Daily Report #4482

Notice: Due to the conversion of some ACS WFC or HRC observations into
WFPC2, or NICMOS observations after the loss of ACS CCD science
capability in January, there may be an occasional discrepancy between
a proposal's listed (and correct) instrument usage and the abstract
that follows it.


HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science

DAILY REPORT****** #4482

PERIOD COVERED: UT November 2,3,4, 2007 (DOY 306,307,308)

OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED

NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 8794

NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 5

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 DARKs. 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.

WFPC2 11418

Investigating the Spectacular Outburst of Comet 17P/Holmes

Comet 17P/Holmes is currently undergoing a spectacular eruption in
activity, with its brightness increasing by ~14 mag over a 24 hour
period. The comet is shedding huge amounts of dust, presumably
associated with a major splitting event at the nucleus. The high
spatial resolution and high sensitivity of Hubble has proven to be
invaluable during previous observations of several fragmenting comets,
and the 2007 apparition of 17P/Holmes represents another excellent
opportunity to investigate this important cometary phenomenon. We
request 3 orbits of WFPC2 observations to measure the size and V-R
color of the principal nucleus, perform a deep search for large
fragments released during the outburst, monitor the temporal
development of the event, and search for a satellite whose collision
with the principal nucleus may have triggered the current outburst, as
was suggested for the similar outburst observed in 1892.

NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 11330

NICMOS Cycle 16 Extended Dark

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

WFPC2 11307

Completing the ACS Nearby Galaxy Survey with WFPC2

We are requesting 25 orbits of Director's Discretionary Time to
complete the primary science goals of our highly-ranked ACS Nearby
Galaxy Survey Treasury program {ANGST}. Our program lost ~2/3 of its
orbits due to the ACS failure. Roughly half of these were restored as
a result of an appeal to the Telescope Time Review Board which
re-scoped the program. The Board's response to our appeal was explicit
in terms of which targets were to be observed and how. We were
directed to request Director's discretionary time for the components
of the appeal which were not granted by the Review Board, but which
were vital to the success of the program. The observing strategy for
ANGST is two-fold: to obtain one deep field per galaxy which enables
derivation of an accurate ancient star formation history, and to
obtain radial tilings sufficient for recovering the full star
formation history. The Review Board granted WFPC2 observations for
deep fields in 7 galaxies, but no time for radial tilings. However,
recovering the full star formation history of a galaxy is not possible
without additional radial coverage. We have searched the archives for
observations which may be used in place of the tilings {conceding some
of the Treasury goals, but providing significant constraints on the
full star formation history}, and have identified suitable
observations for all but two of the galaxies. Here we request DD time
for radial tilings for those last two galaxies.

WFPC2 11229

SEEDS: The Search for Evolution of Emission from Dust in Supernovae
with HST and

The role that massive stars play in the dust content of the Universe
is extremely uncertain. It has long been hypothesized that dust can
condense within the ejecta of supernovae {SNe}, however there is a
frustrating discrepancy between the amounts of dust found in the early
Universe, or predicted by nucleation theory, and inferred from SN
observations. Our SEEDS collaboration has been carefully revisiting
the observational case for dust formation by core-collapse SNe, in
order to quantify their role as dust contributors in the early
Universe. As dust condenses in expanding SN ejecta, it will increase
in optical depth, producing three simultaneously observable phenomena:
{1} increasing optical extinction; {2} infrared {IR} excesses; and {3}
asymmetric blue-shifted emission lines. Our SEEDS collaboration
recently reported all three phenomena occurring in SN2003gd,
demonstrating the success of our observing strategy, and permitting us
to derive a dust mass of up to 0.02 solar masses created in the SN. To
advance our understanding of the origin and evolution of the
interstellar dust in galaxies, we propose to use HST's WFPC2 and
NICMOS instruments plus Spitzer's photometric instruments to monitor
ten recent core- collapse SNe for dust formation and, as a bonus,
detect light echoes that can affect the dust mass estimates. These
space-borne observations will be supplemented by ground- based
spectroscopic monitoring of their optical emission line profiles.
These observations would continue our 2-year HST and Spitzer
monitoring of this phenomena in order to address two key questions: Do
all SNe produce dust? and How much dust do they produce? As all the SN
are within 15 Mpc, each SN stands an excellent chance of detection
with HST and Spitzer and of resolving potential light echoes.

FGS 11228

Extrasolar Planet XO-2b

We propose observations of the newly discovered extrasolar planet
XO-2b and its twin star XO-2. When combined with the transit light
curve, the FGS-derived parallax will constrain the stellar mass of the
host star XO-2. From the high signal-to-noise near-IR time series
resulting from NICMOS grism spectroscopy, we will refine the system
parameters, in particular radii of the star and planet. From the same
data, we will search for evidence of water vapor in the atmosphere via
transmission spectroscopy. Differential observations with NICMOS in
the spectroscopic mode will be used to search for the small spectral
changes that occur during planetary transits resulting from absorption
of stellar light as it passes through the planetary atmosphere. Water
is an important constituent, the detection of which would provide
information on Oxygen, and it has a convenient strong band well-
positioned for NICMOS.

NIC2 11219

Active Galactic Nuclei in nearby galaxies: a new view of the origin of
the radio-loud radio- quiet dichotomy?

Using archival HST and Chandra observations of 34 nearby early-type
galaxies {drawn from a complete radio selected sample} we have found
evidence that the radio-loud/radio-quiet dichotomy is directly
connected to the structure of the inner regions of their host galaxies
in the following sense: [1] Radio-loud AGN are associated with
galaxies with shallow cores in their light profiles [2] Radio-quiet
AGN are only hosted by galaxies with steep cusps. Since the brightness
profile is determined by the galaxy's evolution, through its merger
history, our results suggest that the same process sets the AGN
flavour. This provides us with a novel tool to explore the
co-evolution of galaxies and supermassive black holes, and it opens a
new path to understand the origin of the radio-loud/radio-quiet AGN
dichotomy. Currently our analysis is statistically incomplete as the
brightness profile is not available for 82 of the 116 targets. Most
galaxies were not observed with HST, while in some cases the study is
obstructed by the presence of dust features. We here propose to
perform an infrared NICMOS snapshot survey of these 82 galaxies. This
will enable us to i} test the reality of the dichotomic behaviour in a
substantially larger sample; ii} extend the comparison between
radio-loud and radio-quiet AGN to a larger range of luminosities.

FGS 11212

Filling the Period Gap for Massive Binaries

The current census of binaries among the massive O-type stars is
seriously incomplete for systems in the period range from years to
millennia because the radial velocity variations are too small and the
angular separations too close for easy detection. Here we propose to
discover binaries in this observational gap through a Faint Guidance
Sensor SNAP survey of relatively bright targets listed in the Galactic
O Star Catalog. Our primary goal is to determine the binary frequency
among those in the cluster/association, field, and runaway groups. The
results will help us assess the role of binaries in massive star
formation and in the processes that lead to the ejection of massive
stars from their natal clusters. The program will also lead to the
identification of new, close binaries that will be targets of long
term spectroscopic and high angular resolution observations to
determine their masses and distances. The results will also be
important for the interpretation of the spectra of suspected and newly
identified binary and multiple systems.

FGS 11211

An Astrometric Calibration of Population II Distance Indicators

In 2002 HST produced a highly precise parallax for RR Lyrae. That
measurement resulted in an absolute magnitude, M{V}= 0.61+/-0.11, a
useful result, judged by the over ten refereed citations each year
since. It is, however, unsatisfactory to have the direct,
parallax-based, distance scale of Population II variables based on a
single star. We propose, therefore, to obtain the parallaxes of four
additional RR Lyrae stars and two Population II Cepheids, or W Vir
stars. The Population II Cepheids lie with the RR Lyrae stars on a
common K-band Period-Luminosity relation. Using these parallaxes to
inform that relationship, we anticipate a zero-point error of 0.04
magnitude. This result should greatly strengthen confidence in the
Population II distance scale and increase our understanding of RR
Lyrae star and Pop II Cepheid astrophysics.

WFPC2 11167

A Unique High Resolution Window to Two Strongly Lensed Lyman Break
Galaxies

On rare occasions, the otherwise very faint Lyman Break Galaxies
{LBGs} are magnified by gravitational lensing to provide exceptional
targets for detailed spectroscopic and imaging studies. We propose HST
WFPC2 and NICMOS imaging of two strongly lensed Lyman Break Galaxies
{LBGs} that were recently discovered by members of our team. These two
LBGs -- the "8 O'Clock Arc" and the "SDSS J1206+5142 Arc" -- are
currently the brightest known LBGs, roughly 3 times brighter than the
former record-holder, MS1512-cB58 {a.k.a. "cB58"}. The z=2.73 "8
O'Clock Arc" extends ~10 arcsec in length and is magnified by a factor
of 12. The z=2.00 "SDSS J1206+5142 Arc" also extends ~10 arcsec in
length and is magnified by a factor of 30. Due to their brightness and
magnification, these two strongly lensed LBGs offer an unprecedented
opportunity for the very detailed investigation of two individual
galaxies at high redshift. We are currently pursuing a vigorous
ground-based campaign to obtain multi-wavelength {UV, optical, NIR,
radio} observations of these two LBGs, but our campaign currently
lacks a means of obtaining high-resolution optical/NIR imaging -- a
lack that currently only HST can address. Our prime objective for this
proposal is to obtain high resolution HST images of these two systems
with two-orbit WFPC2 images in the BVI bands and two-orbit NICMOS/NIC2
images in the J and H bands. These data will allow us to construct
detailed lensing models, probe the mass and light profiles of the
lenses and their environments, and constrain the star formation
histories and rest-frame UV/optical spectral energy distributions of
the LBGs.

WFPC2 11079

Treasury Imaging of Star Forming Regions in the Local Group:
Complementing the GALEX and NOAO Surveys

We propose to use WFPC2 to image the most interesting star-forming
regions in the Local Group galaxies, to resolve their young stellar
populations. We will use a set of filters including F170W, which is
critical to detect and characterize the most massive stars, to whose
hot temperatures colors at longer wavelengths are not sensitive.
WFPC2's field of view ideally matches the typical size of the
star-forming regions, and its spatial resolution allows us to measure
individual stars, given the proximity of these galaxies. The resulting
H-R diagrams will enable studies of star-formation properties in these
regions, which cover largely differing metallicities {a factor of 17,
compared to the factor of 4 explored so far} and characteristics. The
results will further our understanding of the star-formation process,
of the interplay between massive stars and environment, the properties
of dust, and will provide the key to interpret integrated measurements
of star-formation indicators {UV, IR, Halpha} available for several
hundreds more distant galaxies. Our recent deep surveys of these
galaxies with GALEX {FUV, NUV} and ground-based imaging {UBVRI,
Halpha, [OIII] and [SII]} provided the identification of the most
relevant SF sites. In addition to our scientific analysis, we will
provide catalogs of HST photometry in 6 bands, matched corollary
ground-based data, and UV, Halpha and IR integrated measurements of
the associations, for comparison of integrated star-formation indices
to the resolved populations. We envisage an EPO component.

WFPC2 11038

Narrow Band and Ramp Filter Closeout

These observations are to improve calibration of narrow band and ramp
filters. We also test for changes in the filter properties during
WFPC2's 14 years on-board HST.

WFPC2 11035

Photometric Zero Points Closeout

Updated zero points will be obtained by observing NGC 2419 for which
extensive BVRI ground based observations exist, and the field in 47
Tuc used for frequent monitoring of ACS. For NGC 2419 emphasis is
given to repeating observations obtained in earlier epochs, and to
covering filters near standard BVRI. For 47 Tuc emphasis is given to
covering a large set of broadband filters from F300W through F850LP to
maximise transformation capabilities between filters of WFPC2 and
ACS.

WFPC2 11029

WFPC2 CYCLE 15 Intflat Linearity Check and Filter Rotation Anomaly
Monitor

Intflat observations will be taken to provide a linearity check: the
linearity test consists of a series of intflats in F555W, in each gain
and each shutter. A combination of intflats, visflats, and earthflats
will be used to check the repeatability of filter wheel motions.
{Intflat sequences tied to decons, visits 1-18 in prop 10363, have
been moved to the cycle 15 decon proposal xxxx for easier scheduling.}
Note: long-exposure WFPC2 intflats must be scheduled during ACS
anneals to prevent stray light from the WFPC2 lamps from contaminating
long ACS external exposures.

NIC1 10889

The Nature of the Halos and Thick Disks of Spiral Galaxies

We propose to resolve the extra-planar stellar populations of the
thick disks and halos of seven nearby, massive, edge-on galaxies using
ACS, NICMOS, and WFPC2 in parallel. These observations will provide
accurate star counts and color-magnitude diagrams 1.5 magnitudes below
the tip of the Red Giant Branch sampled along the two principal axes
and one intermediate axis of each galaxy. We will measure the
metallicity distribution functions and stellar density profiles from
star counts down to very low average surface brightnesses, equivalent
to ~32 V-mag per square arcsec. These observations will provide the
definitive HST study of extra-planar stellar populations of spiral
galaxies. Our targets cover a range in galaxy mass, luminosity, and
morphology and as function of these galaxy properties we will provide:
- The first systematic study of the radial and isophotal shapes of the
diffuse stellar halos of spiral galaxies - The most detailed
comparative study to date of thick disk morphologies and stellar
populations - A comprehensive analysis of halo and thick disk
metallicity distributions as a function of galaxy type and position
within the galaxy. - A sensitive search for tidal streams - The first
opportunity to directly relate globular cluster systems to their field
stellar population We will use these fossil records of the galaxy
assembly process preserved in the old stellar populations to test halo
and thick disk formation models within the hierarchical galaxy
formation scheme. We will test LambdaCDM predictions on sub-galactic
scales, where it is difficult to test using CMB and galaxy redshift
surveys, and where it faces its most serious difficulties.

ACS/SBC 10864

Mapping the Gaseous Content of Protoplanetary and Young Planetary
Systems with ACS

One of the key problems in planetary system formation is understanding
how rapidly, and over what time interval Jovian planets can form. Dust
in the protoplanetary disk is critical in planetesimal formation, but
it is the gas which produces giant planets, and which is essential for
their migration. However, compared to data on the circumstellar dust,
information on the gas component is sparse, especially in the
planet-formation zone. This severely limits our ability to put
observational constraints on giant planet formation, except to note
that the process must be largely complete by 12 Myr, given the paucity
of Herbig Ae or classical T Tauri stars older than 10-12 Myr. In the
FUV, photo-excited molecular hydrogen transitions have the requisite
contrast to the stellar photosphere, accretion shock, and reflection
nebulosity, and can be traced 50-100 AU from the exciting stars in
both envelopes and outflow cavities and protoplanetary disks. Central
disk cavities, an expected consequence of planet formation, larger
than 0.1" are directly detectable in HST FUV spectra, while smaller
cavities may be detected by comparison with protoplanetary disks which
are still accreting onto their stars. We propose augmenting existing
HST coronagraphic imagery of 6 Herbig Fe and T Tauri disks with ACS
Solar-Blind Channel Lyman alpha imagery and slitless spectroscopy
simultaneously sampling the disk in molecular hydrogen and small-grain
reflection nebulosity. These data will be used to quantify the amount
of vertical stratification in these disks, to map the mass-loss
geometry from the star, and to determine whether removal of molecular
material precedes, lags, or is contemporary with clearing of the
dust.

ACS/WFC 10812

Space Motions for the Draco and Sextans Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies

We will use the powerful astrometric capabilities of HST to measure
proper motions for the Draco and Sextans dwarf spheroidal galaxies
that will yield tangential velocities accurate to about 30 km/s. These
two galaxies are the last inside a galactocentric radius of 200~kpc
without measured proper motions. Knowing their orbits is critical for
our understanding of the low-luminosity satellites of the Milky Way.
In particular they are critical for understanding why Ursa Minor has
survived tidal disruption on its plunging orbit and how Carina formed
a large intermediate-age stellar population despite its small mass.

FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

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

HSTARS:

11044 - GSACQ(2,1,1) fails to acquire fine lock while LOS

Upon acquisition of signal at 12:53:01, one 486 ESB message "A0A" (FGS
Fine Lock failed-Timed out waiting for fine lock) was observed.
GSACQ(2,1,1) at 11:52:45 appears to not have acquired fine lock, #44
commands did not update from previous values seen at LOS 11:07:30. All
acquisition events occurred while vehicle was LOS. OBAD map at
12:29:12 had RSS error of 1877.48 arcseconds, indicating that vehicle
had drifted far off target.

REACQ(2,1,1) at 13:28:01 was successful.

COMPLETED OPS REQUEST: (None)

COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)

********************** SCHEDULED***** SUCCESSFUL

FGS GSacq************** 24**************** 23
FGS REacq************** 18**************** 18
OBAD with Maneuver **** 84**************** 84

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)