NASA Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #4335
Notice: For the foreseeable future, the daily reports may contain apparent discrepancies between some proposal descriptions and the listed instrument usage. This is due to the conversion of previously approved ACS WFC or HRC observations into WFPC2, or NICMOS observations subsequent to the loss of ACS CCD science capability in late January.
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE DAILY REPORT # 4335
– Continuing to collect World Class Science
PERIOD COVERED: UT April 06, 2007 (DOY 095)
OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED
WFPC2 10880
The host galaxies of QSO2s: AGN feeding and evolution at high luminosities
Now that the presence of supermassive black holes in the nuclei of galaxies is a well established fact, other questions related to the AGN phenomena still have to be answered. Problems of particular interest are how the AGN gets fed, how the black hole evolves and how the evolution of the black hole is related to the evolution of the galaxy bulge. Here we propose to address some of these issues using ACS/WFC + F775W snapshot images of 73 QSO2s with redshifts in the range 0.3
NIC1 10859
Precise Measurements of Sgr A* Flare Activity
Correlated X-ray and near-IR flare emission from Sgr A*, the closest supermassive black hole, contains information about the hydrodynamics, energetics, and accretion behavior of matter within the innermost ten Schwarzschild radii of the hole. We propose HST/NICMOS observations of near-IR flares, in conjunction with already approved obsrevations using XMM-Newton {214 ksec} and CSO {3 nights}, which can make the precise, new measurements necessary to understand the radiation mechanism and low luminosity of Sgr A*. HST/NICMOS is required due to its very low and stable background, and its stable, tightly focused PSF, which allow accurate measurement of fainter flares than can be observed using groundbased adaptive optics systems. We will measure the spectral index distribution, the time-averaged flux and duration of flares, and the statistics of flare activity, and will confirm previously reported quasi-periodic variability. These measurements will have far-reaching implications for testing the inverse Compton scattering {ICS} and synchrotron models of low-luminosity flares, for understanding the process of accretion onto and outflow from supermassive black holes, and for constraining the acceleration mechanism of flares and the inferred black hole spin. This knowledge, in turn, will help us understand more generally low-luminosity AGN and X-ray binaries in a very low/quiescent accretion state.
NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 8795
NICMOS Post-SAA calibration – CR Persistence Part 6
A new proceedure proposed to alleviate the CR-persistence problem of NICMOS. Dark frames will be obtained immediately upon exiting the SAA contour 23, and everytime 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 i mages. Each observation will need its own CRMAP, as different SAA passages leave different imprints on the NICMOS detectors.
WFPC2 10827
Imaging Polarimetry of the Seyfert 1 MCG-6-30-15: Clues to the Structure of Warm Absorbers
Imaging polarimetry at high spatial resolution, which is only possible with HST, offers a potentially powerful new tool for determining the orientation and geometry of AGN containing warm absorbers. These absorbed AGN tend to be more highly polarized than unabsorbed Type 1s, but less polarized than Type 2s. If the polarized flux is due to a polar scattering region as seen in polarized flux images of Seyfert 2s, imaging polarimetry of nearby absorbed Type 1 objects using HST can detect and resolve these scattering regions. We propose to make the first HST imaging polarimetry study of an absorbed Seyfert 1 by obtaining broad-band polarization images with WFPC2 of the prototypical “dusty warm absorber” in MCG-6-30-15 {z=0.0077, D~33 Mpc}. We will measure the wavelength dependence of the polarized light free from dilution by the host galaxy starlight in order to assess whether the polarization is due to a nuclear scattering region or dichroic transmission through the absorbing dust. These observations will enable us to {1} use the wavelength dependence of unresolved polarized flux to understand the properties of the absorbing dust suggested by X-ray spectral features attributed to Fe~I absorption, and {2} test whether polarization in warm absorbers is due to resolved polar scattering regions. Resolving the scattering region in a moderately polarized Seyfert 1 such as MCG-6-30-15 will let us answer the question of whether line-of-sight inclination can be directly linked to observed outflow characteristics, as suggested by the most recent unified models of AGN outflows.
WFPC2 11029
WFPC2 CYCLE 15 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 15 decon proposal xxxx 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 11079
Treasury Imaging of Star Forming Regions in the Local Group: Complementing the GALEX and NOAO Surveys
We propose to use WFPC2 to image the most interesting star-forming regions in the Local Group galaxies, to resolve their young stellar populations. We will use a set of filters including F170W, which is critical to detect and characterize the most massive stars, to whose hot temperatures colors at longer wavelengths are not sensitive. WFPC2’s field of view ideally matches the typical size of the star-forming regions, and its spatial resolution allows us to measure indvidual stars, given the proximity of these galaxies. The resulting H- R diagrams will enable studies of star-formation properties in these regions, which cover largely differing metallicities {a factor of 17, compared to the factor of 4 explored so far} and characteristics. The results will further our understanding of the star-formation process, of the interplay between massive stars and environment, the properties of dust, and will provide the key to interpret integrated measurements of star-formation indicators {UV, IR, Halpha} available for several hundreds more distant galaxies. Our recent deep surveys of these galaxies with GALEX {FUV, NUV} and ground-based imaging {UBVRI, Halpha, [OIII] and [SII]} provided the identification of the most relevant SF sites. In addition to our scientific analysis, we will provide catalogs of HST photometry in 6 bands, matched corollary ground-based data, and UV, Halpha and IR integrated measurements of the associations, for comparison of integrated star-formation indices to the resolved populations. We envisage an EPO component.
FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:
Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be investigated.)
HSTARS:
10767 – REacq(1,2,1) failed to RGA control During LOS the REacq(1,2,1) scheduled at 096/00:11:00 failed to RGA control. At AOS 00:38:00 there were no flag indicating why the REacq failed. The REacq at 1:52:29 was not attempted. There was a transition to M2G due to ESB 1806 Open Loop Timer.
10768 – FHST 2 Stuck on Bottom
At 05:13:55 mnemonic F2SOB was observed out of limit with value of 62.0, indicating FHST 2 Stuck On Bottom condition. (“Activate SSPC Macro for FHST #2”) was executed. F2SOB went back in bounds at 05:17:43.
OBAD at 05:10:05 showed correction of V1 = 1.42, V2 = -22.20, V3 = 10.92, RSS = 24.78
OBAD at 05:18:00 showed correction of V1 = 262106.49, V2 = -166654.94, V3 = 298710.57, RSS = 430931.21
COMPLETED OPS REQUEST: (None)
COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)
SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)
SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL
FGS GSacq 10 10
FGS REacq 05 03
OBAD with Maneuver 30 29
