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Daily 3584



 
 
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Old April 5th 04, 05:03 PM
Dave Lychenheim
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Default Daily 3584

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science

DAILY REPORT # 3584

PERIOD COVERED: DOYs 93-95

OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED

ACS/HRC 9987

Coronagraphic search for disks around nearby stars

We will use the coronagraphic and imaging modes of the High Resolution
camera to study of the role of circumstellar disks in planetary system
formation over timescales of ~1-1000 Myr. Our targets comprise pre
Main-Sequence {MS} and MS stars, selected by infrared excess, and
targets selected from SIRTF surveys. Some targets, like Beta Pictoris
have debris disks that have been detected at optical or near-IR
wavelengths, while others have disks inferred from mid-IR or ISO
observations. We will obtain multicolor images of each target's
circumstellar environment for the purpose of {1} detecting and
characterizing disk morphologies over all scales {including warps and
regions of enhanced or depleted density}, and {2} seeking evidence of
embedded planets. Direct and occulted images will be recorded for
studying the disks within 2 arcseconds of these targets; the
coronagraph will be used to image the outer regions of the disks.
Together with existing infrared observations, we will provide
constraints on the sizes, distribution, and composition of dust
grains.

FGS 9972

Calibrating the Mass-Luminosity Relation at the End of the Main
Sequence

We propose to use HST-FGS1R to calibrate the mass-luminosity relation
{MLR} for stars less massive than 0.2 Msun, with special emphasis on
objects near the stellar/brown dwarf border. Our goals are to
determine M_V values to 0.05 magnitude, masses to 5 than double the
number of objects with masses determined to be less than 0.20 Msun.
This program uses the combination of HST-FGS3/FGS1R at optical
wavelengths and ground-based infrared interferometry to examine
nearby, subarcsecond binary systems. As a result of these
measurements, we are deriving high quality luminosities and masses for
the components in the observed systems, and characterizing their
spectral energy distributions from 0.5 to 2.2 Mum. Several of the
objects included have M 0.1 Msun, placing them at the very end of
the stellar main sequence. Three of the targets are brown dwarf
candidates, including the current low mass record holder, GJ 1245C,
with a mass of 0.062 +/- 0.004 Msun. The payoff of this proposal is
high because all 10 of the systems selected have already been resolved
with HST- FGS3/FGS1R during Cycles 5--10 and contain most of the
reddest objects for which masses can be determined.

FGS 9880

The Masses of the O-type Binary 15 Monocerotis

The O-type star 15 Mon {HD 47839} was recently discovered to be an
astrometric and spectroscopic binary with a period of 25 years; it is
the first known O-star system to bridge the observational gap between
the period regimes normally probed by these techniques. An analysis of
both the radial velocity curve and astrometric orbit yields the masses
of the components and distance to the system. Continuing radial
velocity and HST/FGS astrometric measurements will lead to a
definitive orbit and yield key information about the masses of O-type
stars. FGS TRANS mode measurements of separation, position angle, and
magnitude difference {begun in Cycle 5} are needed to link existing
speckle observations and anticipated observations with the CHARA Array
optical interferometer. In addition, field astrometry measurements
{FGS POS mode} will provide the proper motion, parallax, and the
binary motion around the center of mass. The POS data will provide an
accurate estimate of the mass ratio and an improved estimate of
distance, and taken together with the spectroscopic and astrometric
orbital data, we will obtain masses for both components accurate to a
few percent.

FGS 9879

An Astrometric Calibration of the Cepheid Period-Luminosity Relation

We propose to measure the parallaxes of 10 Galactic Cepheid variables.
When these parallaxes {with 1-sigma precisions of 10% or better} are
added to our recent HST FGS parallax determination of delta Cep
{Benedict et al 2002}, we anticipate determining the Period-Luminosity
relation zero point with a 0.03 mag precision. In addition to
permitting the test of assumptions that enter into other Cepheid
distance determination techniques, this calibration will reintroduce
Galactic Cepheids as a fundamental step in the extragalactic distance
scale ladder. A Period-Luminosity relation derived from solar
metallicity Cepheids can be applied directly to extragalactic solar
metallicity Cepheids, removing the need to bridge with the Large
Magellanic Cloud and its associated metallicity complications.

WFPC2 9870

Low Mass Star Formation at Low Metallicity: Accretion Rates of
Pre-Main Sequence Stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud

As part of an ongoing effort to characterize the process of star
formation at low metallicity, we propose to measure by means of U-band
excess the current accretion rate for a homogenous sample of
newly-born stars in NGC 1850, a young {5 Myr} stellar cluster in the
LMC. Clearly, at this age most of the accretion has already taken
place and its intensity is declining with respect to the earliest
stages of formation. However, a comparison with Galactic Pre-Main
Sequence stars of the same age immediately leads to assessing the
relative strength of accretion when the metallicity is decreased by a
factor of three. We have already analyzed the images available in the
archive for these fields and we have determined the basic parameters
{effective temperature and luminosity} for all of the stars down to a
mass of ~0.9 Mo. To take the next step and determine the current
accretion rate we only need WFPC2 imaging of NGC 1850 in the F336W
passband. With three orbit worth of observations, we will reach
m{F336W}~23 with an accuracy of 0.1 mag. In spite of their unique
scientific potential, the data we apply for are relatively inexpensive
to gather, as they are the last missing tile of a large dataset
already available in the HST archive.

ACS/HRC 9869

X-ray-Bright, Optically Normal Galaxies: The Hidden Truth

Chandra has resolved most of the 2 keV X-ray background {XRB} into
discrete sources. Ground-based optical studies of these sources have
revealed a substantial population of apparently normal galaxies at
modest redshift, not the Seyfert 2 galaxies predicted by models for
the origin of the XRB. These objects have X-ray spectral properties
and luminosities similar to Seyfert 2s, but emission lines are weak or
absent in their starlight-dominated optical spectra, suggesting the
emergence of a new class of obscured or gas-poor AGNs at moderate
redshifts. However, most of the galaxies in question are distant
enough that their angular sizes are comparable to the slit widths used
in ground-based spectroscopic observations. Thus, it is possible that
these "normal" galaxies are classical Seyfert 2s whose nuclear
spectral features have been overwhelmed {"hidden"} by host galaxy
light. The high angular resolution of HST/STIS offers a unique
opportunity to isolate the nuclei of these objects spatially. STIS
spectra of a small, carefully selected sample of optically "normal"
X-ray galaxies will help clarify the origin of the XRB, which is vital
for understanding the growth of supermassive black holes in galactic
nuclei.

ACS/WFC/WFC2 9857

A tailored survey of proplyds with the ACS

While our specific understanding of the proto-planetary disks in Orion
is increasing, our general knowledge of what promotes and hinders
their birth and longevity is hampered by having good observations in
only this one region. Observations of proplyds in other regions with
different conditions of ultraviolet irradiation and age can provide
more stringent tests of our present models. We have therefore designed
an ACS/WFC and parallel WFC2 survey of open clusters embedded in H II
regions that, with a small number of orbits, maximizes the probability
of successfully finding proplyds there. Our observing strategy will
additionally afford a quantitative study of the detected proplyds, as
well as the derivation of a correlation between those characteristics
and the clusters' stellar population. ACS gives us an unprecedented
opportunity to kick start the mass discovery of proplyds in many
environments, an obvious way in which progress can be made in this
field. This small tailored survey, gives us an excellent chance to
obtain a huge return at low cost.

ACS/WFC 9788

A Narrow-band Snapshot Survey of Nearby Galaxies

We propose to use ACS/WFC to conduct the first comprehensive HST
narrow-band {H-alpha + [N II]} imaging survey of the central regions
of nearby bulge-dominated disk {S0 to Sbc} galaxies. This survey will
cover, at high angular resolution extending over a large field, an
unprecedented number of galaxies representing many different
environments. It will have important applications for many
astrophysical problems of current interest, and it will be an
invaluable addition to the HST legacy. The observations will be
conducted in snapshot mode, drawing targets from a complete sample of
145 galaxies selected from the Palomar spectroscopic survey of nearby
galaxies. Our group will use the data for two primary applications.
First, we will search for nuclear emission-line disks suitable for
future kinematic measurements with STIS, in order to better constrain
the recently discovered relations between black hole mass and bulge
properties. Preliminary imaging of the type proposed here must be
done, sooner or later, if we are to make progress in this exciting new
field. Second, we will investigate a number of issues related to
extragalactic star formation. Specifically, we will systematically
characterize the properties of H II regions and super star clusters on
all galactic scales, from circumnuclear regions to the large-scale
disk.

STIS 9786

The Next Generation Spectral Library

We propose to continue the Cycle 10 snapshot program to produce a Next
Generation Spectral Library of 600 stars for use in modeling the
integrated light of galaxies and clusters. This program is using the
low dispersion UV and optical gratings of STIS. The library will be
roughly equally divided among four metallicities, very low {[Fe/H] lt
-1.5}, low {[Fe/H] -1.5 to -0.5}, near-solar {[Fe/H] -0.3 to 0.1}, and
super-solar {[Fe/H] gt 0.2}, well-sampling the entire HR-diagram in
each bin. Such a library will surpass all extant compilations and have
lasting archival value, well into the Next Generation Space Telescope
era. Because of the universal utility and community-broad nature of
this venture, we waive the entire proprietary period.

ACS/WFC/HRC 9771

The local Hubble flow and the density field within 6 Mpc

Great progress has been made recently in accurate distance
measurements of nearby galaxies beyond the Local Group based on the
luminosity of the tip of the red giant branch {TRGB}. Over the last
three years, snapshot surveys with HST have provided us with the TRGB
distances for more than a hundred nearby galaxies obtained with an
accuracy of about 10%. The local velocity field within 5 Mpc exhibits
a significant anisotropy which disagrees with a spherical
Virgo-centric flow. The local Hubble flow is very cold, with 1-D rms
deviations of ~30 km/s. Cosmological simulations with Cold Dark Matter
can only realize such low dispersions with a combination of a low mean
density of matter and a substantial component with negative pressure.
There may be a constraint on the equation of state w=-p/rho. Our
observations will concentrate on 116 galaxies whose expected distances
lie within 4 - 6 Mpc, allowing us to trace a Dark Matter distribution
in the Local Volume with twice the information currently available.
The program is a good one for SNAP mode because the order and rate
that the observations are made are not very important, as long as
there is good completion over several years.

WFPC2 9740

CIII] Imagery of Planetary Nebulae and HII Regions -- A Snap Program

We propose to undertake a SNAP program of WFPC2 imagery of several
planetary nebulae and extragalactic HII regions with the F185W filter
to study the spatial variation of the CIII] 1909 Angstrom emission
lines across the nebulae. Much of our current knowledge of carbon
abundances in planetary nebulae and HII regions are based on UV
spectroscopic observations of this line yet there have not been any
studies of its spatial variations in nebulae compared to several of
the prominent optical lines {e.g. [OIII] 5007 Angstroms}. Such
observations, coupled with photoionization modeling of the nebulae,
will enable us to assess the utility of using the CIII] line in
abundance calculations of C/O and C/H in nebulae and possibly permit
improved empirical emission-line diagnostic techniques for ionization
corrections to get the elemental carbon abundances from C++/O++
observations based on CIII]/[OIII] 1909/5007. We also plan to study
the spatial variation of the CIII] 1909 Angstrom collisionally excited
lines against the CII 4267 Angstrom permitted line in many of the
nebulae using previous and planned ground-based longslit echelle
spectroscopy coupled with the HST WFPC2 F185W imagery.

ACS/WFC 9727

Exploration of the SN Ia Hubble Diagram at z 1.2

In the spirit of a Treasury proposal, we propose to organize, and
deliver to the astronomical community, non-proprietary follow-up
observations of ~10 Type Ia supernovae at 1z1.7 that are expected to
be discovered in a Cycle 12 Treasury proposal. Together with the
currently available sample, this would provide a Hubble diagram with
over 20 SNe Ia in this redshift range, where it is possible to test
the current cosmological model in the epoch of deceleration: If z ~
0.5 SNe Ia are fainter due to evolution rather than an accelerating
expansion, they should continue to get fainter at even higher
redshifts. This size sample will show trends and outliers, and permit
a more rigorous treatment of the asymmetric amplification distribution
from gravitational lensing. This is a key redshift range for the
studies of dark energy that will be done with future surveys {and
future instruments now being designed}; this dataset will lay the
ground-work for these studies by establishing the simple properties of
the supernovae in this redshift range, including magnitudes, colors,
and timescales. If considered more appropriate, this proposal could be
treated as a part of a Treasury or Director's Discretionary program,
since the data would be available to everybody immediately, and we
would welcome others who would want to work with us on it.

ACS/WFC 9722

Life in the fast lane: The dark-matter distribution in the most
massive galaxy clusters in the Universe at z0.5

We propose two-filter ACS observations of a complete sample of 12 very
X-ray luminous galaxy clusters at 0.5z0.7 as a cornerstone of a
comprehensive multi-wavelength study of the properties of the most
massive clusters in the universe. Our sample includes the famous
systems Cl0016+16 and MS0451-03; all other clusters are new
discoveries from the MACS survey. Being the counterparts of the
best-studied systems at lower and higher redshift and comprising ALL
massive clusters at 0.5z0.7 observable from Mauna Kea this sample
will become the ultimate reference for cluster studies at z0.5. HST's
unique capabilities will allow us to: 1} measure accurately the
clusters' dark matter distribution on scales from tens to more than
500/h_50 kpc from observations of strong and weak gravitational
lensing, 2} use galaxy-galaxy lensing to measure the shape, extent,
and mass content of the dark-matter halos of both cluster and field
galaxies, and 3} study the color morphology of mergers and the star
formation history of galaxies in a high-density environment. The
proposed observations are complemented by Chandra observations of all
our targets {all 12 awarded, 11 executed to date} which provide
independent constraints on the dark matter and gas distribution in the
cluster cores, as well a by extensive groundbased observations of weak
lensing on yet larger scales, galaxy dynamics, and the SZ effect.

WFPC2 9712

Pure Parallel Near-UV Observations with WFPC2 within High-Latitude ACS
Survey Fields

In anticipation of the allocation of ACS high-latitude imaging
survey{s}, we request a modification of the default pure parallel
program for those WFPC2 parallels that fall within the ACS survey
field. Rather than duplicate the red bands which will be done much
better with ACS, we propose to observe in the near-ultraviolet F300W
filter. These data will enable study of the rest-frame ultraviolet
morphology of galaxies at 0z1. We will determine the morphological
k-correction, and the location of star formation within galaxies,
using a sample that is likely to be nearly complete with
multi-wavelength photometry and spectroscopic redshifts. The results
can be used to interpret observations of higher redshift galaxies by
ACS.

STIS 9633

STIS parallel archive proposal - Nearby Galaxies - Imaging and
Spectroscopy

Using parallel opportunities with STIS which were not allocated by the
TAC, we propose to obtain deep STIS imagery with both the Clear
{50CCD} and Long-Pass {F28X50LP} filters in order to make
color-magnitude diagrams and luminosity functions for nearby galaxies.
For local group galaxies, we also include G750L slitless spectroscopy
to search for e.g., Carbon stars, late M giants and S-type stars. This
survey will be useful to study the star formation histories, chemical
evolution, and distances to these galaxies. These data will be placed
immediately into the Hubble Data Archive.

ACS/WFC 9575

Default {Archival} Pure Parallel Program.

The Advanced Camera for Surveys (WFC) was used to test ACS pure
parallels in POMS.

ACS/WFPC2 9488

Cosmic Shear - with ACS Pure Parallel Observations

The ACS, with greater sensitivity and sky coverage, will extend our
ability to measure the weak gravitational lensing of galaxy images
caused by the large scale distribution of dark matter. We propose to
use the ACS in pure parallel {non- proprietary} mode, following the
guidelines of the ACS Default Pure Parallel Program. Using the HST
Medium Deep Survey WFPC2 database we have measured cosmic shear at
arc-min angular scales. The MDS image parameters, in particular the
galaxy orientations and axis ratios, are such that any residual
corrections due to errors in the PSF or jitter are much smaller than
the measured signal. This situation is in stark contrast with
ground-based observations. We have also developed a statistical
analysis procedure to derive unbiased estimates of cosmic shear from a
large number of fields, each of which has a very small number of
galaxies. We have therefore set the stage for measurements with the
ACS at fainter apparent magnitudes and smaller, 10 arc-second scales
corresponding to larger cosmological distances. We will adapt existing
MDS WFPC2 maximum likelihood galaxy image analysis algorithms to work
with the ACS. The analysis would also yield an online database similar
to that in archive.stsci.edu/mds/

NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 8792

NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 3

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.

S/C 10097

NICMOS Temperature Setpoint Darks

NICMOS darks at different temperatures are needed to calibrate the
software tool used to create synthetic darks. Synthetic darks are used
during calibration. The temperatures of the NICMOS detectors will be
adjusted by +0.5 to -1.0 K from the nominal operating temperature.
Darks in each camera will be obtained at each of the temperature
settings. At the end of the Proposal the NCS nominal setpoint
temperature for the NICMOS detectors will be increased by 0.07 K for
the cool season {routine seasonal adjustment}.

STIS/CCD 10096

STIS Pure Parallel Imaging Program: Cycle 12

This is the default archival pure parallel program for STIS during
cycle 12.

STIS/CCD 10085

STIS Pure Parallel Imaging Program: Cycle 12

This is the default archival pure parallel program for STIS during
cycle 12.

WFPC2 10084

WFII parallel archive proposal

This is the generic target version of the WFPC2 Archival Pure Parallel
program. The program will be used to take parallel images of random
areas of the sky, following the recommendations of the 2002 Parallels
Working Group.

WFPC2 10073

Earth Flats

This proposal monitors flatfield stability. This proposal obtains
sequences of Earth streak flats to construct high quality flat fields
for the WFPC2 filter set. These flat fields will allow mapping of the
OTA illumination pattern and will be used in conjunction with previous
internal and external flats to generate new pipeline superflats. These
Earth flats will complement the Earth flat data obtained during cycles
4-11.

WFPC2 10070

WFPC2 CYCLE 12 Supplemental Darks Part 2/3

This dark calibration program obtains 3 dark frames every day to
provide data for monitoring and characterizing the evolution of hot
pixels.

ACS/HRC/WFC 10060

CCD Daily Monitor

This program consists of basic tests to monitor, the read noise, the
development of hot pixels and test for any source of noise in ACS CCD
detectors. This programme will be executed once a day for the entire
lifetime of ACS.

ACS/HRC 10050

ACS Earth Flats

High signal sky flats will be obtained by observing the bright Earth
with the HRC and WFC. These observations will be used to verify the
accuracy of the flats currently used by the pipeline and will provide
a comparison with flats derived via other techniques: L-flats from
stellar observations, sky flats from stacked GO observations, and
internal flats using the calibration lamps. Weekly coronographic
monitoring is required to assess the changing position of the spots.

STIS/CCD 10026

STIS Sparse Field CTE test-internal {Cycle 12}

CTE measurements are made using the "internal sparse field test",
along the parallel axis. The "POS=" optional parameter, introduced
during cycle 11, is used to provide off-center MSM positionings of
some slits. All exposures are internals.

STIS/CCD 10020

CCD Bias Monitor - Part 2

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 10018

CCD Dark Monitor-Part 2

Monitor the darks for the STIS CCD.

WFPC2/ACS/HRC/WFC 10013

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.

FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary
reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be
investigated.) None

COMPLETED OPS REQs:
17107-1 Battery 2 Capacity Test Script @ 093/14:39:09z

OPS NOTES EXECUTED: NONE

SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES
FGS GSacq 32 32
FGS REacq 11 11
FHST Update 40 40
LOSS of LOCK

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS:

Battery 2 has sufficiently recovered from discharge to 15 Volts and
Voltage, pressure, and load share are in family with the other
batteries. Placed Battery 2 in FSW 6-battery system @ 093/14:30Z.
The SOC 1 safing test was successfully modified to represent a
6-battery system and the BM SOC was reset to 313 A-h. Battery 2, K2
SPA Trim Relay (+AA) was unmasked and the proper charge optimization
scheme was reinstated (OR 17107-1). The EPS is now in its nominal
configuration in both FSW and hardware. EPS SEs continued to monitor
the system for two orbits.

The current integrated capacity for Battery 2 (as measured through the
5.1 Ohm resistor) is 54.78 A-h. This battery was last tested in May
2003 and yielded a capacity of 58.9 A-h.

STIS MAMA 1 Fold Test (Proposal 10035) using HITM2 Lamp, 096/10:00Z -
10:52Z and MAMA 2 Fold Test using HITM1 Lamp, 096/11:02Z - 11:53Z via
SMS.



 




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