Daily # 4228

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science

DAILY REPORT # 4228

PERIOD COVERED: UT October 26, 2006 (DOY 299)

OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED ACS/WFC 10551

Gamma-Ray Bursts from Start to Finish: A Legacy Approach

The progenitors of long-duration GRBs are now known to be massive
stars. This result lends credence to the collapsar model, where a
rotating massive star ends its life leaving a black hole or a highly
magnetized neutron star, and confirms its essential aspects. The focus
of attention now is on the black hole or magnetar engines that power
the bursts. Somehow these engines create the most highly relativistic
and highly collimated outflows that we know of, through mechanisms
that no current theory can explain. These astrophysical laboratories
challenge our understanding of relativistic shocks, of mechanisms for
extracting energy from a black hole, and of how physics works in
extreme conditions. The launch of Swift is bringing us into a new era,
where we can make broadband observations that will enable us to study
these fascinating physical processes. We propose here an ambitious,
comprehensive program to obtain the datasets that will become the
standard that any successful model for the central engine must
explain. This programs leverages the HST observations to the maximum
extent by our commitment of Swift observations, a Large program at the
VLA, and extensive ground-based optical resources. By studying the
engines and searching for jets in a variety of events, this program
will investigate the conditions necessary for the engine and jet
formation itself.

ACS/WFC/NIC3 10632

Searching for galaxies at z6.5 in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field

We propose to obtain deep ACS {F606W, F775W, F850LP} imaging in the
area of the original Hubble Ultra Deep Field NICMOS parallel fields
and - through simultaneous parallel observations - deep NICMOS {F110W,
F160W} imaging of the ACS UDF area. Matching the extreme imaging depth
in the optical and near-IR bands will result in seven fields with
sufficiently sensitive multiband data to detect the expected typical
galaxies at z=7 and 8. Presently no such a field exist. Our combined
optical and near-IR ultradeep fields will be in three areas separated
by about 20 comoving Mpc at z=7. This will allow us to give a first
assessment of the degree of cosmic variance. If reionization is a
process extending over a large redshift interval and the luminosity
function doesn't evolve strongly beyond z=6, these data will allow us
to identify of the order of a dozen galaxies at 6.5z8.5 - using the
Lyman break technique - and to place a first constrain on the
luminosity function at z6.5. Conversely, finding fewer objects would
be an indication that the bulk of reionization is done by galaxies at
z=6. By spending 204 orbits of prime HST time we will capitalize on
the investment of 544 prime orbits already made on the Hubble Ultra
Deep Field {UDF}. We have verified that the program as proposed is
schedulable and that it will remain so even if forced to execute in
the 2-gyro mode. The data will be non-proprietary and the reduced
images will be made public within 2 months from the completion of the
observations.

FGS 10989

Astrometric Masses of Extrasolar Planets and Brown Dwarfs

We propose observations with HST/FGS to estimate the astrometric
elements {perturbation orbit semi-major axis and inclination} of
extra-solar planets orbiting six stars. These companions were
originally detected by radial velocity techniques. We have
demonstrated that FGS astrometry of even a short segment of reflex
motion, when combined with extensive radial velocity information, can
yield useful inclination information {McArthur et al. 2004}, allowing
us to determine companion masses. Extrasolar planet masses assist in
two ongoing research frontiers. First, they provide useful boundary
conditions for models of planetary formation and evolution of
planetary systems. Second, knowing that a star in fact has a plantary
mass companion, increases the value of that system to future
extrasolar planet observation missions such as SIM PlanetQuest, TPF,
and GAIA.

NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 8793

NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 4

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, ACS/WFC 10802

SHOES-Supernovae, HO, for the Equation of State of Dark energy

The present uncertainty in the value of the Hubble constant {resulting
in an uncertainty in Omega_M} and the paucity of Type Ia supernovae at
redshifts exceeding 1 are now the leading obstacles to determining the
nature of dark energy. We propose a single, integrated set of
observations for Cycle 15 that will provide a 40% improvement in
constraints on dark energy. This program will observe known Cepheids
in six reliable hosts of Type Ia supernovae with NICMOS, reducing the
uncertainty in H_0 by a factor of two because of the smaller
dispersion along the instability strip, the diminished extinction, and
the weaker metallicity dependence in the infrared. In parallel with
ACS, at the same time the NICMOS observations are underway, we will
discover and follow a sample of Type Ia supernovae at z 1. Together,
these measurements, along with prior constraints from WMAP, will
provide a great improvement in HST's ability to distinguish between a
static, cosmological constant and dynamical dark energy. The Hubble
Space Telescope is the only instrument in the world that can make
these IR measurements of Cepheids beyond the Local Group, and it is
the only telescope in the world that can be used to find and follow
supernovae at z 1. Our program exploits both of these unique
capabilities of HST to learn more about one of the greatest mysteries
in science.

FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

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

HSTARS:

10488 - GSacq(2,1,2) Failed to RGA control

The GSacq(2,1,2)scheduled at 299/14:02:41 failed due to receiving a
QF2STOPF on FGS 2. The OBAD before the GSacq showed errors of
V1=-0.54, V2= 0.47, V3=-4.39, RSS= 4.45. The Map at 14:10:02 showed
errors of V1=0.94, V2=5.14, V3=0.18, RSS=5.23.

COMPLETED OPS REQUEST: (None)

COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)

SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL
FGS GSacq 08 07
FGS REacq 07 07
OBAD with Maneuver 28 28

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)