HST Daily Report #3220

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE DAILY REPORT # 3220

PERIOD COVERED: DOYs 284-286

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 9669

ACS coronagraph stability and vignetting

This is a two-part activity for the purposes of {1} monitoring the
positions ACS
coronagraph’s occulting spots and the “Fastie Finger, ” and {2} determining
the
vignetting effects and the ability to flat field images of both point and
extended sources near the edges of the spots and finger.

ACS 9468

ACS Grism Parallel Survey of Emission- line Galaxies at Redshift z pl 7

We propose an ACS grism parallel survey to search for emission-line galaxies

toward 50 random lines of sight over the redshift interval 0 < z pl 7. We request ACS parallel observations of duration more than one orbit at high galactic latitude to identify ~ 300 HAlpha emission-line galaxies at 0.2 pl z pl 0.5, ~ 720 O IILambda3727 emission-line galaxies at 0.3 pl z pl 1.68, and pg 1000 Ly-alpha emission-line galaxies at 3 pl z pl 7 with total emission line flux f pg 2* 10^-17 ergs s^-1 cm^-2 over 578 arcmin^2. We will obtain direct images with the F814W and F606W filters and dispersed images with the WFC/G800L grism at each position. The direct images will serve to provide a zeroth order model both for wavelength calibration of the extracted 1D spectra and for determining extraction apertures of the corresponding dispersed images. The primary scientific objectives are as follows: {1} We will establish a uniform sample of HAlpha and O II emission-line galaxies at z<1.7 in order to obtain accurate measurements of co-moving star formation rate density versus redshift over this redshift range. {2} We will study the spatial and statistical distribution of star formation rate intensity in individual galaxies using the spatially resolved emission-line morphology in the grism images. And {3} we will study high-redshift universe using Ly-alpha emitting galaxies identified at z pl 7 in the survey. The data will be available to the community immediately as they are obtained.

ACS 9649

ACS internal CTE monitor

The charge transfer efficiency {CTE} of the ACS CCD detectors will decline
as
damage due to on-orbit radiation exposure accumulates. This degradation will
be
closely monitored at regular intervals, because it is likely to determine
the
useful lifetime of the CCDs. All the data for this program is acquired using
internal targets {lamps} only, so all of the exposures should be taken
during
Earth occultation time {but not during SAA passages}. This program emulates
the
ACS pre-flight ground calibration and post-launch SMOV testing {program
8948},
so that results from each epoch can be directly compared. Extended Pixel
Edge
Response {EPER} and First Pixel Response {FPR} data will be obtained over a
range of signal levels for both the Wide Field Channel {WFC}, and the High
Resolution Channel {HRC}.

ACS 9647

CCD Daily Monitor Part I

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 9281

Complete Compact Object and Binary Survey of 47Tuc

Our Cycle 1 observation of 47Tuc has shown its promise as the ultimate
laboratory for study of the production and evolution of compact binaries and
compact objects in globular clusters. We propose a deep {4x75ksec} ACIS-S
observation to measure the complete populations of millisecond pulsars
{MSPs}
and cataclysmic variables {CVs} by their variability and spectra and to
constrain the main sequence binary population. Coordinated HST {ACS} data
would
provide unique identifications of CVs and many MSPs and allow the full
population of quiescent low mass X-ray binaries to be distinguished from
CVs.
This dataset would provide fundamental constraints for the origins of
neutron
stars, millisecond pulsars, magnetic white dwarfs and compact binaries in
globular clusters.

ACS 9480

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. Using 260 parallel orbits in Sloan textiti
{F775W}
we will measure for the first time: beginlistosetlength sep0cm
setlengthemsep0cm
setlength opsep0cm em the cosmic shear variance on scales <0.7 arcmin, em the skewness of the shear distribution, and em the magnification effect. endlist 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.

ACS 9462

Systemic and Internal Proper Motions of the Magellanic Clouds from
Astrometry
with ACS

We request first epoch observations with ACS of Magellanic Cloud fields
centered
on background quasars. Second epoch observations will be requested ~ 5 years
later to allow the measurement of the systemic and internal proper motions
of
the Clouds with error <~0.05 mas/year. These motions are of fundamental importance. The systemic motions of the LMC and SMC probe the gravitational potential of the dark halo. The internal proper motion due to rotation can be exploited to yield a rotational parallax distance to the LMC; the first time that this will be done for any galaxy. This is particularly important for the LMC because of its crucial role in the extragalctic distance ladder. Previous measurements of the proper motion of the LMC yield a systemic component ranging from 1.4 mas/year to 3.4 mas/year {differing by several times the quoted errors}, with no useful determination of the internal motions. The main problem with measurements of the proper motion of the LMC has been the lack of a sample of background quasars to use as reference frame. We have recently been able to identify a sample of 54 quasars behind the Magellanic Clouds from their variability characteristics in the MACHO database. With this sample and the

advent of ACS an accurate proper motion measurement has become possible for
the
very first time.

ACS/NICMOS 9448

Nuclear Dynamics of NGC 205: Probing the Low-Mass End of the M-sigma
Relation

In 1994, HST produced the first detection of a supermassive black hole, of
a few
billion M{sun}, in a galactic nucleus. That discovery marked the beginning
of a
new era for black hole studies. Today, the firm, dynamical detection of an
intermediate mass black hole, one with 10^2 < mh< 10^6 M{sun}, would have an equally profound impact. No such detection exists. NGC 205 is the only galaxy in which one can be attempted. We propose to obtain for NGC 205 the most complete dataset available for any galaxy targeted by HST for similar studies. Eleven orbits with STIS will provide the kinematical information. One orbit with NIC1/F160W {~ H} will produce a surface brightness profile at ~ 0Sec1 resolution. Variations of mass-to-light-ratio with age are minimized in the near IR, reducing the potential of biasing the deprojected mass density. Two orbits with ACS/HRC/F555W and F814W {~ V and I}, at twice the NIC1 resolution, will allow us to quantify the broadening introduced by the NICMOS PSF in the H-band brightness profile. Furthermore, they will resolve the nucleus into individual stars: with the aid of a color magnitude diagram, stellar populations differing in age and/or metallicity can be identified, and an independent estimate of the mass density can be derived directly for each. To give all competing groups a fair chance of analyzing the data in a timely fashion, we ask for a reduced, three month proprietary period.

ACS/WFC 9683

A Chandra and HST Study of IC 10: The Nearest Starburst Galaxy to the Milky
Way

We propose joint Chandra and HST observations of IC 10, the nearest
starburst
galaxy to the Milky Way {0.8 Mpc}. We detected a possible ultraluminous
X-ray
binary in IC 10 {hearafter X-1} with ROSAT, but its properties were very
poorly
constrained. Chandra+HST will provide a far better measure of X-1’s
luminosity,
spectrum, environment, and position {Wolf-Rayet companion?}. The Chandra
image
will also allow us to study most high-state X-ray binaries and the brightest
young, evolving supernova remnants in IC 10, while the HST images will
constrain
the properties of the intermediate stellar mass population over much of the
galaxy. This combination will thus offer a high-resolution glimpse into the
early stages of stellar evolution, enabling us to test ideas about the
starburst
processes.

NICMOS 9485

Completing A Near-Infrared Search for Very Low Mass Companions to Stars
within
10 pc of the Sun

Most stars are fainter and less massive than the Sun. Nevertheless, our
knowledge of very low mass {VLM} red dwarfs and their brown dwarf cousins is
quite limited. Unknown are the true luminosity function {LF}, multiplicity
fraction, mass function, and mass-luminosity relation for red and brown
dwarfs,
though they dominate the Galaxy in both numbers and total mass. The best way
to
constrain these relations is a search for faint companions to nearby stars.
Such
a search has several advantages over field surveys, including greater
sensitivity to VLM objects and the availability of precise parallaxes from
which
luminosities and masses can be derived. We propose to complete our
four-filter
NICMOS snapshot search for companions to stars within 10 pc. With a 10 sigma
detection limit of M_J ~ 20 at 10 pc, we can detect companions between 10
and
100 AU that are at least 9 mag fainter than the empirical end of the main
sequence and at least 6.5 mag fainter than the brown dwarf Gl 229B. When
completed, our search will be the largest, most sensitive, volume-limited
search
for VLM companions ever undertaken. Our four-filter search will permit
unambiguous identification of VLM-companion candidates for follow-up
observation. Together with IR speckle and deep imaging surveys, our program
will
firmly establish the LF for VLM companions at separations of 1-1000 AU and
the
multiplicity fraction of all stars within 10 pc.

NICMOS 8791

NICMOS Post-SAA calibration – CR Persistence Part 2

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.

NICMOS 9484

The NICMOS Parallel Observing Program

We propose to manage the default set of pure parallels with NICMOS. Our
experience with both our GO NICMOS parallel program and the public parallel
NICMOS programs in cycle 7 prepared us to make optimal use of the parallel
opportunities. The NICMOS G141 grism remains the most powerful survey tool
for
HAlpha emission-line galaxies at cosmologically interesting redshifts. It is
particularly well suited to addressing two key uncertainties regarding the
global history of star formation: the peak rate of star formation in the
relatively unexplored but critical 1<= z <= 2 epoch, and the amount of star formation missing from UV continuum-based estimates due to high extinction. Our proposed deep G141 exposures will increase the sample of known HAlpha emission- line objects at z ~ 1.3 by roughly an order of magnitude. We will also obtain a mix of F110W and F160W images along random sight-lines to examine the space density and morphologies of the reddest galaxies. The nature of the extremely red galaxies remains unclear and our program of imaging and grism spectroscopy provides unique information

regarding both the incidence of obscured star bursts and the build up of
stellar
mass at intermediate redshifts. In addition to carrying out the parallel
program
we will populate a public database with calibrated spectra and images, and
provide limited ground- based optical and near-IR data for the deepest
parallel
fields.

NICMOS/STIS CCD 9405

The Origin of Gamma-Ray Bursts

The rapid and accurate localization of gamma-ray bursts {GRBs} promised by a
working HETE-2 during the coming year may well revolutionize our ability to
study these enigmatic, highly luminous transients. We propose a program of
HST
and Chandra observations to capitalize on this extraordinary opportunity. We
will perform some of the most stringent tests yet of the standard model, in
which GRBs represent collimated relativistic outflows from collapsing
massive
stars. NICMOS imaging and STIS CCD spectroscopy will detect broad atomic
features of supernovae underlying GRB optical transients, at luminosities
more
than three times fainter than SN 1998bw. UV, optical, and X-ray spectroscopy
will be used to study the local ISM around the GRB. Chandra spectroscopy
will
investigate whether the GRB X-ray lines are from metals freshly ripped from
the
stellar core by the GRB. HST and CTIO infra-red imaging of the GRBs and
their
hosts will be used to determine whether `dark’ bursts are the product of
unusually strong local extinction; imaging studies may for the first time
locate
the hosts of `short’ GRBs. Our early polarimetry and late-time broadband
imaging
will further test physical models of the relativistic blast wave that
produces
the bright GRB afterglow, and will provide unique insight into the influence
of
the GRB environment on the afterglow.

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 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.

STIS 9692

STIS Pure Parallel Imaging Program: Cycle 10

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

STIS/CCD 9495

Do the Most Powerful Radio Galaxies Host the Most Massive Black Holes ?

The 3CR Snapshot Imaging Survey that we have undertaken has revealed the
existence of spectacular sub-arcsecond emission- line disks in three FR II
radio
galaxies : 3C 109, 3C 184.1, and 3C 382. They span a redshift range of 0.06
< z < 0.31, have diameters of 3-15 kpc, and have nearly orthogonal disk and radio jet axes. We propose to measure the black hole {BH} masses in these three galaxies with STIS/G750M and test whether the masses correlate more tightly with the optical bulge luminosity, the radio luminosity, or the nuclear velocity dispersion. These will represent the first mass determinations of BHs in FR II galaxies. For 3C 184.1 and 3C 382, the radio M_BH-L_5_GHz correlation predicts BH masses {{11, 8}x10^9 M_sun} that are factors of ~10-55 greater than predicted by the optical M_BH-L_B relation {{0.2, 1}x10^9 M_sun}, while for 3C 109, both relations yield a stunning BH mass of ~20x10^9 M_sun. A positive detection of these extreme BH masses would confirm radio luminosity as a sensitive indicator of BH mass and will extend the M_o-Sigma, M_BH-L_B, and M_BH-L_5_GHz relations to unprecedentedly large BH masses. Additionally, line and continuum diagnostics will be performed over 2900-10300 Ang to determine the physics of the disks {shocks vs. photoionization}. This study will help constrain any evolutionary sequence between the BH masses and disks of the two FR types.

STIS/CCD/MA1 9053

Direct Detection of an Extrasolar Planet in Reflected Light.

The Late Evolution of Low-Mass Stars: a Deep UV Color-Magnitude Diagram of
M32.The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was used to
construct
a deep far-UV color-magnitude diagram of the hot stellar population in the
center of M32 {NGC221}. The previous Cycle 7 near-UV STIS observations of
the
M32 core resolved 8000 stars in a single bandpass. While these observations
provided no color information, they nonetheless showed conclusively that hot
horizontal branch {HB} stars exist in M32. Moreover, the near-UV luminosity
function showed a surprising lack of post-asymptotic giant branch {post-AGB}
stars, indicating that they evolve much more rapidly than expected from
canonical theory. Obtaining color information is the vital next step in
extending this analysis.

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 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 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 9593

WFPC2 CYCLE 11 SUPPLEMENTAL DARKS pt1/3

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.) None

COMPLETED OPS REQs: None

OPS NOTES EXECUTED:
1035 – Batt#4 Capacity Test Ground Limits to Pre-Test Limits @285/1000z

                               SCHEDULED     SUCCESSFUL    FAILURE TIMES
FGS GSacq                   22                       22
FGS REacq                   31                       31
FHST Update                 30                       30
LOSS of LOCK


SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: None