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Daily 3939



 
 
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Old September 7th 05, 02:45 PM
Joe Cooper
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Default Daily 3939

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science

DAILY REPORT # 3939

PERIOD COVERED: UT September 06, 2005 (DOY 249)

OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED

ACS/HRC 10606

Ultraviolet Snapshots of 3CR Radio Galaxies

Radio galaxies are an important class of extragalactic objects: they
are one of the most energetic astrophysical phenomena and they provide
an exceptional probe of the evolving Universe, lying typically in high
density regions but well-represented across a wide redshift range. In
earlier Cycles we carried out extensive HST observations of the 3CR
sources in order to acquire a complete and quantitative inventory of
the structure, contents and evolution of these important objects.
Amongst the results, we discovered new optical jets, dust lanes,
face-on disks with optical jets, and revealed point-like nuclei whose
properties support FR-I/BL Lac unified schemes. Here, we propose to
obtain ACS NUV images of 3CR sources with z0.3 as a major enhancement
to an already superb dataset. We aim to reveal dust in galaxies,
regions of star and star cluster formation frequently associated with
dust and establish the physical characteristics of the dust itself. We
will measure frequency and spectral energy distributions of point-like
nuclei, seek spectral turnovers in known synchrotron jets and find new
jets. We will strongly test unified AGN schemes and merge these data
with existing X-ray to radio observations for significant numbers of
both FR-I and FR-II sources. The resulting database will be an
incredibly valuable resource to the astronomical community for years
to come.

ACS/HRC/WFC 10250

Star Clusters and Stellar Populations in M81

We propose a quick imaging survey of the nearby luminous spiral galaxy
M81with the ACS in F814W. After Andromeda, M81 is the nearest big
intermediate type spiral galaxy and is thus a primary candidate for
stellar population studies. At 3.8 Mpc, 1ACS WFC pixel is 1 pc. We
will cover the inner part of the galaxy where confusion is the
greatest problem in cluster studies, with 24 ACS fields. This survey
will provide the sample and spatial information necessary to study the
globular and open cluster systems of M81, spatial distribution,
metallicity, object size distribution, the GCLF, etc., in exquisite
detail especially when combined with our existing ground-based
multicolor imaging and planned spectroscopy.

ACS/SBC 9806

Properties of the Intergalactic Medium near the Epoch of He-II
Reionization

Our STIS spectral snapshot programs have found a rare case of a He-II
Lyman-alpha absorption trough in a z=3.51, V=17.6 quasar. This is the
highest redshift at which this feature has been observed. We propose
to obtain a high-quality STIS spectrum that will enable us to {1}
Investigate the evolution and properties of the intergalactic medium
{IGM} over an epoch between z=2.8 and 3.5; {2} Search for signs of the
reionization of the intergalactic helium; {3} Measure the intensity of
the UV background radiation, and find clues toward its origin; and {4}
Estimate the IGM baryonic density. The instrument has been changed
from STIS to ASC prism.

ACS/WFC 10526

Dynamics of the Polarization Structure of the Crab Nebula

The Crab Nebula is not a free expansion SNR. Rather, it is a pulsar
wind nebula expanding from the inside out into a larger remnant of
freely expanding ejecta. At the heart of this object is the Crab
Pulsar and the region where the pulsar's highly nonisotropic wind
interacts with the larger synchtron nebula. HST and Chandra monitoring
has shown this to be one of the most intricately structured and highly
dynamical objects ever observed. In Cycle 12 we demonstrated our
ability to use the polarization capabilities of the ACS to isolate
physically discrete features within the Crab Synchrotron Nebula and
accurately measure their polarization characteristics. These data
provide a unique look at the physical structure in the heart of the
Crab, adding a new dimension to past observations. Polarization
provides extensive information about field geometries, the degree of
disorder in the field, and particle pitch angle distributions. But one
image of the Crab is like a single image of waves at the beach. It
necessarily misses the point. In the Crab, the name of the game is
"dynamics". In this proposal we request time to monitor changes in the
polarization structure of the Crab. This program will allow us to
follow the changing polarization of features including
relativistically moving wisps in the Crab Nebula. This is the only
place in the sky where a dynamic relativistic plasma can be observed
in sufficient detail to make such measurements possible, and the
HST/ACS is the only instrument that we are likely to see in our
careers capable of making the measurement. These observations will be
an important addition to the already rich observational legacy of HST
for what is arguably the most important single object in astrophysics.

ACS/WFC 10596

AGNs with Intermediate-mass Black Holes: A Test of the Black
Hole-Bulge Paradigm

The recent progress in the study of central black holes in galactic
nuclei has led to a general consensus that supermassive {10^6-10^9
solar mass} black holes are closely connected with the formation and
evolutionary history of large galaxies, especially their bulge
component. Two outstanding issues, however, remain unresolved. Can
central black holes form in the absence of a bulge? And does the mass
function of central black holes extend below 10^6 solar masses?
Intermediate-mass black holes {10^4-10^6 solar masses}, if they exist,
may offer important clues to the nature of the seeds of supermassive
black holes. In a first systematic search using the Sloan Digital Sky
Survey, we have recently discovered 19 Type 1 AGNs with candidate
intermediate-mass black holes that reside in low-luminosity,
presumably late-type host galaxies. Follow-up observations with Keck
indicate that these objects obey the low-mass extension of the
well-known correlation between black hole mass and bulge stellar
velocity dispersion. However, very little is known about the host
galaxies themselves, including the crucial question of whether they
have bulges or not. We propose to obtain ACS/WFC images of this unique
sample of AGNs in order to investigate the detailed structural
properties of the host galaxies. We are particularly keen to determine
whether the hosts contain bulges, and if so, where they lie on the
fundamental plane of spheroids compared to the bulges of supermassive
black holes. We will also be able to measure an accurate optical
luminosity for the AGN, which is an essential ingredient to improve
the current mass estimates.

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 10603

Multiwavelength Imaging of Edge-on Protoplanetary Disks: Quantifying
the Growth of Circumstellar Dust

Young, edge-on circumstellar disks are uniquely valuable laboratories
for the study of planet formation. In these objects, the central star
is occulted from direct view, significant PSF artifacts are absent,
and the disk is clearly seen as a central dust lane flanked by faint
disk reflected light. The detailed morphology of these nebulae and its
variation with wavelength provide crucial information on the disk
internal structure and the properties of its constituent dust grains.
A key observable is the slope defining the wavelength dependence of
the dust scattering opacity, which becomes shallower when grain growth
has taken place; multiwavelength resolved disk images are the key
dataset enabling such measurements. Recent analyses of three different
edge-on disks have revealed a diversity in their dust properties that
is indicative of different degrees of dust grain evolution having
taken place in each system. This characterization of disk grain
growth, when applied comparatively to a larger sample of these
objects, would enable the construction of an evolutionary sequence of
young disks at successive stages on the road to planet formation. In
pursuit of this goal, we have identified a sample of 15 edge-on disks
previously discovered by HST or groundbased telescopes, but for which
high fidelity, high spatial resolution images do not yet exist in both
the optical and near-infrared. We propose broad-band multicolor
imaging with NICMOS of all these targets, and ACS imaging of nine of
these targets In combination with existing data, the proposed images
will form a complete database of high resolution optical/near-IR
images for these 15 disk systems. Scattered light modeling will be
used to derive the disk structure and dust properties, yielding
results that will be of fundamental importance for our understanding
of grain properties during protoplanetary disk evolution.

WFPC2 10360

WFPC2 CYCLE 13 INTERNAL MONITOR

This calibration proposal is the Cycle 13 routine internal monitor for
WFPC2, to be run weekly to monitor the health of the cameras. A
variety of internal exposures are obtained in order to provide a
monitor of the integrity of the CCD camera electronics in both bays
{gain 7 and gain 15}, a test for quantum efficiency in the CCDs, and a
monitor for possible buildup of contaminants on the CCD windows.

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 10 10
FGS Reacq 5 5
OBAD with Maneuver 30 30


SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)


 




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