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Daily 3718



 
 
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Old October 19th 04, 04:34 PM
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Default Daily 3718

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science

DAILY REPORT # 3718

PERIOD COVERED: DOY 292

OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED

ACS/HRC 10199

The Most Massive Galaxies in the Universe: Double Trouble?

We are proposing an HST snapshot survey of 70 objects with velocity
dispersion larger than 350 km/s, selected from the Sloan Digital Sky
Survey. Potentially this sample contains the most massive galaxies in
the Universe. Some of these objects may be superpositions; HST imaging
is the key to determining if they are single and massive or if they
are two objects in projection. The objects which HST imaging shows to
be single objects are interesting because they potentially harbor the
most massive black holes, and because their existence places strong
constraints on galaxy formation models. When combined with ground
based data already in hand, the objects which HST imaging shows are
superpositions provide valuable information about interaction rates of
early-type galaxies as well as their dust content. They also constrain
the allowed parameter space for models of binary gravitational lenses
{such models are currently invoked to explain discrepancies in the
distribution of lensed image flux ratios and separations}.

ACS/HRC/WFC 10367

ACS CCDs daily monitor- cycle 13 - part 1

This program consists of a set of basic tests to monitor, the read
noise, the development of hot pixels and test for any source of noise
in ACS CCD detectors. The files, biases and dark will be used to
create reference files for science calibration. This programme will be
for the entire lifetime of ACS.

ACS/HRC/WFC/WFPC2 10384

Focus Monitor

The focus of HST is measured from WFPC2/PC and ACS/HRC images of
stars. Multiple exposures are taken in parallel over an orbit to
determine the influence of breathing on the derived mean focus.
Observations are taken of clusters with suitable orientations to
ensure stars appear in all fields.

ACS/WFC 10135

Unveiling the Progenitors and Physics of Cosmic Explosions

GRBs and XRFs are clearly highly asymmetric explosions and require a
long-lived power source {central engine}. In contrast, nearby
core-collapse events are essentially spherical explosions. However,
the failure of spherical neutrino driven collapses has led to the idea
that asymmetric energy release is essential for the explosion. The
recent finding of a Type Ic SN in GRB 030329, the association of the
low energy event GRB 980425 with SN 1998bw, the theoretical
development discussed above and the rise of collapsar models make it
timely to consider whether all these explosions contain engines. Given
the uncertainties in theoretical modeling it is clear that
observations are needed to guide models. A priori there is little
reason to expect connection between the ultra-relativistic jet that
powers the GRB and the explosive nucleosynthesis of the ~0.5 solar
masses of Nickel-56 that powers the accompanying supernova. We propose
a comprehensive program of ACS photometric searches {and measurements}
for SNe associated with GRBs and XRFs. In concert, we will undertake
ground-based spectroscopy to determine velocity widths, and measure
engine parameters from pan-chromatic afterglow observations. Our goal
is to produce a comprehensive database of engine and SN physical
parameters against which theoretical modeling will be guided.

ACS/WFC/NIC2 10189

PANS-Probing Acceleration Now with Supernovae

Type Ia supernovae {SNe Ia} provide the most direct evidence for an
accelerating Universe, a result widely attributed to dark energy.
Using HST in Cycle 11 we extended the Hubble diagram with 6 of the 7
highest-redshift SNe Ia known, all at z1.25, providing conclusive
evidence of an earlier epoch of cosmic deceleration. The full sample
of 16 new SNe Ia match the cosmic concordance model and are
inconsistent with a simple model of evolution or dust as alternatives
to dark energy. Understanding dark energy may be the biggest current
challenge to cosmology and particle physics. To understand the nature
of dark energy, we seek to measure its two most fundamental
properties: its evolution {i.e., dw/dz}, and its recent equation of
state {i.e., w{z=0}}. SNe Ia at z1, beyond the reach of the ground
but squarely within the reach of HST with ACS, are crucial to break
the degeneracy in the measurements of these two basic aspects of dark
energy. The SNe Ia we have discovered and measured with HST in Cycle
11, now double the precision of our knowledge of both properties. Here
we propose to quadruple the sample of SNe Ia at z1 in the next two
cycles, complementing on-going surveys from the ground at z1, and
again doubling the precision of dark energy constraints. Should the
current best fit model prove to be the correct one, the precision
expected from the current proposal will suffice to rule out a
cosmological constant at the 99% confidence level. Whatever the
result, these objects will provide the basis with which to extend our
empirical knowledge of this newly discovered and dominant component of
the Universe, and will remain one of the most significant legacies of
HST. In addition, our survey and follow-up data will greatly enhance
the value of the archival data within the target Treasury fields for
galaxy studies.

ACS/WFC/WFPC2 10092

The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey

We will undertake a 2 square degree imaging survey {Cosmic Evolution
Survey -- COSMOS} with ACS in the I {F814W} band of the VIMOS
equatorial field. This wide field survey is essential to understand
the interplay between Large Scale Structure {LSS} evolution and the
formation of galaxies, dark matter and AGNs and is the one region of
parameter space completely unexplored at present by HST. The
equatorial field was selected for its accessibility to all
ground-based telescopes and low IR background and because it will
eventually contain ~100, 000 galaxy spectra from the VLT-VIMOS
instrument. The imaging will detect over 2 million objects with I 27
mag {AB, 10 sigma}, over 35, 000 Lyman Break Galaxies {LBGs} and
extremely red galaxies out to z ~ 5. COSMOS is the only HST project
specifically designed to probe the formation and evolution of
structures ranging from galaxies up to Coma-size clusters in the epoch
of peak galaxy, AGN, star and cluster formation {z ~0.5 to 3}. The
size of the largest structures necessitate the 2 degree field. Our
team is committed to the assembly of several public ancillary datasets
including the optical spectra, deep XMM and VLA imaging, ground-based
optical/IR imaging, UV imaging from GALEX and IR data from SIRTF.
Combining the full-spectrum multiwavelength imaging and spectroscopic
coverage with ACS sub-kpc resolution, COSMOS will be Hubble's ultimate
legacy for understanding the evolution of both the visible and dark
universe.

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 10176

Coronagraphic Survey for Giant Planets Around Nearby Young Stars

A systematic imaging search for extra-solar Jovian planets is now
possible thanks to recent progress in identifying "young stars near
Earth". For most of the proposed young {~ 30 Myrs} and nearby {~ 60
pc} targets, we can detect a few Jupiter-mass planets as close as a
few tens of AUs from the primary stars. This represents the first time
that potential analogs of our solar system - that is planetary systems
with giant planets having semi-major axes comparable to those of the
four giant planets of the Solar System - come within the grasp of
existing instrumentation. Our proposed targets have not been observed
for planets with the Hubble Space Telescope previously. Considering
the very successful earlier NICMOS observations of low mass brown
dwarfs and planetary disks among members of the TW Hydrae Association,
a fair fraction of our targets should also turn out to posses low mass
brown dwarfs, giant planets, or dusty planetary disks because our
targets are similar to {or even better than} the TW Hydrae stars in
terms of youth and proximity to Earth. Should HST time be awarded and
planetary mass candidates be found, proper motion follow-up of
candidate planets will be done with ground-based AOs.

NIC3 10337

The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey NICMOS Parallels

The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey NICMOS Parallels. This program is a
companion to program 10092.

FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

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

COMPLETED OPS REQs:
17284-0 Dump NICMOS memory after suspend @ 292/11:49z
17285-0 NICMOS Suspend Recovery @ 292/14:36z
17286-1 Move NICMOS PAM @ 292/17:31z

OPS NOTES EXECUTED: None

SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES
FGS Gsacq 06 06
FGS Reacq 09 09
FHST Update 11 11
LOSS of LOCK


SIGNIFICANT EVENTS:

NICMOS suspended @ Oct. 18th, 3:59 am EDT (292/07:59:55Z) due to an
Intel Debug Exception. Successfully recovered NICMOS from Suspend to
Operate @ Oct. 18th, 10:35 am EDT (292/14:35:56Z). Successfully moved
NICMOS Pupil Adjust Mechanism to SMS intercept position @ Oct. 18th,
1:31 pm EDT (292/17:31Z) (OR 17286-1). NICMOS returned to the current
science time line on Oct. 18th, 7:50 pm EDT (292/23:50Z).


 




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