NASA Hubble Space Telescope Daily Status Report #4652
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE DAILY REPORT #4652
Continuing to collect World Class Science
PERIOD COVERED: 5am July 14 – 5am July 15, 2008 (DOY 196/0900z-197/0900z)
OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED
ACS/SBC 11151
Evaluating the Role of Photoevaporation of Protoplanetary Disk Dispersal
Emission produced by accretion onto the central star leads to photoevaporation, which may play a fundamental role in disk dispersal. Models of disk photoevaporation by the central star are challenged by two potential problems: the emission produced by accretion will be substantially weaker for low-mass stars, and photoevaporation must continue as accretion slows. Existing FUV spectra of CTTSs are biased to solar-mass stars with high accretion rates, and are therefore insufficient to address these problems. We propose use HST/ACS SBC PR130L to obtain FUV spectra of WTTSs and of CTTSs at low masses and mass accretion rates to provide crucial data to evaluate photoevaporation models. We will estimate the FUV and EUV luminosities of low-mass CTTSs with small mass accretion rates, CTTSs with transition disks and slowed accretion, and of magnetically-active WTTSs.
ACS/SBC 11158
HST Imaging of UV emission in Quiescent Early-type Galaxies
We have constructed a sample of early type galaxies at z~0.1 that have blue UV-optical colors, yet also show no signs of optical emission, or extended blue light. We have cross- correlated the SDSS catalog and the Galaxy Evolution Explorer Medium Imaging Survey to select a sample of galaxies where this UV emission is strongest. The origin of the UV rising flux in these galaxies continues to be debated, and the possibility that some fraction of these galaxies may be experiencing low levels of star formation cannot be excluded. There is also a possibility that low level AGN activity {as evidenced by a point source} is responsible We propose to image the UV emission using the HST/SBC and to explore the morphology of the UV emission relative to the optical light.
WFPC2 11024
WFPC2 CYCLE 15 INTERNAL MONITOR
This calibration proposal is the Cycle 15 routine internal monitor for 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 {both gain 7 and gain 15 — to test stability of gains and bias levels}, a test for quantum efficiency in the CCDs, and a monitor for possible buildup of contaminants on the CCD windows. These also provide raw data for generating annual super-bias reference files for the calibration pipeline.
NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 11330
NICMOS Cycle 16 Extended Dark
This takes a series of Darks in parallel to other instruments.
NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 8795
NICMOS Post-SAA Calibration – CR Persistence Part 6
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 i mages. Each observation will need its own CRMAP, as different SAA passages leave different imprints on the NICMOS detectors.
NIC2 11219
Active Galactic Nuclei in Nearby Galaxies: a New View of the Origin of the Radio-loud Radio- quiet Dichotomy?
Using archival HST and Chandra observations of 34 nearby early-type galaxies {drawn from a complete radio selected sample} we have found evidence that the radio-loud/radio-quiet dichotomy is directly connected to the structure of the inner regions of their host galaxies in the following sense: [1] Radio-loud AGN are associated with galaxies with shallow cores in their light profiles [2] Radio-quiet AGN are only hosted by galaxies with steep cusps. Since the brightness profile is determined by the galaxy’s evolution, through its merger history, our results suggest that the same process sets the AGN flavour. This provides us with a novel tool to explore the co-evolution of galaxies and supermassive black holes, and it opens a new path to understand the origin of the radio-loud/radio-quiet AGN dichotomy. Currently our analysis is statistically incomplete as the brightness profile is not available for 82 of the 116 targets. Most galaxies were not observed with HST, while in some cases the study is obstructed by the presence of dust features. We here propose to perform an infrared NICMOS snapshot survey of these 82 galaxies. This will enable us to i} test the reality of the dichotomic behaviour in a substantially larger sample; ii} extend the comparison between radio-loud and radio-quiet AGN to a larger range of luminosities.
NIC2 11547
Characterizing Pre-Main Sequence Populations in Stellar Associations of the Large Magellanic Cloud
The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) offers an extremely rich sample of resolved low-mass stars (below 1 Solar Mass) in the act of formation that has not been explored sufficiently yet. These pre-main sequence (PMS) stars provide a unique snapshot of the star formation process, as it is being recorded for the last ~20 Myr, and they give important information on the low-mass Initial Mass Function (IMF) of their host stellar systems. Studies of young, rich LMC clusters like 30 Doradus are crowding limited, even at the angular resolution facilitated by HST in the optical. To learn more about low-mass PMS stars in the LMC, one has to study less crowded regions like young stellar associations. We propose to employ WFPC2 to obtain deep photometry (V ~ 25.5 mag) of four selected LMC stellar associations in order to perform an original optical analysis of their red PMS and blue bright MS stellar populations. With these observations we aim at a comprehensive study, which will add substantial information on the most recent star formation and the IMF in the LMC. The data reduction and analysis will be performed with a 2D photometry software package especially developped by us for WFPC2 imaging of extended stellar associations with variable background. Our targets have been selected optimizing a combination of criteria, namely spatial resolution, crowding, low extinction, nebular contamination, and background confusion in comparison to other regions in the Local Group. Parallel NICMOS imaging will provide additional information on near-infrared properties of the stellar population in the regions surrounding these systems.
NIC2 11799
NICMOS Non-linearity Calibration for Faint Objects
NICMOS has played a key role in probing the deep near infrared regime for a decade. It has been the only instrument available to observe objects in the near infrared that are not visible from the ground. In particular, it has played a major role in the SN Ia observations at redshifts z>1. However, the calibration of NICMOS has turned out to be difficult due to the apparent non-linearity of the detectors. The NICMOS calibration team has described the non-linearity as a power law based on data in the range of ~50-5000 ADU/s. The correction relies on an extrapolation of two orders of magnitude in flux at count rates close to the sky level (0.1 ADU/s) where space observations are particularly prized – and where SN Ia observations are made. Precise measurements of faint objects require us to reduce the uncertainties from this extrapolation. Here we propose to derive the absolute calibration in the sky limited regime and to characterize the non-linearity over the entire dynamic range for the camera/filter combination: NIC2/F110W.
NIC3 11545
A NICMOS Survey of Newly-Discovered Young Massive Clusters
We are on the cusp of a revolution in massive star research triggered by 2MASS and Spitzer/GLIMPSE, and now is the ideal time to capitalize on these projects by performing the first survey of massive stars in young stellar clusters throughout the Galactic plane. A search of the 2MASS and GLIMPSE surveys has produced over 450 newly-identified massive stellar cluster candidates in the Galactic plane which are hidden from our view at optical wavelengths due to extinction. Here we propose a program of 29 orbits to image the most promising candidate clusters in broad and narrow band filters using HST/NICMOS. We will be complementing these observations with approved Spitzer and Chandra programs, numerous approved and planned ground-based spectroscopic observations, and state-of-the-art modeling. We expect to substantially increase the numbers of massive stars known in the Galaxy, including main sequence OB stars and post-main sequence stars in the Red Supergiant, Luminous Blue Variable and Wolf-Rayet stages. Ultimately, this program will address many of the fundamental topics in astrophysics: the slope to the initial mass function (IMF), an upper-limit to the masses of stars, the formation and evolution of the most massive stars, gamma-ray burst (GRB) progenitors, the chemical enrichment of the interstellar medium, and nature of the first stars in the Universe.
WEPC2 11196
An Ultraviolet Survey 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 starbursts and creating/fueling central AGN. We propose far {ACS/SBC/F140LP} and near {WFPC2/PC/F218W} UV imaging of a sample of 27 galaxies drawn from the complete IRAS Revised Bright Galaxy Sample {RBGS} LIRGs sample and known, from our Cycle 14 B and I-band ACS imaging observations, to have significant numbers of bright {23 < B < 21 mag} star clusters in the central 30 arcsec. The HST UV data will be combined with previously obtained HST, Spitzer, and GALEX images to {i} calculate the ages of the clusters as function of merger stage, {ii} measure the amount of UV light in massive star clusters relative to diffuse regions of star formation, {iii} assess the feasibility of using the UV slope to predict the far-IR luminosity {and thus the star formation rate} both among and within IR-luminous galaxies, and {iv} provide a much needed catalog of rest-frame UV morphologies for comparison with rest-frame UV images of high-z LIRGs and Lyman Break Galaxies. These observations will achieve the resolution required to perform both detailed photometry of compact structures and spatial correlations between UV and redder wavelengths for a physical interpretation our IRX-Beta results. The HST UV data, combined with the HST ACS, Spitzer, Chandra, and GALEX observations of this sample, will result in the most comprehensive study of luminous starburst galaxies to date.
WFPC2 11070
WFPC2 CYCLE 15 Standard Darks – part II
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.
WFPC2 11113
Binaries in the Kuiper Belt: Probes of Solar System Formation and Evolution
The discovery of binaries in the Kuiper Belt and related small body populations is powering a revolutionary step forward in the study of this remote region. Three quarters of the known binaries in the Kuiper Belt have been discovered with HST, most by our snapshot surveys. The statistics derived from this work are beginning to yield surprising and unexpected results. We have found a strong concentration of binaries among low-inclination Classicals, a possible size cutoff to binaries among the Centaurs, an apparent preference for nearly equal mass binaries, and a strong increase in the number of binaries at small separations. We propose to continue this successful program in Cycle 16; we expect to discover at least 13 new binary systems, targeted to subgroups where these discoveries can have the greatest impact.
WFPC2 11235
HST NICMOS Survey of the Nuclear Regions 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 NICMOS NIC2 imaging of the nuclear regions 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 and resolution of NICMOS NIC2 on HST enables a unique opportunity to study the detailed structure of the nuclear regions, where dust obscuration may mask star clusters, AGN and additional nuclei from optical view, with a resolution significantly higher than possible with Spitzer IRAC. This survey thus provides a crucial component to our study of the dynamics and evolution of IR galaxies presently underway with Wide-Field, HST ACS/WFC and Spitzer IRAC observations of these 88 galaxies. Imaging will be done with the F160W filter {H-band} to examine as a function of both luminosity and merger stage {i} the luminosity and distribution of embedded star clusters, {ii} the presence of optically obscured AGN and nuclei, {iii} the correlation between the distribution of 1.6 micron emission and the mid-IR emission as detected by Spitzer IRAC, {iv} the evidence of bars or bridges that may funnel fuel into the nuclear region, and {v} the ages of star clusters for which photometry is available via ACS/WFC observations. The NICMOS data, combined with the HST ACS, Spitzer, and GALEX observations of this sample, will result in the most comprehensive study of merging and interacting galaxies to date.
FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:
Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be investigated.)
HSTARS:
11391 – GSAcq (1,2,1) failed due to Search Radius Limit Exceeded on FGS 1
At Acquisition of Signal, 196/13:35:00, GSAcq (1,2,1) scheduled from 13:22:30 – 13:29:48 had failed to RGA control due to Search Radius Limit Exceeded on FGS 1. Received one 486 ESB message “a07”, C Timeout – DV.
Possible observations affected: NICMOS proposal 11545, observations 21 -28.
11392 – GSAcq (2,3,3) failed due to Search Radius Limit Exceeded on FGS 2
GSAcq (2,3,3) scheduled from 197/15:20:39 – 15:28:07 failed due to Search Radius Limit Exceeded on FGS 2. At Acquisition of Signal (AOS) at 15:17:00, received 486 ESB message “1806” T2G open loop timer expired. Vehicle was in T2G Attitude Hold mode at AOS. At 15:45:27 , received an additional 486 ESB message “1806” T2G open loop timer expired.
Possible observations affected: WFPC Proposal 11113, Observations 27-30
11395 – REACQ(2,1,1) failed while LOS
REACQ(2,1,1) at 197/01:04:08 failed to RGA control while vehicle was LOS, with QF2STOPF and QSTOP flags set. #44 commands did not change since previous acquisition.
One 486 ESB message 1805 (T2G_MOVING_TARGET_DETECTED) and one message 1808 (TxG FHST Sanity Check Failed) were observed at AOS. Two NSSCI status buffer messages ACS 779 (“Fold Mechanism Move was Blocked”) were received at 01:13:04 and 01:31:38 due to take data flag being down when the fold mechanism move was commanded.
Observation affected: ACS 2, Proposal 11151.
COMPLETED OPS REQUEST:
18251-0 – Place +BB SPA Trim Relay Back On-line @ 196/1409z
COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)
SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL
FGS GSacq 09 07
FGS REacq 03 02
OBAD with Maneuver 24 24
SIGNIFICANT EVENTS:
Place +BB SPA Back On-Line Flash Report:
On DOY 2008/196 at approximately 14:08 GMT, Ops Request 18251 (Place +BB SPA Trim Relay back On-Line) was successfully executed to place the +BB SPA trim relay back on-line in FSW. Nominal system performance was observed the following orbit.
