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Daily Report #4505



 
 
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Old December 12th 07, 05:50 PM posted to sci.astro.hubble
Cooper, Joe
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Default Daily Report #4505

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science

DAILY REPORT***** # 4505

PERIOD COVERED: UT December 11, 2007 (DOY 345)

OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED

WFPC2 10877

A Snapshot Survey of the Sites of Recent, Nearby Supernovae

During the past few years, robotic {or nearly robotic} searches for
supernovae {SNe}, most notably our Lick Observatory Supernova Search
{LOSS}, have found hundreds of SNe, many of them in quite nearby
galaxies {cz 4000 km/s}. Most of the objects were discovered before
maximum brightness, and have follow-up photometry and spectroscopy;
they include some of the best-studied SNe to date. We propose to
conduct a snapshot imaging survey of the sites of some of these nearby
objects, to obtain late-time photometry that {through the shape of the
light and color curves} will help reveal the origin of their lingering
energy. The images will also provide high-resolution information on
the local environments of SNe that are far superior to what we can
procure from the ground. For example, we will obtain color-color and
color-magnitude diagrams of stars in these SN sites, to determine the
SN progenitor masses and constraints on the reddening. Recovery of the
SNe in the new HST images will also allow us to actually pinpoint
their progenitor stars in cases where pre- explosion images exist in
the HST archive. This proposal is an extension of our successful Cycle
13 snapshot survey with ACS. It is complementary to our Cycle 15
archival proposal, which is a continuation of our long-standing
program to use existing HST images to glean information about SN
environments.

FGS 11228

Extrasolar Planet XO-2b

We propose observations of the newly discovered extrasolar planet
XO-2b and its twin star XO-2. When combined with the transit light
curve, the FGS-derived parallax will constrain the stellar mass of the
host star XO-2. From the high signal-to-noise near-IR time series
resulting from NICMOS grism spectroscopy, we will refine the system
parameters, in particular radii of the star and planet. From the same
data, we will search for evidence of water vapor in the atmosphere via
transmission spectroscopy. Differential observations with NICMOS in
the spectroscopic mode will be used to search for the small spectral
changes that occur during planetary transits resulting from absorption
of stellar light as it passes through the planetary atmosphere. Water
is an important constituent, the detection of which would provide
information on Oxygen, and it has a convenient strong band well-
positioned for NICMOS.

FGS 11462

FGS1r, FGS2r, and FGS3 Pre-SM4 Performance

This proposal is the first of a pair of proposals that monitors the
characteristics of HST's two "continuing" Fine Guidance Sensors across
the boundary of the servicing mission SM4. This proposal obtains the
pre-SM4 measurements. Proposal 11463 gathers the same data but for the
post-SM4 baseline. For each FGS, stars from a selected field in the
standard astrometric Galactic cluster M35 are observed in Position
mode. This provides a measurement of their relative positions, which
in turn provides an effective means to detect and monitor any changes
in the FGS optical distortions and plate scales. If out of tolerance,
the need for a re- calibration of the particular FGS's distortions
will be indicated. The FGS-FGS alignments will also be monitored
across the SM boundary. This will be done by using the same guide star
pairs in the corrresponding proposal 11463. Finally, this proposal and
11463 include Transfer mode observations of selected M35 stars. These
observations will obtain S-curves at the center and at two off-center
field points in each FGS FOV. These data will provide insight as to
whether or not the relative alignment of the FGS optical train with
the HST OTA has changed. If changes larger than tolerance are
observed, it will be necessary to activate the appropriate contingency
proposal that will obtain S-curves are several locations in the FGS
FOV to facilitate a re-computation of the optimal values of K-factors
that are used in the acquisition and tracking of guide stars (and
astrometry targets). This proposal requires a total of 4 HST orbit to
support ther FGS2r and FGS3 observations. The FGS1r observations are
available from the FGS Cycle 16 Astrometry calibration plan.

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 11022

WFPC2 Cycle 15 Decontaminations and Associated Observations

This proposal is for the WFPC2 decons. Also included are instrument
monitors tied to decons: photometric stability check, focus monitor,
pre- and post-decon internals {bias, intflats, kspots, & darks}, UV
throughput check, VISFLAT sweep, and internal UV flat check.

WFPC2 11178

Probing Solar System History with Orbits, Masses, and Colors of
Transneptunian Binaries

The recent discovery of numerous transneptunian binaries {TNBs} opens
a window into dynamical conditions in the protoplanetary disk where
they formed as well as the history of subsequent events which sculpted
the outer Solar System and emplaced them onto their present day
heliocentric orbits. To date, at least 47 TNBs have been discovered,
but only about a dozen have had their mutual orbits and separate
colors determined, frustrating their use to investigate numerous
important scientific questions. The current shortage of data
especially cripples scientific investigations requiring statistical
comparisons among the ensemble characteristics. We propose to obtain
sufficient astrometry and photometry of 23 TNBs to compute their
mutual orbits and system masses and to determine separate primary and
secondary colors, roughly tripling the sample for which this
information is known, as well as extending it to include systems of
two near-equal size bodies. To make the most efficient possible use of
HST, we will use a Monte Carlo technique to optimally schedule our
observations.

WFPC2 11226

Hubble Investigation of Comet 8P/Tuttle

Comet 8P/Tuttle is a returning nearly isotropic comet (NIC) with an
outstanding apparition in cycle 16, passing within 0.25 AU of the
Earth. We propose a 12-orbit Hubble investigation that will allow us
to determine the size, shape, rotational period, and color (UBVRI) of
8P, thereby providing the most detailed view of a NIC nucleus since
the spacecraft flyby of 1P/Halley in 1986. The return of 8P is a rare
opportunity, and we expect many other observatories, including
Spitzer, to be investigating this comet. Combining the Hubble results
with those from other observatories should yield a comprehensive
picture of this NIC that can be compared to the detailed data
collected on ecliptic comets (ECs) during the past 3 decades. The
differences and similarities between NICs and ECs should yield
valuable insights into the origin and evolution of comets.

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************** 06**************** 06
OBAD with Maneuver **** 30**************** 30

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)


 




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