NASA Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report # 4394
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 # 4394
– Continuing to collect World Class Science
PERIOD COVERED: UT June 28, 2007 (DOY 179)
OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED
FGS 11214
HST/FGS Astrometric Search for Young Planets Around Beta Pic and AU Mic Beta Pic and AU Mic are two nearby Vega-type debris disk stars. Both of these disk systems have been spatially resolved in exquisite detail, predominantly via the ACS coronagraph and WFPC-2 cameras onboard HST. These images exhibit a wealth of morphological features which provide compelling indirect evidence that these systems likely harbor short-period planetary body{ies}. We propose to use the superlative astrometric capabilities of HST/FGS to directly detect these planets, hence provide the first direct planet detection in a Vega-type system whose disk has been imaged at high spatial resolution.
NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 8794
NICMOS Post-SAA calibration – CR Persistence Part 5
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.
NIC3 11062
NICMOS non-linearity tests
This program incorporates a number of tests to analyse the count rate dependent non- linearity seen in NICMOS spectro-photometric observations. We will observe a field with stars of a range in luminosity in NGC3603 with NICMOS in NIC1: F090M, F110W, F140W, F160W NIC2: F110W, F160W, F187W, F205W, and F222M NIC3: F110W, F150W, F160W, F175W, and F222M. We will repeat the observations with flatfield lamp on, creating artificially high count-rates, allowing tests of NICMOS linearity as function of count rate. We first take exposures with the lamp off, then exposures with the lamp on, and repeat at the end with lamp off. Finally, we continue with taking darks during occultation. We will furthermore observe spectro-photometric standard P041C using the G096, G141, and G206 grisms in NIC3, and repeat the lamp off/on/off test to artificially create a high background.
WFPC2 10818
Very Young Globular Clusters in M31 ?
We propose to use HST’s unique high spatial resolution imaging capabilities to conclusively confirm or refute the presence of alleged very young globular clusters in M31. Such young globular clusters with ages < 3 Gyr are not present in our galaxy, and, if real, would lead to a striking difference in the age distribution of the GCs between M31 and the Millky Way. If the apparent presence of very young globular clusters in M31 is confirmed through our proposed ACS imaging {now WFPC2 imaging} with HST, this would suggest major differences in the history of assembly of the two galaxies, with probable substantial late accretion into M31 which did not occur in our own galaxy.
WFPC2 11025 WFPC2 Cycle 15 CTE Monitor
Monitor CTE changes during Cycle 15. Test for chip-to-chip differences in CTE.
FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:
Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be investigated.)
HSTARS: (None)
COMPLETED OPS REQUEST: (None)
SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FGS GSacq 9 9 FGS REacq 1 1 OBAD with Maneuver 18 18
COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)
SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)
