NASA Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #4015
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE – Continuing to collect World Class Science
DAILY REPORT #4015
PERIOD COVERED: UT December 23,24,25,26, 2005 (DOY 357,358,359,360)
OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED
NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 8792
NICMOS Post-SAA calibration – CR Persistence Part 3
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.
WFPC2 10778
WFPC2 WF4 Supplemental Darks
A anomaly has been found in images from the WF4 CCD in WFPC2. The WF4 CCD bias level appears to have become unstable, resulting in sporadic images with either low or zero bias level. The severity and frequency of the problem is rapidly increasing, and it is possible that WF4 will soon become unusable if no work-around is found. The other three CCDs {PC1, WF2, and WF3} appear to be unaffected and continue to operate properly. These darks are to supplement those in program 10748 to ensure sufficient dark frames for routine calibration. As the WF4 anomaly grows worse, we are beginning to see episodes where too many darks are corrupted and are unusable.
WFPC2 10772
WF4 Anomaly Characterization
A anomaly has been found in images from the WF4 CCD in WFPC2. The WF4 CCD bias level appears to have become unstable, resulting in sporadic images with either low or zero bias level. The other three CCDs {PC1, WF2, and WF3} appear to be unaffected and continue to operate properly. The impacts from “low” and “zero” bias are somewhat different, but in both cases the effects are immediately obvious. At present there are still many images which appear fine and unaffected, but the situation is quickly evolving. We believe the science impact for most observers will be minimal. Targets are by default placed on either PC1 or WF3 which continue to operate properly. However, observers requiring the full field of view {survey projects, large targets, etc.} will potentially lose one-third of their imaging area. Our understanding of this anomaly is still evolving, and most of the information is tentative.
WFPC2 10751
WFPC2 CYCLE 14 Intflat Linearity Check and Filter Rotation Anomaly Monitor
Intflat observations will be taken to provide a linearity check: the linearity test consists of a series of intflats in F555W, in each gain and each shutter. A combination of intflats, visflats, and earthflats will be used to check the repeatability of filter wheel motions. {Intflat sequences tied to decons, visits 1-18 in prop 10363, have been moved to the cycle 14 decon proposal 10744 for easier scheduling.} Note: long-exposure WFPC2 intflats must be scheduled during ACS anneals to prevent stray light from the WFPC2 lamps from contaminating long ACS external exposures.
WFPC2 10748
WFPC2 CYCLE 14 Standard Darks
This dark calibration program obtains dark frames every week in order to provide data for the ongoing calibration of the CCD dark current rate, and to monitor and characterize the evolution of hot pixels. Over an extended period these data will also provide a monitor of radiation damage to the CCDs.
ACS/HRC/WFC 10729
ACS CCDs daily monitor
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. Changes from cycle 13:- The default gain for WFC is 2 e-/DN. As before bias frames will be collected for both gain 1 and gain 2. Dark frames are acquired using the default gain {2}. This program cover the period Oct, 2 2005- May, 29-2006. The second half of the program has a different proposal number: 10758.
ACS/HRC 10617
HST / Chandra Monitoring of a Dramatic Flare in the M87 Jet
As the nearest galaxy with an optical jet, M87 affords an unparalleled opportunity to study extragalactic jet phenomena at the highest resolution. During 2002, HST and Chandra monitoring of the M87 jet detected a dramatic flare in knot HST-1 located ~1″ from the nucleus. As of late 2004 its brightness has increased fifty-fold in the optical band, and continues to increase sharply; the X-rays show a similarly dramatic outburst. In both bands HST-1 now greatly exceeds the nucleus in brightness. To our knowledge this is the first incidence of an optical or X-ray outburst from a jet region which is spatially distinct from the core source — this presents an unprecedented opportunity to study the processes responsible for non-thermal variability and the X-ray emission. We propose seven epochs of Chandra/ACIS observation {5ksec each}. We also include a brief HRC/ACS observations that will be used to gather spectral information and map the magnetic field structure. The results of this investigation are of key importance not only for understanding the nature of the X-ray emission of the M87 jet, but also for understanding flares in blazar jets, which are highly variable, but where we have never before been able to resolve the flaring region in the optical or X-rays. These observations will allow us to test synchrotron emission models for the X-ray outburst, constrain particle acceleration and loss timescales, and study the jet dynamics associated with this flaring component.
FGS 10614
Internal Structure and Figures of Binary Asteroids
The goal of this proposal is to obtain very important information on the internal structure of a number of asteroids, and insight on the gravitational reaccumulation-process after a catastrophic disruptive collision. High resolutions observations with the HST/FGS interferometer are proposed to obtain high precision data for the topographic shape and size of a number of selected asteroids. Here we focus on objects with satellites, hence with known masses, so that the bulk density and porosity will be derived in the most accurate manner. This will yield plausible estimates on the internal properties of the objects, test wether they are close or not to figures of equilibrium {in terms of shape and adimensional rotational frequency}, and provide estimates of their relative density. The HST/FGS in interferometric mode is an ideal facility to carry out this program.
WFPC2 10608
Probing the star formation law in the extreme outer limits of M83, a prototypical XUV-disk galaxy
The Galaxy Evolution Explorer {GALEX} has discovered a new sub-class of spiral galaxy, which we refer to as extended UV-disk {XUV-disk} galaxies. They are distinguished by conspicuous UV-bright star clusters located at galactocentric radii extending to many times the optical {R25} extent, and appear to represent a population of spiral galaxies still actively building, or augmenting, their stellar disk. However, XUV-disks pose a mystery in the form of a relative lack of HII regions {traced by H-alpha emission} associated with outer disk, UV-bright stellar clusters. M83 is an XUV-disk prototype and the focus of this proposal. It has an H-alpha surface brightness profile characterized by a steep decline at the radius beyond which the gaseous disk is thought to become dynamically stable {against collapse and ensuing star formation}, but GALEX UV profiles show no “edge” at this location. Our HST study of M83 aims to resolve this puzzling discrepancy, confirmed in several XUV-disks, by searching for Lyman-continuum producing O stars that are either absent or present without nebulosity. HST provides the only means of resolving individual massive stars in the FUV band at M83’s distance. Without HST, we lose the critical ability to photometrically classify O and B stars. Our multiwavelength observations will also constrain the history of star formation in the outer disk over Gyr timescales by characterizing the evolved stellar population, both using resolved giants and color analysis of the diffuse background.
ACS/WFC 10596
AGNs with Intermediate-mass Black Holes: A Test of the Black Hole-Bulge Paradigm
The recent progress in the study of central black holes in galactic nuclei has led to a general consensus that supermassive {10^6-10^9 solar mass} black holes are closely connected with the formation and evolutionary history of large galaxies, especially their bulge component. Two outstanding issues, however, remain unresolved. Can central black holes form in the absence of a bulge? And does the mass function of central black holes extend below 10^6 solar masses? Intermediate-mass black holes {10^4-10^6 solar masses}, if they exist, may offer important clues to the nature of the seeds of supermassive black holes. In a first systematic search using the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, we have recently discovered 19 Type 1 AGNs with candidate intermediate-mass black holes that reside in low-luminosity, presumably late-type host galaxies. Follow-up observations with Keck indicate that these objects obey the low-mass extension of the well-known correlation between black hole mass and bulge stellar velocity dispersion. However, very little is known about the host galaxies themselves, including the crucial question of whether they have bulges or not. We propose to obtain ACS/WFC images of this unique sample of AGNs in order to investigate the detailed structural properties of the host galaxies. We are particularly keen to determine whether the hosts contain bulges, and if so, where they lie on the fundamental plane of spheroids compared to the bulges of supermassive black holes. We will also be able to measure an accurate optical luminosity for the AGN, which is an essential ingredient to improve the current mass estimates.
ACS/WFC 10592
An ACS Survey of a Complete Sample of Luminous Infrared Galaxies in the Local Universe
At luminosities above 10^11.4 L_sun, the space density of far-infrared selected galaxies exceeds that of optically selected galaxies. These `luminous infrared galaxies’ {LIRGs} are primarily interacting or merging disk galaxies undergoing enhanced star formation and Active Galactic Nuclei {AGN} activity, possibly triggered as the objects transform into massive S0 and elliptical merger remnants. We propose ACS/WFC imaging of a complete sample of 88 L_IR > 10^11.4 L_sun luminous infrared galaxies in the IRAS Revised Bright Galaxy Sample {RBGS: i.e., 60 micron flux density > 5.24 Jy}. This sample is ideal not only in its completeness and sample size, but also in the proximity and brightness of the galaxies. The superb sensitivity, resolution, and field of view of ACS/WFC on HST enables a unique opportunity to study the detailed structure of galaxies that sample all stages of the merger process. Imaging will be done with the F439W and F814W filters {B and I-band} to examine as a function of both luminosity and merger state {i} the evidence at optical wavelengths of star formation and AGN activity and the manner in which instabilities {bars and bridges} in the galaxies may funnel material to these active regions, {ii} the relationship between star formation and AGN activity, and {iii} the structural properties {AGN, bulge, and disk components} and fundamental parameters {effective radius and surface brightness} of LIRGs and their similarity with putative evolutionary byproducts {elliptical, S0 and classical AGN host galaxies}. This HST survey will also bridge the wavelength gap between a Spitzer imaging survey {covering seven bands in the 3.6-160 micron range} and a GALEX UV imaging survey of these galaxies, but will resolve complexes of star clusters and multiple nuclei at resolutions well beyond the capabilities of either Spitzer or GALEX. The combined datasets will result in the most comprehensive multiwavelength study of interacting and merging galaxies to date.
WFPC2/ACS/WFC 10590
Star-Formation History of an Unmerged Fragment: the Leo A Dwarf Galaxy
The Leo A dwarf irregular is the only known Local Group galaxy that on the weight of current evidence has been suggested to have experienced its first star formation within the past 2-3 billion years. As a galaxy that could have been almost purely gaseous during the epoch of giant galaxy assembly, Leo A is the best nearby candidate to be a redshift zero analogue to the major building blocks of the Milky Way. We propose to obtain deep optical images of Leo A with the ACS/WFC to achieve three main goals: 1} To establish the fractions of star-formation, by mass, that occurred prior and subsequent to the main epoch of hierarchical merging {redshift z ~ 2-4, Age ~ 10-12.5 Gigayears}; 2} to measure the time variation in Leo A’s star-formation rate over the past 10 Gyr, based on statistical analyses of its {V-I, I} color-magnitude diagram; and 3} to measure the radial distributions of young and old stellar populations and quantify the degree to which the optically prominent, young population is embedded in an extended, low-surface brightness sheet or halo of ancient stars. Because of the distance modulus {24.5 mag} and high degree of stellar crowding at the level of the oldest main-sequence turnoffs, the observations necessary to achieve these goals are unobtainable except with HST. The ONLY way to reliably derive the star-formation history of Leo A over its entire lifetime is with photometry to magnitudes of {B, I} = {28.6, 27.9}, the level of the oldest main-sequence turnoff in Leo A. These data would confirm and extend the limited inferences obtained from WFPC2 photometry over 2 magnitudes less deep, and provide the first opportunity to measure the complete star-formation history of a potential “living fossil” analogue to the building blocks of the Milky Way. We propose to use WFPC2 in parallel to measure radial variations in the stellar populations between the galaxy’s core and outskirts. Because the expected 2-gyro jitter ellipse is comparable to the pixel scale of ACS/WFC, we rely on point-spread function fitting photometry, and we require no special scheduling constraints, our proposed program would be virtually unaffected by entry into 2-gyro mode.
ACS/WFC 10586
The Rosetta Stone without a Distance: Hunting for Cepheids in the Primordial Galaxy I Zw 18
The Blue Compact Dwarf galaxy I Zw 18 is one of the most intriguing objects in the Local Universe. It has the lowest nebular metallicity of all known galaxies {Z=1/32 solar}. It has long been regarded as a possible example of a galaxy undergoing its first burst of star formation. However, its real evolutionary state continues to be controversial. The WFPC2 and NICMOS detection of AGB stars by our group and others suggested the presence of an underlying older population. However, deeper ACS observations by Izotov & Thuan {2004} recently failed to detect the signature of RGB stars. This was interpreted as confirmation that I Zw 18 is in fact a galaxy “in formation”, a local analog of primordial galaxies in the distant Universe. This result was widely reported in the international news media. However, an alternative possibility is that I Zw 18 is somewhat further away than previously believed, so that Red Giant Branch stars were too faint to detect. Quoted distances in the literature have ranged from 10 to 20 Mpc. We intend to resolve this controversy by direct determination of the distance to 1 Mpc accuracy using Cepheids. For this we request 12 visits of two orbits each, to execute at carefully planned intervals. We will obtain V and I band ACS/WFC photometry in each visit. The new data will be combined with archival data, but we show that the archival data by themselves are insufficient to achieve our science goals. The distance will allow us to place I Zw 18 into its proper place in the evolutionary sequence of galaxy formation.
ACS/WFC 10582
Probing The Galaxy-wide Globular Cluster – Low Mass X-ray Binary Connection in Early-type Galaxies
The combination of high-resolution imaging from Hubble {HST} and Chandra {CXO} has completely revolutionized our understanding of extragalactic low-mass X-ray binaries {LMXBs} and globular clusters {GCs}; however, studies have been limited by short X-ray exposures and relatively small fields. NGC 4697 amd NGC 4365 are relatively simple elliptical galaxies in the X- ray that will have deep CXO observations. We propose ACS observations in six flanking fields per galaxy to provide a study of the GC-LMXB connection in normal early-type galaxies with unprecedented depth, spatial resolution and areal coverage. Combined with existing central field observations, we will detect ~900 and ~2700 GCs GCs in most of NGC 4697 and all of NGC 4365. These two galaxies will have the greatest number of detected GC-LMXBs to date {~70 & 120}. We will measure the fraction of LMXBs found in GCs, and the fraction of GCs which contain LMXBs, as a function of X-ray luminosity, galactocentric distance, color, GC half-light radius, and local GC specific frequency. We will test existing models of GC formation/evolution and LMXB formation/evolution. Using the radial profile of optical light, GCs, and LMXBS, we will determine the percentage of field LMXBs which may have originated in GCs.
ACS/WFC 10576
An ACS Imaging Survey of the Galaxies Hosting Strong Mg II Absorption
Strong MgII absorbers {with rest-frame absorption equivalent width W_MgII > 0.3 A} at redshift z < 1 are known to arise in extended gaseous halos around luminous galaxies. Detailed absorption line studies based on high-solution spectra of background quasars yield tight constraints on the metallicity, ionization state, and kinematics of the gaseous clouds. But whether they originate in gas accreted from surrounding satellite galaxies or outflows associated with active starburst in the host galaxies remains unclear. We have recently completed a search of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey data archive for strong MgII absorbers and identified over 1000 new systems that are previously unknown. A subset of these MgII absorbers with W_MgII > 1.8 A exhibit extreme kinematics with velocity widths {exceeding 200 km/s} in our follow-up echelle spectra. Their dynamics are consistent with various scenarios that include gas accretion {with speeds exceeding the virial velocity} and starburst outflows {possibly driven by recent merger events}. Independent of their exact nature, it is clear that strong MgII systems serve as signposts to galactic halos with extreme gas dynamics. Here we propose to conduct a snapshot survey of galaxies in the fields toward high-redshift quasars with known, strong MgII absorbers at 0.5 < z < 2. We plan to obtain high spatial-resolution ACS/WFC images of 60 fields to uncover galaxies fainter than L* at the redshifts of these absorbers and study their morphology. We will complement the HST observations with follow-up spectroscopic observations and IR images acquired at the Keck and Magellan Observatories to for redshift identifications and for measuring broad-band colors. We will investigate the correlation between absorption line kinematics and galaxy morphology. In particular, we will address whether on-going mergers is responsible for the extreme dynamics observed in MgII absorption based on their rest-frame ultraviolet morphology.
ACS/WFC 10574
Witnessing Galaxy Transformation in Galaxy Groups at z > 1
The recent discover of five galaxy groups in the Lynx supercluster region offers us the exciting opportunity to observe for the first time groups in the process of collapsing into a merging pair of clusters at z > 1. Our current picture of structure formation suggests that substantial evolution of galaxy properties can occur in groups and filaments well before they enter the environs of massive clusters. However, neither current theoretical models nor observations give us a complete understanding of the relative importance of the different physical processes that control the structural and spectral transformations that occur prior to, during, and after infall into a dense environment. We propose direct observation of these newly discovered dynamically young structures in the Lynx region, in order to provide a critical benchmark in testing not only whether galaxy evolution occurs mostly prior to entry into the densest regions but will also constrain the relative importance of initial conditions in determining the fate of galaxy systems. Our analysis of these proposed ACS measurements will be complemented with an unique dataset we have already in the optical, infrared, mid-infrared, and X-ray.
ACS/HRC 10564
Resolving Ultracool White Dwarf Binaries
We propose an ACS/HRC imaging survey of the coolest white dwarfs known in order to search for binarity. Current models fail to match observed spectral energy distributions of these sub- 4000K stellar remnants, consistently predicting much lower luminosities than observed. A possible explanation is that they are binary in nature. Because these cool degenerates have no spectral features, the only way to investigate their apparent overluminosity is with very high resolution imaging, which can only be done with HST {these stars are far too faint to be observed with adaptive optics on the ground}. Optical wavelengths are ideal because the spectral energy distributions of these old degenerates peak near 600 nm. With the F435W filter we will be able to partially resolve equally luminous binaries as close as 0.02″, which corresponds to within 0.6 AU for over half of the 12 proposed target stars. The collected data will be critical in determining whether these stars represent the oldest white dwarfs in the solar neighborhood.
ACS/HRC 10556
Neutral Gas at Redshift z=0.5
Damped Lyman-alpha systems {DLAs} are used to track the bulk of the neutral hydrogen gas in the Universe. Prior to HST UV spectroscopy, they could only be studied from the ground at redshifts z>1.65. However, HST has now permitted us to discover 41 DLAs at z<1.65 in our previous surveys. Followup studies of these systems are providing a wealth of information about the evolution of the neutral gas phase component of the Universe. But one problem is that these 41 low-redshift systems are spread over a wide range of redshifts spanning nearly 70% of the age of the Universe. Consequently, past surveys for low-redshift DLAs have not been able to offer very good precision in any small redshift regime. Here we propose an ACS-HRC- PR200L spectroscopic survey in the redshift interval z=[0.37, 0.7] which we estimate will permit us to discover another 41 DLAs. This will not only allow us to double the number of low-redshift DLAs, but it will also provide a relatively high-precision regime in the low-redshift Universe that can be used to anchor evolutionary studies. Fortunately DLAs have high absorption equivalent width, so ACS-HRC-PR200L has high-enough resoultion to perform this proposed MgII-selected DLA survey.
ACS/HRC 10545
Icy planetoids of the outer solar system
Early HST studies of satellites of Kuiper belt object focussed on the 50-200 km objects that were the largest known at the time. In the past 3 years we have discovered a population of much more rare and much larger {500-2000+ km} icy planetoids in the Kuiper belt. These objects are the largest and brightest known in the Kuiper belt and, in the era when we now know of more than 1000 Kuiper belt objects, these few planetoids are likely to be the focus of much of the research on physical properties of the outer solar system for years to come. We are currently engaged in an intensive program involving Spitzer, Keck, and other telescopes to study the physical and dynamical properties of this new population. HST is uniquely capable of addressing one parameter fundamental to completing the physical picture of these planetoids: the existence and size of any satellites. The detection and characterization of satellites to these large planetoids would allow us to address unique issues critical to the formation and evolution of the outer solar system, including the measurement of densities, internal properties, sizes and shapes of these objects, the study of binary formation as a function of primary size, and the context of the Pluto-Charon binary. For these bright objects, a satellite search takes less than a full orbit, allowing the opportunity for a new project on UV spectroscopy of the planetoids to piggyback at no added time cost. This poorly explored spectral range has the potential to show unique signatures of trapped gasses, cosmochemically important ices, and complex organic materials.
ACS/WFC 10543
Microlensing in M87 and the Virgo Cluster
Resolving the nature of dark matter is an urgent problem. The results of the MACHO survey of the Milky Way dark halo toward the LMC indicate that a significant fraction of the halo consists of stellar mass objects. The VATT/Columbia survey of M31 finds a similar lens fraction in the M31 dark halo. We propose a series of observations with ACS that will provide the most thorough search for microlensing toward M87, the central elliptical galaxy of the Virgo cluster. This program is optimized for lenses in the mass range from 0.01 to 1.0 solar masses. By comparing with archival data, we can detect lenses as massive as 100 solar masses, such as the remnants of the first stars. These observations will have at least 15 times more sensitivity to microlensing than any previous survey, e.g. using WFPC2. This is due to the factor of 2 larger area, factor of more than 4 more sensitivity in the I-band, superior pixel scale and longer baseline of observations. Based on the halo microlensing results in the Milky Way and M31, we might expect that galaxy collisions and stripping would populate the overall cluster halo with a large number of stellar mass objects. This program would determine definitively if such objects compose the cluster dark matter at the level seen in the Milky Way. A negative result would indicate that such objects do not populate the intracluster medium, and may indicate that galaxy harassment is not as vigorous as expected. We can measure the level of events due to the M87 halo: this would be the best exploration to date of such a lens population in an elliptical galaxy. Star-star lensing should also be detectable. About 20 erupting classical novae will be seen, allowing to determine the definitive nova rate for this giant elliptical galaxy. We will determine if our recent HST detection of an M87 globular cluster nova was a fluke, or indicative of a 100x higher rate of incidence of cataclysmic variables and nova eruptions in globulars than previously believed. We will examine the populations of variable stars, and will be able to cleanly separate them from microlensing.
WFPC2 10537
Caught in the Act with HST — Active Jet Sculpting in the Young Preplanetary Nebulae IRAS 22036+5306
We have discovered an extended, highly-structured and bipolar nebula surrounding the post- AGB object IRAS22036+5306 {I22036}, in a Cycle 10 WFPC2 imaging survey of very young pre- planetary nebulae {PPNs}. Young PPNs like I22036, objects in rapid transition between the AGB and Planetary Nebulae {PN} phases, retain direct signatures, in the spatial character of their outflows, of the physical mechanisms which transform slowly expanding, round circumstellar AGB envelopes into highly aspherical PNs with fast-expanding elongated lobes along one or more axes. I22036 shows intriguing evidence for the presence of jets in the HST images, and VLA A-array maps show OH maser emission in a linear structure along the nebular axis. Our ground-based echelle H-alpha spectra show high-velocity blue-shifted absorption in a very broad {~2000 km/s} line profile, and mm-wave CO J=1-0 interferometric data show a bipolar molecular outflow. There are very few young PPNs like I22036 which show clear morphological & kinematical evidence of the presence of jets and their working surfaces, making it unquestionably a key object for understanding how jets can sculpt out bipolar lobes in a progenitor AGB star wind. Using ground-based long-slit spectroscopy with the Keck/ESI, we have partially spatially resolved the H-alpha emission in this object. We now propose to image I22036 in F658N, F631N, F606W and F814W in order to identify accurately the location and structure of the shocked gas, and its relation to the jets and their working surfaces. An important goal is to determine whether we can characterise the forward and reverse shocks near the heads of the knotty jets. The proposed HST imaging will help us to understand the spatio- kinematic structure of the outflowing gas in the bipolar lobes, and allow us to study the relationships between the important dynamical components of this nebula. Supporting ground- based observations such as Zeeman measurements of polarised OH masers with the VLBA to search for magnetic fields in I22036 are being pursued for testing magnetic-collimation models for jets in PPNs.
ACS/WFC/NIC3/WFPC2 10530
Probing Evolution And Reionization Spectroscopically {PEARS}
While imaging with HST has gone deep enough to probe the highest redshifts, e.g. the GOODS survey and the Ultra Deep Field, spectroscopic identifications have not kept up. We propose an ACS grism survey to get slitless spectra of all sources in a wide survey region {8 ACS fields} up to z =27.0 magnitude, and an ultradeep field in the HUDF reaching sources up to z =28 magnitude. The PEARS survey will: {1} Find and spectrocopically confirm all galaxies between z=4-7. {2} Probe the reionization epoch by robustly determining the luminosity function of galaxies and low luminosity AGNs at z = 4 – 6. With known redshifts, we can get a local measure of star formation and ionization rate in case reionization is inhomogeneous. {3} Study galaxy formation and evolution by finding galaxies in a contiguous redshift range between 4 < z < 7, and black hole evolution through a census of low-luminosity AGNs. {4} Get a robust census of galaxies with old stellar populations at 1 < z < 2.5, invaluable for checking consistency with heirarchical models of galaxy formation. Fitting these galaxies' spectra will yield age and metallicity estimates. {5} Study star-formation and galaxy assembly at its peak at 1< z < 2 by identifying emission lines in star-forming galaxies, old populations showing the 4000A break, and any combination of the two. {6} Constrain faint white dwarfs in the Galactic halo and thus measure their contribution to the dark matter halo. {7} Derive spectro-photometric redshifts by using the grism spectra along with broadband data. This will be the deepest unbiased spectroscopy yet, and will enhance the value of the multiwavelength data in UDF and the GOODS fields to the astronomical community. To this end we will deliver reduced spectra to the HST archives.
ACS/HRC 10525
Characterizing the Near-UV Environment of M Dwarfs: Implications for Extrasolar Planetary Searches and Astrobiology
We propose SNAP observations with the ACS HRC PR200L prism, designed to measure the near ultraviolet emission in a sample of 107 nearby M dwarfs. The sample spans the mass range from 0.1 – 0.6 solar masses {temperature range 2200K – 4000K} where the UV energy distributions vary widely between active and inactive stars. The strength and distribution of this UV emission can have critical consequences for the atmospheres of attendant planets. Our proposed observations will provide desperately needed constraints on models of the habitability zone and the atmospheres of possible terrestrial planets orbiting M dwarf hosts, and will be used to sharpen TPF target selection. In addition, the NUV data will be used in conjunction with existing optical, FUV and X-ray data to constrain a new generation of M dwarf atmospheric models, and to explore unanswered questions regarding the dynamo generation and magnetic heating in these low-mass stars.
ACS/WFC 10523
The Halo Shape and Metallicity of Massive Spiral Galaxies
We propose to resolve the stellar populations of the halos of seven nearby, massive disk galaxies using a SNAP survey with WFC/ACS. These observations will provide star counts and color-magnitude diagrams 2-3 magnitudes below the tip of the Red Giant Branch along the two principal axes and one intermediate axis of each galaxy. We will measure the metallicity distribution functions and stellar density profiles from star counts down to very low average surface brightnesses, equivalent to ~31 V-mag per square arcsec. This proposal will create a unique sampling of galaxy halo properties, as our targets cover a range in galaxy mass, luminosity, inclination, and morphology. As function of these galaxy properties this survey will provide:- the first systematic measurement of radial light profiles and axial ratios of the diffuse stellar halos and outer disks of spiral galaxies- a comprehensive analysis of halo metallicity distributions as function of galaxy type and position within the galaxy- an unprecedented study of the stellar metallicity and age distribution in the outer disk regions where the disk truncations occur- the first comparative study of globular clusters and their field stellar populations We will use these fossil records of the galaxy assembly process to test halo formation models within the hierarchical galaxy formation scheme.
NIC3/ACS/WFC 10504
Characterizing the Sources Responsible for Cosmic Reionization
Our group has demonstrated the role that massive clusters, acting as powerful cosmic lenses, can play in constraining the abundance and properties of low-luminosity star-forming sources beyond z~6; such sources are thought to be responsible for ending cosmic reionization. The large magnification possible in the critical regions of well-constrained clusters brings sources into view that lie at or beyond the limits of conventional exposures such as the UDF, as well as those in imaging surveys being undertaken with IRAC onboard Spitzer. We have shown that the combination of HST and Spitzer is particularly effective in delivering the physical properties of these distant sources, constraining their mass, age and past star formation history. Indirectly, we therefore gain a valuable glimpse to yet earlier epochs. Recognizing the result {and limitations} of the UDF exposure, we propose a systematic search through 6 lensing clusters with ACS and NICMOS for further z~6-7 sources in conjunction with existing deep IRAC data. Our survey will mitigate cosmic variance and extend the search both to lower luminosities and, by virtue of the NICMOS/IRAC combination, to higher redshift. The goal is to count and characterize representative sources at z~6-10 and to delineate the redshift range of activity for the planning of future observations.
ACS/WFC 10497
Cepheid Calibrations of the Luminosity of Two Reliable Type Ia Supernovae and a Re- determination of the Hubble Constant
We propose to determine the luminosity of two type Ia supernovae {SNe Ia}, 1995al in NGC 3021 and SN 2002fk in NGC 1309, by observing Cepheids in their spiral hosts. Modern CCD photometry yields an extremely tight Hubble diagram for SNe Ia with a precisely determined intercept {i.e., Delta H_0/H_0}. Yet, the measurement of the true Hubble constant via SNe Ia is limited by the calibration derived from problematic and unreliable SN data. Most of the SNe Ia calibrated by HST to date are significantly compromised by the systematics of photographic photometry, high reddening and SN peculiarity, and by the photometric anomolies associated with WFPC2. The extended reach of ACS now provides opportunities to more reliably calibrate SNe Ia and H_0. Our Cepheid calibration of a reliable SN Ia dataset, SN 1994ae, using ACS in Cycle 11 resulted in a 15% increase in H_0 from the value derived by the HST SN Ia Calibration Program. Yet, there remains a terribly small sample of reliable SN Ia data sets on which to base such a crucial cosmological result. SN 1995al and SN 2002fk are two of the best observed SNe Ia both with little reddening. They provide two opportunities to use ACS for placing the calibration of H_0 via SN Ia on firmer footing and potentially improve its precision.
ACS/WFC 10496
Decelerating and Dustfree: Efficient Dark Energy Studies with Supernovae and Clusters
We propose a novel HST approach to obtain a dramatically more useful “dust free” Type Ia supernovae {SNe Ia} dataset than available with the previous GOODS searches. Moreover, this approach provides a strikingly more efficient search-and-follow-up that is primarily pre- scheduled. The resulting dark energy measurements do not share the major systematic uncertainty at these redshifts, that of the extinction correction with a prior. By targeting massive galaxy clusters at z > 1 we obtain a five-times higher efficiency in detection of Type Ia supernovae in ellipticals, providing a well-understood host galaxy environment. These same deep cluster images then also yield fundamental calibrations required for future weak lensing and Sunyaev-Zel’dovich measurements of dark energy, as well as an entire program of cluster studies. The data will make possible a factor of two improvement on supernova constraints on dark energy time variation, and much larger improvement in systematic uncertainty. They will provide both a cluster dataset and a SN Ia dataset that will be a longstanding scientific resource.
ACS/WFC 10101
The Region of the Hydrogen-Burning Limit in Omega Centauri and 47 Tucanae
We propose a photometric study of the lower main sequences of Omega Cen and 47 Tuc, down to the region of the H-burning limit, which the deeper faintness limit of ACS will allow us to reach. For the faintest stars, proper-motion separation of cluster from field is essential; hence we include Cycle 13 observations. The resulting color–magnitude diagrams {CMDs} and luminosity functions {LFs} will allow study of stars in a mass regime and metallicity that have never been accessible before, and will serve as an important check on theories of the structure of low- mass stars. These are the 2nd-epoch observations.
FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:
Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be investigated.)
HSTARS:
10062 – GSacq (2,3,2) failed due to search radius limit exceeded @ 357/1648z GSacq(2,3,2) scheduled at 357/16:45:04 failed due to search radius limit exceeded on FGS 3. A ESB a07( FGS Coarse Track failed – Timed out waiting for data valid) was also received. OBAD1 showed errors of V1=871.76, V2=-1732.12, V3=18.03, RSS=1939.21. OBAD2 showed errors of V1=11.25, V2=2.31, V3=0.53, RSS=11.50.
10063 – GSAcq (2,1,2) failed due to search radius limit exceeded on FGS 2 @ 358/2314z At AOS @ 358/23:37:00 indications showed that GSAcq (2,1,2) scheduled @ 358/23:14:37 had failed due to search radius limit exceeded. 486 ESB “a05” Exceeded SRL was received @ AOS. OBAD 1 @ 22:58:40 showed the following errors: V1 -340.86, V2 -2040.09, V3 74.13, RSS 2069.69 OBAD 2 unavailable due to LOS OBAD MAP scheduled @ 23:21:42 showed the following errors at AOS: V1 1.58, V2 164.96, V3 4.50, RSS 165.03
COMPLETED OPS REQUEST: (None)
COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)
SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES
FGS
GSacq 31 29 357/1648z
(HSTAR 10062)
358/2314z
(HSTAR 10063)
FGS REacq 29 29
OBAD with Maneuver 114 114
SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)
