HST Daily Report # 3207 Part 2

Faint Standard Extension {FASTEX}

Fainter standard stars are needed for the flux calibration of COS, for the
prism
modes on ACS, and for astronomical community, in general. The bright object
safety limit for COS is 1.25 ct/s per pixel, while the total countrate
limit per
FUV detector segment is 20000/s. In addition, the GALEX project {see Appendix}
requires more secondary standards in the flux range of the two fainter original
FASTEX stars. Customarily, one NASA project provides observing time in support
of other NASA projects. The existing observations of the two fainter FASTEX
standards, WD0947+857 and WD1657+343, have the most CTE losses in the G430L
data
and are still a bit marginal on S/N. Since the stellar models are normalized to
V, good spectrophotometry to 5500A is important. All five targets will be
observed at the new G430L aperture to minimize CTE loss and at the original
aperture to constrain CTE models. Combined with additional planned cal data for
stars of intermediate flux, the CTE model for spectra can be tuned to cover the
full range of signal levels.

WFPC2 9634

POMS Test Proposal: WFII targeted parallel archive proposal

The parallel opportunities available with WFPC2 in the neighborhood of bright
galaxies are treated in a slightly different way from the normal pure
parallels.
Local Group galaxies offer the opportunity for a closer look at young stellar
populations. Narrow-band images in F656N can be used both to identify young
stars via their emission lines, and to map the gas distribution in star-forming
regions. Thus, the filter F656N is added to the four standard filters. Near
more
distant galaxies, up to about 10 Mpc, we can map the population of globular
clusters; for this purpose, F300W is less useful, and only F450W, F606W, and
F814W will be used.

WFPC2 9676

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.

POMS 9677

POMS Test Proposal: WFII backup parallel archive proposal

This is a POMS test proposal designed to simulate scientific plans.

STIS 9692

STIS Pure Parallel Imaging Program: Cycle 10

This is the default archival pure parallel program for STIS during cycle 10.

FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

HSTARS (For details see http://hst-sers.hst.nasa.gov/SERS/HST/HSTAR.nsf)
HSTARS: None

COMPLETED OPS REQs: NONE.

OPS NOTES EXECUTED:
1037-1 Change Limits MAMA2 Threshold voltage @ 268/0349z

                            SCHEDULED     SUCCESSFUL    FAILURE TIMES
FGS GSacq                 8                         8
FGS REacq                 7                         7
FHST Update               17                       17
LOSS of LOCK

Operations Notes: None

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS:

Successfully completed On-Line Data Archive testing 267/10:42Z – 12:22Z.
Test ran much smoother in “TEST” mode and with the corrected system data.
Verified CRs 7546, 7555, and 7671. No TSARs were written.

HST C-String CCS 4.0.1 SI Regression Test scheduled 268/11:00Z – 19:00Z with
GDOC, SOC, HITT, and CCS using CCS “C” String with CCS Release 4.0.1 and PRD
O06100TQ1. The purpose of this testing is to verify the CCS 4.0.1 release
supports normal NSSC-1 and SI commanding in an operational scenario.

Message 2 in threadFrom: dlychenheim@hst.nasa.gov (dlychenheim@hst.nasa.gov)
Subject: Daily 3207  
View this article onlyNewsgroups: sci.astro.hubble
Date: 2003-02-10 11:11:29 PST

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

DAILY REPORT       # 3297

PERIOD COVERED: DOYs 38-40

OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED

ACS 9472

A Snapshot Survey for Gravitational Lenses among z >= 4.0 Quasars

Over the last few years, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey has revolutionized
the
study of high-redshift quasars by discovering over 200 objects with
redshift
greater than 4.0, more than doubling the number known in this redshift
interval.
The sample includes eight of the ten highest redshift quasars known. We
propose
a snapshot imaging survey of a well-defined sample of 250 z > 4.0 quasars
in
order to find objects which are gravitationally lensed. Lensing models
including
magnification bias predict that at least 4% of quasars in a flux-limited
sample
at z > 4 will be multiply lensed. Therefore this survey should find of
order 10
lensed quasars at high redshift; only one gravitationally lensed quasar
is
currently known at z > 4. This survey will provide by far the best sample
to
date of high-redshift gravitational lenses. The observed fraction of
lenses can
put strong constraints on cosmological models, in particular on the
cosmological
constant Lambda. In addition, magnification bias can significantly bias
estimates of the luminosity function of quasars and the evolution
thereof; this
work will constrain how important an effect this is, and thereby give us
a
better understanding of the evolution of quasars and black holes at early
epochs, as well as constrain models for black hole formation.

ACS 9673

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 9401

The ACS Virgo Cluster Survey

We propose the most comprehensive imaging survey to date of low-redshift,
early-type galaxies. Our goal is to exploit the exceptional imaging
capabilities
of the ACS by acquiring deep images — in the SDSS g^ and z^ bandpasses
— for
163 E, S0, dE, dE, N and dS0 galaxies in Virgo, the nearest rich cluster.
This
extraordinary dataset would likely constitute one of the principal
legacies of
HST, and would have widespread applications for many diverse areas of
astrophysics. Our immediate scientific objectives are threefold: {1}
measure
metallicities, ages and radii for the many thousands of globular clusters
{GCs}
in these galaxies, and use this information to derive the protogalactic
mass
spectrum of each galaxy; {2} measure the central luminosity and color
profile of
each galaxy, and use this information to carry out a completely
independent
test
of the merging hierarchy inferred from the GCs, with the aid of N-body
codes
that simulate the merger of galaxies containing massive black holes; and
{3}
calibrate the z^ -band SBF method, measure Virgo’s 3-D structure, and
carry out
the definitive study of the GC luminosity function’s precision as a
standard
candle. Our proposed Virgo Cluster Survey will yield a database of
unprecedented
depth, precision and uniformity, and will enable us to study the record
of
galaxy and cluster formation in a level of detail which will never be
possible
with more distant systems.

ACS/WFC 9433

The Size Distribution of Kuiper Belt Bodies

The Kuiper Belt is a population of remnant planetesimals from the
formation of
the Solar System. Since the planetesimals in extrasolar systems are too
faint to
see with present or planned telescopes, the Kuiper Belt is our best
chance to
test models of accretional/collisional evolution against observations.
Current
ground-based observations of Kuiper Belt Objects {KBOs} are consistent
with a
pure power law size distribution N{D}propto D^-q, q~4.3. Current
accretion
models predict a break to a shallower slope q=3.5 for objects of diameter
D<~100 km. We will conduct a survey of 6 ACS/WFC fields to detect KBOs with R<28.5, and diameters as small as D~10 km. The number of KBOs at these small sizes, unmeasurable from the ground, will test the existence of the predicted break with 95% confidence---we expect between 12 and 50 detections. A census of small KBOs is also important in confirming the idea that short-period comets are errant KBOs. With HST and ground- based followup, we can determine orbital parameters for the detected KBOs, and search for dynamical populations which may be deficient in D>100 km KBOs and hence not yet detected. In particular,
we
will
determine whether the current absence of objects with perihelia beyond 50
AU is
due to a truncation of the protoplanetary disk at some point in Solar
System
history, or just a failure to accrete D>150 km objects.

FGS 9347

FGS Astrometry of the Extrasolar Planet of Epsilon Eridani

We propose observations with HST/FGS in Position Mode to determine the
astrometric elements {perturbation orbit semimajor axis and inclination}
of the
candidate extra-solar planet around the K2 V star Epsilon Eridani that
has been
detected by Doppler spectroscopy. These observations will also permit us
to
determine the actual mass of the planet by providing the sin{i} factor
which can
not be determined with the radial velocity method. High precision radial
velocity {RV} measurements spanning the years 1980.8–2000.0 for the
nearby
{3.22 pc} star Epsilon Eri show convincing variations with a period of ~
7 yrs.
These data represent a combination of six independent data sets taken
with four
different telescopes. A least squares orbital solution using robust
estimation
yields orbital parameters of period, P = 6.9 yrs, velocity K- amplitude =
19
m/s, eccentricity e = 0.6, projected companion mass M_B sin{i} = 0.83
M_Jupiter.
An estimate of the inclination yields a perturbation semi-major axis,
Alpha =
0arcs0022, easily within the reach of HST/FGS astrometry.

NICMOS 9386

Infrared Photometry of a Statistically Significant Sample of KBOs

While the discovery rate of Kuiper Belt objects is accelerating, the
physical
study of this new region of the solar system has been slowed by a lack of
basic
astrophysical data. Photometric observations of the majority of the more
than
400 known KBOs and Centaurs are rudimentary and incomplete, particularly
in the
infrared. The multicolor optical-infrared photometry that exists for a
small
subset of KBOs often shows significant discrepancies between observations
by
different observers. Their intrinsic faintness puts them at the practical
limits
of ground-based systems. In July 2001 we began what will be the largest
uniform
sample of optical photometry of KBOs with a WFPC2 SNAPSHOT program that
will
perform accurate photometry at V, R, and I on a sample of up to 150
targets. We
seek to greatly enhance the value of this survey by obtaining J and H
photometry
on the same sample using NICMOS. Combined optical and infrared broad band
photometry is a far more powerful tool for physical studies than is
either
alone. Our sample includes objects that will be observed at thermal
infrared
wavelengths by SIRTF and will be used with those data to derive the first
accurate diameters, albedos, and surface properties for a large sample of
KBOs.

NICMOS 9702

NICMOS Parallel Thermal Background

NICMOS Camera 2 pure parallel exposures in the F222M and F237M filters to
establish the stability of the HST+NCS+Instrument thermal emission. This
data
will be compared against the already available Camera 3 measurements in
F222M
which show an increased thermal background.

NICMOS 8790

NICMOS Post-SAA calibration – CR Persistence Part 1.

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.

STIS 9607

CCD Bias Monitor – Part 1

Monitor the bias in the 1×1, 1×2, 2×1, and 2×2 bin settings at gain=1,
and 1×1
at gain = 4, to build up high-S/N superbiases and track the evolution of
hot
columns.

STIS 9605

CCD Dark Monitor-Part 1

Monitor the darks for the STIS CCD

STIS 9624

STIS FUV-MAMA Cycle 11 Flats

This program will obtain FUV-MAMA observations of the STIS internal
Krypton
lamp
to construct an FUV flat applicable to all FUV modes

STIS 9706

STIS Pure Parallel Imaging Program: Cycle 10

This is the default archival pure parallel program for STIS during cycle
10.

STIS/CCD/MA1 9357

Towards a global understanding of accretion physics –, Clues from an UV
spectroscopic survey of cataclysmic variables

Accretion inflows and outflows are fundamental phenomena in a wide
variety of
astrophysical environments, such as Young Stellar Objects, galactic
binaries,
and AGN. Observationally, cataclysmic variables {CVs} are particularly
well
suited for the study of accretion processes. We propose to carry out a
STIS UV
spectroscopic snapshot survey of CVs that fully exploits the diagnostic
potential of these objects for our understanding of accretion physics.
This
survey will provide an homogenous database of accretion disc and wind
outflow
spectra covering a wide range of mass transfer rates and binary
inclinations. We
will analyze these spectra with state-of-the-art accretion disc model
spectra
{SYNDISK}, testing our current knowledge of the accretion disc structure,
and,
thereby, providing new insight into the so far not well understood
process of
viscous dissipation. We will use our parameterised wind model PYTHON for
the
analysis of the radiation driven accretion disc wind spectra, assessing
the
fundamental question whether the mass loss rate correlates with the disc
luminosity. In addition, our survey data will identify a number of
systems in
which the white dwarf significantly contributes to the UV flux,
permitting an
analysis of the impact of mass accretion on the evolution of these
compact
stars. This survey will at least double, if not triple, the number of
high-quality accretion disc / wind outflow / accreting white dwarf
spectra, and
we waive our proprietary rights to permit a timely use of this database.

WFPC2 9699

POMS Test Proposal: WFII backup parallel archive proposal

This is a POMS test proposal designed to simulate scientific plans.

WFPC2 9676

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.

WFPC2 9594

WFPC2 CYCLE 11 SUPPLEMENTAL DARKS pt2/3

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

FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

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

HSTAR 8925:  NICMOS suspended (Intel Exception) @ 038/18:38:45Z.  NICMOS
Status
              Buffer message 104, P = 2, Time = 62594 received at AOS
18:41Z.

COMPLETED OPS REQs:
16913-0  NICMOS SUSPEND RECOVERY @ 038/23:26:41z

OPS NOTES EXECUTED:
None

                            SCHEDULED     SUCCESSFUL    FAILURE TIMES
FGS GSacq                25                        25
FGS REacq                27                        27
FHST Update              35                        35
LOSS of LOCK

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS:

NICMOS suspended on an Intel Debug Exception @ 038/18:38:45Z.  Status
Buffer
message 104, P = 2 received.  See HSTAR 8925.  Full NICMOS memory dump
was
executed @ 038/22:10Z (ROP NS-9) and provided to Code 582 for analysis.
Recovered NICMOS from Suspend to Operate @ 038/23:11Z (OR 16913),
intercepted
SMS timeline @ 038/00:01Z.