Daily Rpt #4649

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science

DAILY REPORT*** #4649

PERIOD COVERED: 5am July 9 - 5am July 10, 2008 (DOY
191/0900z-192/0900z)

OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED

NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 11318

NICMOS Cycle 16 Multiaccum Darks

The purpose of this proposal is to monitor the dark current, read
noise, and shading profile for all three NICMOS detectors throughout
the duration of Cycle 16. This proposal is a slightly modified version
of proposal 10380 of cycle 13 and 9993 of cycle12 and is the same as
Cycle 15. Covers the period from April 08 to November 08 (inclusive)

NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 11330

NICMOS Cycle 16 Extended Dark

This takes a series of Darks in parallel to other instruments.

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 images. Each observation will need its
own CRMAP, as different SAA passages leave different imprints on the
NICMOS detectors.

NIC2 11237

The Origin of the Break in the AGN Luminosity Function

We propose to use NICMOS imaging to measure rest-frame optical
luminosities and morphological properties of a complete sample of
faint AGN host galaxies at redshifts z ~ 1.4. The targets are drawn
from the VLT-VIMOS Deep Survey, and they constitute a sample of the
lowest luminosity type 1 AGN known at z 1. The spectroscopically
estimated black hole masses are up to an order of magnitude higher
than expected given their nuclear luminosities, implying highly
sub-Eddington accretion rates. This exactly matches the prediction
made by recent theoretical models of AGN evolution, according to which
the faint end of the AGN luminosity function is populated mainly by
big black holes that have already exhausted a good part of their fuel.
In this proposal we want to test further predictions of that
hypothesis, by focusing on the host galaxy properties of our
low-luminosity, low- accretion AGN. If the local ratio between black
hole and bulge masses holds at least approximately at these redshifts,
one expects most of these low-luminosity AGN to reside in fairly big
ellipticals with stellar masses around and above 10^11 solar masses
(in contrast to the Seyfert phenomenon in the local universe). With
NICMOS imaging we will find out whether that is true, implying also a
sensitive test for the validity of the M_BH/M_bulge relation at z ~
1.4.

NIC2 11547

Characterizing Pre-Main Sequence Populations in Stellar Associations
of the Large Magellanic Cloud

The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) offers an extremely rich sample of
resolved low-mass stars (below 1 Solar Mass) in the act of formation
that has not been explored sufficiently yet. These pre-main sequence
(PMS) stars provide a unique snapshot of the star formation process,
as it is being recorded for the last ~20 Myr, and they give important
information on the low-mass Initial Mass Function (IMF) of their host
stellar systems. Studies of young, rich LMC clusters like 30 Doradus
are crowding limited, even at the angular resolution facilitated by
HST in the optical. To learn more about low-mass PMS stars in the LMC,
one has to study less crowded regions like young stellar assocations.
We propose to employ WFPC2 to obtain deep photometry (V ~ 25.5 mag) of
four selected LMC stellar associations in order to perform an original
optical analysis of their red PMS and blue bright MS stellar
populations. With these observations we aim at a comprehensive study,
which will add substantial information on the most recent star
formation and the IMF in the LMC. The data reduction and analysis will
be performed with a 2D photometry software package especially
developped by us for WFPC2 imaging of extended stellar associations
with variable background. Our targets have been selected optimizing a
combination of criteria, namely spatial resolution, crowding, low
extinction, nebular contamination, and background confusion in
comparison to other regions in the Local Group. Parallel NICMOS
imaging will provide additional information on near-infrared
properties of the stellar population in the regions surrounding these
systems.

NIC2 11799

NICMOS Non-linearity Calibration for Faint Objects

NICMOS has played a key role in probing the deep near infrared regime
for a decade. It has been the only instrument available to observe
objects in the near infrared that are not visible from the ground. In
particular, it has played a major role in the SN Ia observations at
redshifts z1. However, the calibration of NICMOS has turned out to be
difficult due to the apparent non-linearity of the detectors. The
NICMOS calibration team has described the non-linearity as a power law
based on data in the range of ~50-5000 ADU/s. The correction relies on
an extrapolation of two orders of magnitude in flux at count rates
close to the sky level (0.1 ADU/s) where space observations are
particularly prized - and where SN Ia observations are made. Precise
measurements of faint objects require us to reduce the uncertainties
from this extrapolation. Here we propose to derive the absolute
calibration in the sky limited regime and to characterize the
non-linearity over the entire dynamic range for the camera/filter
combination: NIC2/F110W.

NIC2/WFPC2 11142

Revealing the Physical Nature of Infrared Luminous Galaxies at
0.3z2.7 Using HST and Spitzer

We aim to determine physical properties of IR luminous galaxies at
0.3z2.7 by requesting coordinated HST/NIC2 and MIPS 70um
observations of a unique, 24um flux-limited sample with complete
Spitzer mid-IR spectroscopy. The 150 sources investigated in this
program have S{24um} 0.8mJy and their mid-IR spectra have already
provided the majority targets with spectroscopic redshifts
{0.3z2.7}. The proposed 150~orbits of NIC2 and 66~hours of MIPS 70um
will provide the physical measurements of the light distribution at
the rest-frame ~8000A and better estimates of the bolometric
luminosity. Combining these parameters together with the rich suite of
spectral diagnostics from the mid-IR spectra, we will {1} measure how
common mergers are among LIRGs and ULIRGs at 0.3z2.7, and establish
if major mergers are the drivers of z1 ULIRGs, as in the local
Universe. {2} study the co-evolution of star formation and blackhole
accretion by investigating the relations between the fraction of
starburst/AGN measured from mid-IR spectra vs. HST morphologies,
L{bol} and z. {3} obtain the current best estimates of the far-IR
emission, thus L{bol} for this sample, and establish if the relative
contribution of mid-to-far IR dust emission is correlated with
morphology {resolved vs. unresolved}.

WEPC2 11196

An Ultraviolet Survey of Luminous Infrared Galaxies in the Local
Universe

At luminosities above 10^11.4 L_sun, the space density of far-infrared
selected galaxies exceeds that of optically selected galaxies. These
Luminous Infrared Galaxies {LIRGs} are primarily interacting or
merging disk galaxies undergoing starbursts and creating/fueling
central AGN. We propose far {ACS/SBC/F140LP} and near {WFPC2/PC/F218W}
UV imaging of a sample of 27 galaxies drawn from the complete IRAS
Revised Bright Galaxy Sample {RBGS} LIRGs sample and known, from our
Cycle 14 B and I-band ACS imaging observations, to have significant
numbers of bright {23 B 21 mag} star clusters in the central 30
arcsec. The HST UV data will be combined with previously obtained HST,
Spitzer, and GALEX images to {i} calculate the ages of the clusters as
function of merger stage, {ii} measure the amount of UV light in
massive star clusters relative to diffuse regions of star formation,
{iii} assess the feasibility of using the UV slope to predict the
far-IR luminosity {and thus the star formation rate} both among and
within IR-luminous galaxies, and {iv} provide a much needed catalog of
rest- frame UV morphologies for comparison with rest-frame UV images
of high-z LIRGs and Lyman Break Galaxies. These observations will
achieve the resolution required to perform both detailed photometry of
compact structures and spatial correlations between UV and redder
wavelengths for a physical interpretation our IRX-Beta results. The
HST UV data, combined with the HST ACS, Spitzer, Chandra, and GALEX
observations of this sample, will result in the most comprehensive
study of luminous starburst galaxies to date.

WFPC2 11235

HST NICMOS Survey of the Nuclear Regions of Luminous Infrared Galaxies
in the Local Universe

At luminosities above 10^11.4 L_sun, the space density of far-infrared
selected galaxies exceeds that of optically selected galaxies. These
`luminous infrared galaxies' {LIRGs} are primarily interacting or
merging disk galaxies undergoing enhanced star formation and Active
Galactic Nuclei {AGN} activity, possibly triggered as the objects
transform into massive S0 and elliptical merger remnants. We propose
NICMOS NIC2 imaging of the nuclear regions of a complete sample of 88
L_IR 10^11.4 L_sun luminous infrared galaxies in the IRAS Revised
Bright Galaxy Sample {RBGS: i.e., 60 micron flux density 5.24 Jy}.
This sample is ideal not only in its completeness and sample size, but
also in the proximity and brightness of the galaxies. The superb
sensitivity and resolution of NICMOS NIC2 on HST enables a unique
opportunity to study the detailed structure of the nuclear regions,
where dust obscuration may mask star clusters, AGN and additional
nuclei from optical view, with a resolution significantly higher than
possible with Spitzer IRAC. This survey thus provides a crucial
component to our study of the dynamics and evolution of IR galaxies
presently underway with Wide-Field, HST ACS/WFC and Spitzer IRAC
observations of these 88 galaxies. Imaging will be done with the F160W
filter {H-band} to examine as a function of both luminosity and merger
stage {i} the luminosity and distribution of embedded star clusters,
{ii} the presence of optically obscured AGN and nuclei, {iii} the
correlation between the distribution of 1.6 micron emission and the
mid-IR emission as detected by Spitzer IRAC, {iv} the evidence of bars
or bridges that may funnel fuel into the nuclear region, and {v} the
ages of star clusters for which photometry is available via ACS/WFC
observations. The NICMOS data, combined with the HST ACS, Spitzer, and
GALEX observations of this sample, will result in the most
comprehensive study of merging and interacting galaxies to date.

WFPC2 11498

2008 Passage of Jupiter's Great Red Spot and Oval BA

Jupiter's largest anticyclonic storm, the Great Red Spot (GRS), drifts
slowly westward relative to the radio rotation rate of the planet
(System III W. longitude). In contrast, the next largest storm, Oval
BA (a.k.a. the Little Red Spot or LRS), drifts slowly eastward. The
relative drift of the two is approximately 0.5 deg/day, resulting in a
passage of the storms every two years. The GRS sits at ~22 deg. S
planetographic latitude, while the LRS resides at ~33 deg. S latitude.
Both vortices deflect nearby eastward and westward winds jets around
their periphery, and are somewhat confined to their latitude bands by
the alternating, and nearly constant, zonal wind field. However, they
do oscillate slightly in latitude, particularly near the times of a
passage, in part because the deflected wind jets push to keep the
spots separated. It is during these passages that the LRS, and its
predecessor white ovals, is most likely to show changes in size and
morphology, which are related to the internal wind fields and regulate
the vertical cloud structure of the vortex. For example, GRS passages
in 1998 and 2000 preceded the merger of the three white ovals into the
single large Oval BA, after the ovals and intervening cyclonic cells
were deflected by the GRS.

We propose to study the 2008 passage to look for changes in internal
vortex winds, nearby zonal winds and vortex upper cloud structure,
particularly in particle size and opacity, using five orbits of WFPC2
and two orbits of NICMOS. These data will be combined with a multitude
of planned ground-based coverage to offer an unprecedented view of a
GRS/Oval passage, which will give insight on cloud structure,
dynamics, and possibly even water abundance below the cloud decks
(water abundance governs the distance of interaction between the two
spots). HST is required to provide adequate spatial resolution and
wavelength coverage while observing the passage. The 2008 passage is
expected to be especially important, as Jupiter underwent a global
upheaval in 2007, with disturbances near the GRS and LRS. This
upheaval began after the normal Cycle 16 proposal deadline, raising
the priority of these observations enough to warrant a request for HST
time.

FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

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

HSTARS:

11382 NICMOS Suspended @191/19:29z.

At 191/19:42:31z (AOS), NICMOS was suspended with a status buffer
message NICMOS 632 ("MECH_2_MAX_RETRIES_EXCEEDED"), parameter =172,
time = 38986 (19:29:53z), indicating the # of Filter Wheel 2
positioning error retries exceeded the maximum limit. (Ref HSTAR#
11367). Possible Observations affected: NICMOS #135-152 Proposal
ID#08795

COMPLETED OPS REQUEST:

18247-0 NICMOS memory dump after suspend @ 191/2225z (HSTAR 11382).
18248-0 NICMOS Suspend Recovery @ 192/0938z (HSTAR 11382).

COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)

********************************* SCHEDULED***** SUCCESSFUL
FGS GSacq************************* 8******************** 8
FGS REacq************************* 4******************** 4
OBAD with Maneuver********** ** ** 24****************** 24

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS:

NICMOS suspended today at D191/19:29:53 (3:29pm eastern time) due to
filter wheel #2 exceeding its maximum allotted number of retries
(HSTAR 11382). This is believed to be the same type of event that
occurred on June 30, 2008 (HSTAR 11367).

The current recovery plan is as follows:
191/22:16 - Ops Req. 18247 NICMOS Memory Dump after Suspend.
Completed @ 191/2225z.
At ~192/09:30 - Ops Req. #18248 NICMOS Suspend Recovery.

NICMOS successfully recovered from suspend to SAA Operate via Ops
Request 18248-0 at 09:38z this morning.* The transition from SAA
Operate to Observe occurred via scheduled SMS commanding at 09:57z and
the first internal observation successfully started at 10:00z.