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Daily Rpt #4410



 
 
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Old July 24th 07, 03:20 PM posted to sci.astro.hubble
Bassford, Lynn
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Posts: 44
Default Daily Rpt #4410

Notice: Due to the conversion of some ACS WFC or HRC observations into
WFPC2, or NICMOS observations after the loss of ACS CCD science
capability in January, there may be an occasional discrepancy between
a proposal's listed (and correct) instrument usage and the abstract
that follows it.

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science

DAILY REPORT # 4410

PERIOD COVERED: UT July 23, 2007 (DOY 204)

OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED

WFPC2 10787

Modes of Star Formation and Nuclear Activity in an Early Universe
Laboratory

Nearby compact galaxy groups are uniquely suited to exploring the
mechanisms of star formation amid repeated and ongoing gravitational
encounters, conditions similar to those of the high redshift universe.
These dense groups host a variety of modes of star formation, and they
enable fresh insights into the role of gas in galaxy evolution. With
Spitzer mid-IR observations in hand, we have begun to obtain high
quality, multi-wavelength data for a well-defined sample of 12 nearby
{4500km/s} compact groups covering the full range of evolutionary
stages. Here we propose to obtain sensitive BVI images with the
ACS/WFC, deep enough to reach the turnover of the globular cluster
luminosity function, and WFPC2 U-band and ACS H-alpha images of
Spitzer- identified regions hosting the most recent star formation. In
total, we expect to detect over 1000 young star clusters forming
inside and outside galaxies, more than 4000 old globular clusters in
40 giant galaxies {including 16 early-type galaxies}, over 20 tidal

features, approximately 15 AGNs, and intragroup gas in most of the 12
groups. Combining the proposed ACS images with Chandra observations,
UV GALEX observations, ground-based H-alpha imaging, and HI data, we
will conduct a detailed study of stellar nurseries, dust, gas
kinematics, and AGN.

WFPC2 11024

WFPC2 CYCLE 15 INTERNAL MONITOR

This calibration proposal is the Cycle 15 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
{both gain 7 and gain 15 -- to test stability of gains and bias
levels}, a test for quantum efficiency in the CCDs, and a monitor for
possible buildup of contaminants on the CCD windows. These also
provide raw data for generating annual super-bias reference files for
the calibration pipeline.

NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 8794

NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 5

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 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 11157

NICMOS Imaging Survey of Dusty Debris Around Nearby Stars Across the
Stellar Mass Spectrum

Association of planetary systems with dusty debris disks is now quite
secure, and advances in our understanding of planet formation and
evolution can be achieved by the identification and characterization
of an ensemble of debris disks orbiting a range of central stars with
different masses and ages. Imaging debris disks in starlight scattered
by dust grains remains technically challenging so that only about a
dozen systems have thus far been imaged. A further advance in this
field needs an increased number of imaged debris disks. However, the
technical challege of such observations, even with the superb
combination of HST and NICMOS, requires the best targets. Recent HST
imaging investigations of debris disks were sample-limited not limited
by the technology used. We performed a search for debris disks from a
IRAS/Hipparcos cross correlation which involved an exhaustive
background contamination check to weed out false excess stars. Out of
~140 identified debris disks, we selected 22 best targets in terms of
dust optical depth and disk angular size. Our target sample represents
the best currently available target set in terms of both disk
brightness and resolvability. For example, our targets have higher
dust optical depth, in general, than newly identified Spitzer disks.
Also, our targets cover a wider range of central star ages and masses
than previous debris disk surveys. This will help us to investigate
planetary system formation and evolution across the stellar mass
spectrum. The technical feasibility of this program in two-gyro mode
guiding has been proven with on-orbit calibration and science
observations during HST cycles 13, 14, and 15.

NIC3 10996

NICMOS J-band Imaging of Strongly Lensing Clusters

We propose to use deep imaging in the F110W {'J'} band over a large
area to search for highly magnified galaxies around massive lensing
clusters.

WFPC2 11023

WFPC2 CYCLE 15 Standard Darks - part 1

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 11084

Probing the Least Luminous Galaxies in the Local Universe

We propose to obtain deep color-magnitude data of eight new Local
Group galaxies which we recently discovered: Andromeda XI, Andromeda
XII, and Andromeda XIII {satellites of M31}; Canes Venatici I, Canes
Venatici II, Hercules, and Leo IV {satellites of the Milky Way}; an
Leo T, a new "free-floating" Local Group dwarf spheroidal with
evidence for recent star formation and associated H I gas. These
represent the least luminous galaxies known at *any* redshift, and are
the only accessible laboratories for studying this extreme regime of
galaxy formation. With deep WFPC-2 F606W and F814W pointings at their
centers, we will determine whether these objects contain single or
multiple age stellar populations, as well as whether these objects
display a range of metallicities.

WFPC2 11314

Calibration of MARCI UV using WFPC2 Ultraviolet imaging is a major
unique component of the MARCI experiment on MRO. Unfortunately the
calibration of the UV, especially of the 260 nm filter, on MARCI
is uncertain due to various unexpected problems during laboratory
calibration. Two orbits of WFPC2 observations are requested to
properly calibrate the UV using simultaneous MRO / HST
observations in a favorable geometry where HST is "looking over
the shoulder" of MRO.

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:

Ops request #18115-0 USN_DON Engineering Test Pass was successfully
executed. All test objectives were met. Today's pass, consisting of a
32K PRT data flow, 32K real time telemetry and a 1M SSR PDF O P/B, was
the third of three needed for station certification.

COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)

*************************** SCHEDULED***** SUCCESSFUL
FGS GSacq********************* 8************** 8
FGS REacq********************* 6************** 6
OBAD with Maneuver****** 26************* 26


SIGNIFICANT EVENTS:

Following completion of yesterday's test pass using USN's Dongara,
Australia ground station, HST Operations declared that station fully
certified for HST use in contingencies.



 




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