGS-2 @ 220/0043z GSAcq(2,1,2)scheduled at 220/00:43:39-00:50:51 resulted in finelock backup (1,0,1)using FGS-1 due to scan step limit exceeded on FGS-2 during walkdown. Prior FM update showed the small errors COMPLETED OPS REQUEST: (None) COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None) SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FGS Gsacq 29 29 FGS Reacq 21 21 FHST Update 43 43 LOSS of LOCK SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None) |
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