Daily Report #4593

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science

DAILY REPORT****** # 4593

PERIOD COVERED: UT April 18,19,20, 2008 (DOY 109,110,111)

OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED

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.

WFPC2 11235

HST NICMOS Survey of the Nuclear Regions 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 enhanced star formation and Active
Galactic Nuclei {AGN} activity, possibly triggered as the objects
transform into massive S0 and elliptical merger remnants. We propose
NICMOS NIC2 imaging of the nuclear regions of a complete sample of 88
L_IR 10^11.4 L_sun luminous infrared galaxies in the IRAS Revised
Bright Galaxy Sample {RBGS: i.e., 60 micron flux density 5.24 Jy}.
This sample is ideal not only in its completeness and sample size, but
also in the proximity and brightness of the galaxies. The superb
sensitivity and resolution of NICMOS NIC2 on HST enables a unique
opportunity to study the detailed structure of the nuclear regions,
where dust obscuration may mask star clusters, AGN and additional
nuclei from optical view, with a resolution significantly higher than
possible with Spitzer IRAC. This survey thus provides a crucial
component to our study of the dynamics and evolution of IR galaxies
presently underway with Wide-Field, HST ACS/WFC and Spitzer IRAC
observations of these 88 galaxies. Imaging will be done with the F160W
filter {H-band} to examine as a function of both luminosity and merger
stage {i} the luminosity and distribution of embedded star clusters,
{ii} the presence of optically obscured AGN and nuclei, {iii} the
correlation between the distribution of 1.6 micron emission and the
mid- IR emission as detected by Spitzer IRAC, {iv} the evidence of
bars or bridges that may funnel fuel into the nuclear region, and {v}
the ages of star clusters for which photometry is available via
ACS/WFC observations. The NICMOS data, combined with the HST ACS,
Spitzer, and GALEX observations of this sample, will result in the
most comprehensive study of merging and interacting galaxies to date.

WFPC2 11222

Direct Detection and Mapping of Star Forming Regions in Nearby,
Luminous Quasars

We propose to carry out narrow-band emission line imaging observations
of 8 quasars at z=0.05-0.15 with the WFPC2 ramp filters and with the
NICMOS narrow-band filters. We will obtain images in the [O II], [O
III], H-beta, and Pa-alpha emission line bands to carry out a series
of diagnostic tests aimed at detecting and mapping out star-forming
regions in the quasar host galaxies. This direct detection of
star-forming regions will confirm indirect indications for star
formation in quasar host galaxies. It will provide a crucial test for
models of quasar and galaxy evolution, that predict the co-existence
of starbursts and "monsters" and will solve the puzzle of why
different indicators of star formation give contradictory results. A
secondary science goal is to assess suggested correlations between
quasar luminosity and the size of the narrow-line region.

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.

NIC2 11143

NICMOS imaging of submillimeter galaxies with CO and PAH redshifts

We propose to obtain F110W and F160W imaging of 10 z~2.4 submillimeter
galaxies {SMGs} whose optical redshifts have been confirmed by the
detection of millimeter CO and/or mid- infrared PAH emission. With the
4000A break falling within/between the two imaging filters, we will be
able to study these sources' spatially resolved stellar populations
{modulo extinction} in the rest-frame optical. SMGs' large
luminosities appear to be due largely to merger-triggered starbursts;
high-resolution NICMOS imaging will help us understand the stellar
masses, mass ratios, and other properties of the merger progenitors,
valuable information in the effort to model the mass assembly history
of the universe.

NIC2/WFPC2 11142

Revealing the Physical Nature of Infrared Luminous Galaxies at
0.3z2.7 Using HST and Spitzer

We aim to determine physical properties of IR luminous galaxies at
0.3z2.7 by requesting coordinated HST/NIC2 and MIPS 70um observations
of a unique, 24um flux-limited sample with complete Spitzer mid-IR
spectroscopy. The 150 sources investigated in this program have S{24um}
0.8mJy and their mid-IR spectra have already provided the majority
targets with spectroscopic redshifts {0.3z2.7}. The proposed
150~orbits of NIC2 and 66~hours of MIPS 70um will provide the physical
measurements of the light distribution at the rest-frame ~8000A and
better estimates of the bolometric luminosity. Combining these
parameters together with the rich suite of spectral diagnostics from
the mid-IR spectra, we will {1} measure how common mergers are among
LIRGs and ULIRGs at 0.3z2.7, and establish if major mergers are the
drivers of z1 ULIRGs, as in the local Universe. {2} study the
co-evolution of star formation and blackhole accretion by
investigating the relations between the fraction of starburst/AGN
measured from mid-IR spectra vs. HST morphologies, L{bol} and z. {3}
obtain the current best estimates of the far-IR emission, thus L{bol}
for this sample, and establish if the relative contribution of
mid-to-far IR dust emission is correlated with morphology {resolved
vs. unresolved}.

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.

NIC3 11120

A Paschen-Alpha Study of Massive Stars and the ISM in the Galactic
Center

The Galactic center (GC) is a unique site for a detailed study of a
multitude of complex astrophysical phenomena, which may be common to
nuclear regions of many galaxies. Observable at resolutions
unapproachable in other galaxies, the GC provides an unparalleled
opportunity to improve our understanding of the interrelationships of
massive stars, young stellar clusters, warm and hot ionized gases,
molecular clouds, large scale magnetic fields, and black holes. We
propose the first large-scale hydrogen Paschen alpha line survey of
the GC using NICMOS on the Hubble Space Telescope. This survey will
lead to a high resolution and high sensitivity map of the Paschen
alpha line emission in addition to a map of foreground extinction,
made by comparing Paschen alpha to radio emission. This survey of the
inner 75 pc of the Galaxy will provide an unprecedented and complete
search for sites of massive star formation. In particular, we will be
able to (1) uncover the distribution of young massive stars in this
region, (2) locate the surfaces of adjacent molecular clouds, (3)
determine important physical parameters of the ionized gas, (4)
identify compact and ultra-compact HII regions throughout the GC. When
combined with existing Chandra and Spitzer surveys as well as a wealth
of other multi-wavelength observations, the results will allow us to
address such questions as where and how massive stars form, how
stellar clusters are disrupted, how massive stars shape and heat the
surrounding medium, and how various phases of this medium are
interspersed.

WFPC2 11113

Binaries in the Kuiper Belt: Probes of Solar System Formation and
Evolution

The discovery of binaries in the Kuiper Belt and related small body
populations is powering a revolutionary step forward in the study of
this remote region. Three quarters of the known binaries in the Kuiper
Belt have been discovered with HST, most by our snapshot surveys. The
statistics derived from this work are beginning to yield surprising
and unexpected results. We have found a strong concentration of
binaries among low-inclination Classicals, a possible size cutoff to
binaries among the Centaurs, an apparent preference for nearly equal
mass binaries, and a strong increase in the number of binaries at
small separations. We propose to continue this successful program in
Cycle 16; we expect to discover at least 13 new binary systems,
targeted to subgroups where these discoveries can have the greatest
impact.

WFPC2 11020

Cycle 15 Focus Monitor

The focus of HST is measured primarily with ACS/HRC over full CVZ
orbits to obtain accurate mean focus values via a well sampled
breathing curve. Coma and astigmatism are also determined from the
same data in order to further understand orbital effects on image
quality and optical alignments. To monitor the stability of ACS to
WFPC2 relative focii, we've carried over from previous focus monitor
programs parallel observations taken with the two cameras at suitable
orientations of previously observed targets, and interspersed them
with the HRC CVZ visits.

FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

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

HSTARS:

11260 - GSAcq (2,1,1) failed to RGA Hold (Gyro Control)

At 109/21:48:42 GSAcq (2,1,1) scheduled from 21:44:02 - 21:51:48
failed to RGA Hold (Gyro Control). Pre-acquisition OBADs showed an RSS
value of 1202.09 and 5.15 arc seconds respectively. Received one 486
STB ESB message a07 (FGS Coarse Track failed - Timed out waiting for
data valid). FGS1 enteredCourse Track 11 times, but was not able to
achieve Course Track-Data Valid.

11261 - GSacq(1,2,2) failed to RGA control.

GSacq(1,2,2) scheduled at 111/22:13:12 failed to RGA control at
22:15:48. There were no flags. RSS value for OBAD1 was 3120.29 a-s.
RSS value for OBAD2 was 3.94 a-s.

COMPLETED OPS REQUEST: (None)

COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)

********************** SCHEDULED***** SUCCESSFUL

FGS GSacq************** 35***************** 33
FGS REacq************** 07***************** 07
OBAD with Maneuver **** 84***************** 84

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)