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Daily Report #4348



 
 
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Old April 25th 07, 04:22 PM posted to sci.astro.hubble
Cooper, Joe
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Posts: 568
Default Daily Report #4348

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 # 4348

PERIOD COVERED: UT April 24, 2007 (DOY 114)

OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED

ACS/SBC 10862

Comprehensive Auroral Imaging of Jupiter and Saturn during the International
Heliophysical Year

A comprehensive set of observations of the auroral emissions from Jupiter
and Saturn is proposed for the International Heliophysical Year in 2007, a
unique period of especially concentrated measurements of space physics
phenomena throughout the solar system. We propose to determine the physical
relationship of the various auroral processes at Jupiter and Saturn with
conditions in the solar wind at each planet. This can be accomplished with
campaigns of observations, with a sampling interval not to exceed one day,
covering at least one solar rotation. The solar wind plasma density
approaching Jupiter will be measured by the New Horizons spacecraft, and a
separate campaign near opposition in May 2007 will determine the effect of
large-scale variations in the interplanetary magnetic field {IMF} on the
Jovian aurora by extrapolation from near-Earth solar wind measurements. A
similar Saturn campaign near opposition in Jan. 2007 will combine
extrapolated solar wind data with measurements from a wide range of
locations within the Saturn magnetosphere by Cassini. In the course of
making these observations, it will be possible to fully map the auroral
footprints of Io and the other satellites to determine both the local
magnetic field geometry and the controlling factors in the electromagnetic
interaction of each satellite with the corotating magnetic field and plasma
density. Also in the course of making these observations, the auroral
emission properties will be compared with the properties of the near-IR
ionospheric emissions {from ground-based observations} and non thermal radio
emissions, from ground-based observations for Jupiter?s decametric radiation
and Cassini plasma wave measurements of the Saturn Kilometric Radiation
{SKR}.

ACS/SBC 11074

ACS/SBC Darks in Support of Specific SBC Science Observations

This program provides SBC DARK visits to be scheduled in conjuction with
certain specific science observations which require the SBC to be turned on
in the orbit preceeding the science observation.

WFPC2 10917

Afterglows and Environments of Short-Hard Gamma-Ray Bursts

Discovery of the first afterglows of short-hard bursts {SHBs} has led to a
revolution in our understanding of these events, strongly suggesting that
they originate in the mergers of compact-object binaries. Capitalizing on
this progress, we propose to pursue the next generation of SHB observations
with HST, tracking the decay of all accessible SHB afterglows to late times
and pinpointing the location of several more within the context of their
host galaxies. These observations will allow quantitative analysis of
progenitor lifetimes and short burst environments, enable direct
confrontation with population synthesis models, and provide updated event
rate estimates for the LIGO and VIRGO gravitational-wave detectors that are
now coming on-line.

WFPC2 10884

The Dynamical Structure of Ellipticals in the Coma and Abell 262 Clusters

We propose to obtain images of 13 relatively luminous early type galaxies in
the Coma cluster and Abell 262 for which we have already collected ground
based major and minor axis spectra and images. The higher resolution HST
images will enable us to study the central regions of these galaxies which
is crucial to our dynamical modelling. The complete data set will allow us
to perform a full dynamical analysis and to derive the dark matter content
and distribution, the stellar orbital structure, and the stellar population
properties of these objects, probing the predictions of galaxy formation
models. The dynamical analysis will be performed using an up-to-date
axi-symmetric orbit superposition code.

WFPC2 10890

Morphologies of the Most Extreme High-Redshift Mid-IR-Luminous Galaxies

The formative phase of the most massive galaxies may be extremely luminous,
characterized by intense star- and AGN-formation. Till now, few such
galaxies have been unambiguously identified at high redshift, restricting us
to the study of low-redshift ultraluminous infrared galaxies as possible
analogs. We have recently discovered a sample of objects which may indeed
represent this early phase in galaxy formation, and are undertaking an
extensive multiwavelength study of this population. These objects are bright
at mid-IR wavelengths {F[24um]0.8mJy}, but deep ground based imaging
suggests extremely faint {and in some cases extended} optical counterparts
{R~24-27}. Deep K-band images show barely resolved galaxies. Mid-infrared
spectroscopy with Spitzer/IRS reveals that they have redshifts z ~ 2-2.5,
suggesting bolometric luminosities ~10^{13-14}Lsun! We propose to obtain
deep ACS F814W and NIC2 F160W images of these sources and their environs in
order to determine kpc-scale morphologies and surface photometry for these
galaxies. The proposed observations will help us determine whether these
extreme objects are merging systems, massive obscured starbursts {with
obscuration on kpc scales!} or very reddened {locally obscured} AGN hosted
by intrinsically low-luminosity galaxies.

WFPC2 11083

The Structure, Formation and Evolution of Galactic Cores and Nuclei

A surprising result has emerged from the ACS Virgo Cluster Survey {ACSVCS},
a program to obtain ACS/WFC gz imaging for a large, unbiased sample of 100
early-type galaxies in the Virgo Cluster. On subarcsecond scales {i.e.,
0.1"-1"}, the HST brightness profiles vary systematically from the
brightest giants {which have nearly constant surface brightness cores} to
the faintest dwarfs {which have compact stellar nuclei}. Remarkably, the
fraction of galaxy mass contributed by the nuclei in the faint galaxies is
identical to that contributed by supermassive black holes in the bright
galaxies {0.2%}. These findings strongly suggest that a single mechanism is
responsible for both types of Central Massive Object: most likely internally
or externally modulated gas inflows that feed central black holes or lead to
the formation of "nuclear star clusters". Understanding the history of gas
accretion, star formation and chemical enrichment on subarcsecond scales has
thus emerged as the single most pressing question in the study of nearby
galactic nuclei, either active or quiescent. We propose an ambitious HST
program {199 orbits} that constitutes the next, obvious step forward:
high-resolution, ultraviolet {WFPC2/F255W} and infrared {NIC1/F160W} imaging
for the complete ACSVCS sample. By capitalizing on HST's unique ability to
provide high-resolution images with a sharp and stable PSF at UV and IR
wavelengths, we will leverage the existing optical HST data to obtain the
most complete picture currently possible for the history of star formation
and chemical enrichment on these small scales. Equally important, this
program will lead to a significant improvement in the measured structural
parameters and density distributions for the stellar nuclei and the
underlying galaxies, and provide a sensitive measure of "frosting" by young
stars in the galaxy cores. By virtue of its superb image quality and stable
PSF, NICMOS is the sole instrument capable of the IR observations proposed
here. In the case of the WFPC2 observations, high-resolution UV imaging {
0.1"} is a capability unique to HST, yet one that could be lost at any any
time.

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 09 09
FGS REacq 05 05
OBAD with Maneuver 28 28

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS:

Evaluation of Universal Kalman Filter performance continued. Multiple text
segments were executed. Details follow.

The Kalman Filter (KF) was restarted at 114/11:41 (OR 18045-0) during orbit
day, during a vehicle maneuver and during an M2G guiding interval. The
filter was activated with the MSS and CSS sensor inputs enabled. All UKF
parameters showed nominal operation. The test was an MSS/CSS Initialization
Test Case with the vehicle in maneuver and during a fast changing B-field
(M_C_IVF, Test #5).

Test #9 (M_C_IVP) planned for 114/13:55 was not executed as the forward link
could not be scheduled. This test will be rescheduled.

The Gyro-1 sensor input was added to the KF at 114/14:30 (OR 18048-2) just
after EOD during an F2G guiding interval. The filter was running with the
MSS and CSS sensor inputs enabled and converged. All UKF parameters showed
nominal operation. The test was an MSS/CSS/Gyro1 test case with the Gyro1
sensor input removed at 114/14:59 with the filter running. The Gyro1 input
was removed during an F2G guiding interval, during orbit day and during a
fast changing B-field and with no vehicle maneuver (MC_G1_HNF, Test #33).
The response to the removal of the gyro input was nominal and the filter
remained converged. The removal of the gyro input restored the default
MSS/CSS configuration of the filter.

Test #10 (M_C_INP) was not executed at 114/18:43 as it was previously and
successfully executed at 113/18:44.

The execution of Test #16 (MC_G1_IVS) replaced Test #6 (M_C_IVS) at
114/20:00 since Test #6 had been previously and successfully executed at
109/23:34. The KF was restarted at 114/20:00 (OR 18046-0) during orbit day,
during a vehicle maneuver and during an M2G guiding interval. The filter was
activated with the MSS, CSS and Gyro1 sensor inputs enabled. All UKF
parameters showed nominal operation and convergence. The test was an
MSS/CSS/Gyro1 Initialization test case during a vehicle maneuver and during
a slow changing B-field. The filter was halted, the gyro input selection
removed and the filter was restarted at 114/20:22 in the default MSS/CSS
configuration.

At 114/20:31 the gyro input was added to the KF (OR 18048-2) during orbit
night and a T2G guiding interval. The filter was running with the MSS and
CSS sensor inputs enabled and with the filter converged. All UKF parameters
showed nominal operation. The test was an MSS/CSS/Gyro1 test case with the
Gyro1 sensor input removed at 114/21:44 with the filter running. The Gyro1
input was removed during an T2G guiding interval, during orbit day and
during a slow changing B-field (MC_G1_HNS, Test #34). The response to the
removal of the gyro input was nominal and the filter remained converged. The
removal of the gyro input restored the default MSS/CSS configuration of the
filter.

The Kalman Filter was restarted at 114/23:33 (OR 18045-0) during orbit
night, during a vehicle slew and during an M2G guiding interval. The filter
was activated with the MSS and CSS sensor inputs enabled, however no CSS
signal was present due to orbit night. All UKF parameters showed nominal
convergence and steady-state operation. The test was an MSS Only
Initialization Test Case with a vehicle maneuver and during a slow changing
B-field (M_0_IVS, Test #2).

The test above completed testing for the day and left the KF configured in
the default MSS/CSS mode.
 




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