#1
|
|||
|
|||
Daily 3586
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science
DAILY REPORT # 3586 PERIOD COVERED: DOY 97 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/HRC/WFC 9884 Dwarf Elliptical Galaxies in Nearby Groups: Stellar Populations and Abundances The M81 group is of the nearest galaxy groups, but its properties are quite different from the Local Group, providing a different evolutionary environment for its member galaxies. This team has been studying M81-group analogs to Local Group dwarf elliptical {dE} galaxies. We observed two M81-group dEs with WFPC2: the results were published in Caldwell et al. {1998}. These observations revealed the upper two magnitudes of the red giant branch, yielding distance via the luminosity of the red giant branch tip, mean abundance via the mean giant branch color and first assessment of the star formation history via the frequency of occurrence of upper-AGB stars. Despite the different environment, the two M81-group dEs follow the Local Group {absolute magnitude, mean abundance} relation. But without data for additional dEs in nearby groups, particularly at higher luminosities, we can't definitely say whether this relation is universal or not. Establishing the answer to this question is vital because the relation is fundamental to theories of dE formation within dark matter halos, and the general applicability of these theories requires demonstration that the relation isn't strongly influenced by environment. This proposal requests ACS/WFC observations of five M81-group dEs to resolve this question. ACS/WFC 9717 Low Redshift Cluster Gravitational Lensing Survey This proposal has two main scientific goals: to determine the dark matter distribution of massive galaxy clusters, and to observe the high redshift universe using these clusters as powerful cosmic telescopes. Deep, g, r, i, z imaging of a sample of low-z {0.2-0.4} clusters will yield a large sample of lensed background galaxies with reliable photometric redshifts. By combining strong and weak lensing constraints with the photometric redshift information it will be possible to precisely measure the cluster dark matter distribution with an unprecedented combination of high spatial resolution and area coverage, avoiding many of the uncertainties which plague ground-based studies and yielding definitive answers about the structure of massive dark matter haloes. In addition, the cosmological parameters can be constrained in a largely model independent way using the multiply lensed objects due to the dependence of the Einsteinng radius on the distance to the source. We can also expect to detect several highly magnified dropout galaxies behind the clusters in the redshift ranges 4-5 5-6 and 7-8, corresponding to a drop in the flux in the g, r, and i bands relative to longer wavelength. We will obtain the best information to date on the giant arcs already known in these clusters, making possible detailed, pixel-by-pixel studies of their star formation rate, dust distribution and structural components, including spiral arms, out to a redshift of around z~2.5 in several passbands. 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. ACS/WFC/WFPC2 9822 The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey We will undertake a 2 square degree imaging survey {Cosmic Evolution Survey -- COSMOS} with ACS in the I {F814W} band of the VIMOS equatorial field. This wide field survey is essential to understand the interplay between Large Scale Structure {LSS} evolution and the formation of galaxies, dark matter and AGNs and is the one region of parameter space completely unexplored at present by HST. The equatorial field was selected for its accessibility to all ground-based telescopes and low IR background and because it will eventually contain ~100, 000 galaxy spectra from the VLT-VIMOS instrument. The imaging will detect over 2 million objects with I 27 mag {AB, 10 sigma}, over 35, 000 Lyman Break Galaxies {LBGs} and extremely red galaxies out to z ~ 5. COSMOS is the only HST project specifically designed to probe the formation and evolution of structures ranging from galaxies up to Coma-size clusters in the epoch of peak galaxy, AGN, star and cluster formation {z ~0.5 to 3}. The size of the largest structures necessitate the 2 degree field. Our team is committed to the assembly of several public ancillary datasets including the optical spectra, deep XMM and VLA imaging, ground-based optical/IR imaging, UV imaging from GALEX and IR data from SIRTF. Combining the full-spectrum multiwavelength imaging and spectroscopic coverage with ACS sub-kpc resolution, COSMOS will be Hubble's ultimate legacy for understanding the evolution of both the visible and dark universe. 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 9874 Probing IGM Phases, Metals, and the Cosmic Web with New SDSS QSOs We propose STIS G140L SNAPSHOT observations of 100 new z 1 QSOs from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey for studies of the IGM. These targets will be chosen to simultaneously maximize IGM pathlength and to form closely spaced groups of 2-8 QSO sightlines within 1 h^-1 Mpc of a foreground galaxy. These observations will, in the long term, provide a rich database of target QSOs for detailed study by COS of the IGM phases, metallicity, and relationship to the large scale structure. In the near term, these observations will detect up to 10 Lyman alpha clouds with N_HI 10^14 and 3 clouds with N_HI 10^15, per target. Thus they will provide an immediate test of filamentary structure in the "cosmic web" within 1 h^-1 Mpc of galaxies. We ask for 22 minute exposures for each target with STIS/G140L to obtain S/N = 5-16 for these V = 16 - 18 QSOs. These observations will be sensitive to Lyman alpha equivalent widths ranging from 300 mA for the brighter sources to 600 mA at the fainter end. These targets represent a Deltaz pathlength of 17 {at 50% yield}, with Deltaz = 10 in the range where Lya, Lyb, and O VI lie in the HST band. These observations will also refine predictions of the FUV flux of QSOs based on the larger SDSS sample and will estimate the degree to which such factors as intrinsic and Galactic extinction, variability, and intervening absorption can be controlled. If successful, this technique could make UV-prequalification SNAPs of QSOs obsolete, at a significant savings of HST time. Our observations lie at the median duration for SNAPs, and in the range most likely to be executed. Our program accomplishes both near- and long-term goals at a relatively low investment of time, and thus is ideally suited for a SNAP proposal. To ensure maximum scientific return for our own purposes and for additional science {HVCs, Galactic halo} we waive the right to a proprietary data period. 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.) None COMPLETED OPS REQs: 17119-0 TDRS 171 Test Event @ 097/16:41z 17120-0 ACS and STIS EEPROM memory dumps @ 097/21:59z OPS NOTES EXECUTED: NONE SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES FGS GSacq 08 08 FGS REacq 04 04 FHST Update 18 18 LOSS of LOCK SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: Continue NICMOS Proposal 10097, adjust NCS setpoint temperature by -0.5 K @ 098/11:58Z via SMS. Set-up and Execution of HST FSW 2.5b On-orbit Functional, Ops Acceptance Test scheduled 098/10:00Z - 099/04:00Z with GDOC, HITT, SE, and VEST using CCS "D" String (prime) with CCS Release 5.0.3.1 and PRD O06400ST and CCS "C" String (secondary) with CCS Release 4.0.3.1 and PRD O06400T. The purpose of this testing is to verify the new functionality of FSW 2.5b with PRD O6400 in an operational scenario. |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Monitoring NASA Daily ISS Report | JimO | Space Station | 2 | June 1st 04 10:33 PM |
JimO Speaks on 'Daily Planet' re Hubble | JimO | Policy | 0 | February 11th 04 10:53 PM |
Spirit's daily activities schedule? | Matti Anttila | Policy | 0 | January 15th 04 08:39 AM |
best site for daily schedule of rover activity? | bob | History | 2 | January 5th 04 12:16 PM |
Investor's Business Daily: Rethinking NASA | dougk | Policy | 1 | August 28th 03 12:07 AM |