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Daily 3456
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
DAILY REPORT # 3456 PERIOD COVERED: DOYs 269-271 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. FGS 9971 FGS Astrometry of a Star Hosting an Extrasolar Planet: The Mass of Upsilon Andromedae d We propose observations with HST/FGS to determine the astrometric elements {perturbation orbit semimajor axis and inclination} produced by the outermost extra-solar planet orbiting the F8V star Upsilon Andromedae. These observations will permit us to determine the actual mass of the planet by providing the presently unknown sin i factor intrinsic to the radial velocity method which discovered this object. An inclination, i = 30degrees, within the range of one very low precision determination using reanalyzed HIPPARCOS intermediate data products, would produce the observed radial velocity amplitude, K = 66 ms with a companion mass of ~8 M_Jupiter. Such a mass would induce in Upsilon Andromedae a perturbation semi-major axis, Alpha = 0arcs0012, easily within the reach of HST/FGS fringe tracking astrometry. The proposed observations will yield a planetary mass, rather than, as previous investigations have done, only suggest a planetary mass companion. FGS 9969 FGS Astrometry of the Extrasolar Planet of Epsilon Eridani We propose observations with HST/FGS in Position Mode to determine the astrometric elements {perturbation orbit semimajor axis and inclination} of the candidate extra-solar planet around the K2 V star Epsilon Eridani that has been detected by Doppler spectroscopy. These observations will also permit us to determine the actual mass of the planet by providing the sin{i} factor which can not be determined with the radial velocity method. High precision radial velocity {RV} measurements spanning the years 1980.8--2000.0 for the nearby {3.22 pc} star Epsilon Eri show convincing variations with a period of ~ 7 yrs. These data represent a combination of six independent data sets taken with four different telescopes. A least squares orbital solution using robust estimation yields orbital parameters of period, P = 6.9 yrs, velocity K- amplitude = 19 m/s, eccentricity e = 0.6, projected companion mass M_B sin{i} = 0.83 M_Jupiter. An estimate of the inclination yields a perturbation semi-major axis, Alpha = 0arcs0022, easily within the reach of HST/FGS astrometry. FGS 9879 An Astrometric Calibration of the Cepheid Period-Luminosity Relation We propose to measure the parallaxes of 10 Galactic Cepheid variables. There is no other instrument on or off the earth that can consistently deliver HST FGS level of precision for critical parallaxes. When these parallaxes {with 1-sigma precisions of 10% or better} are added to our recent HST FGS parallax determination of delta Cep {Benedict et al 2002}, we anticipate determining the Period-Luminosity relation zero point with a 0.03 mag precision. In addition to permitting the test of assumptions that enter into other Cepheid distance determination techniques, this calibration will reintroduce Galactic Cepheids as a fundamental step in the extragalactic distance scale ladder. A Period-Luminosity relation derived from solar metallicity Cepheids can be applied directly to extragalactic solar metallicity Cepheids, removing the need to bridge with the Large Magellanic Cloud and its associated metallicity complications. NIC2 9867 How Do Brown Dwarfs Form? With NICMOS/NIC2 imaging of five brown dwarfs and one low mass star that we have identfied in a young cluster in OMC2/3, we plan to assess the similarities between brown dwarf formation and low mass star formation by searching for the presence of shocked H2 line emission from jets/outflows, close binary companions, and/or reflection nebulosity from protostellar envelopes and outflow cavities. The detection of these phenomena would be evidence that brown dwarfs result from the continuation of the tar formation process to masses below the hydrogen burning limit, and not through the dynamical ejection of stellar embryos as has been recently proposed. This proposal is complimentary to our SIRTF GTO program designed to search for circumstellar disks by measuring the spectral energy distribution of these sources out to 8 microns. This task requires not only high spatial resolution, but also a stable, unchanging PSF such as HST provides. STIS/CCD 9866 First Spectroscopic Study of a Unique Set of Young Stars in the Orion Nebula We propose to obtain the first spectra of the central stars of Orion proplyds for which the stars are visible in WFPC images. While it is known that the central stars are broadly late-type, they have never been spectrally classified or studied in detail as pre-MS objects. The Orion proplyds are generally thought to be protoplanetary disks similar to the primordial disk of the Solar System. They offer a unique opportunity to understand the physical conditions of protoplanetary disks in a nebular environment generally believed to be typical of that in which most stars formed. Models of the proplyds are available which predict the observable IR spectral energy distribution using the spectral type of the central star as part of the numerical input. Further progress in understanding proplyds will require knowledge of the spectral types of these stars. We will use already-proven diagnostics for spectrally classifying late-type PMS stars. In addition, many emission lines are expected in objects of this age which can be used to look for infall and outflow. Different accretion models of young stars predict different line widths, so our observations can help test models of late-type pre-MS stars and can be used to compare as pre-MS objects the proplyd stars with other pre-MS stars. 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. STIS/CCD/MA1/WFPC2 9794 The Physical Parameters and Stellar Winds of Hot, Massive Stars at High Metallicity: O-stars in the Andromeda Galaxy Stellar winds are a ubiquitous phenomenon among high luminosity hot stars, and the resulting mass-loss has a significant effect on their evolution, as a very massive star might lose half its mass during its main-sequence life. There has been significant progress in understanding the physics of radiatively-driven winds, and simple theoretical parameterizations of mass-loss with stellar properties, such as luminosity, effective temperature, and surface gravity, have been developed. These provide good agreement with the observed mass-loss rates for Galactic stars. Scaling these mass-loss rates to other environments, where the metallicity Z is different than solar, requires a power-law in Z, but various studies have found values for this exponent ranging from 0.5 to 1.0. Here we are hampered by the scant range in metallicities covered by the observational database, which extends only from one-third solar {SMC} to solar {Milky Way}. We are proposing to extend this work to a sample of four O8-O8.5If stars in the Andromeda Galaxy {M31}, where the metallicity measured from HII regions is about twice solar. Significant ground-based and HST time has gone into setting the stage for this, but it is only in the last few years that good throughput in the FUV {thanks to STIS/MAMA} and large aperture optical telescopes have permitted the gathering of data of the quality needed for a quantitative spectroscopic analysis similar to what we can do for low-metallicity Magellanic Cloud stars. We have obtained most of the optical spectra we need with the newly reburbished 6.5-m MMT and are now requesting the FUV spectra that only HST/STIS can provide. The resulting analysis will not only yield mass-loss rates but also the physical parameters {Teff, log g, luminosity, radius, mass, and metallicity}, which can then be compared to their lower-metallicity counterparts. Parallel imaging with WFPC2 and ACS will provide data useful to ourselves and others for the study of the resolved stellar population of the Local Group galaxy most like our own. ACS/HRC/WFC 9793 The Grism-ACS Program for Extragalactic Science {GRAPES} We propose an ACS grism spectroscopic survey with a wide component and an ultradeep single ACS field. The wide component covers the well-imaged GOODS Chandra Deep Field south and the deepest field will be the Ultra Deep field to be observed in cycles 11 and 12. The Grism ACS Program for Extra-galactic Science {GRAPES} will: {1} Probe the reionization epoch by robustly determining the luminosity function of Lyman-alpha emitters, Lyman break galaxies and low luminosity AGNs at z~6, and thus the sources of ionizing photons at the end of the "dark ages". A similar census of ionizing photon sources at z=4-6 needed to maintain the ionized state of the IGM will also be achieved. {2} Study galaxy formation and evolution by finding galaxies in a contiguous redshift range between z=4-7 and evolution of black holes through a census of low-luminosity AGNs. {3} Study star-formation and galaxy assembly at its peak at z=1-2 by identifying star-forming galaxies by their emission lines, old galaxies by the 4000 AA break and any combination of new and old populations showing both lines and breaks. {4} Allow the deepest unbiased spectroscopy yet, for identification of objects to I=27. {5} Enhance the value of multiwavelength data in the UDF and GOODS field to the astronomical community. STIS 9786 The Next Generation Spectral Library We propose to continue the Cycle 10 snapshot program to produce a Next Generation Spectral Library of 600 stars for use in modeling the integrated light of galaxies and clusters. This program is using the low dispersion UV and optical gratings of STIS. The library will be roughly equally divided among four metallicities, very low {[Fe/H] lt -1.5}, low {[Fe/H] -1.5 to -0.5}, near-solar {[Fe/H] -0.3 to 0.1}, and super-solar {[Fe/H] gt 0.2}, well-sampling the entire HR-diagram in each bin. Such a library will surpass all extant compilations and have lasting archival value, well into the Next Generation Space Telescope era. Because of the universal utility and community-broad nature of this venture, we waive the entire proprietary period. ACS/WFC/HRC 9771 The local Hubble flow and the density field within 6 Mpc Great progress has been made recently in accurate distance measurements of nearby galaxies beyond the Local Group based on the luminosity of the tip of the red giant branch {TRGB}. Over the last three years, snapshot surveys with HST have provided us with the TRGB distances for more than a hundred nearby galaxies obtained with an accuracy of about 10%. The local velocity field within 5 Mpc exhibits a significant anisotropy which disagrees with a spherical Virgo-centric flow. The local Hubble flow is very cold, with 1-D rms deviations of ~30 km/s. Cosmological simulations with Cold Dark Matter can only realize such low dispersions with a combination of a low mean density of matter and a substantial component with negative pressure. There may be a constraint on the equation of state w=-p/rho. Our observations will concentrate on 116 galaxies whose expected distances lie within 4 - 6 Mpc, allowing us to trace a Dark Matter distribution in the Local Volume with twice the information currently available. The program is a good one for SNAP mode because the order and rate that the observations are made are not very important, as long as there is good completion over several years. 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. NIC2 9741 The Exciting Wavelength of Extended Red Emission We propose to determine the wavelength of the photons which excite Extended Red Emission {ERE} by mapping the small scale structure of ERE and molecular hydrogen {H_2} in the reflection nebulae NGC 2023 and 7023. Both of these nebulae display sharp narrow ERE-filaments within photodissociation regions {PDR} which also show infrared H_2 fluorescence. In these opically thick filaments, different wavelength photons penetrate to different depths. By comparing the widths of these filaments in ERE and H_2 we will determine the exciting wavelength of ERE. This is possible because the combined opacity of dust and H_2 to the exciting radiation {lambda 1100 A} of H_2 fluorescence is known, and the comparison of the thickness of the ERE and H_2 filaments will allow a determination of the dust opacity at the wavelength at which ERE is being excited. This is a sensitive test to distinguish between different materials which have been proposed as the carrier of ERE {e.g., carbon or silicon nanoparticles, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon molecules, hydrogenated amorphous carbon, etc.}, because the photoluminescense excitation spectra of these different materials differ by large amounts. Identifying the material which produces ERE is important as recent work on ERE in the diffuse interstellar medium has shown that the material which produces ERE comprises a significant component of dust grains. 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 9709 POMS Test Proposal: 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. ACS 9675 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. STIS 9633 STIS parallel archive proposal - Nearby Galaxies - Imaging and Spectroscopy Using parallel opportunities with STIS which were not allocated by the TAC, we propose to obtain deep STIS imagery with both the Clear {50CCD} and Long-Pass {F28X50LP} filters in order to make color-magnitude diagrams and luminosity functions for nearby galaxies. For local group galaxies, we also include G750L slitless spectroscopy to search for e.g., Carbon stars, late M giants and S-type stars. This survey will be useful to study the star formation histories, chemical evolution, and distances to these galaxies. These data will be placed immediately into the Hubble Data Archive. STIS 9608 CCD Bias Monitor - Part 2 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 9606 CCD Dark Monitor-Part 2 Monitor the darks for the STIS CCD. WFPC2 9595 WFPC2 CYCLE 11 SUPPLEMENTAL DARKS pt3/3 This dark calibration program obtains 3 dark frames every day to provide data for monitoring and characterizing the evolution of hot pixels. WFPC2 9589 WFPC2 Decontaminations and Associated Observations Pt. 1/3 This proposal is for the monthly WFPC2 decons. Also included are instrument monitors tied to decons: photometric stability check, focus monitor, pre- and post-decon internals {bias, intflats, kspots, & darks}, UV throughput check, VISFLAT sweep, and internal UV flat check. NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 8792 NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 3 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. STIS/CCD 10000 STIS Pure Parallel Imaging Program: Cycle 12 This is the default archival pure parallel program for STIS during cycle 12. FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY: Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be investigated.) HSTAR 9158: GS Acquisition (3,2,3) @ 20:00:15Z failed to Gyro hold due to SRLE on FGS 2 and 3. Previous FHST FM update passed with low error and the following FHST Map showed errors. Following GS Re-acquisition @ 269/21:24:55Z also failed to Gyro hold due to SRLE on FGS 2. Under investigation. Executed Ops Note 1161: HST486 Full RAM and EEPROM Memory Dump. SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES FGS GSacq 18 18 FGS REacq 15 15 FHST Update 31 31 LOSS of LOCK SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: CCS Release 5.0.3 Issues Test completed on Day 269. Successfully completed Quick Update to OPSPRD O06300 for all CCS operational string (OR 17042 and GSCA 711). |
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