HST Daily Report #3346
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
DAILY REPORT #3346
PERIOD COVERED: DOY 111
OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED
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.
ACS 9293
Massive Black Holes in Early Type Galaxies
3×10^6 Msun < M_BH < 3x10^9 Msun} at the centers of galaxies and the velocity dispersions of their bulges. However, uncertainties over the exact slope of the correlation still remain, and it is not known if such a relation extends to black holes of lower and higher masses. The discovery of small {r ~ a few hundred pc}, well defined, dust and gas disks in the nuclei of some active elliptical galaxies opened a new avenue for measuring central mass distributions. When ionized gas is present, a small number of high spatial resolution {e.g. STIS} spectra are sufficient to characterize the disk dynamics and the galaxy's central mass {e.g., M87, M81, NGC 4374}. We propose to use STIS spectroscopy to measure black hole masses, using gas dynamics, in the centers of several brightest cluster galaxies {BCGs}, 2 nearby galaxies with low velocity dispersions, and a number of elliptical galaxies known to harbor small nuclear dust disks. The proposed targets encompass a wide range of black hole masses, allowing us to fully examine the M_BH -- sigma relationship. We will also obtain H-alpha and continuum images to fully characterize the gaseous and dust morphology as well as stellar surface profile in the central regions.
ACS/WFC 9351
Determining Hubble’s Constant from Observations of Cepheids in the Host
Galaxy of SN Ia 1994ae
We propose to determine the luminosity of the type Ia supernova {SN Ia}
1994ae by observing Cepheids in
the host spiral galaxy NGC 3370. Modern CCD photometry has yielded an
extremely tight Hubble diagram
for SNe Ia with a precisely determined intercept {i.e., Delta H_0/H_0} 1
measurement of the true Hubble
constant is still limited by the calibration. The HST calibration of
all but a few SNe Ia observed to
date is significantly compromised by the systematics of photographic
photometry and host galaxy
extinction, as well as by the photometric uncertainties associated with
WFPC2. In contrast, SN 1994ae
is one of the very best-observed SNe Ia with CCD photometry. The
exquisite B, V, R, and I light curves
are well-sampled beginning 10 days before maximum brightness, and they
indicate little reddening. From
our supernova photometry and the current provisional SN Ia calibration
we would find a distance of 30
+/- 2.1 Mpc, well within the range where ACS can accurately observe
Cepheid light curves and
distinguish Cepheids from nonvariable stars.
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.
ACS/NICMOS 9483
Origin and Evolution of IR Luminous Galaxies: Are z>=1 Dusty Starbursts
and z=0 ULIRGs the Same?
Interactions and mergers involving gas-rich galaxies are the main
NICMOS 9484
The NICMOS Parallel Observing Program
We propose to manage the default set of pure parallels with NICMOS. Our
WFPC2 9592
WFPC2 CYCLE 11 Standard Darks
calibration of the CCD dark current rate, and to monitor and
WFPC2 9594
WFPC2 CYCLE 11 SUPPLEMENTAL DARKS pt2/3
This dark calibration program obtains 3 dark frames every day to provide
WFPC2 9596
WFPC2 CYCLE 11 INTERNAL MONITOR
This calibration proposal is the Cycle 11 routine internal monitor for
STIS 9606
CCD Dark Monitor-Part 2
Monitor the darks for the STIS CCD.
STIS 9608
CCD Bias Monitor – Part 2
Monitor the bias in the 1×1, 1×2, 2×1, and 2×2 bin settings at gain=1,
STIS 9613
STIS CCD Spectroscopic Flats C11
Obtain CCD flats on the STIS CCD in spectroscopic mode.
STIS 9615
Cycle 11 MAMA Dark Monitor
This test performs the routine monitoring of the MAMA detector dark
ACS 9674
CCD Daily Monitor
This program consists of basic tests to monitor, the read noise, the
STIS 9706
STIS Pure Parallel Imaging Program: Cycle 10
This is the default archival pure parallel program for STIS during cycle
STIS 9708
STIS Pure Parallel Imaging Program: Cycle 11
This is the default archival pure parallel program for STIS during cycle
WFPC2 9709
POMS Test Proposal: WFII parallel archive proposal
This is the generic target version of the WFPC2 Archival Pure Parallel
FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:
Significant Spacecraft Anomalies:
HSTARs:
COMPLETED OPS REQs:
OPS NOTES EXECUTED:
driving mechanism behind the luminous
IR galaxy phenomenon. However it is dangerous to extrapolate this model
directly to high redshifts
because massive spiral progenitors may have been relatively uncommon at
earlier epochs. Mergers and
interactions involving less massive but more gas-rich progenitors may
have occurred instead. We propose
to test this hypothesis directly by imaging 12 FIR-selected, dusty
starbursts at z~1 at sub-kpc
resolution afforded by HST in the rest frame B and I {observed I and H}
bands using ACS and NICMOS.
While studying higher redshift systems is clearly desirable,
band-shifting and surface brightness
dimming makes the investigations of tidal features and the nature of
progenitors possible only
out to z~ 1 {Hibbard & Vacca 1997}. From the morphologies, surface
brightnesses, and color
distribution, we will determine the physical status of the starburst
hosts, the history of tidal
interactions/mergers, and the nature of the progenitors. We will also
test for the presence of hidden
AGNs and for enhanced galaxy number density. Our 12 target galaxies form
a complete sample of known
ultraluminous and hyperluminous galaxies at 0.7
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.
characterize the evolution of hot pixels.
Over an extended period these data will also provide a monitor of
radiation damage to the CCDs.
data for monitoring and
characterizing the evolution of hot pixels
WFPC2, to be run weekly to
monitor the health of the cameras. A variety of internal exposures are
obtained in order to provide a
monitor of the integrity of the CCD camera electronics in both bays
{gain 7 and gain 15}, a test for
quantum efficiency in the CCDs, and a monitor for possible buildup of
contaminants on the CCD windows.
and 1×1 at gain = 4, to build up
high-S/N superbiases and track the evolution of hot columns.
noise. This proposal will provide
the primary means of checking on health of the MAMA detectors systems
through frequent monitoring of
the background count rate. The purpose is to look for evidence of change
in dark indicative of detector
problem developing.
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.
10.
11.
program. The program will be
used to take paralell images of random areas of the sky, following the
recommendations of the 2002
Parallels Working Group.
(The following are preliminary reports of potential non-nominal
performance that will be investigated.)
None
None
None
SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES
FGS GSacq 9 9
FGS REacq 10 10
FHST Update 13 13
LOSS of LOCK
SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: None
