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Daily 3636



 
 
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Old June 18th 04, 09:03 PM
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Default Daily 3636

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science

DAILY REPORT # 3636

PERIOD COVERED: DOY 169

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/WFC 9777

The environment of QSOs at the reionization epoch

Our goal is to elucidate the role of QSOs and galaxies at the tail end
of reionization by identifying z~6 galaxies near SDSS z6 QSOs through
their red i-z colors. A similar technique was used by the SDSS to
identify the QSOs themselves. Based on our understanding of the growth
of structure in the Universe and on observations at z ~= 4, we expect
z~6 QSOs to be associated to the high peaks in the matter density
distribution. Therefore, they should be surrounded by an excess of
objects - as compared to random fields - unless the ionizing radiation
from the QSOs themselves is inhibiting star formation. We will
concentrate on 5 QSOs discovered by the SDSS at z~6 and spend 7
orbits with ACS on each of the QSO fields {2.5 in F775W - i - and 4.5
in F850LP - z}, for a total of 35 orbits. The exposures are optimized
for the detection of objects with i-z 2. The reference properties of
the field population will be provided by GOODS which is reaching the
same depth. The proposed observations will be capable of revealing the
dominant effect between galaxy suppression by the QSO ionizing flux
and number density excess due to clustering. We will test whether the
balance between suppression and enhancement evolves with redshift. We
will also be able to estimate for these fields the ionizing continuum
contribution by galaxies and compare it with that of the QSOs. If
galaxies are found to be comparably important to QSOs in these
selected fields, the idea that hydrogen reionization is primarily due
to stellar radiation would be significantly strengthened.

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.

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.

NIC3 9878

The Age and Mass Function of the Intermediate Age Globular Cluster
System of NGC 4365

We propose to obtain deep H-band photometry of the globular cluster
system of the elliptical galaxy NGC 4365, which has previously been
shown from shallow data to have a significant population of
intermediate-age globular clusters. These data will allow us to
constrain the luminosity and mass function of the intermediate-aged
globular cluster system. This is a critical step in understanding the
relationship between the young dense star cluster systems observed in
galaxy mergers and starbursts, which have a power-law mass functions,
and well known old, globular cluster systems, which have a lognormal
mass functions. Specifically, the large intermediate-age cluster
population in NGC 4365 provides the best case to test whether the
power-law mass function of young systems evolves into a lognormal with
the properties of old globular cluster systems. Dynamical models have
long suggested such an evolution of a power-law mass function to a
roughly log-normal one but there is no clear observational evidence
yet in elliptical galaxies for steps along this process. Our proposed
study of the intermediate-age cluster system of NGC 4365 will provide
us with the fundamental information needed to conclusively establish
the relationship between young and old globular cluster systems.

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/MA2 9871

AALs in Quasars: Diagnostics of the Environment

Associated absorption lines {AALs} in quasar spectra carry a wealth of
information on the gas-phase kinematics, ionization states, column
densities, outflow masses, and elemental abundances near the quasars.
Most of the existing UV spectra have low spectral resolution, which
hampers efforts to accurately determine these properties at low
redshifts. We propose medium-resolution FUV and NUV STIS spectroscopy,
more than an order of magnitude improvement in spectral resolution
over previous studies, to observe a sample of AAL quasars at redshifts
and luminosities intermediate between the nearby Seyferts and the
bright, high-z quasars. Our aim is to determine basic physical
parameters for the absorbers, measure the abundances, search for AAL
variability, and constrain the location of the absorbers relative to
the central quasars. A unique aspect of our z~0.2 sample is the
ability to get both UV and X-ray diagnostics, thus allowing us to
perform a joint analysis of our STIS data with X-ray observations to
further constrain the full range of ionizations and column densities
of the UV/X-ray absorbing gas.

WFPC2 10071

WFPC2 CYCLE 12 Supplemental Darks Part 3/3

This dark calibration program obtains 3 dark frames every day to
provide data for monitoring and characterizing the evolution of hot
pixels.

WFPC2 10075

WFPC2 CYCLE 12 Intflat and Viflat Sweeps and Filter Rotation Anomaly
Monitor

Using intflat observations, this WFPC2 proposal is designed to monitor
the pixel-to-pixel flatfield response and provide a linearity check.
The intflat sequences, to be done once during the year, are similar to
those from the Cycle 11 program 9597. The images will provide a backup
database in the event of complete failure of the visflat lamp as well
as allow monitoring of the gain ratios. The sweep is a complete set of
internal flats, cycling through both shutter blades and both gains.
The linearity test consists of a series of intflats in F555W, in each
gain and each shutter. As in Cycle 11, we plan to continue to take
extra visflat, intflat, and earthflat exposures to test the
repeatability of filter wheel motions.

FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary
reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be
investigated.) None

COMPLETED OPS REQs: None

OPS NOTES EXECUTED:
1242-0 Adjust ACS Error Count Limit (closed) @169/1640z
1243-0 Adjust Recharge Ratio Limits for High Sun DOY 2004/155-169. (closed)


SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES
FGS
GSacq 04 04
FGS REacq 11 11
FHST Update 05 05
LOSS of LOCK


SIGNIFICANT EVENTS:

Successfully completed second group of FHST Intensity and Rate Control
Data collections per Ops Request 17198 and 17199-1. Sections E
through J, of the consolidated script, were executed.


 




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