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Daily Rpt #4575



 
 
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Old March 26th 08, 05:35 PM posted to sci.astro.hubble
Bassford, Lynn
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Default Daily Rpt #4575

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science

DAILY REPORT # 4575

PERIOD COVERED: UT March 25, 2008 (DOY 085)

OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED

ACS/SBC 11220

Mapping the FUV Evolution of Type IIn Supernovae

We will use the PR110L prism on the SBC of ACS to map the FUV evolution of
Type IIn supernovae {SNe}. The main goal of this proposal is to measure the
FUV continuum, Ly-a emission line flux, and their evolution to {1} quantify
and interpret Type IIn SN transient event detections at high redshift and
{2} dramatically improve current high redshift Type IIn selection criteria.
We show that the inherent properties of Type IIn SNe facilitate high
redshift detection. We will observe the rest-frame FUV of a sample of eight
0.02 z 0.33 Type IIn SNe to directly measure the survival of Ly-alpha
photons in low to intermediate redshift Type IIn SNe environments and
extrapolate the results to high redshift. We will calibrate relationships
such as FUV luminosity vs. emission line flux and measure emission line
evolution vs. FUV light evolution. The intent is to categorize and improve
the utility of Type IIn SNe.

NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 11330

NICMOS Cycle 16 Extended Dark

This takes a series of Darks in parallel to other instruments.

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 i mages. Each observation will need its own CRMAP, as
different SAA passages leave different imprints on the NICMOS detectors.

WFPC2 11014

Primordial formation of close binaries in globular clusters with low density
cores

The primordial binary population is a key input parameter for any realistic
model of dense star cluster dynamics. However, the number of primordial
binaries and its direct implications for the formation rate of close
binaries remain poorly understood. Theoretical calculations show that
cataclysmic variables can be formed directly from primordial binaries in or
near the core of low core density globular clusters. We propose to use
Chandra/HST to study low density core globular clusters systematically and
to test the prediction that low-luminosity X-ray sources can be formed from
primordial binaries in the cluster core. This project will complement our
successful Chandra/HST program to study the dynamical formation of X-ray
sources in high core density globular clusters.

WFPC2 11083

The Structure, Formation and Evolution of Galactic Cores and Nuclei

A surprising result has emerged from the ACS Virgo Cluster Survey {ACSVCS},
a program to obtain ACS/WFC gz imaging for a large, unbiased sample of 100
early-type galaxies in the Virgo Cluster. On subarcsecond scales {i.e.,
0.1"-1"}, the HST brightness profiles vary systematically from the
brightest giants {which have nearly constant surface brightness cores} to
the faintest dwarfs {which have compact stellar nuclei}. Remarkably, the
fraction of galaxy mass contributed by the nuclei in the faint galaxies is
identical to that contributed by supermassive black holes in the bright
galaxies {0.2%}. These findings strongly suggest that a single mechanism is
responsible for both types of Central Massive Object: most likely internally
or externally modulated gas inflows that feed central black holes or lead to
the formation of "nuclear star clusters". Understanding the history of gas
accretion, star formation and chemical enrichment on subarcsecond scales has
thus emerged as the single most pressing question in the study of nearby
galactic nuclei, either active or quiescent. We propose an ambitious HST
program {199 orbits} that constitutes the next, obvious step forward:
high-resolution, ultraviolet {WFPC2/F255W} and infrared {NIC1/F160W} imaging
for the complete ACSVCS sample. By capitalizing on HST's unique ability to
provide high-resolution images with a sharp and stable PSF at UV and IR
wavelengths, we will leverage the existing optical HST data to obtain the
most complete picture currently possible for the history of star formation
and chemical enrichment on these small scales. Equally important, this
program will lead to a significant improvement in the measured structural
parameters and density distributions for the stellar nuclei and the
underlying galaxies, and provide a sensitive measure of "frosting" by young
stars in the galaxy cores. By virtue of its superb image quality and stable
PSF, NICMOS is the sole instrument capable of the IR observations proposed
here. In the case of the WFPC2 observations, high-resolution UV imaging {
0.1"} is a capability unique to HST, yet one that could be lost at any time.

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 11182

The Mass of the Milky Way: Orbits for Leo I and Leo II: Second Epoch
Imaging of Leo II

Constraining the mass of the Galaxy at large radii remains a difficult
problem. Available data are still rather scarce, and orbits of even a few
objects at large radii can have a large impact. We propose to obtain proper
motions for the two satellites Leo I and Leo II, which orbit the Galaxy at
about 200 kpc. Together with the radial velocities of these galaxies, which
are well known, the proper motions allow space velocities to be constructed:
these can remove significant uncertainty in the Galactic mass models, and in
particular settle the vexed question of whether or not Leo I is
gravitationally bound to the Galaxy. The proper motion of Leo I is addressed
in a companion archival proposal; here we address the WFPC2 imagery of Leo
II.

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 08 08
FGS REacq 07 07
OBAD with Maneuver 30 30

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)

 




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