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Daily Report #4602



 
 
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Old May 2nd 08, 02:57 PM posted to sci.astro.hubble
Cooper, Joe
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Default Daily Report #4602

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science

DAILY REPORT # 4602

PERIOD COVERED: 5am May 01 - 5am May 02, 2008 (DOY 122/0900z - 123/0900z)

OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED

ACS/SBC 11200

An Ultraluminous EUV Source?

Ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) are bright, irregularly variable,
non-nuclear, X- ray sources with apparent luminosities exceeding the
Eddington limit for stellar- mass black holes. There is great interest in
ULXs because they may represent a new class of black holes with masses
intermediate between stellar-mass and supermassive black holes. Recently, it
has been found that X-ray emission from the nebula MF 16 in the galaxy NGC
6946, previously thought to be an usually luminous supernova remnant,
actually arises from an accreting compact object. Optical spectroscopy of
nebula shows that it is powered via photoionization by an extreme
ultraviolet (EUV) source with a luminosity exceeding that measured from the
X-ray source. If correct this would be the first ultraluminous UV source and
may be a 10, 000 solar mass black hole. We propose an FUV observation with
the ACS/SBC to determine if a highly luminous EUV source is indeed, present
within MF 16.

NIC1 11136

Resolving Ultracool Astrophysics with Brown Dwarf Binaries

We propose to obtain resolved far-red and near-IR photometry of 13 brown
dwarf binaries with HST/NICMOS in order to study one of the long-standing
puzzles in ultracool astrophysics, namely the rapid change in spectra from L
dwarfs to T dwarfs at nearly constant effective temperature (a.k.a. the "L/T
transition''). While many nearby brown dwarfs have been studied, use of such
samples is inevitably hindered by the unknown ages, masses, and
metallicities of the field population. Characterization of resolved
ultracool binaries is a promising avenue for addressing this problem, by
providing coeval systems of the same composition with comparable masses and
temperatures. Our proposed HST/NICMOS (0.9-1.6 micron) observations will be
combined with longer wavelength ground-based photometry and spectroscopy
from Keck laser guide star adaptive optics. The resulting multiband (0.9-2.5
micron) dataset will be a unique resource for measuring the evolution of
spectral energy distributions across the L/T transition, to test
state-of-the-art atmospheric models, and to determine the physical
process(es) that dominate the L/T transition. Understanding the L/T
transition is important not only for testing brown dwarf atmospheres, but
also provides a key pathway for understanding the same physical effects,
namely the formation and removal of clouds, in the atmospheres of the
extrasolar planets.

NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 8795

NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 6

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/NIC1/NIC3 11159

The True Galactic Bulge Luminosity Function

We propose to obtain second epoch imaging of the deep Galactic bulge field
observed using NICMOS by Zoccali et al. (2000). The bulge luminosity and
mass function suffered from 30-50% contamination by foreground disk stars,
which was impossible to correct for in the original study. Revisiting the
field after 9 years, we propose to segregate the foreground disk stars
because they have large transverse velocities, thus revealing the luminosity
function of Galactic bulge low mass stars to near the hydrogen burning
limit. The slope of the mass function has implications for galaxy formation
and for understanding the nature of microlensing in the Galactic bulge.

NIC3 11332

NICMOS Cycle 16 Time Dependent Flat Fields

This proposal obtains sequences of NICMOS narrow, medium and broad band
filter flat fields for camera 1. In cameras 2 and 3, parallel observations
will allow us to obtain high S/N flats for all spectral elements.

WEPC2 11196

An Ultraviolet Survey 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 starbursts and creating/fueling central AGN. We propose
far {ACS/SBC/F140LP} and near {WFPC2/PC/F218W} UV imaging of a sample of 27
galaxies drawn from the complete IRAS Revised Bright Galaxy Sample {RBGS}
LIRGs sample and known, from our Cycle 14 B and I-band ACS imaging
observations, to have significant numbers of bright {23 B 21 mag} star
clusters in the central 30 arcsec. The HST UV data will be combined with
previously obtained HST, Spitzer, and GALEX images to {i} calculate the ages
of the clusters as function of merger stage, {ii} measure the amount of UV
light in massive star clusters relative to diffuse regions of star
formation, {iii} assess the feasibility of using the UV slope to predict the
far-IR luminosity {and thus the star formation rate} both among and within
IR-luminous galaxies, and {iv} provide a much needed catalog of rest- frame
UV morphologies for comparison with rest-frame UV images of high-z LIRGs and
Lyman Break Galaxies. These observations will achieve the resolution
required to perform both detailed photometry of compact structures and
spatial correlations between UV and redder wavelengths for a physical
interpretation our IRX-Beta results. The HST UV data, combined with the HST
ACS, Spitzer, Chandra, and GALEX observations of this sample, will result in
the most comprehensive study of luminous starburst galaxies to date.

WFPC2 11022

WFPC2 Cycle 15 Decontaminations and Associated Observations

This proposal is for the 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 11027

Visible Earth Flats

This proposal monitors flatfield stability. This proposal obtains sequences
of Earth streak flats to construct high quality flat fields for the WFPC2
filter set. These flat fields will allow mapping of the OTA illumination
pattern and will be used in conjunction with previous internal and external
flats to generate new pipeline superflats. These Earth flats will complement
the Earth flat data obtained during cycles 4-14.

WFPC2 11029

WFPC2 CYCLE 15 Intflat Linearity Check and Filter Rotation Anomaly Monitor

Intflat observations will be taken to provide a linearity check: the
linearity test consists of a series of intflats in F555W, in each gain and
each shutter. A combination of intflats, visflats, and earthflats will be
used to check the repeatability of filter wheel motions. {Intflat sequences
tied to decons, visits 1-18 in prop 10363, have been moved to the cycle 15
decon proposal xxxx for easier scheduling.} Note: long-exposure WFPC2
intflats must be scheduled during ACS anneals to prevent stray light from
the WFPC2 lamps from contaminating long ACS external exposures.

WFPC2 11130

AGNs with Intermediate-mass Black Holes: Testing the Black Hole-Bulge
Paradigm, Part II

The recent progress in the study of central black holes in galactic nuclei
has led to a general consensus that supermassive {10^6-10^9 solar mass}
black holes are closely connected with the formation and evolutionary
history of large galaxies, especially their bulge component. Two outstanding
issues, however, remain unresolved. Can central black holes form in the
absence of a bulge? And does the mass function of central black holes extend
below 10^6 solar masses? Intermediate-mass black holes {10^6 solar masses},
if they exist, may offer important clues to the nature of the seeds of
supermassive black holes. Using the SDSS, our group has successfully
uncovered a new population of AGNs with intermediate-mass black holes that
reside in low-luminosity galaxies. However, very little is known about the
detailed morphologies or structural parameters of the host galaxies
themselves, including the crucial question of whether they have bulges or
not. Surprisingly, the majority of the targets of our Cycle 14 pilot program
have structural properties similar to dwarf elliptical galaxies. The
statistics from this initial study, however, are really too sparse to reach
definitive conclusions on this important new class of black holes. We wish
to extend this study to a larger sample, by using the Snapshot mode to
obtain WFPC2 F814W images from a parent sample of 175 AGNs with
intermediate- mass black holes selected from our final SDSS search. We are
particularly keen to determine whether the hosts contain bulges, and if so,
how the fundamental plane properties of the host depend on the mass of their
central black holes. We will also investigate the environment of this unique
class of AGNs.

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.

WFPC2 11316

HST Cycle 16 & pre-SM4 Optical Monitor

This is a continuation of the Cycle 15 & pre-SM4 Optical Monitor, 11020.
Please see that proposal for a more complete description of the observing
strategy. The 6 visits comprising this proposal observe two single standard
stars with WFPC2/PC in order to establish overall OTA focal length for the
purposes of focus maintenance. The goal of this monitoring before SM4 is to
establish a best estimate of the OTA focus entering SMOV.

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: (None)

COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)

SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL

FGS GSacq 09 09
FGS REacq 06 06
OBAD with Maneuver 30 30

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)
 




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