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Daily Report #5038



 
 
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Old February 23rd 10, 08:09 PM posted to sci.astro.hubble
Bassford, Lynn[_2_]
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Default Daily Report #5038

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to Collect World Class Science

DAILY REPORT #5038

PERIOD COVERED: 5am February 22 - 5am February 23, 2010 (DOY 053/10:00z-054/10:00z)

OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED

ACS/WFC 11679

Probing The Globular Cluster / Low Mass X-ray Binary Connection in
Early-type Galaxies At Low X-ray Luminosities

Combined high-resolution images from Hubble and Chandra (CXO) have
revolutionized our understanding of extragalactic low-mass X-ray
binaries (LMXBs) and globular clusters (GCs), yet their connection in
early-type galaxies has remained unstudied at the luminosities of the
Galactic LMXBs in GCs. NGC 3379 and NGC 4278 are be the first
prototypical elliptical galaxies with complete, deep CXO observations
enabling the study of LMXBs at lower luminosities. We propose
completing mosaic ACS observations of both galaxies (5 fields per
galaxy) that will provide the most comprehensive view into the
connection between GCs and LMXBs in early-type galaxies. We will
detect ~860 and ~270 GCs in all of NGC 4278 and NGC 3379,
respectively. These two galaxies will have among the greatest number
of detected GC-LMXBs to date (~130 & 50) and will include the faintest
GC-LMXBs in a normal early-type galaxy. We will measure the fraction
of GCs which contain LMXBs, as a function of X-ray luminosity,
galactocentric distance, color, and GC half-light radius. Using the
radial profiles of optical light, GCs, and LMXBs, we will determine
the percentage of field LMXBs which may have originated in GCs. We
will use the measured GC properties over the entire extent of both
galaxies to constrain theories of GC formation and evolution. This is
a resubmission of an approved Cycle 15 program (10835) which was only
partially completed.

ACS/WFC 11995

CCD Daily Monitor (Part 2)

This program comprises basic tests for measuring the read noise and
dark current of the ACS WFC and for tracking the growth of hot pixels.
The recorded frames are used to create bias and dark reference images
for science data reduction and calibration. This program will be
executed four days per week (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun) for the duration of
Cycle 17. To facilitate scheduling, this program is split into three
proposals. This proposal covers 320 orbits (20 weeks) from 1 February
2010 to 20 June 2010.

COS/FUV 11541

COS-GTO: Cool, Warm, and Hot Gas in the Cosmic Web and in Galaxy Halos

COS G130M and G160M 20, 000 resolution observations will be obtained
for 17 QSOs to study cool, warm and hot gas in the cosmic web and in
galaxy halos. 5 QSOs with z from 0.177 to 0.574 and sum z = 1.68 will
be observed with S/N = 40-50 per resolution element. 12 QSOs with z =
0.286 to 0.669 and sum z = 5.57 will be observed with S/N = 30-40. The
observations will allow a wide range of IGM studies including
determining the frequency of occurrence of the different types of
absorption systems detected, along with studies of the physical
conditions and elemental abundances in the different systems. Special
emphasis will be given to a study of the properties of highly ionized
IGM as traced by O VI, O V, O IV, N V, and C IV. The high S/N of the
observations will allow a search for broad Lyman alpha absorption and
weak metal line absorption that can be crucial for the evaluation of
physical conditions and elemental abundances. Supporting ground based
observations will allow studies of the association of the absorbers
with galaxy structures along the 17 lines of sight. The overall goal
of the program will be to obtain the information that will allow an
assessment of the baryonic content of the IGM as revealed by UV and
EUV absorption lines seen in the spectra of QSOs.

COS/FUV 11895

FUV Detector Dark Monitor

The purpose of this proposal is to monitor the FUV detector dark rate
by taking long science exposures without illuminating the detector.
The detector dark rate and spatial distribution of counts will be
compared to pre-launch and SMOV data in order to verify the nominal
operation of the detector. Variations of count rate as a function of
orbital position will be analyzed to find dependence of dark rate on
proximity to the SAA. Dependence of dark rate as function of time will
also be tracked.

COS/NUV 11894

NUV Detector Dark Monitor

The purpose of this proposal is to measure the NUV detector dark rate
by taking long science exposures with no light on the detector. The
detector dark rate and spatial distribution of counts will be compared
to pre-launch and SMOV data in order to verify the nominal operation
of the detector. Variations of count rate as a function of orbital
position will be analyzed to find dependence of dark rate on proximity
to the SAA. Dependence of dark rate as function of time will also be
tracked.

STIS/CCD 11844

CCD Dark Monitor Part 1

The purpose of this proposal is to monitor the darks for the STIS CCD.

STIS/CCD 11846

CCD Bias Monitor-Part 1

The purpose of this proposal is to monitor the bias in the 1x1, 1x2,
2x1, and 2x2 bin settings at gain=1, and 1x1 at gain = 4, to build up
high-S/N superbiases and track the evolution of hot columns.

STIS/CCD 11849

STIS CCD Hot Pixel Annealing

This purpose of this activity is to repair radiation induced hot pixel
damage to the STIS CCD by warming the CCD to the ambient instrument
temperature and annealing radiation-damaged pixels.

Radiation damage creates hot pixels in the STIS CCD Detector. Many of
these hot pixels can be repaired by warming the CCD from its normal
operating temperature near -83 deg. C to the ambient instrument
temperature (~ +5 deg. C) for several hours. The number of hot pixels
repaired is a function of annealing temperature. The effectiveness of
the CCD hot pixel annealing process is assessed by measuring the dark
current behavior before and after annealing and by searching for any
window contamination effects.

WFC3/ACS/UVIS 11684

The First Proper Motion Measurement for M31: Dynamics and Mass of the
Local Group

We will perform observations to determine the proper motion of the
Andromeda galaxy M31, which has been sought for almost a century
without success. While challenging, this measurement has now become
possible due to the availability of existing deep ACS/WFC images of
several M31 fields. The requested second epoch images will yield the
average shift of the M31 stars with respect to compact galaxies in the
background. Our observing strategy uses six different fields (three
primary and three coordinated parallel) with two different instruments
(ACS and WFC3) to provide a maximum handle on possible systematic
effects. The expected result will be sufficiently accurate to: (a)
discriminate between different histories for the dynamics of the Local
Group; (b) constrain the mass distribution of the Local Group; (c)
determine the details of the expected future merger between M31 and
the Milky Way; (d) infer the past interaction history between M31 and
M33; (e) constrain the internal proper motion kinematics of the M31
spheroid, outer disk, and tidal stream; and (f) obtain a pilot
estimate of the M31 distance through the method of rotational
parallax.

WFC3/IR 11189

Probing the Early Universe with GRBs

Cosmology is beginning to constrain the nature of the earliest stars
and galaxies to form in the Universe, but direct observation of
galaxies at z6 remains highly challenging due to their scarcity,
intrinsically small size, and high luminosity distance. GRB
afterglows, thanks to their extreme luminosities, offer the
possibility of circumventing these normal constraints by providing
redshifts and spectral information which couldn't be obtained through
direct observation of the host galaxies themselves. In addition, the
association of GRBs with massive stars means that they are an
indicator of star formation, and that their hosts are likely
responsible for a large proportion of the ionizing radiation during
that era. Our collaboration is conducting a campaign to rapidly
identify and study candidate very high redshift bursts, bringing to
bear a network of 2, 4 and 8m telescopes with near-IR instrumentation.
Swift has proven capable of detecting faint, distant GRBs, and
reporting accurate positions for many bursts in near real-time. Here
we propose to continue our HST program of targeting GRBs at z~6 and
above. HST is crucial to this endeavor, allowing us (a) to
characterize the basic properties, such as luminosity and color, and
in some cases morphologies, of the hosts, which is essential to
understanding these primordial galaxies and their relationship to
other galaxy populations; and (b) to monitor the late time afterglows
and hence compare them to lower-z bursts and test the use of GRBs as
standard candles.

WFC3/UV 12077

Monitoring the Aftermath of an Asteroid Impact Event

Our Director's Discretionary program (GO-12053) to image the newly
discovered object P/2010 A2 executed successfully on 2010 Jan 25 and
29 with spectacular results. Hubble has apparently borne witness to
the first detection of a collision in the asteroid belt. Hubble
imaging with the WFC3 has revealed an object unlike anything ever seen
before and with details impossible to detect with any other facility.
We request 6 more orbits of Hubble time (1 orbit every 20 days over
the next few months, until the object enters Hubble's solar exclusion
zone in late-June 2010) to monitor the evolution of this remarkable
object and further clarify the nature of this event. These
observations may usher in a new era of searching for and
characterizing collisional events within the asteroid belt.

WFC3/UVIS 11594

A WFC3 Grism Survey for Lyman Limit Absorption at z=2

We propose to conduct a spectroscopic survey of Lyman limit absorbers
at redshifts 1.8 z 2.5, using WFC3 and the G280 grism. This
proposal intends to complete an approved Cycle 15 SNAP program
(10878), which was cut short due to the ACS failure. We have selected
64 quasars at 2.3 z 2.6 from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey
Spectroscopic Quasar Sample, for which no BAL signature is found at
the QSO redshift and no strong metal absorption lines are present at z
2.3 along the lines of sight. The survey has three main

observational goals. First, we will determine the redshift frequency
dn/dz of the LLS over the column density range 16.0 log(NHI) 20.3
cm^-2. Second, we will measure the column density frequency
distribution f(N) for the partial Lyman limit systems (PLLS) over the
column density range 16.0 log(NHI) 17.5 cm^-2. Third, we will
identify those sightlines which could provide a measurement of the
primordial D/H ratio. By carrying out this survey, we can also help
place meaningful constraints on two key quantities of cosmological
relevance. First, we will estimate the amount of metals in the LLS
using the f(N), and ground based observations of metal line
transitions. Second, by determining f(N) of the PLLS, we can constrain
the amplitude of the ionizing UV background at z~2 to a greater
precision. This survey is ideal for a snapshot observing program,
because the on-object integration times are all well below 30 minutes,
and follow-up observations from the ground require minimal telescope
time due to the QSO sample being bright.

WFC3/UVIS 11657

The Population of Compact Planetary Nebulae in the Galactic Disk

We propose to secure narrow- and broad-band images of compact
planetary nebulae (PNe) in the Galactic Disk to study the missing link
of the early phases of post-AGB evolution. Ejected AGB envelopes
become PNe when the gas is ionized. PNe expand, and, when large
enough, can be studied in detail from the ground. In the interim, only
the HST capabilities can resolve their size, morphology, and central
stars. Our proposed observations will be the basis for a systematic
study of the onset of morphology. Dust properties of the proposed
targets will be available through approved Spitzer/IRS spectra, and so
will the abundances of the alpha- elements. We will be able thus to
explore the interconnection of morphology, dust grains, stellar
evolution, and populations. The target selection is suitable to
explore the nebular and stellar properties across the galactic disk,
and to set constraints on the galactic evolutionary models through the
analysis of metallicity and population gradients.

WFC3/UVIS 11905

WFC3 UVIS CCD Daily Monitor

The behavior of the WFC3 UVIS CCD will be monitored daily with a set
of full-frame, four-amp bias and dark frames. A smaller set of 2Kx4K
subarray biases are acquired at less frequent intervals throughout the
cycle to support subarray science observations. The internals from
this proposal, along with those from the anneal procedure (Proposal
11909), will be used to generate the necessary superbias and superdark
reference files for the calibration pipeline (CDBS).

WFC3/UVIS 12018

Ultra-Luminous X-Ray Sources in the Most Metal-Poor Galaxies

There is growing observational and theoretical evidence to suggest
that Ultra-Luminous X-ray sources (ULX) form preferentially in low
metallicity environments. Here we propose a survey of 27 nearby (
30Mpc) star-forming Extremely Metal Poor Galaxies (Z5% solar). There
are almost no X-ray observations of such low abundance galaxies (3 in
the Chandra archive). These are the most metal-deficient galaxies
known, and a logical place to find ULX if they favor metal-poor
systems. We plan to test recent population synthesis models which
predict that ULX should be very numerous in metal-poor galaxies. We
will also test the hypothesis that ULX form in massive young star
clusters, and ask for HST time to obtain the necessary imaging data.

WFC3/UVIS/IR 11662

Improving the Radius-Luminosity Relationship for Broad-Lined AGNs with
a New Reverberation Sample

The radius-luminosity (R-L) relationship is currently the fundamental
basis for all techniques used to estimate black hole masses in AGNs,
in both the nearby and distant universe. However, the current R-L
relationship is based on 34 objects that cover a limited range in
black hole mass and luminosity. To improve our understanding of black
hole growth and evolution, the R-L relationship must be extended to
cover a broader range of black hole masses using the technique known
as reverberation mapping. To this end, we have been awarded an
unprecedented 64 nights on the Lick Observatory 3-m telescope between
March 24 and May 31, 2008, to spectroscopically monitor 12 AGNs in
order to measure their black hole masses. To properly determine the
luminosities of these 12 AGNs, we must correct them for their
host-galaxy starlight contributions using high-resolution images.
Previous work by Bentz et al. (2006) has shown that the starlight
correction to AGN luminosity measurements is an essential component to
interpreting the R-L relationship. The correction will be substantial
for each of the 12 sources we will monitor, as the AGNs are relatively
faint and embedded in nearby, bright galaxies. Starlight corrections
are not possible with ground-based images, as the PSF and bulge
contributions become indistinguishable under typical seeing
conditions, and adaptive optics are not yet operational in the
spectral range where the corrections are needed. In addition, spectral
decompositions are very model-dependent and are limited by the degree
of accuracy to which we understand emission processes and stellar
populations in galaxies. Without correcting for starlight, we will be
unable to apply the results of our Spring 2008 campaign to the body of
knowledge from previous reverberation mapping work. Therefore, we
propose to obtain high resolution, high dynamic range images of the
host galaxies of the 12 AGNs in our ground-based monitoring sample, as
well as one white dwarf which will be used as a PSF model.

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 7 7
FGS REAcq 6 6
OBAD with Maneuver 6 6

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)
 




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