Daily Reprot # 4335

Notice: For the foreseeable future, the daily reports may contain apparent
discrepancies between some proposal descriptions and the listed instrument
usage. This is due to the conversion of previously approved ACS WFC or HRC
observations into WFPC2, or NICMOS observations subsequent to the loss of
ACS CCD science capability in late January.


HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science

DAILY REPORT # 4335

PERIOD COVERED: UT April 06, 2007 (DOY 095)

OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED

WFPC2 10880

The host galaxies of QSO2s: AGN feeding and evolution at high luminosities

Now that the presence of supermassive black holes in the nuclei of galaxies
is a well established fact, other questions related to the AGN phenomena
still have to be answered. Problems of particular interest are how the AGN
gets fed, how the black hole evolves and how the evolution of the black hole
is related to the evolution of the galaxy bulge. Here we propose to address
some of these issues using ACS/WFC + F775W snapshot images of 73 QSO2s with
redshifts in the range 0.3z0.4. These observations will be combined with
similar archival data of QSO1s and ground based data of Seyfert and normal
galaxies. First, we will intestigate whether interactions are the most
important feeding mechanism in high luminosity AGNs. This will be done in a
quantitative way, comparing the asymmetry indices of QSO2 hosts with those
of lower luminosity AGNs and normal galaxies. Second, we will do a detailed
study of the morphology of the host galaxies of both QSO types, to determine
if they are similar, or if there is an evolutionary trend from QSO2s to
QSO1s. The results from this project will represent an important step in the
understanding of AGN evolution, and may also introduce a substantial
modification to the Unified Model.

NIC1 10859

Precise Measurements of Sgr A* Flare Activity

Correlated X-ray and near-IR flare emission from Sgr A*, the closest
supermassive black hole, contains information about the hydrodynamics,
energetics, and accretion behavior of matter within the innermost ten
Schwarzschild radii of the hole. We propose HST/NICMOS observations of
near-IR flares, in conjunction with already approved obsrevations using
XMM-Newton {214 ksec} and CSO {3 nights}, which can make the precise, new
measurements necessary to understand the radiation mechanism and low
luminosity of Sgr A*. HST/NICMOS is required due to its very low and stable
background, and its stable, tightly focused PSF, which allow accurate
measurement of fainter flares than can be observed using groundbased
adaptive optics systems. We will measure the spectral index distribution,
the time-averaged flux and duration of flares, and the statistics of flare
activity, and will confirm previously reported quasi-periodic variability.
These measurements will have far-reaching implications for testing the
inverse Compton scattering {ICS} and synchrotron models of low-luminosity
flares, for understanding the process of accretion onto and outflow from
supermassive black holes, and for constraining the acceleration mechanism of
flares and the inferred black hole spin. This knowledge, in turn, will help
us understand more generally low-luminosity AGN and X-ray binaries in a very
low/quiescent accretion state.

NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 8795

NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 6

A new proceedure proposed to alleviate the CR-persistence problem of NICMOS.
Dark frames will be obtained immediately upon exiting the SAA contour 23,
and everytime 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 i mages. Each observation will need its own CRMAP, as
different SAA passages leave different imprints on the NICMOS detectors.

WFPC2 10827

Imaging Polarimetry of the Seyfert 1 MCG-6-30-15: Clues to the Structure of
Warm Absorbers

Imaging polarimetry at high spatial resolution, which is only possible with
HST, offers a potentially powerful new tool for determining the orientation
and geometry of AGN containing warm absorbers. These absorbed AGN tend to be
more highly polarized than unabsorbed Type 1s, but less polarized than Type
2s. If the polarized flux is due to a polar scattering region as seen in
polarized flux images of Seyfert 2s, imaging polarimetry of nearby absorbed
Type 1 objects using HST can detect and resolve these scattering regions. We
propose to make the first HST imaging polarimetry study of an absorbed
Seyfert 1 by obtaining broad-band polarization images with WFPC2 of the
prototypical "dusty warm absorber" in MCG-6-30-15 {z=0.0077, D~33 Mpc}. We
will measure the wavelength dependence of the polarized light free from
dilution by the host galaxy starlight in order to assess whether the
polarization is due to a nuclear scattering region or dichroic transmission
through the absorbing dust. These observations will enable us to {1} use the
wavelength dependence of unresolved polarized flux to understand the
properties of the absorbing dust suggested by X-ray spectral features
attributed to Fe~I absorption, and {2} test whether polarization in warm
absorbers is due to resolved polar scattering regions. Resolving the
scattering region in a moderately polarized Seyfert 1 such as MCG-6-30-15
will let us answer the question of whether line-of-sight inclination can be
directly linked to observed outflow characteristics, as suggested by the
most recent unified models of AGN outflows.

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 11079

Treasury Imaging of Star Forming Regions in the Local Group: Complementing
the GALEX and NOAO Surveys

We propose to use WFPC2 to image the most interesting star-forming regions
in the Local Group galaxies, to resolve their young stellar populations. We
will use a set of filters including F170W, which is critical to detect and
characterize the most massive stars, to whose hot temperatures colors at
longer wavelengths are not sensitive. WFPC2's field of view ideally matches
the typical size of the star-forming regions, and its spatial resolution
allows us to measure indvidual stars, given the proximity of these galaxies.
The resulting H- R diagrams will enable studies of star-formation properties
in these regions, which cover largely differing metallicities {a factor of
17, compared to the factor of 4 explored so far} and characteristics. The
results will further our understanding of the star-formation process, of the
interplay between massive stars and environment, the properties of dust, and
will provide the key to interpret integrated measurements of star-formation
indicators {UV, IR, Halpha} available for several hundreds more distant
galaxies. Our recent deep surveys of these galaxies with GALEX {FUV, NUV}
and ground-based imaging {UBVRI, Halpha, [OIII] and [SII]} provided the
identification of the most relevant SF sites. In addition to our scientific
analysis, we will provide catalogs of HST photometry in 6 bands, matched
corollary ground-based data, and UV, Halpha and IR integrated measurements
of the associations, for comparison of integrated star-formation indices to
the resolved populations. We envisage an EPO component.

FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

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

HSTARS:

10767 - REacq(1,2,1) failed to RGA control

During LOS the REacq(1,2,1) scheduled at 096/00:11:00 failed to RGA control.
At AOS 00:38:00 there were no flag indicating why the REacq failed.

The REacq at 1:52:29 was not attempted. There was a transition to M2G due to
ESB 1806 Open Loop Timer.

10768 - FHST 2 Stuck on Bottom

At 05:13:55 mnemonic F2SOB was observed out of limit with value of 62.0,
indicating FHST 2 Stuck On Bottom condition. ("Activate SSPC Macro for FHST
#2") was executed. F2SOB went back in bounds at 05:17:43.

OBAD at 05:10:05 showed correction of V1 = 1.42, V2 = -22.20, V3 = 10.92,
RSS = 24.78

OBAD at 05:18:00 showed correction of V1 = 262106.49, V2 = -166654.94, V3 =
298710.57, RSS = 430931.21


COMPLETED OPS REQUEST: (None)

COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)

SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL

FGS GSacq 10 10
FGS REacq 05 03
OBAD with Maneuver 30 29

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)