Daily Report #4558

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science

DAILY REPORT #4668

PERIOD COVERED: 5am August 5 - 5am August 6, 2008 (DOY 218/0900z-219/0900z)

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.

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}.

S/C 4974

TRTTEST

The Transient Response Test is for the Periodic Performance Monitoring of
the FGS 2R Servo A Mechanism.

WFPC2 11103

A Snapshot Survey of The Most Massive Clusters of Galaxies

We propose the continuation of our highly successful SNAPshot survey of a
sample of 125 very X-ray luminous clusters in the redshift range 0.3-0.7. As
demonstrated by the 25 snapshots obtained so far in Cycle14 and Cycle15
these systems frequently exhibit strong gravitational lensing as well as
spectacular examples of violent galaxy interactions. The proposed
observations will provide important constraints on the cluster mass
distributions, the physical nature of galaxy-galaxy and galaxy-gas
interactions in cluster cores, and a set of optically bright, lensed
galaxies for further 8-10m spectroscopy. All of our primary science goals
require only the detection and characterization of high-surface-brightness
features and are thus achievable even at the reduced sensitivity of WFPC2.
Because of their high redshift and thus compact angular scale our target
clusters are less adversely affected by the smaller field of view of WFPC2
than more nearby systems. Acknowledging the broad community interest in this
sample we waive our data rights for these observations. Due to a clerical
error at STScI our approved Cycle15 SNAP program was barred from execution
for 3 months and only 6 observations have been performed to date -
reinstating this SNAP at Cycle16 priority is of paramount importance to
reach meaningful statistics.

WFPC2 11218

Snapshot Survey for Planetary Nebulae in Globular Clusters of the Local
Group

Planetary nebulae {PNe} in globular clusters {GCs} raise a number of
interesting issues related to stellar and galactic evolution. The number of
PNe known in Milky Way GCs, 4, is surprisingly low if one assumes that all
stars pass through a PN stage. However, it is likely that the remnants of
stars now evolving in Galactic GCs leave the AGB so slowly that any ejected
nebula dissipates long before the star becomes hot enough to ionize it. Thus
there should not be ANY PNe in Milky Way GCs--but there are four! It has
been suggested that these PNe are the result of mergers of binary stars
within GCs, i.e., that they are descendants of blue stragglers. The
frequency of occurrence of PNe in external galaxies poses more questions,
because it shows a range of almost an order of magnitude. I propose a
Snapshot survey aimed at discovering PNe in the GC systems of Local Group
galaxies more distant than the Magellanic Clouds. These clusters, some of
which may be much younger than their counterparts in the Milky Way, might
contain many more PNe than those of our own galaxy. I will use the standard
technique of emission-line and continuum imaging, which easily discloses
PNe.

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:

18254-1 - FGS-2R TRTT #19
18054-0 - Preview KF Sun Vector Data via Telemetry Diags

COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)

SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL

FGS GSacq 10 10
FGS REacq 03 03
OBAD with Maneuver 28 28

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS:

TRTT Flash Report:

The 19th FGS-2R TRTT was successfully executed via Ops Request 18254. The
data will be analyzed and presented at the September Guide Star Working
Group meeting.

The GSAcq at 218/16:35 immediately following the TRTT was successful