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Daily #4048
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science
DAILY REPORT #4048 PERIOD COVERED: UT February 10,11,12, 2006 (DOY 041,042,043) OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED 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. ACS/WFC 10760 Black Hole X-ray Novae in M31 We have been carring out a Chandra {GO+GTO} and HST {GO} program to find Black Hole X-ray Nova {BHXN} and their optical counterparts in M31 for several years. To date we have found 2 dozen BHXN and 3 HST optical counterparts for these BHXN. Our results suggest a rather high ratio of BH to neutron star {NS} binaries, or a high duty cycle for the BHXN. We propose to continue this program, with the goal of determining the orbital period distribution and duty cycles of these BHXN. Current results yield 3 orbital periods and 2 upper limits. Our proposed observations will ~double the total number of periods and therefore yield sufficient numbers to make a first approximation of the orbital period distribution. The orbital period distribution is the fundamental observable parameter any binary stellar evolution models must match, and the duty cycle is very poorly known but directly influences the binary lifetime. M31 is the only galaxy in which this extra-galactic study of BHXN is feasible. ACS/HRC/WFC 10729 ACS CCDs daily monitor 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 programme will be for the entire lifetime of ACS. Changes from cycle 13:- The default gain for WFC is 2 e-/DN. As before bias frames will be collected for both gain 1 and gain 2. Dark frames are acquired using the default gain {2}. This program cover the period Oct, 2 2005- May, 29-2006. The second half of the program has a different proposal number: 10758. NIC1/NC2/NC3 10723 Cycle 14 NICMOS dark current, shading profile, and read noise monitoring program The purpose of this proposal is to monitor the dark current, read noise, and shading profile for all three NICMOS detectors throughout the duration of Cycle 14. This proposal is a slightly modified version of proposal 10380 of cycle 13 and 9993 of cycle12 that we cut down some exposure time to make the observation fit within 24 orbits. ACS/WFC 10705 Hubble Heritage Observations of NGC 5866 The Hubble Heritage team will use a single pointing of ACS WFC to obtain B, V, and R images of NGC 5866 {M102} as part of a public release image. ACS/HRC 10602 A Complete Multiplicity Survey of Galactic O2/O3/O3.5 Stars with ACS Massive stars are preferentially formed in compact multiple systems and clusters and many of them remain spatially unresolved to date, even in our Galaxy. This has hindered the determination of the stellar upper mass limit. The lack of an accurate knowledge of the multiplicity of massive stars can also introduce biases in the calculation of the IMF at its high-mass end. We have recently used ACS/HRC to resolve HD 93129 A, the earliest O-type star known in the Galaxy, into a 55 mas binary. We propose here to extend that work into a complete multi-filter ACS imaging survey of all {20} known O2/O3/O3.5 Galactic stars to characterize the multiplicity of the most massive stars. The data will be combined with existing FGS observations to explore as large a parameter range as possible and to check for consistency. We will also derive the IMF of each system using a crowded-field photometry package and processing the data with CHORIZOS, a code that can derive stellar temperatures, extinctions, and extinction laws from multicolor photometry. ACS/WFC 10592 An ACS Survey of a Complete Sample of Luminous Infrared Galaxies in the Local Universe At luminosities above 10^11.4 L_sun, the space density of far-infrared selected galaxies exceeds that of optically selected galaxies. These `luminous infrared galaxies' {LIRGs} are primarily interacting or merging disk galaxies undergoing enhanced star formation and Active Galactic Nuclei {AGN} activity, possibly triggered as the objects transform into massive S0 and elliptical merger remnants. We propose ACS/WFC imaging of a complete sample of 88 L_IR 10^11.4 L_sun luminous infrared galaxies in the IRAS Revised Bright Galaxy Sample {RBGS: i.e., 60 micron flux density 5.24 Jy}. This sample is ideal not only in its completeness and sample size, but also in the proximity and brightness of the galaxies. The superb sensitivity, resolution, and field of view of ACS/WFC on HST enables a unique opportunity to study the detailed structure of galaxies that sample all stages of the merger process. Imaging will be done with the F439W and F814W filters {B and I-band} to examine as a function of both luminosity and merger state {i} the evidence at optical wavelengths of star formation and AGN activity and the manner in which instabilities {bars and bridges} in the galaxies may funnel material to these active regions, {ii} the relationship between star formation and AGN activity, and {iii} the structural properties {AGN, bulge, and disk components} and fundamental parameters {effective radius and surface brightness} of LIRGs and their similarity with putative evolutionary byproducts {elliptical, S0 and classical AGN host galaxies}. This HST survey will also bridge the wavelength gap between a Spitzer imaging survey {covering seven bands in the 3.6-160 micron range} and a GALEX UV imaging survey of these galaxies, but will resolve complexes of star clusters and multiple nuclei at resolutions well beyond the capabilities of either Spitzer or GALEX. The combined datasets will result in the most comprehensive multiwavelength study of interacting and merging galaxies to date. 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}, 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 10576 An ACS Imaging Survey of the Galaxies Hosting Strong Mg II Absorption Strong MgII absorbers {with rest-frame absorption equivalent width W_MgII 0.3 A} at redshift z 1 are known to arise in extended gaseous halos around luminous galaxies. Detailed absorption line studies based on high-solution spectra of background quasars yield tight constraints on the metallicity, ionization state, and kinematics of the gaseous clouds. But whether they originate in gas accreted from surrounding satellite galaxies or outflows associated with active starburst in the host galaxies remains unclear. We have recently completed a search of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey data archive for strong MgII absorbers and identified over 1000 new systems that are previously unknown. A subset of these MgII absorbers with W_MgII 1.8 A exhibit extreme kinematics with velocity widths {exceeding 200 km/s} in our follow-up echelle spectra. Their dynamics are consistent with various scenarios that include gas accretion {with speeds exceeding the virial velocity} and starburst outflows {possibly driven by recent merger events}. Independent of their exact nature, it is clear that strong MgII systems serve as signposts to galactic halos with extreme gas dynamics. Here we propose to conduct a snapshot survey of galaxies in the fields toward high-redshift quasars with known, strong MgII absorbers at 0.5 z 2. We plan to obtain high spatial-resolution ACS/WFC images of 60 fields to uncover galaxies fainter than L* at the redshifts of these absorbers and study their morphology. We will complement the HST observations with follow-up spectroscopic observations and IR images acquired at the Keck and Magellan Observatories to for redshift identifications and for measuring broad-band colors. We will investigate the correlation between absorption line kinematics and galaxy morphology. In particular, we will address whether on-going mergers is responsible for the extreme dynamics observed in MgII absorption based on their rest-frame ultraviolet morphology. ACS/HRC 10572 Resolving M32's Main Sequence: A Critical Test for Stellar Population Studies We propose to observe the M32 main-sequence turnoff {MSTO} with deep ACS/HRC B and V images. Only the superior resolution and blue sensitivity of ACS/HRC make this possible. M32 is the only elliptical galaxy close enough to allow direct observation of its MSTO - it is a vital laboratory for deciphering the stellar populations of all other elliptical galaxies, which can only be studied by the spectra of their integrated light, given their greater distances. Major questions about M32's star formation history remain unanswered. Spectral studies suggest that M32 underwent a recent burst of star formation 3 to 8 billion years ago; observation of the M32 MSTO will confirm this directly. In the process, ACS will easily resolve more luminous components: hot blue stars, luminous, intermediate-age red clump and AGB stars, and any extended blue horizontal branch. These detailed CMDs will provide a direct comparison with population synthesis models for M32, providing a bridge to studies of the integrated light of more distant elliptical galaxies, a crucial ingredient for understanding their star formation histories. As M32 is projected against the edge of the M31 disk, an essential part of our proposal includes deep observation of an M31 disk field to allow the M32 photometry to be background corrected. These observations will reveal the star formation history of M31's outer disk and are thus of interest in their own right. ACS/HRC 10557 Probing Asteroid Families for Evidence of Ultraviolet Space Weathering Effects We propose six HST orbits to obtain UV reflectance spectra covering 200-460 nm of two Vesta asteroid family members, asteroid 832 Karin, and two Karin family members. These observations extend work done under a Cycle 13 AR grant, where we analyzed all of the existing IUE and HST S-class asteroids in the MAST database to investigate the effects of space weathering at UV wavelengths. Our hypothesis is that the manifestation of space weathering at UV wavelengths is a spectral bluing, in contrast with a spectral reddening at visible-NIR wavelengths, and that UV wavelengths can be more sensitive to relatively small amounts of weathering than longer wavelengths. The proposed observations will address two objectives: {1} Measure the UV-visible spectra of 832 Karin and two members of the young Karin family {absolute age of 5.8 My}, in order to determine whether intermediate space weathering is observable in objects likely pristine when they originated from the interior of Karin's pa rent body. {2} Measure the UV-visible spectra of two members of the Vesta family to compare with our analysis of IUE Vesta spectra. These observations will probe Vesta's interior, and test our hypothesis by contrasting the apparent amount of alteration on the surfaces of Vestoids with excavated material on Vesta. ACS/WFC 10543 Microlensing in M87 and the Virgo Cluster Resolving the nature of dark matter is an urgent problem. The results of the MACHO survey of the Milky Way dark halo toward the LMC indicate that a significant fraction of the halo consists of stellar mass objects. The VATT/Columbia survey of M31 finds a similar lens fraction in the M31 dark halo. We propose a series of observations with ACS that will provide the most thorough search for microlensing toward M87, the central elliptical galaxy of the Virgo cluster. This program is optimized for lenses in the mass range from 0.01 to 1.0 solar masses. By comparing with archival data, we can detect lenses as massive as 100 solar masses, such as the remnants of the first stars. These observations will have at least 15 times more sensitivity to microlensing than any previous survey, e.g. using WFPC2. This is due to the factor of 2 larger area, factor of more than 4 more sensitivity in the I-band, superior pixel scale and longer baseline of observations. Based on the halo microlensing results in the Milky Way and M31, we might expect that galaxy collisions and stripping would populate the overall cluster halo with a large number of stellar mass objects. This program would determine definitively if such objects compose the cluster dark matter at the level seen in the Milky Way. A negative result would indicate that such objects do not populate the intracluster medium, and may indicate that galaxy harassment is not as vigorous as expected. We can measure the level of events due to the M87 halo: this would be the best exploration to date of such a lens population in an elliptical galaxy. Star-star lensing should also be detectable. About 20 erupting classical novae will be seen, allowing to determine the definitive nova rate for this giant elliptical galaxy. We will determine if our recent HST detection of an M87 globular cluster nova was a fluke, or indicative of a 100x higher rate of incidence of cataclysmic variables and nova eruptions in globulars than previously believed. We will examine the populations of variable stars, and will be able to cleanly separate them from microlensing. ACS/WFC/NIC3/WFPC2 10530 Probing Evolution And Reionization Spectroscopically {PEARS} While imaging with HST has gone deep enough to probe the highest redshifts, e.g. the GOODS survey and the Ultra Deep Field, spectroscopic identifications have not kept up. We propose an ACS grism survey to get slitless spectra of all sources in a wide survey region {8 ACS fields} up to z =27.0 magnitude, and an ultradeep field in the HUDF reaching sources up to z =28 magnitude. The PEARS survey will: {1} Find and spectrocopically confirm all galaxies between z=4-7. {2} Probe the reionization epoch by robustly determining the luminosity function of galaxies and low luminosity AGNs at z = 4 - 6. With known redshifts, we can get a local measure of star formation and ionization rate in case reionization is inhomogeneous. {3} Study galaxy formation and evolution by finding galaxies in a contiguous redshift range between 4 z 7, and black hole evolution through a census of low-luminosity AGNs. {4} Get a robust census of galaxies with old stellar populations at 1 z 2.5, invaluable for checking consistency with heirarchical models of galaxy formation. Fitting these galaxies' spectra will yield age and metallicity estimates. {5} Study star-formation and galaxy assembly at its peak at 1 z 2 by identifying emission lines in star-forming galaxies, old populations showing the 4000A break, and any combination of the two. {6} Constrain faint white dwarfs in the Galactic halo and thus measure their contribution to the dark matter halo. {7} Derive spectro-photometric redshifts by using the grism spectra along with broadband data. This will be the deepest unbiased spectroscopy yet, and will enhance the value of the multiwavelength data in UDF and the GOODS fields to the astronomical community. To this end we will deliver reduced spectra to the HST archives. ACS/WFC 10520 Resolving the Complex Star Formation History of the Leo I Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy Determining the star formation histories {SFHs} and chemical evolution of nearby galaxies gives us powerful constrains on the physical processes that regulate galaxy evolution. The SFHs can be measured most accurately by comparing the observed densities of stars in color-magnitude diagrams {CMDs} to predictions from stellar evolutionary models. WFPC2 imaging of the Leo I dSph shows it is unique because its stellar population is relatively young. Approximately 68% of its stars formed between 1 and 7 Gyr ago and only 12% of its stars formed ~ 10 Gyr ago. We propose to vastly improve the derived SFH of Leo I by exploiting ACS/WFC's higher quantum efficiency at bluer wavelengths, higher spatial resolution, and larger field-of-view. The figure of merit for our proposed observations, defined as the age resolution times the number of stars detected, will be a factor of 12 higher than existing WFPC2 observations. To surmount the degeneracy of age and metallicity in the CMD, we have independently measured the metallicity distribution of its stars using spectroscopy. Simultaneously modeling the metallicity distribution and CMD, we will firmly constrain the evolution of the Leo I dSph, a unique example of an isolated dwarf galaxy that has not been influenced by interactions with the Milky Way or M31. FGS 10480 Parallaxes of Extreme Halo Subgiants: Calibrating Globular Cluster Distances and the Ages of the Oldest The ages of the oldest stars are a key constraint on the evolution of our Galaxy, the history of star formation, and cosmological models. These ages are usually determined from globular clusters. However, it is alternatively possible to determine ages of extreme Population II subgiants in the solar neighborhood based on trigonometric parallaxes, without any recourse to clusters. This approach completely avoids the vexing issues of cluster distances, reddenings, and chemical compositions. There are 3 known nearby, extremely metal-deficient Pop II subgiants with Hipparcos parallax errors of 6-11% which are available for such age determinations. At present, based on the latest isochrones, the derived ages of these stars {HD 84937, HD 132475, and HD 140283} are all close to 14 Gyr, uncomfortably close to or higher than current estimates of the age of the universe. However, the errors in the Hipparcos parallaxes imply uncertainties of at least 2 Gyr in the ages of the 3 stars. We propose to measure parallaxes of these three Pop II subgiants using HST's Fine Guidance Sensor 1R. We expect to reduce the Hipparcos parallax error bars by factors of 5-6, providing the most stringent test yet of current theoretical stellar models of Pop II stars and pushing the age uncertainties to below 0.5 Gyr. These data will also provide a major new constraint on the distance scale of globular clusters, with wide implications for stellar evolution and the calibration of Pop II standard candles. The ages of the oldest stars are a key constraint on the evolution of our Galaxy, the history of star formation, and cosmological models. These ages are usually determined from globular clusters. However, it is alternatively possible to determine ages of extreme Population II subgiants in the solar neighborhood based on trigonometric parallaxes, without any recourse to clusters. This approach completely avoids the vexing issues of cluster distances, reddenings, and chemical compositions. There are 3 known nearby, extremely metal- deficient Pop II subgiants with Hipparcos parallax errors of 6-11% which are available for such age determinations. At present, based on the latest isochrones, the derived ages of these stars {HD 84937, HD 132475, and HD 140283} are all close to 14 Gyr, uncomfortably close to or higher than current estimates of the age of the universe. However, the errors in the Hipparcos parallaxes imply uncertainties of at least 2 Gyr in the ages of the 3 stars. We propose to measure parallaxes of these three Pop II subgiants using HST's Fine Guidance Sensor 1R. We expect to reduce the Hipparcos parallax error bars by factors of 5-6, providing the most stringent test yet of current theoretical stellar models of Pop II stars and pushing the age uncertainties to below 0.5 Gyr. These data will also provide a major new constraint on the distance scale of globular clusters, with wide implications for stellar evolution and the calibration of Pop II standard candles. FGS 10103 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. FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY: Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be investigated.) HSTARS: 10124 - REAcq(1,3,3) not attempted due to LOL during LOS @ 041/12:40:00z REAcq (1,3,3) scheduled @ 041/12:37:45 not attempted due to transition to M2G during LOS. No flags or ESB's noted. R/T OBAD #1: V1 -165.42, V2 2266.09, V3 -965.86, RSS 2468.89 R/T OBAD #2: V1 -3.24, V2 -5.94, V3 2.52, RSS 7.22 Following REAcq (1,3,3) @ 041/14:13:40 was successful 10125 - GSAcq(1,2,2) failed to (T2G) due to search radius limit exceeded on FGS-2 @ 042/16:14:26z The GSAcq(1,2,2) scheduled at 042/16:14:26 - 16:22:31 failed due to search radius limit exceeded on FGS-2. 486 ESB "a05" (search radius limit exceeded) was received at 042/16:20:25. The 2nd OBAD at 042/16:09:56 had attitude correction total (RSS) value of 40.36 arcseconds. The OBAD2 success flag was incremented (from "No Successes" to "One Success"). However, enough attitude error had been introduced that the Acq could not succeed. 10126 - Roll (V1) attitude error vector limit violation (QDVEFGS1) at AOS @ 042/17:47:15z Following a successful REacq(1,2,2) of 042/17:30:01, the mnemonic (QDVEFGS1) V1 attitude error vector at AOS flagged out of limit low -99.387 arcseconds during FGS Sequential attitude update. COMPLETED OPS REQUEST: 17643-0 - Real-Time OBAD @ 041/1343z 17644-0 - Real-Time OBAD @ 041/1403z COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None) SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES FGS GSacq 22 21 042/16:14:26z (HSTAR # 10125) FGS REacq 22 20 041/11:08:53z, 041/12:40:00z (HSTAR # 10124) OBAD with Maneuver 64 64 SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None) |
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