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Daily Report #4465



 
 
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Old October 11th 07, 03:23 PM posted to sci.astro.hubble
Cooper, Joe
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Posts: 568
Default Daily Report #4465

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****** # 4465

PERIOD COVERED: UT October 10, 2007 (DOY 283)

OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED

WFPC2 10920

High-Resolution Imaging of Nearby Lyman Break Galaxy Analogs in the
GALEX All-Sky Survey

We have used the ultraviolet all-sky imaging survey currently being
conducted by the Galaxy Evolution Explorer {GALEX} to identify for the
first time a rare population of low- redshift starbursts with
properties remarkably similar to high-redshift Lyman Break Galaxies.
These compact UV luminous galaxies {UVLGs} resemble Lyman Break
Galaxies in terms of size, UV luminosity, star-formation rate, surface
brightness, mass, metallicity, kinematics, dust content, and color.
They have characteristic ``ages'' {stellar mass/SFR} of only a few
hundred Myr. This population of galaxies is thus worthy of study in
its own right and as a sample of local analogs of Lyman Break
Galaxies. We propose to image a sample of the 9 nearest and brightest
compact UVLGs in the near-ultraviolet, near-infrared, and H-alpha
using ACS. With these images we will 1} characterize their structure
and morphology, 2} look for signs of interactions and mergers, 3}
investigate the distribution and propogation of star formation over
varying time scales, and 4} quantify the stellar populations and star
formation history, in order to determine whether a previous generation
of stars formed long before the current burst. These data will
perfectly complement our existing Spitzer, GALEX, and SDSS data, and
will provide important information on star- formation in the
present-day universe as well as shed light on the earliest major
episodes of star formation in high-redshift galaxies.

FGS 11228

Extrasolar Planet XO-2b

We propose observations of the newly discovered extrasolar planet
XO-2b and its twin star XO-2. When combined with the transit light
curve, the FGS-derived parallax will constrain the stellar mass of the
host star XO-2. From the high signal-to-noise near-IR time series
resulting from NICMOS grism spectroscopy, we will refine the system
parameters, in particular radii of the star and planet. From the same
data, we will search for evidence of water vapor in the atmosphere via
transmission spectroscopy. Differential observations with NICMOS in
the spectroscopic mode will be used to search for the small spectral
changes that occur during planetary transits resulting from absorption
of stellar light as it passes through the planetary atmosphere. Water
is an important constituent, the detection of which would provide
information on Oxygen, and it has a convenient strong band well-
positioned for NICMOS.

NIC1 11057

Cycle 15 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 15. This proposal is a slightly modified version
of proposal 10380 of cycle 13 and 9993 of cycle12 and is the same as
Cycle 14. that we cut down some exposure time to make the observation
fit within 24 orbits.

NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 8793

NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 4

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.

NIC2 11143

NICMOS imaging of submillimeter galaxies with CO and PAH redshifts

We propose to obtain F110W and F160W imaging of 10 z~2.4 submillimeter
galaxies {SMGs} whose optical redshifts have been confirmed by the
detection of millimeter CO and/or mid-infrared PAH emission. With the
4000A break falling within/between the two imaging filters, we will be
able to study these sources' spatially resolved stellar populations
{modulo extinction} in the rest-frame optical. SMGs' large
luminosities appear to be due largely to merger-triggered starbursts;
high-resolution NICMOS imaging will help us understand the stellar
masses, mass ratios, and other properties of the merger progenitors,
valuable information in the effort to model the mass assembly history
of the universe.

WFPC2 11039

Polarizers Closeout

Observations of standard stars and a highly polarized reflection
nebula are made as a final calibration for the WFPC2 polarizers.
VISFLATS are also obtained.

WFPC2 11103

A Snapshot Survey of The Most Massive Clusters of Galaxies

We propose the continuation of our highly successful SNAPshot survey
of a sample of 125 very X-ray luminous clusters in the redshift range
0.3-0.7. As demonstrated by the 25 snapshots obtained so far in
Cycle14 and Cycle15 these systems frequently exhibit strong
gravitational lensing as well as spectacular examples of violent
galaxy interactions. The proposed observations will provide important
constraints on the cluster mass distributions, the physical nature of
galaxy-galaxy and galaxy-gas interactions in cluster cores, and a set
of optically bright, lensed galaxies for further 8-10m spectroscopy.
All of our primary science goals require only the detection and
characterization of high-surface-brightness features and are thus
achievable even at the reduced sensitivity of WFPC2. Because of their
high redshift and thus compact angular scale our target clusters are
less adversely affected by the smaller field of view of WFPC2 than
more nearby systems. Acknowledging the broad community interest in
this sample we waive our data rights for these observations. Due to a
clerical error at STScI our approved Cycle15 SNAP program was barred
from execution for 3 months and only 6 observations have been
performed to date - reinstating this SNAP at Cycle16 priority is of
paramount importance to reach meaningful statistics.

WFPC2 11178

Probing Solar System History with Orbits, Masses, and Colors of
Transneptunian Binaries

The recent discovery of numerous transneptunian binaries {TNBs} opens
a window into dynamical conditions in the protoplanetary disk where
they formed as well as the history of subsequent events which sculpted
the outer Solar System and emplaced them onto their present day
heliocentric orbits. To date, at least 47 TNBs have been discovered,
but only about a dozen have had their mutual orbits and separate
colors determined, frustrating their use to investigate numerous
important scientific questions. The current shortage of data
especially cripples scientific investigations requiring statistical
comparisons among the ensemble characteristics. We propose to obtain
sufficient astrometry and photometry of 23 TNBs to compute their
mutual orbits and system masses and to determine separate primary and
secondary colors, roughly tripling the sample for which this
information is known, as well as extending it to include systems of
two near-equal size bodies. To make the most efficient possible use of
HST, we will use a Monte Carlo technique to optimally schedule our
observations.

FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

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

HSTARS:

11019 - GSAcq(2,1,2) Failed to RGA Hold (Gyro Control)

Upon acquisition of signal (AOS) at 283/16:00:07, the GSAcq(2,1,2)
scheduled at 283/15:48:45 - 15:56:49 had failed to RGA Hold due to a
Search Radius Limit Exceeded Error on FGS-2. 486 Status Buffer (ESB)
Dump completed at 283/16:04:00 showed one 486 ESB "a05" (FGS Coarse
Track failed-Search Radius Limit Exceeded) was received at
283/15:53:53. Additional ESB 1805(x6)(T2G_MOVING_TARGET_DETECTED) was
received. Pre-acquisition OBAD1 attitude correction value not
available due to LOS. Pre-acq OBAD2 had (RSS) value of 14.58
arcseconds. Post-acq OBAD/MAP had (RSS) value of 165.35 arcseconds.


COMPLETED OPS REQUEST: (None)

COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)

********************** SCHEDULED***** SUCCESSFUL
FGS GSacq************** 10**************** 09
FGS REacq************** 05**************** 05
OBAD with Maneuver 30*************** 30

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)


 




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