Daily 3721

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science

DAILY REPORT # 3722

PERIOD COVERED: DOYs 296-298

OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED

S/C/NIC1/NIC3 9994

NICMOS Focus Stability

The purpose of this activity is to determine if the best focus
determined in SMOV is stable. This program will execute in
approximately one month intervals starting about 1 month after the
last execution of proposal 8980.

ACS 9984

Cosmic Shear With ACS Pure Parallels

Small distortions in the shapes of background galaxies by foreground
mass provide a powerful method of directly measuring the amount and
distribution of dark matter. Several groups have recently detected
this weak lensing by large-scale structure, also called cosmic shear.
The high resolution and sensitivity of HST/ACS provide a unique
opportunity to measure cosmic shear accurately on small scales. Our
measurements will determine the amplitude of the mass power spectrum
sigma_8Omega_m^0.5, with signal-to-noise {s/n} ~ 20, and the mass
density Omega_m with s/n=4. They will be done at small angular scales
where non-linear effects dominate the power spectrum, providing a test
of the gravitational instability paradigm for structure formation.
Measurements on these scales are not possible from the ground, because
of the systematic effects induced by PSF smearing from seeing. Having
many independent lines of sight reduces the uncertainty due to cosmic
variance, making parallel observations ideal.

STIS/CCD 9981

The Ultra Deep Field - STIS parallels

We propose to obtain slitless spectroscopy of objects in the GEMS and
GOODS area around the UDF.

NIC3 9979

The Ultra Deep Field - NICMOS Parallels

This is a plan to manage the NICMOS pure parallels of the ACS Ultra
Deep Survey. We will obtain a mix of F110W and F160W images along
sight-lines within the mosaiced ACS fields of the CDF-S GOODS and GEMS
surveys, with these sight-lines enabling an examination of the space
density and morphologies of the reddest galaxies.

ACS/CCD/WFC 9978

The Ultra Deep Field with ACS

The ACS Ultra Deep Field {UDF} is a survey carried out by using
Director's Discretionary time. The main science driver are galaxy
evolution and cosmology. The primary instrument is the Advanced Camera
for Surveys but WFPC2 and NICMOS will also be used in parallel. The
data will be made public. The UDF consists of a single ultra-deep
field {410 orbits in total} within the CDF-S GOODS area. The survey
will use four filters: F435W {55 orbits}, F606W {55 orbits}, F775W
{150 orbits}, and F850LP {150 orbits}. The F435W {B} and F606W {V}
exposures will be one magnitude deeper than the equivalent HDF
filters. The F775W {I} exposure will be 1.5 magnitude deeper than the
equivalent HDF exposure. The depth in F775W and F850LP is optimized
for searching very red objects - like z=6 galaxies- at the detection
limit of the F850LP image. The pointing will be RA{J2000}=3 32 40.0
and Decl.{J2000}=-27 48 00. These coordinates may change slightly due
to guide star availability and implementation issues. We will attempt
to include in the field both a spectroscopically confirmed z=5.8
galaxy and a spectroscopically confirmed type Ia SN at z=1.3. The
pointing avoids the gaps with the lowest effective exposure on the
Chandra ACIS image of CDFS. This basic structure of the survey
represents a consensus recommendation of a Scientific Advisory
Committee to the STScI Director Steven Beckwith. A local Working Group
is looking in detail at the implementation of the survey.

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.

NIC2 9834

Finding Planets in the Stellar Graveyard: A Faint Companion Search of
White Dwarfs with NICMOS

We propose to do a deep search for substellar objects in orbit around
white dwarfs with the newly refurbished NICMOS camera as part of the
PI's doctoral thesis work. Direct imaging of planets around main
sequence stars is difficult due to the large contrast ratio, a problem
which is much less severe for companions to white dwarfs. White dwarfs
are not usually considered in planet searches but recent theoretical
work and observations are motivating new searches for planetary
systems and dust disks around DAZ white dwarfs. We propose to conduct
the search with the NIC2 coronagraph to find resolved companions and
do photometry to search for unresolved companions through Near-IR
excesses. We estimate that the survey will be sensitive to brown
dwarfs, high mass jovian planets, and dust disks. By probing a wide
range of orbital separations and companion masses, this survey will
help to answer questions about the brown dwarf desert, common envelope
evolution, and planet formation. HST and NICMOS provide a unique
capability to do this search, as no ground based observatory with AO
can adequately search for faint companions as close and with such high
contrast.

ACS/HRC 9792

Uncovering the CV population in M15: a deep, time-resolved, far-UV
survey of the cluster core

We propose to carry out a deep, far-ultraviolet {FUV}, time-resolved
for faint cataclysmic variables {CVs} and other dynamically-formed
objects in the globular cluster {GC} M15. We will use the ACS/SBC to
carry out 6 epochs of FUV imaging of this cluster in a single filter,
and will use two additional visits to obtain images in other FUV and
NUV filters. Since crowding is not a problem in the FUV, this will
yield time-resolved FUV photometry of all blue objects in the cluster
core. Our CV census will be both deep enough to be essentially
complete and ``broad'' enough to involve all of the following CV
characteristics: {1} UV brightness; {2} blue FUV spectral shape; {3}
strong CIV and HeII emission; {4} short time-scale {$sim$ minutes}
variability {flickering, WD spin}; {6} intermediate time-scale {$sim$
hours} variability {orbital variations}; {7} long time-scale {$sim$
weeks} variability {dwarf nova eruptions}. We will thus find the CV
population in M15, if it exists. In addition, our survey will detect
numerous blue stragglers and hot white dwarfs, as well as any other
blue objects near the core. Finally, our photometry will yield
high-quality FUV light curves of the two low-mass x-ray binaries in
M15.

ACS/WFC 9744

HST Imaging of Gravitational Lenses

Gravitational lenses offer unique opportunities to study cosmology,
dark matter, galactic structure, galaxy evolution and quasar host
galaxies. They are also the only sample of galaxies selected based on
their mass rather than their luminosity or surface brightness. While
gravitational lenses can be discovered with ground-based optical and
radio observations, converting them into astrophysical tools requires
HST. HST has demonstrated that it is the only telescope that can in
each case precisely locate the lens galaxy, measure its luminosity,
color and structure, and search for lensed images of the source host
galaxy given the typical image separations of ~1''. We will obtain
ACS/WFC V and I images and NICMOS H images of 21 new lenses never
observed by HST and NICMOS H images of 16 lenses never observed by HST
in the IR. As in previous cycles, we request that the data be made
public immediately.

NIC3 9735

ACS, NICMOS, and STIS Observations of Three Ongoing Mergers

We propose to make ACS {U, B, V, I, H_alpha}, NICMOS {J, H, K}, and
STIS {long-slit H_alpha} observations of NGC 520, NGC 2623, and NGC
3256, three merging galaxies in the middle of the Toomre Sequence and
currently in the throes of violent relaxation. Two of these {NGC 2623
and NGC 3256} are the most IR luminous galaxies in the sequence.
Hence, these ongoing mergers are ideal candidates for studying the
triggering mechanism responsible for the formation of stars and star
clusters. The ACS observations will allow us to age date the star
clusters, and reliably distinguish clusters from stars based on their
apparent sizes. They will also be used in conjunction with
ground-based measurements of the stellar velocity dispersion to
determine dynamical masses of the clusters and hence address the
question of whether the IMF is truncated. The NICMOS observations will
allow us to penetrate the dust and answer several fundamental
questions such as: What fraction of the young clusters are hidden by
dust? How do these clusters form and evolve? The STIS observations
will allow us to study the kinematics of the young cluster system and
measure the pressure and shock properties which may be triggering the
formation of the clusters. A better understanding of how mergers form
tremendous numbers of clusters and stars in the local universe will
help shed light on processes that were crucial during galaxy assembly
in the high-z universe.

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 9709

POMS Test Proposal: 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.

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.

ACS/WFC 10392

Hubble Heritage Image of the Light Echo around V838 Monocerotis

We will obtain a second spectacular color image of the light echo
around V838 Mon

FGS 10387

Monitoring FGS1r's Interferometric Response as a Function of Spectral
Color

This proposal obtains reference point source Transfer Functions
{S-Curves} for FGS1r through the F583W filter and the F5ND attenuator
at the center position of the FGS1r FOV for a variety of stars of
different spectral types. These Transfer Functions are needed to
support the analysis of GO science data for the study of close and
wide binary star systems and for determining the angular size and
shape of extended sources. This proposal observes stars that have been
observed in previous cycles to monitor the long term evolution of the
FGS1r S-curves. This proposal also {1} monitors the FGS1r Lateral
Color response {using stars Latcol-A and Latcol-B}, {2} calibrates the
"Pos/Trans" bias of a star's position as determined from Transfer mode
and Position mode observations, and {3} calibrates the shift of a
star's centroid when observed with F5ND relative to that when observed
with F583W.

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.

WFPC2 10366

WFPC2 Cycle 13 Close-Out Photometric Cross-Calibration

This proposal is to provide additional photometric zeropoint
cross-calibration between WFPC2 and ACS photometric filter sets. The
proposal consists of observations of T-dwarf 2M0559-14, following
similar observations by ACS in program 10056 visit 4.

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.

ACS/HRC 10272

A Snapshot Survey of the Sites of Recent, Nearby Supernovae

During the past few years, robotic {or nearly robotic} searches for
supernovae {SNe}, most notably our Lick Observatory Supernova Search
{LOSS}, have found hundreds of SNe, many of them in quite nearby
galaxies {cz 4000 km/s}. Most of the objects were discovered before
maximum brightness, and have follow-up photometry and spectroscopy;
they include some of the best-studied SNe to date. We propose to
conduct a snapshot imaging survey of the sites of some of these nearby
objects, to obtain late-time photometry that {through the shape of the
light and color curves} will help reveal the origin of their lingering
energy. The images will also provide high-resolution information on
the local environment of SNe that are far superior to what we can
procure from the ground. For example, we will obtain color-color and
color-magnitude diagrams of stars in these SN sites, to determine
their progenitor masses and constraints on the reddening. Recovery of
the SNe in the new HST images will also allow us to actually pinpoint
their progenitor stars in cases where pre-explosion images exist in
the HST archive. Use of ACS rather than WFPC2 will make our snapshot
survey even more valuable than our Cycle 9 survey. This Proposal is
complementary to our Cycle 13 archival proposal, in which we outline a
plan for using existing HST images to glean information about SN
environments.

NIC/NIC3 10266

Origins of the Highly Ionized Gas toward the X-ray Bright BL Lac
Object Mrk 421

The X-ray bright BL Lac object Mrk 421 is one of the small number of
extragalactic objects for which it is possible to study the highly
ionized gas in the ISM and Local Group using the full diagnostic power
of UV, far-UV and X-ray observatories. High quality far-UV
observations of OVI and other ions have been obtained by FUSE, whereas
Chandra and XMM-Newton have provided X-ray measurements of extremely
strong OVII and OVIII absorption at redshift zero. It has been
proposed that the OVI, OVII, and OVIII originate together in the
warm-hot intergalactic medium, of the kind predicted by numerical
simulations to contain a substantial fraction of the baryons at z=0.
However, the properties of the high-ion absorption are also consistent
with an origin in an extended Galactic Corona. Data for other species
such as SiIII, SiIV, and CIV will be essential to determine whether or
not a Local Group WHIM filament has been detected. These species are
not expected to be seen in a hot {T 10^6 K} medium and their
detection at the same velocity as OVI would suggest that the OVI
samples a different phase of the gas than the OVII and OVIII. We
propose to obtain a high quality 7 km/s resolution STIS UV spectrum of
Mrk 421 from 1150 to 1700 A. The STIS measurements of CII, CIV, SiIII,
SiIV, and other species will allow us to evaluate the ionization
conditions in the absorbing gas in the Galactic thick disk and in an
anomalous high positive velocity absorption wing currently only traced
by OVI and CIII. The ionic ratios among these species will provide
critical tests of the ionization mechanisms affecting the OVI
absorption.

ACS/WFC 10258

Tracing the Emergence of the Hubble Sequence Among the Most Luminous
and Massive Galaxies

There is mounting evidence that the redshift range 1 z 2 was an
important era when massive galaxies assembled their stellar content
and assumed their present--day morphologies. Despite extensive HST
imaging surveys, however, there is very little data in the optical
rest frame {i.e., observed near--infrared} on the morphologies of the
most luminous galaxies at these redshifts. We propose to image a
carefully selected set of 20 of the most luminous, K--band selected
GOODS galaxies at 1.3 z 2, using NICMOS camera 2. This offers
diffraction--limited, critically sampled imaging at 1.6 microns to
ensure the best angular resolution for comparison to ACS. The galaxies
are chosen to span a simple 4--fold parameter space of morphological
and spectral type, in order to provide the most information about the
variety of massive galaxy properties in this redshift range. We will
investigate the emergence of large scale--length disks, stable spiral
structure, mature bulges with red stellar populations, central bar
structures, the incidence of disturbed morphology, the existence {or
lack thereof} of blue ellipticals, and other questions that concern
the evolution and maturation of the brightest, largest, and most
massive ordinary galaxies in this critical redshift range.

ACS/WFC 10235

Dark vs. luminous matter in the CenA/M83 galaxy complex

The distribution of dark vs. luminous matter on scales of 0.1-1.0 Mpc
remains poorly understood. For a nearby group, the total mass can be
determined from the radius of "the zero-velocity surface", which
separates the group from the general Hubble flow. This new method
requires the measurement of accurate distances and radial velocities
of galaxies around the group, but gives total mass estimates
independent of assumptions about the state of relaxation or orbital
characteristics. The mass pertains to the group at the full scale to
which it is bound. Upon application in several nearest groups, the
method yields mass estimates in agreement with the sum of the virial
masses of subcomponents. However, the typical total M/L ratio for the
nearby groups of ~30 Mo/Lo implies a local mean density of matter
which is only 1/7 the canonical global density . The nearby complex of
galaxies around Cen A and M83 resembles our Local Group by the
dumb-bell concentration of objects around a pair of dominant galaxies.
Accurate distances have been acquired recently for ~20 group members
by the TRGB method using HST. We will measure TRGB distances to the 17
remaining galaxies in the region. These observations will constrain
the dynamical state of the halo surrounding the nearest giant E-galaxy
Cen A, providing a comparison with the halos of the nearest spirals.

ACS/WFC 10217

The ACS Fornax Cluster Survey

The two rich clusters nearest to the Milky Way, and the only large
collections of early-type galaxies within ~ 25 Mpc, are the Virgo and
Fornax Clusters. We propose to exploit the exceptional imaging
capabilities of the ACS/WFC to carry out the most comprehensive
imaging survey to date of early-type galaxies in Fornax: the ACS
Fornax Cluster Survey. Deep ACS/WFC images -- in the F475W {g'} and
F850LP {z'} bands -- will be acquired for 44 E, S0, dE, dE, N and dS0
cluster members. In Cycle 11, we initiated a similar program targeting
early-type galaxies in the Virgo Cluster {the ACS Virgo Cluster
Survey; GO-9401}. Our proposed survey of Fornax would yield an
extraordinary dataset which would complement that already in hand for
Virgo, and allow a definitive study of the role played by environment
in the structure, formation and evolution of early-type galaxies and
their globular cluster systems, nuclei, stellar populations, dust
content, nuclear morphologies and merger histories. It would also be a
community resource for years to come and, together with the ACS Virgo
Cluster Survey, constitute one of the lasting legacies of HST.

ACS/WFC 10216

Co-evolution of spheroids and black holes

The masses of the giant black holes in galaxies are correlated with
the luminosities, masses, and velocity dispersions of their host
spheroids. This empirical connection of phenomena on widely different
scales {from sub-parsec to kiloparsec} suggests that the evolution of
a galaxy and its central black hole are closely linked. We propose to
test various unified formation models, by measuring the cosmic
evolution of the black hole/spheroid relations, back to z=0.37 {a
lookback time of 4 Gyrs}. We will obtain 1-orbit ACS images of a
sample of 20 Seyfert 1 galaxies, for which we already have extensive
new ground-based measures of the black hole masses and the stellar
velocity dispersions. HST resolution is required for accurate
measurement of the nonstellar AGN continuum, and the luminosity and
effective radius of the bulge of each host galaxy. This will complete
the set of observables needed to map the co-evolution of spheroids and
black-holes. The proposed sample is the minimum required to make the
first measure of the black hole mass/bulge correlation and of the
fundamental plane for active galaxies outside the local Universe.

ACS/WFC 10210

Groups of Dwarf Galaxies: Pools of Mostly Dark Matter?

Within 5 Mpc, there are 6 groups with well-known luminous galaxies but
there also appears to be a comparable number of groups containing only
dwarfs. If these dwarf entities are truly bound then M/L values are an
order of magnitude higher than values found for groups with luminous
spiral galaxies. There are theoretical reasons to anticipate that low
mass halos may frequently be mostly dark. The dynamical influence of
low mass halos is negligible in familiar groups with luminous members.
By contrast, a study of the dynamics of `groups of dwarfs' may provide
direct evidence of the existence of dark matter potential wells with
few baryons. The goal of the present study is to gather detailed
information on the 3-D distribution of dwarf galaxies suspected to lie
within 7 groups of dwarfs within 5 Mpc. Distances with 7% relative
accuracy can be measured with the Tip of the Giant Branch method with
ACS and integrations within 1 orbit per target.

NIC1 10208

NICMOS Differential Imaging Search for Planetary Mass Companions to
Nearby Young Brown Dwarfs

We propose to use the differential spectral imaging capability of
HST/NICMOS {NIC1} to search for planetary mass companions. We target
the twelve most nearby {within 30 pc}, isolated {no known close
companion}, and young { 1Gyr} brown dwarfs. All of them have spectral
type L and show signs of Lithium absorption, which clearly proves
their substellar nature and youth. Planetary mass companions with
masses down to 6 Jupiter masses, and at separations larger than 3 A.U.
are bright enough for a direct detection with HST/NICMOS using the
spectral differential imaging technique in two narrow-band filters
placed on and off molecular bands. The proposed project has the
potential to lead to the first direct detection of a planetary mass
object in orbit around a nearby brown dwarf.

ACS/HRC 10182

Towards a Comprehensive Understanding of Type Ia Supernovae: The
Necessity of UV Observations

Type Ia supernovae {SNe Ia} are very important to many diverse areas
of astrophysics, from the chemical evolution of galaxies to
observational cosmology which led to the discovery of dark energy and
the accelerating Universe. However, the utility of SNe Ia as
cosmological probes depends on the degree of our understanding of SN
Ia physics, and various systematic effects such as cosmic chemical
evolution. At present, the progenitors of SNe Ia and the exact
explosion mechanisms are still poorly understood, as are evolutionary
effects on SN Ia peak luminosities. Since early-time UV spectra and
light curves of nearby SNe Ia can directly address these questions, we
propose an approach consisting of two observational components: {1}
Detailed studies of two very bright, young, nearby SNe Ia with HST UV
spectroscopy at 13 epochs within the first 1.5 months after discovery;
and {2} studies of correlations with luminosity for five somewhat more
distant Hubble-flow SNe Ia, for which relative luminosities can be
determined with precision, using 8 epochs of HST UV spectroscopy
and/or broad-band imaging. The HST data, along with extensive
ground-based optical to near-IR observations, will be analyzed with
state-of-the-art models to probe SN Ia explosion physics and constrain
the nature of the progenitors. The results will form the basis for the
next phase of precision cosmology measurements using SNe Ia, allowing
us to more fully capitalize on the substantial past {and future}
investments of time made with HST in observations of high-redshift SNe
Ia.

NIC2 10177

Solar Systems In Formation: A NICMOS Coronagraphic Survey of
Protoplanetary and Debris Disks

Until recently, despite decades of concerted effort applied to
understanding the formation processes that gave birth to our solar
system, the detailed morphology of circumstellar material that must
eventually form planets has been virtually impossible to discern. The
advent of high contrast, coronagraphic imaging as implemented with the
instruments aboard HST has dramatically enhanced our understanding of
natal planetary system formation. Even so, only a handful of evolved
disks {~ 1 Myr and older} have been imaged and spatially resolved in
light scattered from their constituent grains. To elucidate the
physical processes and properties in potentially planet-forming
circumstellar disks, and to understand the nature and evolution of
their grains, a larger spatially resolved and photometrically reliable
sample of such systems must be observed. Thus, we propose a highly
sensitive circumstellar disk imaging survey of a well-defined and
carefully selected sample of YSOs {1-10 Myr T Tau and HAeBe stars} and
{ app 10 Myr} main sequence stars, to probe the posited epoch of
planetary system formation, and to provide this critically needed
imagery. Our resolved images will shed light on the spatial
distributions of the dust in these thermally emissive disks. In
combination with their long wavelength SEDs the physical properties of
the grains will be discerned, or constrained by our photometrically
accurate surface brightness sensitivity limits for faint disks which
elude detection. Our sample builds on the success of the exploratory
GTO 7233 program, using two-roll per orbit PSF-subtracted NICMOS
coronagraphy to provide the highest detection sensitivity to the
smallest disks around bright stars which can be imaged with HST. Our
sample will discriminate between proposed evolutionary scenarios while
providing a legacy of cataloged morphologies for interpreting mid- and
far-IR SEDs that the recently launched Spitzer Space Telescope will
deliver.

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.

ACS/WFC 10174

Dark-matter halos and evolution of high-z early-type galaxies

Gravitational lensing and stellar dynamics provide two complementary
methods to determine the mass distribution and evolution of luminous
and dark-matter in early-type {E/S0} galaxies. The combined study of
stellar dynamics and gravitational lensing allows one to break
degeneracies inherent to each method separately, providing a clean
probe of the internal structure of massive galaxies. Since most lens
galaxies are at redshifts z=0.1-1.0, they also provide the required
look-back time to study their structural and stellar-population
evolution. We recently analyzed 5 E/S0 lens galaxies between z=0.5 and
1.0, combining exquisite Hubble Space Telescope imaging data with
kinematic data from ground-based Keck spectroscopy, placing the first
precise constraints on the dark-matter mass fraction and its inner
slope beyond the local Universe. To expand the sample to ~30 systems
-- required to study potential trends and evolution in the E/S0 mass
profiles -- we propose to target the 49 E/S0 lens-galaxy candidates
discovered by Bolton et al. {2004} from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey
{SDSS}. With the average lens rate being 40% and some systems having a
lensing probability close to unity, we expect to discover ~20 strong
gravitational lenses from the sample. This will triple the current
sample of 9 E/S0 systems, with data in hand. With the sample of 30
systems, we will be able to determine the average slope of the
dark-matter and total mass profile of E/S0 galaxies to 10% and 4%
accuracy, respectively. If present, we can simultaneously detect 10%
evolution in the total mass slope with 95% confidence. This will
provide unprecedented constraints on E/S0 galaxies beyond the local
Universe and allow a stringent test of their formation scenarios and
the standard cosmological model.

NIC2 10149

The Coevolution of Supermassive Black Holes and Galaxies at z~3

The existence of strong correlations between the mass of supermassive
black holes and galaxy bulge properties implies that there is an
intimate connection between their formation and evolution. How do
supermassive black holes grow and how did the correlations come about?
Is the growth of supermassive black holes coeval with the growth of
the bulge, and is a bulge necessary for AGN activity at high z? We
propose to use HST NICMOS to image 9 low-luminosity broad-line AGNs at
z~3 in the restframe B-band, identified through the Lyman-break
technique. This sample is unique because the AGN luminosities are
comparable to Seyfert-like nuclei at z~3, and thus are some of the
lowest that have been selected optically. Because of the low total
luminosity of the sample, the hosts are likely to be Lyman-break
galaxies, which are believed to be the progenitor galaxies of the
local Hubble sequence. The goal is to directly detect their host
galaxies and to separate the AGN, in order to study the host galaxy
morphology and luminosity. From measurement of the bulge luminosity
and black hole mass {through available spectra}, we will study the
black hole-bulge coevolution out to z~3. We will also compare the
luminosity and morphology of these faint AGN hosts with the more
luminous and massive host galaxies found in previous HST studies of
quasars.

FGS 10106

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.

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.

WFPC2 10069

WFPC2 CYCLE 12 Supplemental Darks, Part 1/3

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

WFPC2 10067

WFPC2 Cycle 12 Decontaminations and Associated Observations

This proposal is for the monthly WFPC2 decons. Also included are
instrument monitors tied to decons: photometric stability check, focus
monitor, pre- and post-decon internals {bias, intflats, kspots, &
darks}, UV throughput check, VISFLAT sweep, and internal UV flat
check.

ACS/HRC/WFC 10042

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.

STIS/CCD 10019

CCD Bias Monitor - Part 1

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 10000

STIS Pure Parallel Imaging Program: Cycle 12

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

FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

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

Executed GENSLEW for Proposal 10390, Slot 1 @ 296/17:43Z, Slot 2 @ 296/17:44Z,
Slot 3 @ 296/17:45Z, Slot 4 @ 296/17:47Z, Slot 5 @ 296/17:49Z, Slot 6 @ 296/17:51Z,
Slot 7 @ 296/17:53Z, Slot 8 @ 296/17:54Z, Slot 9 @ 296/17:56Z, Slot 10 @ 296/17:57Z,
Slot 11 @ 296/17:59Z, and Slot 12 @ 296/18:00Z (OR 17287 - 17298, respectively).

Executed Ops Note 1273-4: Raise Bay 5 limit @ 299/00:02Z (Restored
limit for ON expiration).
Executed Ops Note 916: Tabulation of Slew Attitude Error
(Miss-distance) @ 299/01:25Z.

Completed ESTR Reconditioning @ 299/02:45Z (ROP RD-7A).

SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES
FGS GSacq 37 37
FGS REacq 15 15
FHST Update 53 53
LOSS of LOCK

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: None