Daily Report # 4355

Notice: For the foreseeable future, the daily reports may contain apparent
discrepancies between some proposal descriptions and the listed instrument
usage. This is due to the conversion of previously approved ACS WFC or HRC
observations into WFPC2, or NICMOS observations subsequent to the loss of
ACS CCD science capability in late January.


HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science

DAILY REPORT # 4355

PERIOD COVERED: UT May 03, 2007 (DOY 123)

OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED

WFPC2 10800

Kuiper Belt Binaries: Probes of Early Solar System Evolution

Binaries in the Kuiper Belt are a scientific windfall: in them we have
relatively fragile test particles which can be used as tracers of the early
dynamical evolution of the outer Solar System. We propose to continue a
Snapshot program using the ACS/HRC that has a demonstrated discovery
potential an order of magnitude higher than the HST observations that have
already discovered the majority of known transneptunian binaries. With this
continuation we seek to reach the original goals of this project: to
accumulate a sufficiently large sample in each of the distinct populations
collected in the Kuiper Belt to be able to measure, with statistical
significance, how the fraction of binaries varies as a function of their
particular dynamical paths into the Kuiper Belt. Today's Kuiper Belt bears
the imprints of the final stages of giant-planet building and migration;
binaries may offer some of the best preserved evidence of that long-ago era.

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.

WFPC2 10910

HST / Chandra Monitoring of a Dramatic Flare in the M87 Jet

As the nearest galaxy with an optical jet, M87 affords an unparalleled
opportunity to study extragalactic jet phenomena at the highest resolution.
During 2002, HST and Chandra monitoring of the M87 jet detected a dramatic
flare in knot HST-1 located ~1" from the nucleus. Its optical brightness
eventually increased seventy-fold and peaked in 2005; the X- rays show a
similarly dramatic outburst. In both bands HST-1 is still extremely bright
and greatly outshines the galaxy nucleus. To our knowledge this is the first
incidence of an optical or X-ray outburst from a jet region which is
spatially distinct from the core source -- this presents an unprecedented
opportunity to study the processes responsible for non- thermal variability
and the X-ray emission. We propose five epochs of HST/ACS flux monitoring
during Cycle 15, as well as seven epochs of Chandra/ACIS observation {5ksec
each, five Chandra epochs contemporary with HST}. At two of the HST/ACS
epochs we also gather spectral information and map the magnetic field
structure. The results of this investigation are of key importance not only
for understanding the nature of the X-ray emission of the M87 jet, but also
for understanding flares in blazar jets, which are highly variable, but
where we have never before been able to resolve the flaring region in the
optical or X-rays. These observations will allow us to test synchrotron
emission models for the X- ray outburst, constrain particle acceleration and
loss timescales, and study the jet dynamics associated with this flaring
component.

WFPC2 10880

The host galaxies of QSO2s: AGN feeding and evolution at high luminosities

Now that the presence of supermassive black holes in the nuclei of galaxies
is a well established fact, other questions related to the AGN phenomena
still have to be answered. Problems of particular interest are how the AGN
gets fed, how the black hole evolves and how the evolution of the black hole
is related to the evolution of the galaxy bulge. Here we propose to address
some of these issues using ACS/WFC + F775W snapshot images of 73 QSO2s with
redshifts in the range 0.3z0.4. These observations will be combined with
similar archival data of QSO1s and ground based data of Seyfert and normal
galaxies. First, we will intestigate whether interactions are the most
important feeding mechanism in high luminosity AGNs. This will be done in a
quantitative way, comparing the asymmetry indices of QSO2 hosts with those
of lower luminosity AGNs and normal galaxies. Second, we will do a detailed
study of the morphology of the host galaxies of both QSO types, to determine
if they are similar, or if there is an evolutionary trend from QSO2s to
QSO1s. The results from this project will represent an important step in the
understanding of AGN evolution, and may also introduce a substantial
modification to the Unified Model.

NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 8794

NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 5

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 10808

Morphologies of spectroscopically-confirmed "red and dead" galaxies at z~2.5

Using a combination of wide-field near-infrared imaging and very deep
follow-up near-infrared spectroscopy we have identified a population of
massive "red and dead" galaxies at z~2.5. The galaxies lack emission lines
and have strong Balmer/4000 Angstrom breaks, demonstrating directly that
they have evolved stellar populations. These objects are very likely
progenitors of massive ellipticals today and may be descendants of the first
generation of galaxies. We propose to image 10 of these objects with the
NIC2 camera to determine their morphologies. The goals are to 1} determine
whether they have the sizes of present-day early-types or are more compact,
as predicted by models, 2} determine the morphology, using visual
classification and quantitative methods, and 3} constrain the evolution of
the Kormendy relation from z~2.5 to the present. These observations will
show whether the oldest and most massive galaxies at z~2.5 were already
fully formed or still in the process of assembly.

NIC3 10839

The NICMOS Polarimetric Calibration

Recently, it has been shown that NICMOS possesses an instrumental
polarization at a level of 1.2%. This completely inhibits the data reduction
in a number of previous GO programs, and hampers the ability of the
instrument to perform high accuracy polarimetry. In all, 90 orbits of HST
data are affected, with potentially many more in Cycle 15. We propose to
obtain high signal to noise observations of three polarimetric standards at
the cardinal roll angles of the NICMOS polarizers for both NIC1 and NIC2.
These observations are designed to fully characterize the instrumental
polarization in order for NICMOS to reach its full potential by enabling
high accuracy polarimetry of sources with polarizations around 1%. The
residual polarization will also be determined as a function of position and
spectral energy distribution. Our group will rapidly turn around the
required data products and produce reports and software for the accurate
representation of the instrumental polarization. These items will be
presented to STScI and for dissemination among the wider astronomical
community.

NIC3 11080

Exploring the Scaling Laws of Star Formation

As a variety of surveys of the local and distant Universe are approaching a
full census of galaxy populations, our attention needs to turn towards
understanding and quantifying the physical mechanisms that trigger and
regulate the large-scale star formation rates {SFRs} in galaxies.

WFPC2 10845

HUNTING FOR OPTICAL COMPANIONS TO BINARY MILLISECOND PULSARS IN TERZAN 5 AND
NGC6266

We propose deep WFPC2 and NICMOS observations to search for optical
companions to binary millisecond pulsar {MSPs} in two Globular Clusters
{GCs}: Terzan 5 and NGC6266. Terzan 5 has the largest MSP population of any
GC: 33 MSP {17 in binary systems} have been discovered up to now in this
stellar system. NGC6266 ranks fifth among the GC for wealth of MSPs but it
is the only one in which all the {six} detected MSPs are in binary systems.
Only 5 optical counterparts to binary MSP companions are known in GCs {two
of them have been discovered by our group}: hence even the addition of a few
new identifications are crucial to investigate the variety of processes
occurring in binary MSPs in dense environment. The observations proposed
here would easily double/triple the existing sample of known MSP companions,
allowing the first meaningful study of the phenomena which drive the
formation and evolution of these exotic systems. Moreover, since most of
binary MSP in GC are formed via stellar interactions in the high density
regions of the cluster, the determination of the nature of the companion and
the incidence of this collisionally induced population have a significant
impact on our knowledge of the cluster dynamics. Even more interesting, the
study of the optical companions to NSs in a GC allows to derive tighter
constraints {than those obtainable for NS binaries in the galactic field} on
the properties {mass, orbital inclination and so on} of the compation star.
This has, in turn, an intrisic importance for fundamental physics since it
offers the opportunity of measuring the mass of the NS and hence to put
constraints to the equation of state of matter at nuclear equilibrium
density.

FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

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

HSTARS:

10798 - GSacq (2,3,2) failed to RGA control

During LOS the GSacq (2,3,2) scheduled at 123/22:31:35 failed. At The Map at
23:20:21 showed errors of v1= 431.20, V2=708.51, V3=926.65 and RSS= 1243.62.
AOS (23:19:01) we observed stop flags QF2STOPF and QSTOP for FGS 2. The
REacq (2,3,2) at 124/00:04:19 also failed during LOS with stop flags on FGS
2.

COMPLETED OPS REQUEST:

18058-1 - MSS/CSSGyro2 KF Initialization Convergence Testing for SMS 120
(Test # 36 & 9)
18059-1 - MSS/CSS KF Add/Removal of Gyro1 Input Testing for SMS 120 (Test #
28)
18061-1 - MSS KF Adding Gyro1 Convergence Testing for SMS 120 (Test # 22)
18054-0 - Preview KF Sun Vector Data via Telemetry Diags
18067-1 - PCS KF OOT Support
18068-1 - PCS KF OOT Support

COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)

SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL

FGS GSacq 10 09
FGS REacq 03 02
OBAD with Maneuver 27 27

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS:

Evaluation of Universal Kalman Filter performance continued. Multiple text
segments were executed, all of them successfully. Details follow.

Background Kalman Filter Operation Flash Report for day 123

The KF was halted at 123/16:15 (OR 18061-1). The filter was restarted at
123/16:16 during orbit day and during an F2G guiding interval. The filter
was activated with only the MSS enabled. The Gyro1 sensor input was added to
the converged KF at 123/16:28 during orbit day, in an M2G guiding period
with the vehicle inertially fixed and during a slow changing B-field. All
UKF parameters showed nominal operation. The test was an MSS/Gyro1 test case
with the Gyro1 input added to an already converged filter with the vehicle
inertially fixed and during a slow changing B-field (M_G1_RNS, Test #22).

The Gyro input was removed at 123/16:39 and the CSS sensor input re-enabled
at 123/16:50 to reconfigure the KF back to its default MSS/CSS input state.
The activity above used the slot 1 TMDIAG at 123/16:24. The slot 1 TMDIAG
was reset to monitor the V2 component of the KF estimated sun vector at
123/16:52.

The Gyro1 sensor input was added to the an already converged KF at
123/18:15. The MSS and CSS sensor inputs were enabled. The Gyro1 sensor
input was added during an M2G guiding period during orbit day, during a
vehicle slew and during a slow changing B-field. All UKF parameters showed
nominal operation. The test was an MSS/CSS test case with the Gyro1 sensor
input added during a vehicle slew and a slow changing B-field (MC_G1_RVS,
Test #28).

The MSS/CSS default KF configuration was restored at 123/19:11. The activity
above used the slot 1 TMDIAG at 123/18:15. The slot 1 TMDIAG was reset to
monitor the V2 component of the KF estimated sun vector at 123/19:24. The KF
was halted at 123/20:05. The filter was restarted at 123/20:04 during an M2G
guiding period, during orbit day, during a vehicle slew and during a slow
changing B-field. All UKF parameters showed nominal operation. The test was
an MSS/CSS/Gyro2 Initialization test case during a vehicle slew and during a
slow changing B-field (MC_G1_IVS, Test #36).

The MSS/CSS default configuration was restored at 123/20:17. The filter was
planned to be restarted in the default configuration at 20:15 to execute an
additional test (M_C_IVP, Test #9). This test is an initialization test with
the MSS and CSS sensor inputs enabled at orbit day, during a vehicle slew
immediately prior to EON. However, due to communication issues the test was
not executed at the time required to capture the penumbra. This test will be
rescheduled.

The tests above complete the KF testing for the week of the 120 SMS.