NASA Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report # 3428 (part 2)
ACS/WFC/HRC 9905
The Host Galaxies of Type II Quasars
Type II quasars are the luminous analogues of Type II Seyferts; the central
engines are presumably heavily obscured by dust. We have defined a sample of
9
highly luminous Type II quasar candidates with 0.24 < z < 0.40 from the
spectroscopic data of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, which have high
equivalent
width, narrow emission-line spectra characteristic of a nonthermal
continuum. We
estimate that the obscured AGN in these objects have optical luminosities of
order 10^{12} solar luminosities. We propose to image this sample in
rest-frame
U, B and V, to determine the morphology and color of the host galaxies, and
look
for recent star formation. We will also probe the extended environments of
these
objects, to determine whether they are undergoing interactions with close
companions, and whether they live in appreciably clustered environments.
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.
FGS 9969
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.
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, and
1×1
at gain = 4, to build up high-S/N superbiases and track the evolution of hot
columns.
STIS 9606
CCD Dark Monitor-Part 2
Monitor the darks for the STIS CCD.
STIS 9615
Cycle 11 MAMA Dark Monitor
This test performs the routine monitoring of the MAMA detector dark 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.
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 9708
STIS Pure Parallel Imaging Program: Cycle 11
This is the default archival pure parallel program for STIS during cycle 11.
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.
STIS/CCD 9838
The Upper End of the Supermassive Black Hole Mass Function: Pushing the 10
Billion Solar Mass Limit.
In 1994, HST provided the first secure detection of a supermassive black
hole
{SBH} in a galactic nucleus. The galaxy was M87, the black hole almost 4
billion
solar masses. Since then, two dozen additional SBH detections have been the
outcome of the several hundred orbits of HST time devoted to this cause.
Yet,
M87’s black hole is still the most massive known, and in only two other
galaxies
have SBHs in excess of a billion solar masses been detected. The aim of this
proposal is to characterize the high mass end of the local SBH mass
function.
Four brightest cluster galaxies have been carefully selected. Their large
masses, luminosites and stellar velocity dispersions, as well as their
having a
merging history which is unmatched by galaxies in less crowded environments,
make these galaxies the most promising hosts of the most massive SBHs in the
local Universe. It is in the high mass regime that the unavoidable link
between
the evolution of supermassive black holes and the hierarchical build-up of
galaxies leaves its clearest signature. It is these galaxies that are
expected
to be the relicts of the most luminous high redshift quasars, those so
spectacularly targeted by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Expanding {and
extending} the high mass end of the local SBH mass function is the next
obligatory step we need to take to improve our understanding of how SBHs,
and
their hosts, formed and evolved.
STIS/CCD/MA1 9724
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 are currently carrying out a
Cycle 11 STIS UV spectroscopic snapshot survey of CVs to fully exploit the
diagnostic potential of these objects for our understanding of accretion
physics. While the data obtained so far are of excellent quality, the number
of
targets that will be observed in Cycle 11 is too small for a statistically
significant analysis {only 19 objects out of our 149 accepted Cycle 11
snapshot
targets have been observed at the time of writing}. We propose here to
extend
this survey into Cycle 12, building a 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 triple the number of currently
available
high-quality accretion disc / wind outflow / accreting white dwarf spectra,
and
we waive our proprietary rights to permit a timely use of this database.
STIS/CCD/MA1 9876
Where is the Local Hot Gas?
We wish to sample the absorption characteristics of 3 lines-of-sight in the
local interstellar medium to establish the physical location of the
production
sites of the highly ionized absorption lines of CIV, SiIV and NV. Such
lines are
formed at gas temperatures of ~ 100, 000K and all have been widely observed
throughout the Galaxy. However, evidence for the formation of any of these
high
ions within the hot gas of the Local Bubble {LB} remains inconclusive,
supporting the similar lack of detections of the OVI ion {T ~ 300, 000K}
within
100pc recently reported by the FUSE satellite. Using our recently gained
information on the contours of the neutral boundary to the LB, we have
selected
3 pairs of stars located just within, and just beyond the LB boundary. We
shall
test whether high ionization ions are formed either {a} beyond the LB
boundary
in more distant interstellar bubbles of hot gas, {b} at the conductive
interface
of the LB neutral boundary, or {c} at possible conductive interfaces
between hot
gas within the LB and the diffuse clouds embedded within it. Hopefully,
these
observations will enable theorists to better model the {anomalous}
ionization
state, pressure and chemical abundance of the local interstellar gas and
will
assist in the interpretation of data soon to be gained from the NASA CHIPS
mission.
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.
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 9458
Probing the Formation & Evolution of M31’s Outer Disk and Halo
The fossil record of galaxy formation and evolution is imprinted on the
spatial
distribution, ages and metallicities of galactic stellar populations. The
observations proposed here build significantly upon our extensive
ground-based
and archival WFPC2 programs and aim to constrain the formation and evolution
of
our nearest large neighbour, M31. We propose deep imaging of 8 fields in the
outer disk and halo, several of which have been identified from our
panoramic
ground-based CCD survey {covering ~ 26 square degrees} to possess
significant
stellar density and/or potential metallicity variations. Deep
colour-magnitude
diagrams reaching ~2-3 magnitudes below the horizontal branch will be
constructed, allowing detailed characterization of the luminous evolved
stellar
populations via the red giant metallicity distribution, the luminous
asymptotic
giant branch, the horizontal branch morphology and the red clump, as well
as the
detection of a main-sequence that may be present from any younger
component. Our
primary goals are to: {i} quantify the stellar population variations
associated
with M31 halo substructure, including the newly- discovered giant stellar
stream, and {ii} derive stringent constraints on the age and metallicity of
stars in the far outer disk. These observations will directly address two
key
predictions of cold dark matter hierarchical galaxy formation models.
WFPC2 9595
WFPC2 CYCLE 11 SUPPLEMENTAL DARKS pt3/3
This dark calibration program obtains 3 dark frames every day to provide
data
for monitoring and characterizing the evolution of hot pixels.
WFPC2/PC1 9663
Focus Monitoring
The HST focus is monitored using WFPC2/PC1. In principle ACS/HRC should
provide
superior capability for monitoring the HST focus. Since most of the HST
science
will shift to ACS in Cycle 11 trending observations are continued with this
program to establish the focus of WFPC2/PC1 {and hence HST} and ACS/HRC
{and WFC
to a lessor degree} using exposures over full orbits that are taken in
parallel.
With parallel exposures breathing cancels out for the relative camera
offset.
FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:
Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary reports of
potential non-nominal performance that will be investigated.)
HSTAR 9112-GSacq(3,2,2) at 227/22:29:23 failed to gyro control due to
Search Radius
Limit Exceeded on both FGS2 and FGS3. Two attempts
were made to acquire lock.
Spacecraft attitude was good. Full Maneuver update at
22:23:53 showed errors
of -3.295, -10.020, -7.327. FHST Map at 22:38:00
showed errors of -6.737, -3.425,
-5.219.Observations Affected: ACS 178-180, STIS
137-138. The guide star acquisition
for this observation was non-nominal, further analysis
will determine if a repeat
observation is required.
HSTAR 9114-After multiple attempts GSacq(1,2,1) at 230/05:25:37 failed to
gyro hold due to
Search Radius Limit Exceeded on FGS2.Observations
affected: WFPC 9-21, ACS 10,
NIC 13. The guide star acquisition for this
observation was non-nominal, further
analysis will determine if a repeat observation is
required.
HSTAR 9115-GSacq(2,3,2) at 230/06:37:10 failed to gyro hold. At acquire of
data at
230/07:00:09 QDVEFGS1 was flagging out of limits red
low at -94.193 and QSTOP was
flagging for FGS3. Observations affected: STIS 13, NIC
15, ACS 11. The guide star
acquisition for this observation was non-nominal,
further analysis will determine
if a repeat observation is required.
COMPLETED OPS REQs:
- 17028-0 Setup Tasking orders for NICMOS FW Test @227/1030z
- 17029-1 Configure Tasking Orders after FW Test @2271310z
- 17030-1 Enable Filter Wheel Commanding @227/1836z
OPS NOTES EXECUTED:
11145-0 CCS 4.0.3 check out for HST486 dumps @227/2209-2229z
SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES
FGS
GSacq 25 23 @227/2234z(H#
9112)@330/0535(H#9114)
@230/0700z(H#9115)
FGS REacq 15 15
FHST Update 63 63
LOSS of LOCK
SIGNIFICANT EVENTS:
The NICMOS filter wheel test science data has been analyzed and everything
looks nominal.
The NICMOS filter wheel enable flag has been set via ops request 17030. The
filter wheel test
is complete and NICMOS is configured for normal operations. A NICMOS FW
function test will be
run next week to verify the correct alignment of all of the filter
positions.
