Daily Report #4951

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to Collect World Class Science

DAILY REPORT #4951

PERIOD COVERED: 5am October 14 - 5am October 15, 2009 (DOY 287/09:00z-288/09:00z)

OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED

ACS/WFC3 11879

CCD Daily Monitor (Part 1)

This program comprises basic tests for measuring the read noise and
dark current of the ACS WFC and for tracking the growth of hot pixels.
The recorded frames are used to create bias and dark reference images
for science data reduction and calibration. This program will be
executed four days per week (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun) for the duration of
Cycle 17. To facilitate scheduling, this program is split into three
proposals. This proposal covers 352 orbits (22 weeks) from 31 August
2009 to 31 January 2010.

NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 11947

Extended Dark Monitoring

This program takes a series of darks to obtain darks (including
amplifier glow, dark current, and shading profiles) for all three
cameras in the read-out sequences used in Cycle 17. A set of 12 orbits
will be observed every two months for a total of 72 orbits for a 12
month Cycle 17. This is a continuation of Cycle 16 program 11330
scaled down by ~80%.

The first orbit (Visit A0) should be scheduled in the NICMOS SMOV
after the DC Transfer Test (11406) and at least 36h before the Filter
Wheel Test (11407). Data download using fast track.

The following 28 orbits (visit A1-N2) should be scheduled AFTER the
SMOV Proposal 11407 (Filter Wheel Test). This is done in order to
monitor the dark current following an adjustment of the NCS set-point.
These visits should be executed until the final temperature is reached
during SMOV.

NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 8795

NICMOS Post-SAA Calibration - CR Persistence Part 6

This is 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
'Use After' 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 darks. 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.

NIC2/WFC3/IR 11548

Infrared Imaging of Protostars in the Orion A Cloud: The Role of
Environment in Star Formation

We propose NICMOS and WFC3/IR observations of a sample of 252
protostars identified in the Orion A cloud with the Spitzer Space
Telescope. These observations will image the scattered light escaping
the protostellar envelopes, providing information on the shapes of
outflow cavities, the inclinations of the protostars, and the overall
morphologies of the envelopes. In addition, we ask for Spitzer time to
obtain 55-95 micron spectra of 75 of the protostars. Combining these
new data with existing 3.6 to 70 micron photometry and forthcoming
5-40 micron spectra measured with the Spitzer Space Telescope, we will
determine the physical properties of the protostars such as envelope
density, luminosity, infall rate, and outflow cavity opening angle. By
examining how these properties vary with stellar density (i.e.
clusters vs. groups vs. isolation) and the properties of the
surrounding molecular cloud; we can directly measure how the
surrounding environment influences protostellar evolution, and
consequently, the formation of stars and planetary systems.
Ultimately, this data will guide the development of a theory of
protostellar evolution.

STIS/CCD 11844

CCD Dark Monitor Part 1

The purpose of this proposal is to monitor the darks for the STIS CCD.

STIS/CCD 11846

CCD Bias Monitor-Part 1

The purpose of this proposal is to 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.

WFC3/IR 11719

A Calibration Database for Stellar Models of Asymptotic Giant Branch
Stars

Studies of galaxy formation and evolution rely increasingly on the
interpretation and modeling of near-infrared observations. At these
wavelengths, the brightest stars are intermediate mass asymptotic
giant branch (AGB) stars. These stars can contribute nearly 50% of the
integrated luminosity at near infrared and even optical wavelengths,
particularly for the younger stellar populations characteristic of
high-redshift galaxies (z1). AGB stars are also significant sources
of dust and heavy elements. Accurate modeling of AGB stars is
therefore of the utmost importance.

The primary limitation facing current models is the lack of useful
calibration data. Current models are tuned to match the properties of
the AGB population in the Magellanic Clouds, and thus have only been
calibrated in a very narrow range of sub-solar metallicities.
Preliminary observations already suggest that the models are
overestimating AGB lifetimes by factors of 2-3 at lower metallicities.
At higher (solar) metallicities, there are no appropriate observations
for calibrating the models.

We propose a WFC3/IR SNAP survey of nearby galaxies to create a large
database of AGB populations spanning the full range of metallicities
and star formation histories. Because of their intrinsically red
colors and dusty circumstellar envelopes, tracking the numbers and
bolometric fluxes of AGB stars requires the NIR observations we
propose here. The resulting observations of nearby galaxies with deep
ACS imaging offer the opportunity to obtain large (100-1000's)
complete samples of AGB stars at a single distance, in systems with
well-constrained star formation histories and metallicities.

WFC3/IR/UV 11835

The Multi-faceted X-ray Activity of Low-redshift Active Galaxies

We propose ACIS-I observations of Chandra-unobserved low-redshift 3CRR
active galaxies and their environments. The data will complete Chandra
observations of 3CRR at z 0.1, making the sample useful for
statistical studies. Only Chandra can resolve the multiple components
of these sources, as is needed for an improved understanding of source
physics and gas heating. The imaging and spectroscopy of cores, jets,
hot spots, and atmospheres will be of permanent legacy value. We will
use the data to investigate particle acceleration, interactions
between radio plasma and the ISM and IGM, the emission mechanisms of
hot spots, and AGN fueling. Comparison with our complete Spitzer
coverage and HST images will aid interpretation. The dataset will be
made public immediately.

WFC3/UVI 11580

Watching Young Planetary Nebulae Grow: The Movie

The development of magneto-hydro gas dynamical models is the key to
the understanding of both the physics (processes) and astronomy
(initial conditions) of astrophysical nebulae of all sorts. The models
are reaching their highest degree of accuracy when applied to and
compared against pre Planetary Nebulae (pPNe) thanks to the
simplicity, relative lack of extinction, and the detail of the imaging
and kinematic data that have bcome available for these objects. The
primary barrier to progress is inadequate kinematic data of pPNe
against which the predictions models can be tested. Unlike PNe, pPNe
do not emit emission lines for detailed Doppler measurements.
Therefore it is essential to find another way to monitor the
morphological evolution.

Only HST can uncover the dynamics of the growth patterns by
subtracting multi-epoch images spanning a decade or more. We have
selected four pPNe with highly collimated outflows in different
evolutionary stages for which high-quality first epoch images were
obtained from 1996 to 2002. All of them display regularly shaped thin
rims, sharp edges, and symmetric pairs of knots or bowshocks that are
ideal for our purposes. We will closely mimic many of the earlier
exposures using ACS and to monitor changes in structures. The
morphology and its evolution will be compared to 3-D MHD models with
adaptive grids in order to build a far clearer picture of the nuclear
geometry which shaped the outflows and constrained their propagation
to the present. We shall also obtain R, J, and H images for use with a
3-D dust radiative transfer code LELUYA to model the dust distribution
deep into the nuclear zones.

WFC3/UVI 11615

Hunting for Optical Companions to Binary MSPs in Globular Clusters

Here we present a proposal which exploits the re-newed potential of
HST after the Service Mission 4 for probing the population of binary
Millisecond Pulsars (MSPs) in Globular Clusters. In particular we
intend to: (1) extend the search for optical counterparts in Terzan 5,
by pushing the performance of the WFC3 IR channel to sample the entire
MS extension down to M=0.1 Mo; (2) perform a deep multi-band search of
MSP companions with the WFC3, in 3 clusters (namely NGC6440, M28 and
M5), where recent radio observations have found particularly
interesting objects; (3) derive an accurate radial velocity (with
STIS) of the puzzling optical companion COM6266B recently discovered
by our group, to firmly assess its cluster membership. This program is
the result of a large collaboration among the three major groups (lead
by Freire, Ransom and Possenti) which are performing extensive MSP
search in GCs in the radio bands, and our group which has a large
experience in performing accurate stellar photometry in crowded
environments. This collaboration has produced a number of outstanding
discoveries. In fact, three of the 6 optical counterparts to binary
MSP companions known to date in GCs have been discovered by our group.
The observations here proposed would easily double/triple the existing
sample of known MSP companions, allowing the first meaningful approach
to the study of the formation, evolution and recycling process of
pulsar in GCs. Moreover, since most of binary MSPs in GCs are thought
to form via stellar interactions in the high density core regions, the
determination of the nature of the companion and the incidence of this
collisionally-induced population has a significant impact on our
knowledge of the cluster dynamics. Even more interesting, the study of
the optical companions to NSs in GCs allows one to derive tighter
constraints (than those obtainable for NS binaries in the Galactic
field) on the system properties. This has, in turn, an intrisic
importance for fundamental physics, since it offers the opportunity of
measuring the mass of the NS and hence constraining the equation of
state of matter at the nuclear equilibrium density.

WFC3/UVIS 11905

WFC3 UVIS CCD Daily Monitor

The behavior of the WFC3 UVIS CCD will be monitored daily with a set
of full-frame, four-amp bias and dark frames. A smaller set of 2Kx4K
subarray biases are acquired at less frequent intervals throughout the
cycle to support subarray science observations. The internals from
this proposal, along with those from the anneal procedure (Proposal
11909), will be used to generate the necessary superbias and superdark
reference files for the calibration pipeline (CDBS).

WFC3/UVIS 11908

Cycle 17: UVIS Bowtie Monitor

Ground testing revealed an intermittent hysteresis type effect in the
UVIS detector (both CCDs) at the level of ~1%, lasting hours to days.
Initially found via an unexpected bowtie-shaped feature in flatfield
ratios, subsequent lab tests on similar e2v devices have since shown
that it is also present as simply an overall offset across the entire
CCD, i.e., a QE offset without any discernable pattern. These lab
tests have further revealed that overexposing the detector to count
levels several times full well fills the traps and effectively
neutralizes the bowtie. Each visit in this proposal acquires a set of
three 3x3 binned internal flatfields: the first unsaturated image will
be used to detect any bowtie, the second, highly exposed image will
neutralize the bowtie if it is present, and the final image will allow
for verification that the bowtie is gone.

FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary
reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be
investigated.)

HSTARS: (None)

COMPLETED OPS REQUEST: (None)

COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)

SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL
FGS GSAcq 07 07
FGS REAcq 10 10
OBAD with Maneuver 05 05

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)