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Daily 3636
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science
DAILY REPORT # 3636 PERIOD COVERED: DOY 169 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED ACS/HRC/WFC 10060 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. ACS/WFC 9777 The environment of QSOs at the reionization epoch Our goal is to elucidate the role of QSOs and galaxies at the tail end of reionization by identifying z~6 galaxies near SDSS z6 QSOs through their red i-z colors. A similar technique was used by the SDSS to identify the QSOs themselves. Based on our understanding of the growth of structure in the Universe and on observations at z ~= 4, we expect z~6 QSOs to be associated to the high peaks in the matter density distribution. Therefore, they should be surrounded by an excess of objects - as compared to random fields - unless the ionizing radiation from the QSOs themselves is inhibiting star formation. We will concentrate on 5 QSOs discovered by the SDSS at z~6 and spend 7 orbits with ACS on each of the QSO fields {2.5 in F775W - i - and 4.5 in F850LP - z}, for a total of 35 orbits. The exposures are optimized for the detection of objects with i-z 2. The reference properties of the field population will be provided by GOODS which is reaching the same depth. The proposed observations will be capable of revealing the dominant effect between galaxy suppression by the QSO ionizing flux and number density excess due to clustering. We will test whether the balance between suppression and enhancement evolves with redshift. We will also be able to estimate for these fields the ionizing continuum contribution by galaxies and compare it with that of the QSOs. If galaxies are found to be comparably important to QSOs in these selected fields, the idea that hydrogen reionization is primarily due to stellar radiation would be significantly strengthened. 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. 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. 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. NIC3 9878 The Age and Mass Function of the Intermediate Age Globular Cluster System of NGC 4365 We propose to obtain deep H-band photometry of the globular cluster system of the elliptical galaxy NGC 4365, which has previously been shown from shallow data to have a significant population of intermediate-age globular clusters. These data will allow us to constrain the luminosity and mass function of the intermediate-aged globular cluster system. This is a critical step in understanding the relationship between the young dense star cluster systems observed in galaxy mergers and starbursts, which have a power-law mass functions, and well known old, globular cluster systems, which have a lognormal mass functions. Specifically, the large intermediate-age cluster population in NGC 4365 provides the best case to test whether the power-law mass function of young systems evolves into a lognormal with the properties of old globular cluster systems. Dynamical models have long suggested such an evolution of a power-law mass function to a roughly log-normal one but there is no clear observational evidence yet in elliptical galaxies for steps along this process. Our proposed study of the intermediate-age cluster system of NGC 4365 will provide us with the fundamental information needed to conclusively establish the relationship between young and old globular cluster systems. STIS/CCD 10018 CCD Dark Monitor-Part 2 Monitor the darks for the STIS CCD. STIS/CCD 10020 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/CCD/MA1/MA2 9871 AALs in Quasars: Diagnostics of the Environment Associated absorption lines {AALs} in quasar spectra carry a wealth of information on the gas-phase kinematics, ionization states, column densities, outflow masses, and elemental abundances near the quasars. Most of the existing UV spectra have low spectral resolution, which hampers efforts to accurately determine these properties at low redshifts. We propose medium-resolution FUV and NUV STIS spectroscopy, more than an order of magnitude improvement in spectral resolution over previous studies, to observe a sample of AAL quasars at redshifts and luminosities intermediate between the nearby Seyferts and the bright, high-z quasars. Our aim is to determine basic physical parameters for the absorbers, measure the abundances, search for AAL variability, and constrain the location of the absorbers relative to the central quasars. A unique aspect of our z~0.2 sample is the ability to get both UV and X-ray diagnostics, thus allowing us to perform a joint analysis of our STIS data with X-ray observations to further constrain the full range of ionizations and column densities of the UV/X-ray absorbing gas. WFPC2 10071 WFPC2 CYCLE 12 Supplemental Darks Part 3/3 This dark calibration program obtains 3 dark frames every day to provide data for monitoring and characterizing the evolution of hot pixels. WFPC2 10075 WFPC2 CYCLE 12 Intflat and Viflat Sweeps and Filter Rotation Anomaly Monitor Using intflat observations, this WFPC2 proposal is designed to monitor the pixel-to-pixel flatfield response and provide a linearity check. The intflat sequences, to be done once during the year, are similar to those from the Cycle 11 program 9597. The images will provide a backup database in the event of complete failure of the visflat lamp as well as allow monitoring of the gain ratios. The sweep is a complete set of internal flats, cycling through both shutter blades and both gains. The linearity test consists of a series of intflats in F555W, in each gain and each shutter. As in Cycle 11, we plan to continue to take extra visflat, intflat, and earthflat exposures to test the repeatability of filter wheel motions. FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY: Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be investigated.) None COMPLETED OPS REQs: None OPS NOTES EXECUTED: 1242-0 Adjust ACS Error Count Limit (closed) @169/1640z 1243-0 Adjust Recharge Ratio Limits for High Sun DOY 2004/155-169. (closed) SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES FGS GSacq 04 04 FGS REacq 11 11 FHST Update 05 05 LOSS of LOCK SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: Successfully completed second group of FHST Intensity and Rate Control Data collections per Ops Request 17198 and 17199-1. Sections E through J, of the consolidated script, were executed. |
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