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Daily Report 3619
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science
DAILY REPORT # 3619 PERIOD COVERED: DOY 145 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED ACS 9476 Galaxy Evolution in the Richest Clusters at z=0.8: the EDisCS Cluster Sample The study of distant cluster galaxies requires two key ingredients: {1} deep high-resolution imaging, to constrain galaxy structure; and {2} 8m-class spectroscopy, to measure stellar content, star-formation rates, dynamics, and cluster membership. We will reach both conditions with the addition of HST/ACS imaging to our suite of VLT {36 nights} and NTT {20 nights} observations of 10 confirmed clusters at z~0.8, drawn from the ESO Distant Cluster Survey {EDisCS}. The proposed HST/ACS data will complement our existing optical/IR imaging and spectroscopy with quantitative measures of cluster galaxy morphologies {i.e. sizes and shapes, bulge-disk decompositions, asymmetry parameters}, and with measurements of cluster masses via weak lensing. Major advantages unique to the EDisCS project include: {i} uniform selection of clusters; {ii} large enough sample sizes to characterize the substantial cluster-to-cluster variation in galaxy populations; {iii} large quantities of high quality data from 8m telescopes; {iv} uniform measurements of morphologies, spectroscopic and photometric redshifts, SEDs, star-formation/AGN activities, and internal kinematics; {v} optical selection of clusters to complement the X-ray selection of almost all high-z clusters in the ACS GTO programs; {vi} forefront numerical simulations designed specifically to allow physical interpretation of observed differences between the high-z and local clusters. ACS/HRC 9733 Direct imaging of the progenitors of massive, core-collapse supernovae Modern supernovae searches in the nearby Universe are discovering large numbers of SNe which have massive star progenitors {Types II, Ib and Ic}. The extensive HST {and ground-based} image archives of galaxies within ~20Mpc enables their individual bright stellar content to be resolved. As massive, evolved stars are the most luminous single objects in a galaxy, the progenitors of core-collapse SNe should be directly detectable on pre-explosion images. Within the last two cycles we have set direct mass-limits on three type II-P supernovae using HST images, and already these can be used to constrain theoretical models of pre-supernova stellar evolution which predict which stars cause which of the supernovae types. We request time to continue this successful project, and require ACS observations of future SNe which are discovered in galaxies closer than 20Mpc which have pre-explosion HST archive images available. These ToO observations will allow the SNe to be precisely positioned on the pre-explosion frames with the required astrometric accuracy of around 0.05", and allow 3-colour photometry of the surrounding stellar populations for reddening estimations. The goal of this project is to directly identify the progenitor stars of core-collapse supernovae. We will compare the progenitor detections or luminosity limits to our own stellar evolutionary tracks in order to determine masses or restrictive mass-limits for the progenitors. ACS/HRC 9976 The Parallaxes and Proper Motions of Two Nearby Neutron Stars We propose to measure the parallax of two nearby neutron stars to the highest possible level of accuracy, ~.0.5 mas. The primary goal is to determine the neutron-star radius at infinity with better than 1 km precision, and therewith obtain a direct constraint on the equation of state of matter at supra-nuclear density. The required flux and temperature determinations are easiest for the so-called isolated or radio-quiet neutron stars because of their apparently completely thermal spectrum. We argue that the importance of the possible results warrants a study to the best possible level of the best possible sources, and request 24 orbits for the two brightest isolated neutron stars, RX J1856.5-3754 and RX J0720.4-3125. We will also determine whether the enigmatic RX J0720.4-3125 is an old magnetar or an accreting source, based on its luminosity and proper motion. 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 10268 Recovery of three faint Kuiper Belt Objects discovered with HST We propose 6 orbits to make ACS/WFC follow-up observations of three faint Kuiper Belt Objects {KBOs} that we discovered in the Large Cycle 11 program GO 9433 {G. Bernstein, PI; Bernstein et al. 2004}. These KBOs are the faintest -- and therefore smallest -- KBOs known. Two of these objects can be recovered {and the third easily recovered and its colors probed} only with HST. Any future studies of small KBOs will require knowledge of our three faint KBOs. With the proposed observations, the locations of these KBOs will be known quite well until after first light for JWST. Without the proposed observations, these three small KBOs will be effectively lost. This small program represents a small investment of HST time to solidify the legacy of the Bernstein et al. Large GO program. With the proposed observations, we will be able to determine with certainty the dynamical classes of these three KBOs, testing the hypothesis that small KBOs are predominantly classical KBOs. We will also test the suggestion that classical KBOs are uniformly quite red. Lastly, our observations will enable physical studies {e.g., spectroscopy} with JWST a decade from now. All these measurements will provide important evidence for theories on the formation and evolution of the Solar System. ACS/WFC 9765 The Dusty ISM Substructure in Nearby Spiral Galaxies We propose an ACS V&I imaging snapshot survey of all nearby edge-on spiral galaxies in order to measure the small scale structures in their dust extinction down to the 10pc scale. Dust and molecular gas are tightly coupled and therefore HST high resolution reddening maps can reveal information about the cold ISM phase on a scale inaccessible from the groundby any other means. We have recently discovered a sudden change in dust lane properties using ground-based data; all galaxies with rotation speeds in access of 120km/s show dust lanes, but none of the slower rotators does. This transition may be caused by a sudden change in the state of the multiphase ISM, and HST resolution imaging is needed to fully quantify this effect. Analysis will consist of full radiative transfer modeling of dust extinction with realistic, fractal like substructure and power spectrum analysis of the structure from the global to the 10pc scale. By observing a sample of galaxies with a range in structural parameters we can quantify how the cold ISM structure changes as function of radius, rotation speed, local surface density, et cetera. This information is duly needed with SIRTF soon providing a wealth of information on dust absorption, but lacking the resolution to determine the small scale distribution of the dust. FGS/1 9034 The Masses and Luminosities of Population II Stars. Fine Guidance Sensor 11R was used to observe the mass-luminosity relation {MLR} of Population II stars of which very little is currently known. With the advent of the Hipparcos Catalogue, improved distances to many spectroscopic binaries known to be Pop II systems are now available. After surveying the literature and making reasonable estimates of the secondary masses, we find 13 systems whose minimum separation should be larger than the resolution limit of FGS #1. 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. NICMOS/STIS CCD 9405 The Origin of Gamma-Ray Bursts The rapid and accurate localization of gamma-ray bursts {GRBs} promised by a working HETE-2 during the coming year may well revolutionize our ability to study these enigmatic, highly luminous transients. We propose a program of HST and Chandra observations to capitalize on this extraordinary opportunity. We will perform some of the most stringent tests yet of the standard model, in which GRBs represent collimated relativistic outflows from collapsing massive stars. NICMOS imaging and STIS CCD spectroscopy will detect broad atomic features of supernovae underlying GRB optical transients, at luminosities more than three times fainter than SN 1998bw. UV, optical, and X-ray spectroscopy will be used to study the local ISM around the GRB. Chandra spectroscopy will investigate whether the GRB X-ray lines are from metals freshly ripped from the stellar core by the GRB. HST and CTIO infra-red imaging of the GRBs and their hosts will be used to determine whether `dark' bursts are the product of unusually strong local extinction; imaging studies may for the first time locate the hosts of `short' GRBs. Our early polarimetry and late-time broadband imaging will further test physical models of the relativistic blast wave that produces the bright GRB afterglow, and will provide unique insight into the influence of the GRB environment on the afterglow. 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 9776 Black Holes in Big Galaxies with Small Bulges In early-type galaxies the black hole {BH} mass is tightly correlated with the bulge velocity dispersion. This correlation suggests that the BH mass is determined by local processes in the central part of the galaxy. However, the bulge dispersion in these galaxies is correlated with the disk circular speed which in turn correlates with the inferred halo circular speed {the "disk-halo conspiracy"}. For this reason, existing data cannot decide whether the BH mass is set by the bulge dispersion or the disk or halo circular speed. We propose to break this degeneracy by weighing the BH in 3 Sc galaxies in which the ratio of bulge circular speed to bulge velocity dispersion is large, leading to large differences between BH masses predicted from these quantities. These measurements will increase the number of carefully studied Sc bulges from one to four and will determine whether the masses of nuclear BHs are set by {presumably baryonic} processes in galaxy bulges or by {presumably non-baryonic} processes in their dark halos. STIS/MA1 10034 Cycle 12 MAMA Dark Monitor This test performs the routine monitoring of the MAMA detector dark noise. This proposal will provide the primary means of checking on health of the MAMA detectors systems through frequent monitoring of the background count rate. The purpose is to look for evidence of change in dark indicative of detector problem developing. WFPC2 10067 WFPC2 Cycle 12 Decontaminations and Associated Observations 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. WFPC2 10070 WFPC2 CYCLE 12 Supplemental Darks Part 2/3 This dark calibration program obtains 3 dark frames every day to provide data for monitoring and characterizing the evolution of hot pixels. FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY: Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be investigated.) HSTAR 9424: GS Acquisition (2,3,3) @ 143/15:14:09Z required multiple attempts, both the primary FGS 2 and secondary FGS 3, to achieve Fine Lock Data Valid (FL-DV) due to STOP indication flags per FRS FGS Behavior Request: FGS Modes and Flag Bit Changes. PCS/SE may review FRS FGS Behavior Request completed @ 145/14:19:40Z. An "A0C" ESB message was received indicating FGS Coarse Mode Angle Check failed. Under investigation. COMPLETED OPS REQs: None OPS NOTES EXECUTED: 1237-0 Table Dumps @145/1817z 911-0 Limit Management during WFPCII Decontamination @145/0839-1843z SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES FGS GSacq 10 10 FGS REacq 06 06 FHST Update 17 17 LOSS of LOCK SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: Additional OBAD data collection periods are necessary for further analysis of the process in support of future TGS efforts. OBAD data collection series scheduled as follows: 146/12:36:15 - 146/13:06:15 (HN) 146/16:17:00 - 146/16:36:01 (HN) 146/20:29:48 - 146/20:46:29 (HN) 146/22:11:00 - 146/22:33:00 (PN) 146/23:47:00 - 147/00:10:00 (PN) Two of these periods involve a transition to PN format in order to capture FHST position and intensity data at a higher rate. All commanding relating to the OBAD data collection is on a NIB with routine spacecraft activities. See Ops Request 17169 with attached OBAD Data Collection script for details. Set-up and execution of HST CCS 5.0.3.1 CT Verification test scheduled 146/10:30Z - 16:00Z with GDOC, HITT, and SOC using CCS "H" String with CCS Release 5.0.3.1 and PRD O06400STQ1. The purpose of this testing is to verify CT results with new CCS software patch. Set-up and execution of HST Battery Reconditioning MACRO OAT scheduled 146/10:00Z - 147/05:00Z with GDOC, HITT, SE, and VEST using CCS "D" String with CCS Release 5.0.3.1 and PRD xx (intentionally removed). The purpose of this testing is to verify installation and backout procedures for the Battery Reconditioning MACRO work in an operational scenario and to verify the activation and behavior of the Battery Reconditioning MACRO in an operational scenario. |
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