HUBBLE UPDATES

[StarLab]

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science


DAILY REPORT # 3833


PERIOD COVERED: DOY 96


OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED


ACS/HRC 10431


A Search for Faint Companions of Altair


We propose to use the innovative new technique of spectral
deconvolution {Sparks & Ford 2002} to search for very faint
companions, possibly extrasolar planets shining by reflected light,
around Altair, the nearest bright, single star to the Sun. The
technique offers a Poisson-limited detection capability that brings
Jovian-class planets into the realm of feasibility for a select few
stars. We turn the wavelength dependence of the coronagraphic PSF to
advantage and use it to eliminate stray light from the host star. As
part of the detection process, we obtain a spectrum over the
wavelength range, 750 nm to 1 micron, with 9% resolution. The search
will be orders of magnitude more sensitive than all previous efforts
and should take us to within about an order of magnitude of the Jovian
luminosity flux limit.


ACS/HRC/WFC 10389


ACS CCDs daily monitor - Cycle 13 - Part 2


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.


ACS/HRC/WFC/WFPC2 10384


Focus Monitor


The focus of HST is measured from WFPC2/PC and ACS/HRC images of
stars. Multiple exposures are taken in parallel over an orbit to
determine the influence of breathing on the derived mean focus.
Observations are taken of clusters with suitable orientations to
ensure stars appear in all fields.


ACS/WFC/NIC/NIC3/WFPC 10246 2 The HST survey of the Orion Nebula
Cluster


We propose a Treasury Program of 104 HST orbits to perform the
definitive study of the Orion Nebula Cluster, the Rosetta stone of
star formation. We will cover with unprecedented sensitivity {23-25
mag}, dynamic range {~12 mag}, spatial resolution {50mas}, and
simultaneous spectral coverage {5 bands} a ~450 square arcmin field
centered on the Trapezium stars. This represents a tremendous gain
over the shallow WFC1 study made in 1991 with the aberrated HST on an
area ~15 times smaller. We maximize the HST observing efficiency using
ACS/WFC and WFPC2 in parallel with two opposite roll angles, to cover
the same total field. We will assemble the richest, most accurate and
unbiased HR diagram for pre-main-sequence objects ever made. Combined
with the optical spectroscopy already available for ~1000 sources and
new deep near-IR imaging and spectroscopy {that we propose as Joint
HST-NOAO observations}, we will be able to attack and possibly solve
the most compelling questions on stellar evolution: the calibration of
pre-main-sequence evolutionary tracks, mass segration and the
variation of the initial mass function in different environments, the
evolution of mass accretion rates vs. age and environment, disk
dissipation in environments dominated by hard vs. soft-UV radiation,
stellar multiplicity vs. disk fraction. In addition, we expect to
discover and classify an unknown, but substantial, population of
pre-Main Sequence binaries, low mass stars and brown dwarfs down to
~10 MJup. This is also the best possible way to discover dark
silhouette disks in the outskirts of the Orion Nebula and study their
evolutionary status through multicolor imaging. This program is timely
and extremely well leveraged to other programs targeting Orion: the
ACS H-alpha survey of the Orion Nebula, the recently completed 850ks
ultradeep Chandra survey, the large GTO programs to be performed with
SIRTF, plus the availability of 2MASS and various deep JHK surveys of
the core recently done with 8m class telescopes.


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.


NIC3/WFPC2 10277


Ages and Metallicities of the Intergalactic Globular Cluster
Population in Abell 1185


We will obtain deep NICMOS observations of a recently discovered
population of intergalactic globular clusters in the nearby galaxy
cluster Abell 1185. These H band observations in conjunction with deep
V and I images that we obtained with ACS in Cycle 11 will allow us to
measure the ages and metallicities of these objects from their optical
and near-infrared colors, which will provide important insights to
their origin. We will also obtain parallel observations with both ACS
and WFPC2. ACS parallel observations will be used to obtain deep
images to search for intergalactic globular clusters in a different
region of Abell 1185. WFPC2 parallel observations will be used to
obtain images of interacting galaxy pair Arp 105, to search for
globular clusters currently being ejected into intergalactic space as
a result of this encounter.


FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:


Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary
reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be
investigated.) None


COMPLETED OPS REQs:
17411-1 Off-line +BB and +B SPA Trim Relays @ 096/1313z


OPS NOTES EXECUTED: None


SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES
FGS Gsacq 07 07
FGS Reacq 07 07
FHST Update 10 10
LOSS of LOCK


SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: None

[wstevenbrown]

Now yer talkin'! It seems that there might be valuable research to be done by an appropriately situated telescope. :D S

[StarLab]

These Daily HST reports do come out every day ;) ...so I'll try to post as many as I can in this string, both for reference and for comments.

[StarLab]

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science


DAILY REPORT # 3834


PERIOD COVERED: DOY 97


OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED


ACS/HRC 10130


Systemic Proper Motions of the Magellanic Clouds from Astrometry with
ACS: II. Second Epoch Images


We request second epoch observations with ACS of Magellanic Cloud
fields centered on the 40 quasars in the LMC and SMC for which we have
first epoch Cycle 11 data. The new data will determine the systemic
proper motion of the Clouds. An extensive astrometric analysis of the
first epoch data shows that follow-up observations with a two year
baseline will allow us to measure the proper motion of the clouds to
within 0.022 mas/year in each of the two orthogonal directions
{assuming that we can image 25 quasars, i.e., with a realistic
Snapshot Program completion rate}. The best weighted combination of
all previous measurements has a seven times larger error than what we
expect. We will determine the proper motion of the clouds with 2%
accuracy. When combined with HI data for the Magellanic Stream this
will constrain both the mass distribution in the Galactic Halo and
theoretical models for the origin of the Magellanic Stream. Previous
measurements are too crude for such constraints. Our data will provide
by far the most accurate proper motion measurement for any Milky Way
satellite.


ACS/WFC 10187


Direct imaging of the progenitors of massive, core-collapse supernovae


Modern supernovae searches in the nearby Universe are discovering
large numbers of SNe which have massive star progenitors {Types II, Ib
and Ic}. The extensive HST image archives of galaxies within ~20Mpc
enables their individual bright stellar content to be resolved. As
massive, evolved stars are the most luminous single objects in a
galaxy, the progenitors of core-collapse SNe should be directly
detectable on pre- explosion images. In our ongoing HST programme we
have detected the first red supergiant progenitor of a normal type II
supernova, shown that SN 1993J came from a binary system, and set
direct mass-limits on three other type II supernovae progenitors.
These discoveries are providing strong constraints on theoretical
models of pre- supernova stellar evolution that predict which stars
produce which type of supernovae. We request time to continue this
successful project, and require ACS observations of future SNe which
are discovered in galaxies closer than 20Mpc which have pre-explosion
HST archive images available. These observations will allow the SNe to
be precisely positioned on the pre-explosion frames with the required
astrometric accuracy of around 0.05", and provide 3-colour photometry
of the surrounding stellar populations for reddening estimations. The
goal of this project is to directly identify the progenitor stars of
core-collapse supernovae. We will compare the results to our own
stellar evolutionary tracks in order to determine masses or
restrictive mass-limits for the progenitors.


ACS/WFC/NIC/NIC3/WFPC 10246 2 The HST survey of the Orion Nebula
Cluster


We propose a Treasury Program of 104 HST orbits to perform the
definitive study of the Orion Nebula Cluster, the Rosetta stone of
star formation. We will cover with unprecedented sensitivity {23-25
mag}, dynamic range {~12 mag}, spatial resolution {50mas}, and
simultaneous spectral coverage {5 bands} a ~450 square arcmin field
centered on the Trapezium stars. This represents a tremendous gain
over the shallow WFC1 study made in 1991 with the aberrated HST on an
area ~15 times smaller. We maximize the HST observing efficiency using
ACS/WFC and WFPC2 in parallel with two opposite roll angles, to cover
the same total field. We will assemble the richest, most accurate and
unbiased HR diagram for pre-main-sequence objects ever made. Combined
with the optical spectroscopy already available for ~1000 sources and
new deep near-IR imaging and spectroscopy {that we propose as Joint
HST-NOAO observations}, we will be able to attack and possibly solve
the most compelling questions on stellar evolution: the calibration of
pre-main-sequence evolutionary tracks, mass segration and the
variation of the initial mass function in different environments, the
evolution of mass accretion rates vs. age and environment, disk
dissipation in environments dominated by hard vs. soft-UV radiation,
stellar multiplicity vs. disk fraction. In addition, we expect to
discover and classify an unknown, but substantial, population of
pre-Main Sequence binaries, low mass stars and brown dwarfs down to
~10 MJup. This is also the best possible way to discover dark
silhouette disks in the outskirts of the Orion Nebula and study their
evolutionary status through multicolor imaging. This program is timely
and extremely well leveraged to other programs targeting Orion: the
ACS H-alpha survey of the Orion Nebula, the recently completed 850ks
ultradeep Chandra survey, the large GTO programs to be performed with
SIRTF, plus the availability of 2MASS and various deep JHK surveys of
the core recently done with 8m class telescopes.


ACS/WFC/WFPC2 10402


The Formation and Evolution of Spirals: An ACS and WFPC2 Imaging
Survey of Nearby Galaxies


Over 50% of galaxies in the local universe are spirals. Yet the star
formation histories and evolution of this crucial population remain
poorly understood. We propose to combine archival data with new
ACS/WFC and WFPC2 observations of 11 galaxies, to tackle a
comprehensive investigation of nearby spirals covering the entire
spiral sequence. The new observations will fill a serious deficiency
in HST's legacy, and maximize the scientific return of existing HST
data. The filter combination of UBVI, and Halpha is ideal for studying
stellar populations, dust properties, and the ISM. Our immediate
scientific objectives are: {i} to use the resolved cluster
populations, both young massive clusters and ancient globular clusters
as a chronometer, to understand how spirals assembled as a function of
time; {ii} study the rapid disruption properties of young clusters;
and {iii} understand dust distributions in spirals from pc to kpc
scales. Each of these goals provides an important step towards
charting the evolution of galaxies, and an essential baseline for
interpreting the galaxy populations being surveyed in both the early
and present universe. The resolution of our survey, which exploits the
excellent imaging capabilities of HST's two optical cameras, will
enable us to understand the record of star cluster, and galaxy
formation in a level of detail which is not possible for more distant
systems. Finally, the proposed observations will provide a key to
interpret an extensive, multiwavelength archive of space- and ground-
based data at lower spatial resolution {SPITZER, CHANDRA, GALEX,
NICMOS P alpha and H band imaging} for local spirals.


ACS/WFC/WFPC2 10424


The White Dwarf Cooling Age and Dynamical History of the Metal-Poor
Globular Cluster NGC 6397


We propose to determine the white dwarf cooling age in the nearest
metal-poor {[Fe/H]=- 2} globular cluster, NGC 6397. This globular
cluster provides the best opportunity to test the white dwarf cooling
age in such a metal-poor system and at the same time provide a
comparison with the more metal-rich cluster {M4} which we recently
successfully observed with HST. Any {or even no} age difference
between these clusters will be important in understanding the
age-metallicity relation for these systems which reflects the star
formation history in the early Galaxy. The absolute age is an
important cosmological constraint. We expect to be able to detect age
DIFFERENCES between these clusters at the 0.5 Gyr level and absolute
ages should be accurate to 1.0 Gyr. In addition, and in contrast with
M4, NGC 6397 is highly dynamically evolved, has a collapsed core, and
the distribution of its white dwarfs throughout the cluster have
almost certainly been modified by dynamical processes. We are using
N-body simulations specifically developed for this cluster to
understand these modifications and to include their effects in our
measurement of the white dwarf luminosity function and cooling age.
Among the dynamical questions we expect to answer with this proposal
are: 1} what was the primordial binary frequency in NGC 6397? 2} can
we explain the high central concentration with a population of massive
white dwarfs and/or neutron stars? 3} do we see sufficient central
binaries to reverse the core collapse of the cluster?


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.


NIC2 10176


Coronagraphic Survey for Giant Planets Around Nearby Young Stars


A systematic imaging search for extra-solar Jovian planets is now
possible thanks to recent progress in identifying "young stars near
Earth". For most of the proposed young {<~ 30 Myrs} and nearby {<~ 60
pc} targets, we can detect a few Jupiter-mass planets as close as a
few tens of AUs from the primary stars. This represents the first time
that potential analogs of our solar system - that is planetary systems
with giant planets having semi-major axes comparable to those of the
four giant planets of the Solar System - come within the grasp of
existing instrumentation. Our proposed targets have not been observed
for planets with the Hubble Space Telescope previously. Considering
the very successful earlier NICMOS observations of low mass brown
dwarfs and planetary disks among members of the TW Hydrae Association,
a fair fraction of our targets should also turn out to posses low mass
brown dwarfs, giant planets, or dusty planetary disks because our
targets are similar to {or even better than} the TW Hydrae stars in
terms of youth and proximity to Earth. Should HST time be awarded and
planetary mass candidates be found, proper motion follow-up of
candidate planets will be done with ground-based AOs.


WFPC2 10170


Atmospheric Variability on Uranus and Neptune


We propose Snapshot observations of Uranus and Neptune to monitor
changes in their atmospheres on time scales of weeks, months, and
years. Uranus is rapidly approaching equinox in 2007, with another 4
degrees of latitude becoming visible every year. Recent HST
observations during this epoch {including 6818: Hammel, Lockwood, and
Rages; 7885: Hammel, Karkoschka, and Marley; 8680: Hammel, Rages,
Lockwood, and Marley; and 8634: Rages, Hammel, Lockwood, Marley, and
McKay} have revealed strongly wavelength-dependent latitudinal
structure and the presence of numerous visible-wavelength cloud
features in the northern hemisphere. Long-term ground-based
observations {Lockwood and Thompson 1999} show seasonal brightness
changes whose origins are not well understood. Recent near-IR images
of Neptune obtained using adaptive optics on the Keck Telescope
together with images from our Cycle 9 Snapshot program {8634} show a
general increase in activity at south temperate latitudes as well as
the possible development of another Great Dark Spot. Further Snapshot
observations of these two dynamic planets will elucidate the nature of
long-term changes in their zonal atmospheric bands and clarify the
processes of formation, evolution, and dissipation of discrete albedo
features.


FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:


Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary
reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be
investigated.) None


COMPLETED OPS REQs: None


OPS NOTES EXECUTED:
1326-0 Restore Trickle Charge Elapse Timer Limit @ 097/1400Z


SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES
FGS Gsacq 12 12
FGS Reacq 04 04
FHST Update 16 16
LOSS of LOCK


SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: None

[StarLab]

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science


DAILY REPORT # 3835


PERIOD COVERED: DOYs 98-100


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.


ACS/WFC/WFPC2 10424


The White Dwarf Cooling Age and Dynamical History of the Metal-Poor
Globular Cluster NGC 6397


We propose to determine the white dwarf cooling age in the nearest
metal-poor {[Fe/H]=- 2} globular cluster, NGC 6397. This globular
cluster provides the best opportunity to test the white dwarf cooling
age in such a metal-poor system and at the same time provide a
comparison with the more metal-rich cluster {M4} which we recently
successfully observed with HST. Any {or even no} age difference
between these clusters will be important in understanding the
age-metallicity relation for these systems which reflects the star
formation history in the early Galaxy. The absolute age is an
important cosmological constraint. We expect to be able to detect age
DIFFERENCES between these clusters at the 0.5 Gyr level and absolute
ages should be accurate to 1.0 Gyr. In addition, and in contrast with
M4, NGC 6397 is highly dynamically evolved, has a collapsed core, and
the distribution of its white dwarfs throughout the cluster have
almost certainly been modified by dynamical processes. We are using
N-body simulations specifically developed for this cluster to
understand these modifications and to include their effects in our
measurement of the white dwarf luminosity function and cooling age.
Among the dynamical questions we expect to answer with this proposal
are: 1} what was the primordial binary frequency in NGC 6397? 2} can
we explain the high central concentration with a population of massive
white dwarfs and/or neutron stars? 3} do we see sufficient central
binaries to reverse the core collapse of the cluster?


ACS/HRC/WFC 10389


ACS CCDs daily monitor - Cycle 13 - Part 2


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.


ACS/WFC/NIC/NIC3/W 10246 FPC2 The HST survey of the Orion Nebula
Cluster


We propose a Treasury Program of 104 HST orbits to perform the
definitive study of the Orion Nebula Cluster, the Rosetta stone of
star formation. We will cover with unprecedented sensitivity {23-25
mag}, dynamic range {~12 mag}, spatial resolution {50mas}, and
simultaneous spectral coverage {5 bands} a ~450 square arcmin field
centered on the Trapezium stars. This represents a tremendous gain
over the shallow WFC1 study made in 1991 with the aberrated HST on an
area ~15 times smaller. We maximize the HST observing efficiency using
ACS/WFC and WFPC2 in parallel with two opposite roll angles, to cover
the same total field. We will assemble the richest, most accurate and
unbiased HR diagram for pre-main-sequence objects ever made. Combined
with the optical spectroscopy already available for ~1000 sources and
new deep near-IR imaging and spectroscopy {that we propose as Joint
HST-NOAO observations}, we will be able to attack and possibly solve
the most compelling questions on stellar evolution: the calibration of
pre-main-sequence evolutionary tracks, mass segration and the
variation of the initial mass function in different environments, the
evolution of mass accretion rates vs. age and environment, disk
dissipation in environments dominated by hard vs. soft-UV radiation,
stellar multiplicity vs. disk fraction. In addition, we expect to
discover and classify an unknown, but substantial, population of
pre-Main Sequence binaries, low mass stars and brown dwarfs down to
~10 MJup. This is also the best possible way to discover dark
silhouette disks in the outskirts of the Orion Nebula and study their
evolutionary status through multicolor imaging. This program is timely
and extremely well leveraged to other programs targeting Orion: the
ACS H-alpha survey of the Orion Nebula, the recently completed 850ks
ultradeep Chandra survey, the large GTO programs to be performed with
SIRTF, plus the availability of 2MASS and various deep JHK surveys of
the core recently done with 8m class telescopes.


ACS/WFC 10210


Groups of Dwarf Galaxies: Pools of Mostly Dark Matter?


Within 5 Mpc, there are 6 groups with well-known luminous galaxies but
there also appears to be a comparable number of groups containing only
dwarfs. If these dwarf entities are truly bound then M/L values are an
order of magnitude higher than values found for groups with luminous
spiral galaxies. There are theoretical reasons to anticipate that low
mass halos may frequently be mostly dark. The dynamical influence of
low mass halos is negligible in familiar groups with luminous members.
By contrast, a study of the dynamics of `groups of dwarfs' may provide
direct evidence of the existence of dark matter potential wells with
few baryons. The goal of the present study is to gather detailed
information on the 3-D distribution of dwarf galaxies suspected to lie
within 7 groups of dwarfs within 5 Mpc. Distances with 7% relative
accuracy can be measured with the Tip of the Giant Branch method with
ACS and integrations within 1 orbit per target.


NIC2 10173


Infrared Snapshots of 3CR Radio Galaxies


Radio galaxies are an important class of extragalactic objects: they
are one of the most energetic astrophysical phenomena and they provide
an exceptional probe of the evolving Universe, lying typically in high
density regions but well-represented across a wide redshift range. In
earlier Cycles we carried out extensive HST observations of the 3CR
sources in order to acquire a complete and quantitative inventory of
the structure, contents and evolution of these important objects.
Amongst the results, we discovered new optical jets, dust lanes,
face-on disks with optical jets, and revealed point-like nuclei whose
properties support FR-I/BL Lac unified schemes. Here, we propose to
obtain NICMOS infrared images of 3CR sources with z<0.3 as a major
enhancement to an already superb dataset. We aim to deshroud dusty
galaxies, study the underlying host galaxy free from the distorting
effects of dust, locate hidden regions of star formation and establish
the physical characteristics of the dust itself. We will measure
frequency and spectral energy distributions of point-like nuclei,
expected to be stronger and more prevalent in the IR, seek spectral
turnovers in known synchrotron jets and find new jets. We will
strongly test unified AGN schemes and merge these data with existing
X-ray to radio observations. The resulting database will be an
incredibly valuable resource to the astronomical community for years
to come.


WFPC2 10170


Atmospheric Variability on Uranus and Neptune


We propose Snapshot observations of Uranus and Neptune to monitor
changes in their atmospheres on time scales of weeks, months, and
years. Uranus is rapidly approaching equinox in 2007, with another 4
degrees of latitude becoming visible every year. Recent HST
observations during this epoch {including 6818: Hammel, Lockwood, and
Rages; 7885: Hammel, Karkoschka, and Marley; 8680: Hammel, Rages,
Lockwood, and Marley; and 8634: Rages, Hammel, Lockwood, Marley, and
McKay} have revealed strongly wavelength-dependent latitudinal
structure and the presence of numerous visible-wavelength cloud
features in the northern hemisphere. Long-term ground-based
observations {Lockwood and Thompson 1999} show seasonal brightness
changes whose origins are not well understood. Recent near-IR images
of Neptune obtained using adaptive optics on the Keck Telescope
together with images from our Cycle 9 Snapshot program {8634} show a
general increase in activity at south temperate latitudes as well as
the possible development of another Great Dark Spot. Further Snapshot
observations of these two dynamic planets will elucidate the nature of
long-term changes in their zonal atmospheric bands and clarify the
processes of formation, evolution, and dissipation of discrete albedo
features.


FGS 10106


An Astrometric Calibration of the Cepheid Period-Luminosity Relation


We propose to measure the parallaxes of 10 Galactic Cepheid variables.
When these parallaxes {with 1-sigma precisions of 10% or better} are
added to our recent HST FGS parallax determination of delta Cep
{Benedict et al 2002}, we anticipate determining the Period-Luminosity
relation zero point with a 0.03 mag precision. In addition to
permitting the test of assumptions that enter into other Cepheid
distance determination techniques, this calibration will reintroduce
Galactic Cepheids as a fundamental step in the extragalactic distance
scale ladder. A Period-Luminosity relation derived from solar
metallicity Cepheids can be applied directly to extragalactic solar
metallicity Cepheids, removing the need to bridge with the Large
Magellanic Cloud and its associated metallicity complications.


FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:


Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary
reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be
investigated.)


HSTAR #9764: GSACQ(3,1,1) failed, search radius limit exceeded @
098/09:47:24z GSacq(3,1,1) at 098/09:42:46 failed to gyro control due
to Search Radius Limit Exceeded on FGS 3 at 09:47:24 and a second time
at 09:50:27. Roll delay update at 08:45:49 had attitude errors of
5.176 on V1, 1.795 V2, 7.622 V3. Map at 09:51:00 had attitude errors
of 4.528, 10.110, -9.884. Observations Affected: ACS 23 to 28, NICMOS
73 to 75, WFPC 205 to 209. The Subsequent REacq(3,1,1) at 098/10:38:17
failed to RGA control. Under investigation.


HSTAR #9767: GSaq(1,3,1) failed, search radius limit exceeded @
098/23:58:31z GSacq(1,3,1) at 098/23:53:36z failed to gyro control due
to search radius limit exceed on FGS 1 at 23:58:31z. The REacq at
01:02:01z was successful. Observations Affected: WFPC 224 - 225, NIC
78. Under investigation.


HSTAR #9768: REACQ(1,3,1) requires 2 attempts to acquire Fine Lock
(FL) @ 100/ 01:04:04z. REACQ(1,3,1) at 100/01:01:38z required two
attempts to enter FL, with Scan Step Limit exceeded at 01:04:04z.
Second attempt to acquire was successful. Primary GSACQ had no
problems. Under investigation.


HSTAR #9769: NICMOS suspended, debug exception @ 100/23:3:56z. NICMOS
status buffer message 104, Parameter 2, Time 37290, was received at
acquisition of signal at 23:07:45. Parameter 2 indicates a DEBUG
EXCEPTION occurred. Under investigation.


HSTAR #9770: GSACQ(1,3,3) Fine Lock Backup @ 101/06:30:00z.
GSACQ(1,3,3) occurred at 05:51:24z while vehicle was LOS. At AOS at
06:30z, vehicle was in Fine Lock on FGS 3 only, QF1STOPF and QSTOP
flags were set. Additional information will be available after
Engineering Dump is merged. Observations affected: WFPC 9 to 13, ACS
15 to 19, NICMOS 6. Under investigation. Under investigation.


COMPLETED OPS REQs:
17416-2 Eclipse Management, GMT Day 098 @ 098/2355z
17417-1 NICMOS Memory Dump after Suspend @ 100/08:42:21z


OPS NOTES EXECUTED:
0916-0 Tabulation of Slew Attitude Error (Miss-distance) @ 101/0035z
1327-0 Exec 272 while NICMOS is Suspended @ 101/0316z


SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES
FGS
Gsacq 28 26
098/09:47:24z, 098/23:58:31z
FGS
Reacq 17 16 098/10:38:17z
FHST Update 34 34
LOSS of LOCK


SIGNIFICANT EVENTS:


Eclipse Summary of SE Eclipse Flash Report (Fri, 08 Apr 2005) There
were five eclipse events occurring between GMT 98/18:05 to 98/22:39.
OPS Request 17416 was successfully executed in preparation for these
events by temporarily disabling the Rate of Charge and SA Cold
Protection safemode tests. The CSS timer was also modified to prevent
software logic from potentially detecting a false CSS failure due to
the eclipse. With trickle charge verified and a forward link available
following the fifth eclipse, resetting of the safemode tests and CSS
timer to their nominal state was completed at 23:55. Preliminary
results from limited real-time data appear to indicate that trickle
charge was still reached during all but the last eclipse. Near EON at
22:31, the fifth eclipse started as well as a 127.14 deg vehicle
maneuver which caused trickle charge not to be reached before start of
night as anticipated. Trickle charge was reached in the following
orbit day at about 23:50 and EPS is nominal.


NICMOS suspended at 100/23:03:46 due to an Intel Debug Exception (ESB
104, P=2). HSTAR 9769 was generated by the FOT. NICMOS memory was
successfully dumped via Ops Request 17417 at 101/08:42z and the files
transferred to the Payload FSW team for analysis. NICMOS recovery is
scheduled to begin at 101/12:50z via Ops Request 17418.

[Spacemad]

You beat me to it!!!!

I was going to post today's report on the board but I thought it was probably too long but I see you have begun a new string with the DAILY reports!



BTW, Happy Birthday!

[StarLab]

BTW, Happy Birthday! Aww, thanx Madspace!

BTW, I've patented this string muahaha!

[StarLab]

And, I am true to my word:
;)

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science


DAILY REPORT # 3836


PERIOD COVERED: DOY 101


OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED


ACS/HRC/WFC 10389


ACS CCDs daily monitor - Cycle 13 - Part 2


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.


ACS/WFC/NIC/NIC3/WFPC 10246 2 The HST survey of the Orion Nebula
Cluster


We propose a Treasury Program of 104 HST orbits to perform the
definitive study of the Orion Nebula Cluster, the Rosetta stone of
star formation. We will cover with unprecedented sensitivity {23-25
mag}, dynamic range {~12 mag}, spatial resolution {50mas}, and
simultaneous spectral coverage {5 bands} a ~450 square arcmin field
centered on the Trapezium stars. This represents a tremendous gain
over the shallow WFC1 study made in 1991 with the aberrated HST on an
area ~15 times smaller. We maximize the HST observing efficiency using
ACS/WFC and WFPC2 in parallel with two opposite roll angles, to cover
the same total field. We will assemble the richest, most accurate and
unbiased HR diagram for pre-main-sequence objects ever made. Combined
with the optical spectroscopy already available for ~1000 sources and
new deep near-IR imaging and spectroscopy {that we propose as Joint
HST-NOAO observations}, we will be able to attack and possibly solve
the most compelling questions on stellar evolution: the calibration of
pre-main-sequence evolutionary tracks, mass segration and the
variation of the initial mass function in different environments, the
evolution of mass accretion rates vs. age and environment, disk
dissipation in environments dominated by hard vs. soft-UV radiation,
stellar multiplicity vs. disk fraction. In addition, we expect to
discover and classify an unknown, but substantial, population of
pre-Main Sequence binaries, low mass stars and brown dwarfs down to
~10 MJup. This is also the best possible way to discover dark
silhouette disks in the outskirts of the Orion Nebula and study their
evolutionary status through multicolor imaging. This program is timely
and extremely well leveraged to other programs targeting Orion: the
ACS H-alpha survey of the Orion Nebula, the recently completed 850ks
ultradeep Chandra survey, the large GTO programs to be performed with
SIRTF, plus the availability of 2MASS and various deep JHK surveys of
the core recently done with 8m class telescopes.


ACS/WFC 10189


PANS-Probing Acceleration Now with Supernovae


Type Ia supernovae {SNe Ia} provide the most direct evidence for an
accelerating Universe, a result widely attributed to dark energy.
Using HST in Cycle 11 we extended the Hubble diagram with 6 of the 7
highest-redshift SNe Ia known, all at z>1.25, providing conclusive
evidence of an earlier epoch of cosmic deceleration. The full sample
of 16 new SNe Ia match the cosmic concordance model and are
inconsistent with a simple model of evolution or dust as alternatives
to dark energy. Understanding dark energy may be the biggest current
challenge to cosmology and particle physics. To understand the nature
of dark energy, we seek to measure its two most fundamental
properties: its evolution {i.e., dw/dz}, and its recent equation of
state {i.e., w{z=0}}. SNe Ia at z>1, beyond the reach of the ground
but squarely within the reach of HST with ACS, are crucial to break
the degeneracy in the measurements of these two basic aspects of dark
energy. The SNe Ia we have discovered and measured with HST in Cycle
11, now double the precision of our knowledge of both properties. Here
we propose to quadruple the sample of SNe Ia at z>1 in the next two
cycles, complementing on-going surveys from the ground at z<1, and
again doubling the precision of dark energy constraints. Should the
current best fit model prove to be the correct one, the precision
expected from the current proposal will suffice to rule out a
cosmological constant at the 99% confidence level. Whatever the
result, these objects will provide the basis with which to extend our
empirical knowledge of this newly discovered and dominant component of
the Universe, and will remain one of the most significant legacies of
HST. In addition, our survey and follow-up data will greatly enhance
the value of the archival data within the target Treasury fields for
galaxy studies.


ACS/WFC/WFPC2 10402


The Formation and Evolution of Spirals: An ACS and WFPC2 Imaging
Survey of Nearby Galaxies


Over 50% of galaxies in the local universe are spirals. Yet the star
formation histories and evolution of this crucial population remain
poorly understood. We propose to combine archival data with new
ACS/WFC and WFPC2 observations of 11 galaxies, to tackle a
comprehensive investigation of nearby spirals covering the entire
spiral sequence. The new observations will fill a serious deficiency
in HST's legacy, and maximize the scientific return of existing HST
data. The filter combination of UBVI, and Halpha is ideal for studying
stellar populations, dust properties, and the ISM. Our immediate
scientific objectives are: {i} to use the resolved cluster
populations, both young massive clusters and ancient globular clusters
as a chronometer, to understand how spirals assembled as a function of
time; {ii} study the rapid disruption properties of young clusters;
and {iii} understand dust distributions in spirals from pc to kpc
scales. Each of these goals provides an important step towards
charting the evolution of galaxies, and an essential baseline for
interpreting the galaxy populations being surveyed in both the early
and present universe. The resolution of our survey, which exploits the
excellent imaging capabilities of HST's two optical cameras, will
enable us to understand the record of star cluster, and galaxy
formation in a level of detail which is not possible for more distant
systems. Finally, the proposed observations will provide a key to
interpret an extensive, multiwavelength archive of space- and ground-
based data at lower spatial resolution {SPITZER, CHANDRA, GALEX,
NICMOS P alpha and H band imaging} for local spirals.


FGS 10106


An Astrometric Calibration of the Cepheid Period-Luminosity Relation


We propose to measure the parallaxes of 10 Galactic Cepheid variables.
When these parallaxes {with 1-sigma precisions of 10% or better} are
added to our recent HST FGS parallax determination of delta Cep
{Benedict et al 2002}, we anticipate determining the Period-Luminosity
relation zero point with a 0.03 mag precision. In addition to
permitting the test of assumptions that enter into other Cepheid
distance determination techniques, this calibration will reintroduce
Galactic Cepheids as a fundamental step in the extragalactic distance
scale ladder. A Period-Luminosity relation derived from solar
metallicity Cepheids can be applied directly to extragalactic solar
metallicity Cepheids, removing the need to bridge with the Large
Magellanic Cloud and its associated metallicity complications.


FGS 10113


Trigonometric Calibration of the Period- Luminosity Relations for
Fundamental and First- Overtone Galactic Cepheids


Cepheids are the primary distance indicators for the extragalactic
distance scale and the Hubble constant. The Hubble Constant Key
Project set the zero-point for their Cepheid distance scale by
adopting a distance to the LMC, averaged over a variety of techniques.
However, different methods give an LMC distance modulus ranging from
18.1 to 18.8, and the uncertainty in the Cepheid zero-point is now the
largest contributor to the error budget for H_0. Moreover, the low
metallicity of the LMC raises additional concerns, since the PL
relation probably depends on metallicity. The zero-point can be
determined from Hipparcos parallaxes of Galactic Cepheids out to
several hundred parsecs, but with a typical parallax error of 0.5-1
mas, the Hipparcos error bars are uncomfortably large for this
demanding application. By contrast, HST's FGS1R interferometer can
achieve astrometric accuracy of 0.2 mas. We propose to use FGS1R to
determine trigonometric parallaxes for a sample of 9 nearby Cepheids,
including both fundamental {F} and first-overtone {FO} pulsators. We
show that the improvement in the PL relations for F and FO Cepheids
will be dramatic. We will determine the PL slopes from our nearby
solar- metallicity sample alone, without recourse to nearby galaxies
and the issue of [Fe/H] dependence. The zero-point will be determined
robustly to about 0.05 mag, based on accurate, purely geometrical
measurements.


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.


FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:


Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary
reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be
investigated.)


HSTAR #9771: GSACQ(1,3,3) Fine Lock Backup @ 102/06:07:52z
GSACQ(1,3,3) occurred at 05:50:37z while vehicle was LOS. At AOS at
06:07:52z, vehicle was in Fine Lock on FGS 3 only, QF1STOPF and QSTOP
flags were set. Further information after engineering recorder dump.
This acquisition uses the same guide star ID's as yesterday's HSTAR
9770. Observations affected: WFPC 54 to 58, ACS 63 to 67, NICMOS 30.
Under investigation.


COMPLETED OPS REQs:
17418-0 NICMOS Suspend Recovery @ 101/1303z


OPS NOTES EXECUTED:
1328-1 Adjust Battery 6 Temperature High Yellow Limit @ 101/1605z


SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES
FGS Gsacq 12 12
FGS Reacq 04 04
FHST Update 17 17
LOSS of LOCK


SIGNIFICANT EVENTS:


NICMOS has been successfully recovered back to Operate via Ops Request
17418. The buffer box and mechanism temperatures were well within
their turn-on ranges and NICMOS science resumed. The first
post-recovery proposal began at 101/17:05. The Payload FSW analysis of
the memory dump shows this event to be in family with previous Intel
Debug Exceptions. This event occurred while NICMOS was operating all
three detectors in parallel.

[StarLab]

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science


DAILY REPORT # 3837


PERIOD COVERED: DOY 102


OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED


ACS/HRC 10272


A Snapshot Survey of the Sites of Recent, Nearby Supernovae


During the past few years, robotic {or nearly robotic} searches for
supernovae {SNe}, most notably our Lick Observatory Supernova Search
{LOSS}, have found hundreds of SNe, many of them in quite nearby
galaxies {cz < 4000 km/s}. Most of the objects were discovered before
maximum brightness, and have follow-up photometry and spectroscopy;
they include some of the best-studied SNe to date. We propose to
conduct a snapshot imaging survey of the sites of some of these nearby
objects, to obtain late-time photometry that {through the shape of the
light and color curves} will help reveal the origin of their lingering
energy. The images will also provide high- resolution information on
the local environment of SNe that are far superior to what we can
procure from the ground. For example, we will obtain color-color and
color-magnitude diagrams of stars in these SN sites, to determine
their progenitor masses and constraints on the reddening. Recovery of
the SNe in the new HST images will also allow us to actually pinpoint
their progenitor stars in cases where pre-explosion images exist in
the HST archive. Use of ACS rather than WFPC2 will make our snapshot
survey even more valuable than our Cycle 9 survey. This Proposal is
complementary to our Cycle 13 archival proposal, in which we outline a
plan for using existing HST images to glean information about SN
environments.


ACS/WFC/NIC/NIC3/WFPC 10246 2 The HST survey of the Orion Nebula
Cluster


We propose a Treasury Program of 104 HST orbits to perform the
definitive study of the Orion Nebula Cluster, the Rosetta stone of
star formation. We will cover with unprecedented sensitivity {23-25
mag}, dynamic range {~12 mag}, spatial resolution {50mas}, and
simultaneous spectral coverage {5 bands} a ~450 square arcmin field
centered on the Trapezium stars. This represents a tremendous gain
over the shallow WFC1 study made in 1991 with the aberrated HST on an
area ~15 times smaller. We maximize the HST observing efficiency using
ACS/WFC and WFPC2 in parallel with two opposite roll angles, to cover
the same total field. We will assemble the richest, most accurate and
unbiased HR diagram for pre-main-sequence objects ever made. Combined
with the optical spectroscopy already available for ~1000 sources and
new deep near-IR imaging and spectroscopy {that we propose as Joint
HST-NOAO observations}, we will be able to attack and possibly solve
the most compelling questions on stellar evolution: the calibration of
pre-main-sequence evolutionary tracks, mass segration and the
variation of the initial mass function in different environments, the
evolution of mass accretion rates vs. age and environment, disk
dissipation in environments dominated by hard vs. soft-UV radiation,
stellar multiplicity vs. disk fraction. In addition, we expect to
discover and classify an unknown, but substantial, population of
pre-Main Sequence binaries, low mass stars and brown dwarfs down to
~10 MJup. This is also the best possible way to discover dark
silhouette disks in the outskirts of the Orion Nebula and study their
evolutionary status through multicolor imaging. This program is timely
and extremely well leveraged to other programs targeting Orion: the
ACS H-alpha survey of the Orion Nebula, the recently completed 850ks
ultradeep Chandra survey, the large GTO programs to be performed with
SIRTF, plus the availability of 2MASS and various deep JHK surveys of
the core recently done with 8m class telescopes.


ACS/WFC/NIC3 10339


PANS


Type Ia supernovae {SNe Ia} provide the only direct evidence for an
accelerating universe, an extraordinary result that needs the most
rigorous test. The case for cosmic acceleration rests on the
observation that SNe Ia at z = 0.5 are about 0.25 mag fainter than
they would be in a universe without acceleration. A powerful and
straightforward way to assess the reliability of the SN Ia measurement
and the conceptual framework of its interpretation is to look for
cosmic deceleration at z > 1. This would be a clear signature of a
mixed dark-matter and dark-energy universe. Systematic errors in the
SNe Ia result attributed to grey dust or cosmic evolution of the SN Ia
peak luminosity would not show this change of sign. We have obtained a
toehold on this putative ``epoch of deceleration'' with SN 1997ff at z
= 1.7, and 3 more at z > 1 from our Cycle 11 program, all found and
followed by HST. However, this is too important a test to rest on just
a few objects, anyone of which could be subject to a lensed
line-of-sight or misidentification. Here we propose to extend our
measurement with observations of twelve SNe Ia in the range 1.0 < z <
1.5 or 6 such SNe Ia and 1 ultradistant SN Ia at z = 2, that will be
discovered as a byproduct from proposed Treasury and DD programs.
These objects will provide a much firmer foundation for a conclusion
that touches on important questions of fundamental physics.


FGS 10113


Trigonometric Calibration of the Period- Luminosity Relations for
Fundamental and First- Overtone Galactic Cepheids


Cepheids are the primary distance indicators for the extragalactic
distance scale and the Hubble constant. The Hubble Constant Key
Project set the zero-point for their Cepheid distance scale by
adopting a distance to the LMC, averaged over a variety of techniques.
However, different methods give an LMC distance modulus ranging from
18.1 to 18.8, and the uncertainty in the Cepheid zero-point is now the
largest contributor to the error budget for H_0. Moreover, the low
metallicity of the LMC raises additional concerns, since the PL
relation probably depends on metallicity. The zero-point can be
determined from Hipparcos parallaxes of Galactic Cepheids out to
several hundred parsecs, but with a typical parallax error of 0.5-1
mas, the Hipparcos error bars are uncomfortably large for this
demanding application. By contrast, HST's FGS1R interferometer can
achieve astrometric accuracy of 0.2 mas. We propose to use FGS1R to
determine trigonometric parallaxes for a sample of 9 nearby Cepheids,
including both fundamental {F} and first-overtone {FO} pulsators. We
show that the improvement in the PL relations for F and FO Cepheids
will be dramatic. We will determine the PL slopes from our nearby
solar- metallicity sample alone, without recourse to nearby galaxies
and the issue of [Fe/H] dependence. The zero-point will be determined
robustly to about 0.05 mag, based on accurate, purely geometrical
measurements.


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 10360


WFPC2 CYCLE 13 INTERNAL MONITOR


This calibration proposal is the Cycle 13 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
{gain 7 and gain 15}, a test for quantum efficiency in the CCDs, and a
monitor for possible buildup of contaminants on the CCD windows.


FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:


Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary
reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be
investigated.)


HSTAR #9772: GSACQ(1,2,2) Fine Lock Backup @ 103/06:07:38z
GSACQ(1,2,2) occurred at 05:50:49z while vehicle was LOS. At AOS at
06:07:38z, vehicle was in Fine Lock on FGS 2 only, QF1STOPF, QF1SSLEX,
QSTEPEXC and QSTOP flags were set. Further information after
engineering recorder dump. Observations affected: WFPC 86 to 90, ACS
128 to 132, NICMOS 53. Under investigation.


COMPLETED OPS REQs: None


OPS NOTES EXECUTED: None


SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES
FGS Gsacq 12 12
FGS Reacq 02 02
FHST Update 17 17
LOSS of LOCK


SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: None

[StarLab]

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science


DAILY REPORT # 3838


PERIOD COVERED: DOY 103


OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED


ACS/HRC/WFC 10389


ACS CCDs daily monitor - Cycle 13 - Part 2


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.


ACS/WFC/NIC/NIC3/WFPC 10246 2 The HST survey of the Orion Nebula
Cluster


We propose a Treasury Program of 104 HST orbits to perform the
definitive study of the Orion Nebula Cluster, the Rosetta stone of
star formation. We will cover with unprecedented sensitivity {23-25
mag}, dynamic range {~12 mag}, spatial resolution {50mas}, and
simultaneous spectral coverage {5 bands} a ~450 square arcmin field
centered on the Trapezium stars. This represents a tremendous gain
over the shallow WFC1 study made in 1991 with the aberrated HST on an
area ~15 times smaller. We maximize the HST observing efficiency using
ACS/WFC and WFPC2 in parallel with two opposite roll angles, to cover
the same total field. We will assemble the richest, most accurate and
unbiased HR diagram for pre-main-sequence objects ever made. Combined
with the optical spectroscopy already available for ~1000 sources and
new deep near-IR imaging and spectroscopy {that we propose as Joint
HST-NOAO observations}, we will be able to attack and possibly solve
the most compelling questions on stellar evolution: the calibration of
pre-main-sequence evolutionary tracks, mass segration and the
variation of the initial mass function in different environments, the
evolution of mass accretion rates vs. age and environment, disk
dissipation in environments dominated by hard vs. soft-UV radiation,
stellar multiplicity vs. disk fraction. In addition, we expect to
discover and classify an unknown, but substantial, population of
pre-Main Sequence binaries, low mass stars and brown dwarfs down to
~10 MJup. This is also the best possible way to discover dark
silhouette disks in the outskirts of the Orion Nebula and study their
evolutionary status through multicolor imaging. This program is timely
and extremely well leveraged to other programs targeting Orion: the
ACS H-alpha survey of the Orion Nebula, the recently completed 850ks
ultradeep Chandra survey, the large GTO programs to be performed with
SIRTF, plus the availability of 2MASS and various deep JHK surveys of
the core recently done with 8m class telescopes.


ACS/WFC/NIC3 10339


PANS


Type Ia supernovae {SNe Ia} provide the only direct evidence for an
accelerating universe, an extraordinary result that needs the most
rigorous test. The case for cosmic acceleration rests on the
observation that SNe Ia at z = 0.5 are about 0.25 mag fainter than
they would be in a universe without acceleration. A powerful and
straightforward way to assess the reliability of the SN Ia measurement
and the conceptual framework of its interpretation is to look for
cosmic deceleration at z > 1. This would be a clear signature of a
mixed dark-matter and dark-energy universe. Systematic errors in the
SNe Ia result attributed to grey dust or cosmic evolution of the SN Ia
peak luminosity would not show this change of sign. We have obtained a
toehold on this putative ``epoch of deceleration'' with SN 1997ff at z
= 1.7, and 3 more at z > 1 from our Cycle 11 program, all found and
followed by HST. However, this is too important a test to rest on just
a few objects, anyone of which could be subject to a lensed
line-of-sight or misidentification. Here we propose to extend our
measurement with observations of twelve SNe Ia in the range 1.0 < z <
1.5 or 6 such SNe Ia and 1 ultradistant SN Ia at z = 2, that will be
discovered as a byproduct from proposed Treasury and DD programs.
These objects will provide a much firmer foundation for a conclusion
that touches on important questions of fundamental physics.


ACS/WFC/WFPC2 10136


Post-AGB Stars in the Halo of M81


Post-asymptotic-giant-branch {PAGB} stars of spectral types A-F are
the brightest members of Population II. We have shown, using
ground-based observations, that PAGB stars have tremendous potential
as highly efficient standard candles and as tracers of halo
populations and late stellar evolution. Our analysis of PAGB stars in
archival HST images of M32, based on the equivalent of one orbit of
HST time, precisely reproduces the accepted distance. We propose to
obtain ACS/WFC and WFPC2 images of fields in the halo of M81, as
another test of the PAGB method. We show that 4 orbits of HST data
will produce a distance of comparable accuracy to the much more
laborious Cepheid technique. If successful on M81, we will propose in
the next cycle to measure the distance to Virgo using our method, a
distance ladder that has only two rungs {trigonometric parallaxes of
subdwarfs to calibrate PAGB stars in globular clusters, and then PAGB
stars in Virgo}.


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 10112


HST Observations of Astrophysically Important Visual Binaries


This is a continuation of a project begun in Cycle 7 and continued up
through Cycle 11. The program consists of annual or biannual WFPC2 or
FGS observations of three visual binary stars that will ultimately
yield fundamental astrophysical results, once their orbits and masses
are determined. Our targets are the following: {1} Procyon {P = 41
yr}, for which our first WFPC2 images yielded an extremely accurate
angular separation of the bright F star and its much fainter
white-dwarf companion. Combined with ground-based astrometry of the
bright star, our observation significantly revised downward the
derived masses, and brought Procyon A into excellent agreement with
theoretical evolutionary tracks for the first time. With the continued
monitoring proposed here, we will obtain masses to an accuracy of
better than 1%, providing a testbed for theories of both Sun- like
stars and white dwarfs. {2} G 107-70, a close double white dwarf {P =
19 yr} that promises to add two accurate masses to the tiny handful of
white-dwarf masses that are directly known from dynamical
measurements. {3} Mu Cas {P = 21 yr}, a famous metal- deficient G
dwarf for which accurate masses will lead to the stars' helium
contents, with cosmological implications.


FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:


Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary
reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be
investigated.) None


COMPLETED OPS REQs: None


OPS NOTES EXECUTED: None


SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES
FGS Gsacq 10 10
FGS Reacq 6 6
FHST Update 11 11
LOSS of LOCK


SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: None

[Spacemad]

Hope you had a good day! :)

You needn't worry I had no intention of copying this string! :P

[StarLab]

They're still coming, hopefully soon this string will be pinned. B)

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science


DAILY REPORT # 3839


PERIOD COVERED: DOY 104


OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED


ACS/HRC 10377


ACS Earth Flats


High signal sky flats will be obtained by observing the bright Earth
with the HRC and WFC. These observations will be used to verify the
accuracy of the flats currently used by the pipeline and will provide
a comparison with flats derived via other techniques: L- flats from
stellar observations, sky flats from stacked GO observations, and
internal flats using the calibration lamps. Weekly coronagraphic
monitoring is required to assess the changing position of the spots.


ACS/WFC 10152


A Snapshot Survey of a Complete Sample of X-ray Luminous Galaxy
Clusters from Redshift 0.3 to 0.7


We propose a public, uniform imaging survey of a well-studied,
complete, and homogeneous sample of X-ray clusters. The sample of 73
clusters spans the redshift range between 0.3-0.7. The samples spans
almost 2 orders of magnitude of X-ray luminosity, where half of the
sample has X-ray luminosities greater than 10^44 erg/s {0.5- 2.0 keV}.
These snapshots will be used to obtain a fair census of the the
morphology of cluster galaxies in the cores of clusters, to detect
radial and tangential arc candidates, to detect optical jet
candidates, and to provide an approximate estimate of the shear signal
of the clusters themselves, and potentially an assessment of the
contribution of large scale structure to lensing shear.


ACS/WFC/NIC/NIC3/WFPC 10246 2 The HST survey of the Orion Nebula
Cluster


We propose a Treasury Program of 104 HST orbits to perform the
definitive study of the Orion Nebula Cluster, the Rosetta stone of
star formation. We will cover with unprecedented sensitivity {23-25
mag}, dynamic range {~12 mag}, spatial resolution {50mas}, and
simultaneous spectral coverage {5 bands} a ~450 square arcmin field
centered on the Trapezium stars. This represents a tremendous gain
over the shallow WFC1 study made in 1991 with the aberrated HST on an
area ~15 times smaller. We maximize the HST observing efficiency using
ACS/WFC and WFPC2 in parallel with two opposite roll angles, to cover
the same total field. We will assemble the richest, most accurate and
unbiased HR diagram for pre-main-sequence objects ever made. Combined
with the optical spectroscopy already available for ~1000 sources and
new deep near-IR imaging and spectroscopy {that we propose as Joint
HST-NOAO observations}, we will be able to attack and possibly solve
the most compelling questions on stellar evolution: the calibration of
pre-main-sequence evolutionary tracks, mass segration and the
variation of the initial mass function in different environments, the
evolution of mass accretion rates vs. age and environment, disk
dissipation in environments dominated by hard vs. soft-UV radiation,
stellar multiplicity vs. disk fraction. In addition, we expect to
discover and classify an unknown, but substantial, population of
pre-Main Sequence binaries, low mass stars and brown dwarfs down to
~10 MJup. This is also the best possible way to discover dark
silhouette disks in the outskirts of the Orion Nebula and study their
evolutionary status through multicolor imaging. This program is timely
and extremely well leveraged to other programs targeting Orion: the
ACS H-alpha survey of the Orion Nebula, the recently completed 850ks
ultradeep Chandra survey, the large GTO programs to be performed with
SIRTF, plus the availability of 2MASS and various deep JHK surveys of
the core recently done with 8m class telescopes.


ACS/WFC/NIC3 10339


PANS


Type Ia supernovae {SNe Ia} provide the only direct evidence for an
accelerating universe, an extraordinary result that needs the most
rigorous test. The case for cosmic acceleration rests on the
observation that SNe Ia at z = 0.5 are about 0.25 mag fainter than
they would be in a universe without acceleration. A powerful and
straightforward way to assess the reliability of the SN Ia measurement
and the conceptual framework of its interpretation is to look for
cosmic deceleration at z > 1. This would be a clear signature of a
mixed dark-matter and dark-energy universe. Systematic errors in the
SNe Ia result attributed to grey dust or cosmic evolution of the SN Ia
peak luminosity would not show this change of sign. We have obtained a
toehold on this putative ``epoch of deceleration'' with SN 1997ff at z
= 1.7, and 3 more at z > 1 from our Cycle 11 program, all found and
followed by HST. However, this is too important a test to rest on just
a few objects, anyone of which could be subject to a lensed
line-of-sight or misidentification. Here we propose to extend our
measurement with observations of twelve SNe Ia in the range 1.0 < z <
1.5 or 6 such SNe Ia and 1 ultradistant SN Ia at z = 2, that will be
discovered as a byproduct from proposed Treasury and DD programs.
These objects will provide a much firmer foundation for a conclusion
that touches on important questions of fundamental physics.


ACS/WFC/WFPC2 10402


The Formation and Evolution of Spirals: An ACS and WFPC2 Imaging
Survey of Nearby Galaxies


Over 50% of galaxies in the local universe are spirals. Yet the star
formation histories and evolution of this crucial population remain
poorly understood. We propose to combine archival data with new
ACS/WFC and WFPC2 observations of 11 galaxies, to tackle a
comprehensive investigation of nearby spirals covering the entire
spiral sequence. The new observations will fill a serious deficiency
in HST's legacy, and maximize the scientific return of existing HST
data. The filter combination of UBVI, and Halpha is ideal for studying
stellar populations, dust properties, and the ISM. Our immediate
scientific objectives are: {i} to use the resolved cluster
populations, both young massive clusters and ancient globular clusters
as a chronometer, to understand how spirals assembled as a function of
time; {ii} study the rapid disruption properties of young clusters;
and {iii} understand dust distributions in spirals from pc to kpc
scales. Each of these goals provides an important step towards
charting the evolution of galaxies, and an essential baseline for
interpreting the galaxy populations being surveyed in both the early
and present universe. The resolution of our survey, which exploits the
excellent imaging capabilities of HST's two optical cameras, will
enable us to understand the record of star cluster, and galaxy
formation in a level of detail which is not possible for more distant
systems. Finally, the proposed observations will provide a key to
interpret an extensive, multiwavelength archive of space- and ground-
based data at lower spatial resolution {SPITZER, CHANDRA, GALEX,
NICMOS P alpha and H band imaging} for local spirals.


NIC1/NIC2 10410


Anisotropy and obscuration in the near-nuclear regions of powerful
radio galaxies


Despite the success of the orientation-based unified schemes for
powerful radio sources, we are still far from understanding the
distribution of obscuring material in the near-nuclear regions of such
sources, and how this distribution evolves with radio power. Following
on from our highly successful Cycle 7 pilot observations of Cygnus A,
we propose a near-IR polarimetric survey of a complete sample of
powerful radio galaxies in order map the near-nuclear illumination
cones, and investigate the distribution of obscuring material on a 0.1
to 1kpc scale. In particular, the observations will allow us to test
the "receding torus model'' which predicts that the opening angles of
the illumination cones are smaller in low redshift/low power radio
galaxies than in their high redshift/high power counterparts.We will
also investigate whether AGN- and jet-driven outflows have a
substantial effect on distribution of obscuring material by "hollowing
out'' the quasar illumination cones in the more powerful sources.
Finally, by using our polarization maps to search for signs of
intrinsic anisotropy in the near-IR continuum within the cones, we
will investigate the geometry of the near-IR continuum emitting
regions close to the quasar nuclei. These observations are not only
crucial for our understanding of radio source unification, but also
provide key information about the effects of AGN-induced outflows on
the ISM of the host galaxies.


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.


FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:


Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary
reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be
investigated.) None


COMPLETED OPS REQs: None


OPS NOTES EXECUTED: None


SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES
FGS Gsacq 9 9
FGS Reacq 5 5
FHST Update 15 15
LOSS of LOCK


SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: None

[StarLab]

Apparently there are no weekend updates...so here's the next one:

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science


DAILY REPORT # 3840


PERIOD COVERED: DOYs 105-107


OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED


NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 8793


NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 4


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.


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.


ACS/HRC/WFC 10436


Black Hole Growth and the Black Hole Mass -- Bulge Relations for AGNs


Recent work has shown that the mass of a black hole is tightly
correlated with the bulge mass of its host galaxy. This relation needs
to be understood in the context of black hole growth in its active
phase. Highly accreting AGNs, like narrow line Seyfert 1 galaxies
{NLS1s}, are found to lie below the black hole mass -- bulge velocity
dispersion correlation of normal galaxies and broad line AGNs. This
result was obtained using FWHM{[OIII]} as a surrogate for the bulge
velocity dispersion. To test this result we propose to obtain high
resolution images of 10 NLS1s that do not lie on the black hole
mass--sigma relation and measure accurate bulge parameters {luminosity
and effective radius}. We will obtain an alternate handle on the bulge
velocity dispersion through the fundamental plane relations and also
find the locus of these NLS1s on the black hole mass--bulge luminosity
plane. Testing this result is crucial to understanding the role of
accretion on black hole growth, the observed correlations of the black
hole mass with the bulge, and the formation and evolution of galaxies.


ACS/WFC/NIC2/WFPC 10413 2 Resolving the Red Giant Population in Early
Type Galaxies


This project addresses the fundamental issue of the age and abundance
of the stellar populations in early type galaxies. We propose deep
imaging observations with ACS/WFC in F606W, F814W, and NICMOS/NIC2 in
F110W, F160W to create optical/IR color-magnitude diagrams of the
upper red giant branch in the nearest example of a bona fide
elliptical galaxy, NGC3379, and simultaneously in the disk and halo of
its companion, the S0 galaxy NGC3384. These observations will build
upon the results from our NICMOS study of NGC3379, which produced the
first deep IR color-magnitude data for a normal, luminous elliptical
galaxy. This is the most direct way to establish the metallicity,
metallicity spread, and presence of intermediate age populations in
these representative Hubble types, exploring their star formation
histories and evolution. The data will enable comparison with M32, the
M31 halo, NGC5128, and other nearby galaxies similarly observed with
HST.


ACS/HRC/WFC 10389


ACS CCDs daily monitor - Cycle 13 - Part 2


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.


NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 10380


Cycle 13 NICMOS dark current, shading profile, and read noise
monitoring program


The purpose of this proposal is to monitor the dark current, read
noise, and shading profile for all three NICMOS detectors throughout
the duration of Cycle 13. This proposal is an essentially unchanged
continuation of PID 9993 which cover the duration of Cycle 12.


WFPC2 10363


WFPC2 CYCLE 13 Intflat and Visflat Sweeps and Filter Rotation Anomaly
Monitor


Using intflat observations, this WFPC2 proposal is designed to monitor
the pixel-to-pixel flatfield response and provide a linearity check.
The intflat sequences, to be done once during the year, are similar to
those from the Cycle 12 program 10075. The images will provide a
backup database as well as allow monitoring of the gain ratios. The
sweep is a complete set of internal flats, cycling through both
shutter blades and both gains. The linearity test consists of a series
of intflats in F555W, in each gain and each shutter. As in Cycle 12,
we plan to continue to take extra visflat, intflat, and earthflat
exposures to test the repeatability of filter wheel motions.


NIC3 10337


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey NICMOS Parallels


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey NICMOS Parallels. This program is a
companion to program 10092.


ACS/HRC 10255


A Never Before Explored Phase Space: Resolving Close White Dwarf / Red
Dwarf


We propose an ACS Snapshot imaging survey to resolve a well-defined
sample of highly probable white dwarf plus red dwarf close binaries.
These candidates were selected from a search for white dwarfs with
infrared excess from the 2MASS database. They represent unresolved
systems {separations less than approximately 2" in the 2MASS images}
and are distributed over the whole sky. Our HST+ACS observations will
be sensitive to a separation range {1-20 AU} never before probed by
any means. The proposed study will be the first empirical test of
binary star parameters in the post-AGB phase, and cannot be
accomplished from the ground. By resolving as few as 20 of our ~100
targets with HST, we will be able to characterize the distribution of
orbital semi- major axes and secondary star masses.


ACS/WFC/NIC/NIC3/W 10246 FPC2 The HST survey of the Orion Nebula
Cluster


We propose a Treasury Program of 104 HST orbits to perform the
definitive study of the Orion Nebula Cluster, the Rosetta stone of
star formation. We will cover with unprecedented sensitivity {23-25
mag}, dynamic range {~12 mag}, spatial resolution {50mas}, and
simultaneous spectral coverage {5 bands} a ~450 square arcmin field
centered on the Trapezium stars. This represents a tremendous gain
over the shallow WFC1 study made in 1991 with the aberrated HST on an
area ~15 times smaller. We maximize the HST observing efficiency using
ACS/WFC and WFPC2 in parallel with two opposite roll angles, to cover
the same total field. We will assemble the richest, most accurate and
unbiased HR diagram for pre-main-sequence objects ever made. Combined
with the optical spectroscopy already available for ~1000 sources and
new deep near-IR imaging and spectroscopy {that we propose as Joint
HST-NOAO observations}, we will be able to attack and possibly solve
the most compelling questions on stellar evolution: the calibration of
pre-main-sequence evolutionary tracks, mass segration and the
variation of the initial mass function in different environments, the
evolution of mass accretion rates vs. age and environment, disk
dissipation in environments dominated by hard vs. soft-UV radiation,
stellar multiplicity vs. disk fraction. In addition, we expect to
discover and classify an unknown, but substantial, population of
pre-Main Sequence binaries, low mass stars and brown dwarfs down to
~10 MJup. This is also the best possible way to discover dark
silhouette disks in the outskirts of the Orion Nebula and study their
evolutionary status through multicolor imaging. This program is timely
and extremely well leveraged to other programs targeting Orion: the
ACS H-alpha survey of the Orion Nebula, the recently completed 850ks
ultradeep Chandra survey, the large GTO programs to be performed with
SIRTF, plus the availability of 2MASS and various deep JHK surveys of
the core recently done with 8m class telescopes.


ACS/WFC 10217


The ACS Fornax Cluster Survey


The two rich clusters nearest to the Milky Way, and the only large
collections of early- type galaxies within ~ 25 Mpc, are the Virgo and
Fornax Clusters. We propose to exploit the exceptional imaging
capabilities of the ACS/WFC to carry out the most comprehensive
imaging survey to date of early-type galaxies in Fornax: the ACS
Fornax Cluster Survey. Deep ACS/WFC images -- in the F475W {g'} and
F850LP {z'} bands -- will be acquired for 44 E, S0, dE, dE, N and dS0
cluster members. In Cycle 11, we initiated a similar program targeting
early-type galaxies in the Virgo Cluster {the ACS Virgo Cluster
Survey; GO-9401}. Our proposed survey of Fornax would yield an
extraordinary dataset which would complement that already in hand for
Virgo, and allow a definitive study of the role played by environment
in the structure, formation and evolution of early-type galaxies and
their globular cluster systems, nuclei, stellar populations, dust
content, nuclear morphologies and merger histories. It would also be a
community resource for years to come and, together with the ACS Virgo
Cluster Survey, constitute one of the lasting legacies of HST.


NIC1 10208


NICMOS Differential Imaging Search for Planetary Mass Companions to
Nearby Young Brown Dwarfs


We propose to use the differential spectral imaging capability of
HST/NICMOS {NIC1} to search for planetary mass companions. We target
the twelve most nearby {within 30 pc}, isolated {no known close
companion}, and young {< 1Gyr} brown dwarfs. All of them have spectral
type L and show signs of Lithium absorption, which clearly proves
their substellar nature and youth. Planetary mass companions with
masses down to 6 Jupiter masses, and at separations larger than 3 A.U.
are bright enough for a direct detection with HST/NICMOS using the
spectral differential imaging technique in two narrow-band filters
placed on and off molecular bands. The proposed project has the
potential to lead to the first direct detection of a planetary mass
object in orbit around a nearby brown dwarf.


ACS/WFC/NIC2 10189


PANS-Probing Acceleration Now with Supernovae


Type Ia supernovae {SNe Ia} provide the most direct evidence for an
accelerating Universe, a result widely attributed to dark energy.
Using HST in Cycle 11 we extended the Hubble diagram with 6 of the 7
highest-redshift SNe Ia known, all at z>1.25, providing conclusive
evidence of an earlier epoch of cosmic deceleration. The full sample
of 16 new SNe Ia match the cosmic concordance model and are
inconsistent with a simple model of evolution or dust as alternatives
to dark energy. Understanding dark energy may be the biggest current
challenge to cosmology and particle physics. To understand the nature
of dark energy, we seek to measure its two most fundamental
properties: its evolution {i.e., dw/dz}, and its recent equation of
state {i.e., w{z=0}}. SNe Ia at z>1, beyond the reach of the ground
but squarely within the reach of HST with ACS, are crucial to break
the degeneracy in the measurements of these two basic aspects of dark
energy. The SNe Ia we have discovered and measured with HST in Cycle
11, now double the precision of our knowledge of both properties. Here
we propose to quadruple the sample of SNe Ia at z>1 in the next two
cycles, complementing on-going surveys from the ground at z<1, and
again doubling the precision of dark energy constraints. Should the
current best fit model prove to be the correct one, the precision
expected from the current proposal will suffice to rule out a
cosmological constant at the 99% confidence level. Whatever the
result, these objects will provide the basis with which to extend our
empirical knowledge of this newly discovered and dominant component of
the Universe, and will remain one of the most significant legacies of
HST. In addition, our survey and follow-up data will greatly enhance
the value of the archival data within the target Treasury fields for
galaxy studies.


NIC2 10177


Solar Systems In Formation: A NICMOS Coronagraphic Survey of
Protoplanetary and Debris Disks


Until recently, despite decades of concerted effort applied to
understanding the formation processes that gave birth to our solar
system, the detailed morphology of circumstellar material that must
eventually form planets has been virtually impossible to discern. The
advent of high contrast, coronagraphic imaging as implemented with the
instruments aboard HST has dramatically enhanced our understanding of
natal planetary system formation. Even so, only a handful of evolved
disks {~ 1 Myr and older} have been imaged and spatially resolved in
light scattered from their constituent grains. To elucidate the
physical processes and properties in potentially planet-forming
circumstellar disks, and to understand the nature and evolution of
their grains, a larger spatially resolved and photometrically reliable
sample of such systems must be observed. Thus, we propose a highly
sensitive circumstellar disk imaging survey of a well-defined and
carefully selected sample of YSOs {1-10 Myr T Tau and HAeBe stars} and
{> app 10 Myr} main sequence stars, to probe the posited epoch of
planetary system formation, and to provide this critically needed
imagery. Our resolved images will shed light on the spatial
distributions of the dust in these thermally emissive disks. In
combination with their long wavelength SEDs the physical properties of
the grains will be discerned, or constrained by our photometrically
accurate surface brightness sensitivity limits for faint disks which
elude detection. Our sample builds on the success of the exploratory
GTO 7233 program, using two-roll per orbit PSF-subtracted NICMOS
coronagraphy to provide the highest detection sensitivity to the
smallest disks around bright stars which can be imaged with HST. Our
sample will discriminate between proposed evolutionary scenarios while
providing a legacy of cataloged morphologies for interpreting mid- and
far-IR SEDs that the recently launched Spitzer Space Telescope will
deliver.


NIC2 10176


Coronagraphic Survey for Giant Planets Around Nearby Young Stars


A systematic imaging search for extra-solar Jovian planets is now
possible thanks to recent progress in identifying "young stars near
Earth". For most of the proposed young {<~ 30 Myrs} and nearby {<~ 60
pc} targets, we can detect a few Jupiter-mass planets as close as a
few tens of AUs from the primary stars. This represents the first time
that potential analogs of our solar system - that is planetary systems
with giant planets having semi-major axes comparable to those of the
four giant planets of the Solar System - come within the grasp of
existing instrumentation. Our proposed targets have not been observed
for planets with the Hubble Space Telescope previously. Considering
the very successful earlier NICMOS observations of low mass brown
dwarfs and planetary disks among members of the TW Hydrae Association,
a fair fraction of our targets should also turn out to posses low mass
brown dwarfs, giant planets, or dusty planetary disks because our
targets are similar to {or even better than} the TW Hydrae stars in
terms of youth and proximity to Earth. Should HST time be awarded and
planetary mass candidates be found, proper motion follow-up of
candidate planets will be done with ground-based AOs.


ACS/WFC 10174


Dark-matter halos and evolution of high-z early-type galaxies


Gravitational lensing and stellar dynamics provide two complementary
methods to determine the mass distribution and evolution of luminous
and dark-matter in early-type {E/S0} galaxies. The combined study of
stellar dynamics and gravitational lensing allows one to break
degeneracies inherent to each method separately, providing a clean
probe of the internal structure of massive galaxies. Since most lens
galaxies are at redshifts z=0.1-1.0, they also provide the required
look-back time to study their structural and stellar-population
evolution. We recently analyzed 5 E/S0 lens galaxies between z=0.5 and
1.0, combining exquisite Hubble Space Telescope imaging data with
kinematic data from ground-based Keck spectroscopy, placing the first
precise constraints on the dark- matter mass fraction and its inner
slope beyond the local Universe. To expand the sample to ~30 systems
-- required to study potential trends and evolution in the E/S0 mass
profiles -- we propose to target the 49 E/S0 lens-galaxy candidates
discovered by Bolton et al. {2004} from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey
{SDSS}. With the average lens rate being 40% and some systems having a
lensing probability close to unity, we expect to discover ~20 strong
gravitational lenses from the sample. This will triple the current
sample of 9 E/S0 systems, with data in hand. With the sample of 30
systems, we will be able to determine the average slope of the
dark-matter and total mass profile of E/S0 galaxies to 10% and 4%
accuracy, respectively. If present, we can simultaneously detect 10%
evolution in the total mass slope with 95% confidence. This will
provide unprecedented constraints on E/S0 galaxies beyond the local
Universe and allow a stringent test of their formation scenarios and
the standard cosmological model.


NIC1 10143


Ultracool companions to the nearest L dwarfs


We propose to conduct the most sensitive survey to date for low mass
companions to nearby L dwarfs. We will use NICMOS to image targets
drawn from a volume-complete sample of 70 L dwarfs within 20 parsecs.
The combination of infrared imaging and proximity will allow us to
search for T dwarf companions at separations as small as 1.6 AU. This
is crucial, since no ultracool binaries are currently known with
separations exceeding 15 AU. Only 10 dwarfs in this sample have
previous HST observations primarily at optical wavelengths. With the
increased sensitivity of our survey, we will provide the most
stringent test to date of brown dwarf models which envisage formation
as ejected stellar embryos. In addition, our observations will be
capable of detecting binaries with mass ratios as low as 0.3, and will
therefore also test the apparent preference for equal-mass ultracool
binaries. Finally, our observations offer the best prospect to date of
detecting companions significantly cooler than the coolest t dwarf
currently known.


FGS 10106


An Astrometric Calibration of the Cepheid Period-Luminosity Relation


We propose to measure the parallaxes of 10 Galactic Cepheid variables.
When these parallaxes {with 1-sigma precisions of 10% or better} are
added to our recent HST FGS parallax determination of delta Cep
{Benedict et al 2002}, we anticipate determining the Period-Luminosity
relation zero point with a 0.03 mag precision. In addition to
permitting the test of assumptions that enter into other Cepheid
distance determination techniques, this calibration will reintroduce
Galactic Cepheids as a fundamental step in the extragalactic distance
scale ladder. A Period-Luminosity relation derived from solar
metallicity Cepheids can be applied directly to extragalactic solar
metallicity Cepheids, removing the need to bridge with the Large
Magellanic Cloud and its associated metallicity complications.


ACS/WFC/WFPC2 10092


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey


We will undertake a 2 square degree imaging survey {Cosmic Evolution
Survey -- COSMOS} with ACS in the I {F814W} band of the VIMOS
equatorial field. This wide field survey is essential to understand
the interplay between Large Scale Structure {LSS} evolution and the
formation of galaxies, dark matter and AGNs and is the one region of
parameter space completely unexplored at present by HST. The
equatorial field was selected for its accessibility to all
ground-based telescopes and low IR background and because it will
eventually contain ~100, 000 galaxy spectra from the VLT-VIMOS
instrument. The imaging will detect over 2 million objects with I> 27
mag {AB, 10 sigma}, over 35, 000 Lyman Break Galaxies {LBGs} and
extremely red galaxies out to z ~ 5. COSMOS is the only HST project
specifically designed to probe the formation and evolution of
structures ranging from galaxies up to Coma-size clusters in the epoch
of peak galaxy, AGN, star and cluster formation {z ~0.5 to 3}. The
size of the largest structures necessitate the 2 degree field. Our
team is committed to the assembly of several public ancillary datasets
including the optical spectra, deep XMM and VLA imaging, ground-based
optical/IR imaging, UV imaging from GALEX and IR data from SIRTF.
Combining the full-spectrum multiwavelength imaging and spectroscopic
coverage with ACS sub-kpc resolution, COSMOS will be Hubble's ultimate
legacy for understanding the evolution of both the visible and dark
universe.


FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:


Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary
reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be
investigated.)


HSTAR 9774: GSACQ(3,2,2) failed, Search Radius Limit on FGS 3 @
107/2151z. Guide Star Acquisition GSACQ(3,2,2) at 21:45:04z failed to
gyro control due to Search Radius Limit exceeded on FGS 3 at 21:51:32
and again at 21:55:41z. 486 ESB "A0C" received. Full Maneuver Updates
prior to failure had normal size errors. REacq(3,2,2)sheduled for
107/23:13:47 - 23:19:31 also failed due to SRLEX on FGS#3.
Observations affected: ACS 89 to 91,1,2 and WFPC 1. Under
investigation.


HSTAR 9775: GSacq (3,1,1) resulted in FLBU 1,0,1 @ 108/0112z
GSacq(3,1,1) scheduled at 108/01:04:51z resulted in fine lock backup
(1,0,1), due to scan step limit exceeded on FGS 3 at 108/01:12:11z.
Possible Observations affected: WFPC 1. Previous FM updates scheduled
for 108/00:41:14z and 00:43:59z both passed with small error. The
following map scheduled for 108/01:55z had attitude errors of -8.089,
-6.777 and -6.901 arcsec. Under investigation.


COMPLETED OPS REQs: None


OPS NOTES EXECUTED: None


SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES
FGS
Gsacq 31 30 107/2145z
(HSTAR 9774)
FGS
Reacq 21 20 107/2313z
(HSTAR 9774)
FHST Update 36 36
LOSS of LOCK


SIGNIFICANT EVENTS:None

[Erimus]

I think Altair is a great target to search for potential planets; the star is metal-rich, which has been shown to have a positive correlation with the probability of planets. Not to mention that they could be the first planets ever directly detected around an A-star.

[StarLab]

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science


DAILY REPORT # 3841


PERIOD COVERED: DOY 108


OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED


ACS 10140


Identification of a magnetic anomaly at Jupiter from satellite
footprints


Repeated imaging of Jupiter's aurora has shown that the northern main
oval has a distorted 'kidney bean' shape in the general range of
90-140? System III longitude, which appears unchanged since 1994.
While it is more difficult to observe the conjugate regions in the
southern aurora, no corresponding distortion appears in the south.
Recent improved accuracy in locating the satellite footprint auroral
emissions has provided new information about the geometry of Jupiter's
magnetic field in this and other areas. The study of the magnetic
field provides us with insight into the state of matter and the
dynamics deep down Jupiter. There is currently no other way to do this
from orbit. The persistent pattern of the main oval implies a
disturbance of the local magnetic field, and the increased latitudinal
separation of the locus of satellite footprints from each other and
from the main oval implies a locally weaker field strength. It is
possible that these phenomena result from a magnetic anomaly in
Jupiter's intrinsic magnetic field, as was proposed by A. Dessler in
the 1970's. There is presently only limited evidence from the scarcity
of auroral footprints observed in this longitude range. We propose to
obtain HST UV images with specific observing geometries of Jupiter to
determine the locations of the auroral footprints of Io, Europa, and
Ganymede in cycle 13 to accurately determine the magnetic field
geometry in the suggested anomaly region, and to either confirm or
refute the suggestion of a local magnetic anomaly.


ACS/HRC 10391


Wavelength and Flux Calibration of the ACS prisms


The wavelength calibration of the SBC {PR110L and PR130L} and HRC
{PR200L} prisms will be established by observing a planetary nebula in
the LMC and QSOs at carefully selected redshifts. Flux calibrations
will be derived for each prism by observing white dwarf standards.


ACS/HRC/WFC 10370


CCD Hot Pixel Annealing


Hot pixel annealing will continue to be performed once every 4 weeks.
The CCD TECs will be turned off and heaters will be activated to bring
the detector temperatures to about +20C. This state will be held for
approximately 12 hours, after which the heaters are turned off, the
TECs turned on, and the CCDs returned to normal operating condition.
To assess the effectiveness of the annealing, a bias and four dark
images will be taken before and after the annealing procedure for both
WFC and HRC. The HRC darks are taken in parallel with the WFC darks.
The charge transfer efficiency {CTE} of the ACS CCD detectors declines
as damage due to on-orbit radiation exposure accumulates. This
degradation has been closely monitored at regular intervals, because
it is likely to determine the useful lifetime of the CCDs. We will now
combine the annealling activity with the charge transfer efficiency
monitoring and also merge into the routine dark image collection. To
this end, the CTE monitoring exposures have been moved into this
proposal . All the data for this program is acquired using internal
targets {lamps} only, so all of the exposures should be taken during
Earth occultation time {but not during SAA passages}. This program
emulates the ACS pre-flight ground calibration and post-launch SMOV
testing {program 8948}, so that results from each epoch can be
directly compared. Extended Pixel Edge Response {EPER} and First Pixel
Response {FPR} data will be obtained over a range of signal levels for
both the Wide Field Channel {WFC}, and the High Resolution Channel
{HRC}.


ACS/HRC/WFC 10389


ACS CCDs daily monitor - Cycle 13 - Part 2


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.


ACS/HRC/WFC 10399


Accurate and Robust Calibration of the Extragalactic Distance Scale
with the Maser Galaxy NGC4258 II


The extragalactic distance scale {EDS} is defined by a comparison of
Cepheid Period- Luminosity {PL} relations for nearby galaxies and the
LMC, whose uncertain distance is thereby the SOLE anchor. Studies of
masers orbiting the central black hole in NGC4258 have provided the
most accurate extragalactic distance ever {7.2+/-0.5 Mpc}, and new
radio data and analysis techniques will reduce the uncertainty to <
3.5% {0.07 mag} by 2005. Since this distance is well determined and
based on geometric arguments, NGC4258 can provide a much needed new
anchor for the EDS. Ultimately, the combination of an independent
measurement of H0 and measurements of CMB fluctuations {e.g., WMAP}
can be used to directly constrain cosmological parameters including
the equation of state of dark energy. In our Cycle 12 proposal, we
defined a program spanning two cycles. The Cycle 12 portion was
accepted. We have acquired WFC images and are constructing well
sampled PL relations in 3 colors {BVI}. The purpose of the Cycle 13
observations is to address systematic sources of error and is crucial
for the success of the entire program. To disentangle the effects of
reddening and metallicity, and to characterize the effects of
blending, we require 50 orbits to obtain H-band photometry
{NICMOS/NIC2} and high resolution images {ACS/HRC}.


ACS/HRC/WFC 10436


Black Hole Growth and the Black Hole Mass -- Bulge Relations for AGNs


Recent work has shown that the mass of a black hole is tightly
correlated with the bulge mass of its host galaxy. This relation needs
to be understood in the context of black hole growth in its active
phase. Highly accreting AGNs, like narrow line Seyfert 1 galaxies
{NLS1s}, are found to lie below the black hole mass -- bulge velocity
dispersion correlation of normal galaxies and broad line AGNs. This
result was obtained using FWHM{[OIII]} as a surrogate for the bulge
velocity dispersion. To test this result we propose to obtain high
resolution images of 10 NLS1s that do not lie on the black hole
mass--sigma relation and measure accurate bulge parameters {luminosity
and effective radius}. We will obtain an alternate handle on the bulge
velocity dispersion through the fundamental plane relations and also
find the locus of these NLS1s on the black hole mass--bulge luminosity
plane. Testing this result is crucial to understanding the role of
accretion on black hole growth, the observed correlations of the black
hole mass with the bulge, and the formation and evolution of galaxies.


ACS/WFC 10369


ACS internal CTE monitor


The charge transfer efficiency {CTE} of the ACS CCD detectors will
decline as damage due to on-orbit radiation exposure accumulates. This
degradation will be closely monitored at regular intervals, because it
is likely to determine the useful lifetime of the CCDs. All the data
for this program is acquired using internal targets {lamps} only, so
all of the exposures should be taken during Earth occultation time
{but not during SAA passages}. This program emulates the ACS
pre-flight ground calibration and post-launch SMOV testing {program
8948}, so that results from each epoch can be directly compared.
Extended Pixel Edge Response {EPER} and First Pixel Response {FPR}
data will be obtained over a range of signal levels for both the Wide
Field Channel {WFC}, and the High Resolution Channel {HRC}.


ACS/WFC 10412


The host galaxies of dust-reddened quasars


We have used the 2MASS near-infrared and FIRST radio surveys, together
with the Palomar Observatory Sky Survey plates to select a sample of
dust-reddened, radio- intermediate quasars. We wish to use ACS to
study the host galaxies of these quasars. The dust reddening of the
quasars makes it possible to study the hosts at rest-frame optical-UV
wavelengths much more easily than the hosts of normal quasars of
similar bolometric luminosity. Our study will compare the hosts of our
dust-reddened quasars to those of normal quasars from the HST archive
to test the hypothesis that dust-reddened quasars are young objects,
whose hosts still show morphological evidence of recent merger events
which triggered the quasar.


FGS 10104


Calibrating the Mass-Luminosity Relation at the End of the Main
Sequence


We propose to use HST-FGS1R to calibrate the mass-luminosity relation
{MLR} for stars less massive than 0.2 Msun, with special emphasis on
objects near the stellar/brown dwarf border. Our goals are to
determine M_V values to 0.05 magnitude, masses to 5 than double the
number of objects with masses determined to be less than 0.20 Msun.
This program uses the combination of HST-FGS3/FGS1R at optical
wavelengths and ground-based infrared interferometry to examine
nearby, subarcsecond binary systems. The high precision measurements
with HST-FGS3/FGS1R {to 1 mas in the separations} for these faint
targets {V = 10--15} simply cannot be equaled by any ground based
technique. As a result of these measurements, we are deriving high
quality luminosities and masses for the components in the observed
systems, and characterizing their spectral energy distributions from
0.5 to 2.2 Mum. Several of the objects included have M < 0.1 Msun,
placing them at the very end of the stellar main sequence. Three of
the targets are brown dwarf candidates, including the current low mass
record holder, GJ 1245C, with a mass of 0.062 +/- 0.004 Msun. The
payoff of this proposal is high because all 10 of the systems selected
have already been resolved with HST- FGS3/FGS1R during Cycles 5--10
and contain most of the reddest objects for which masses can be
determined.


NIC2 10418


Morphologies and Color Gradients of Galaxies with the Oldest Stellar
Populations at High Redshifts We have isolated a sample of 9 luminous
{~2L*} galaxies with the very oldest stellar populations at their
respective redshifts. The galaxies have been found in radio-source
fields chosen to be at the key redshifts z~1.5 and z~2.5, which allow
the cleanest separation of old stellar populations from highly
reddened starbursts with colors derived from standard filter
combinations. Ground-based observations in excellent seeing and with
adaptive optics of 3 of these galaxies indicate that all 3 are
dominated by well relaxed disks of old stars, suggesting that the
first large stellar systems to form in the universe were disks in
which star formation proceeded extremely rapidly and efficiently. In
order to test this conjecture, we are requesting NICMOS2 exposures of
our sample to obtain high S/N imaging in the F160W filter to determine
detailed morphologies of the old stellar population, coupled with
either NICMOS2 F110W or ACS F814W exposures {depending on redshift} to
determine color gradients and/or other systematic color variations
that might provide clues to formation processes.


WFPC2 10359


WFPC2 CYCLE 13 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.


WFPC2 10363


WFPC2 CYCLE 13 Intflat and Visflat Sweeps and Filter Rotation Anomaly
Monitor


Using intflat observations, this WFPC2 proposal is designed to monitor
the pixel-to-pixel flatfield response and provide a linearity check.
The intflat sequences, to be done once during the year, are similar to
those from the Cycle 12 program 10075. The images will provide a
backup database as well as allow monitoring of the gain ratios. The
sweep is a complete set of internal flats, cycling through both
shutter blades and both gains. The linearity test consists of a series
of intflats in F555W, in each gain and each shutter. As in Cycle 12,
we plan to continue to take extra visflat, intflat, and earthflat
exposures to test the repeatability of filter wheel motions.


FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:


Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary
reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be
investigated.) None


COMPLETED OPS REQs: None


OPS NOTES EXECUTED: None


SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES
FGS Gsacq 12 12
FGS Reacq 6 6
FHST Update 20 20
LOSS of LOCK


SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: None

[StarLab]

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science


DAILY REPORT # 3843


PERIOD COVERED: DOY 110


OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED


ACS/HRC 10391


Wavelength and Flux Calibration of the ACS prisms


The wavelength calibration of the SBC {PR110L and PR130L} and HRC
{PR200L} prisms will be established by observing a planetary nebula in
the LMC and QSOs at carefully selected redshifts. Flux calibrations
will be derived for each prism by observing white dwarf standards.


ACS/HRC 10435


Merger-Induced Populations in Early-Type Galaxy Cores


Hierarchical formation models predict that early-type galaxies are
built up over an extended period from mergers of smaller systems, a
process which should leave long- lived signatures in their light
profiles and stellar population colors. Merger events should have
continued up to relatively recent times {the last 1-5 Gyr}, and many
ellipticals and S0 bulges should therefore show evidence of multiple,
discrete, intermediate-age populations. Although there is substantial
observational support for a dissipational merger origin for some
early-type galaxies, most do not exhibit the expected anomalies in
either their light profiles or color distributions. However, existing
searches {mainly in the V and I bands} have not probed very deeply.
Here we propose high resolution, broad-band, near-ultraviolet
{2500-3400 A} imaging of the cores of bright early-type galaxies. This
is the most sensitive probe available for the detection of
spatially-segregated, multiple population components with ages in the
range 1-5 Gyr. Our sample consists of dust- and AGN-free systems with
both normal and mildly anomalous central light profiles. There is very
little existing information on the near-UV structure of early-type
galaxies, and our program would effectively explore new terrain.


ACS/HRC/WFC 10389


ACS CCDs daily monitor - Cycle 13 - Part 2


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.


ACS/HRC/WFC 10436


Black Hole Growth and the Black Hole Mass -- Bulge Relations for AGNs


Recent work has shown that the mass of a black hole is tightly
correlated with the bulge mass of its host galaxy. This relation needs
to be understood in the context of black hole growth in its active
phase. Highly accreting AGNs, like narrow line Seyfert 1 galaxies
{NLS1s}, are found to lie below the black hole mass -- bulge velocity
dispersion correlation of normal galaxies and broad line AGNs. This
result was obtained using FWHM{[OIII]} as a surrogate for the bulge
velocity dispersion. To test this result we propose to obtain high
resolution images of 10 NLS1s that do not lie on the black hole
mass--sigma relation and measure accurate bulge parameters {luminosity
and effective radius}. We will obtain an alternate handle on the bulge
velocity dispersion through the fundamental plane relations and also
find the locus of these NLS1s on the black hole mass--bulge luminosity
plane. Testing this result is crucial to understanding the role of
accretion on black hole growth, the observed correlations of the black
hole mass with the bulge, and the formation and evolution of galaxies.


ACS/WFC 10174


Dark-matter halos and evolution of high-z early-type galaxies


Gravitational lensing and stellar dynamics provide two complementary
methods to determine the mass distribution and evolution of luminous
and dark-matter in early-type {E/S0} galaxies. The combined study of
stellar dynamics and gravitational lensing allows one to break
degeneracies inherent to each method separately, providing a clean
probe of the internal structure of massive galaxies. Since most lens
galaxies are at redshifts z=0.1-1.0, they also provide the required
look-back time to study their structural and stellar-population
evolution. We recently analyzed 5 E/S0 lens galaxies between z=0.5 and
1.0, combining exquisite Hubble Space Telescope imaging data with
kinematic data from ground-based Keck spectroscopy, placing the first
precise constraints on the dark- matter mass fraction and its inner
slope beyond the local Universe. To expand the sample to ~30 systems
-- required to study potential trends and evolution in the E/S0 mass
profiles -- we propose to target the 49 E/S0 lens-galaxy candidates
discovered by Bolton et al. {2004} from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey
{SDSS}. With the average lens rate being 40% and some systems having a
lensing probability close to unity, we expect to discover ~20 strong
gravitational lenses from the sample. This will triple the current
sample of 9 E/S0 systems, with data in hand. With the sample of 30
systems, we will be able to determine the average slope of the
dark-matter and total mass profile of E/S0 galaxies to 10% and 4%
accuracy, respectively. If present, we can simultaneously detect 10%
evolution in the total mass slope with 95% confidence. This will
provide unprecedented constraints on E/S0 galaxies beyond the local
Universe and allow a stringent test of their formation scenarios and
the standard cosmological model.


ACS/WFC 10369


ACS internal CTE monitor


The charge transfer efficiency {CTE} of the ACS CCD detectors will
decline as damage due to on-orbit radiation exposure accumulates. This
degradation will be closely monitored at regular intervals, because it
is likely to determine the useful lifetime of the CCDs. All the data
for this program is acquired using internal targets {lamps} only, so
all of the exposures should be taken during Earth occultation time
{but not during SAA passages}. This program emulates the ACS
pre-flight ground calibration and post-launch SMOV testing {program
8948}, so that results from each epoch can be directly compared.
Extended Pixel Edge Response {EPER} and First Pixel Response {FPR}
data will be obtained over a range of signal levels for both the Wide
Field Channel {WFC}, and the High Resolution Channel {HRC}.


ACS/WFC 10374


ACS photometric Stability


This program consists of three parts. In the first part we will
observe a subset of the ACS white dwarfs with HRC and ACS to verify
repeatability to ~0.2%, because the filter shifts are based on
photometric differences between stars of ~1%. These observations are
also required to establish relative magnitudes of the primary WD
standards at the 0.1% level. Targets should be GD153 and G191B2B,
which seems to have the largest V mag error of ~0.008 mag. One orbit
on the most important filters, including the grism and the prisms,
should be expended with each camera for both stars for a total of 4
orbits. In the second part will observe with HRC and WFC a solar
analog star, P330E, to estimate any shifts in the short and the long
wavelength cutoffs of selected filters. Complete filter bandpasses can
be derived directly from the ratio of grism observations with and
without the filter in place. The grism is on filter wheel 1, while
four filters of interest F330W, F344N, F660N, and F814W are on wheel
2. Each grism observation requires 3 settings: filter alone,
filter+grism, and grism alone. In the third part we obtain high S/N
photometric and spectroscopic observations of three red stars, VB-8
{M7}, 2M0038+18 {L3.5} and 2M0559-14 {T5} with HRC and WFC to verify
the photometry at the new standard position and to obtain accurate
calibration {1% or better} of the grism spectra.


ACS/WFC 10412


The host galaxies of dust-reddened quasars


We have used the 2MASS near-infrared and FIRST radio surveys, together
with the Palomar Observatory Sky Survey plates to select a sample of
dust-reddened, radio- intermediate quasars. We wish to use ACS to
study the host galaxies of these quasars. The dust reddening of the
quasars makes it possible to study the hosts at rest-frame optical-UV
wavelengths much more easily than the hosts of normal quasars of
similar bolometric luminosity. Our study will compare the hosts of our
dust-reddened quasars to those of normal quasars from the HST archive
to test the hypothesis that dust-reddened quasars are young objects,
whose hosts still show morphological evidence of recent merger events
which triggered the quasar.


ACS/WFC/WFPC2 10402


The Formation and Evolution of Spirals: An ACS and WFPC2 Imaging
Survey of Nearby Galaxies


Over 50% of galaxies in the local universe are spirals. Yet the star
formation histories and evolution of this crucial population remain
poorly understood. We propose to combine archival data with new
ACS/WFC and WFPC2 observations of 11 galaxies, to tackle a
comprehensive investigation of nearby spirals covering the entire
spiral sequence. The new observations will fill a serious deficiency
in HST's legacy, and maximize the scientific return of existing HST
data. The filter combination of UBVI, and Halpha is ideal for studying
stellar populations, dust properties, and the ISM. Our immediate
scientific objectives are: {i} to use the resolved cluster
populations, both young massive clusters and ancient globular clusters
as a chronometer, to understand how spirals assembled as a function of
time; {ii} study the rapid disruption properties of young clusters;
and {iii} understand dust distributions in spirals from pc to kpc
scales. Each of these goals provides an important step towards
charting the evolution of galaxies, and an essential baseline for
interpreting the galaxy populations being surveyed in both the early
and present universe. The resolution of our survey, which exploits the
excellent imaging capabilities of HST's two optical cameras, will
enable us to understand the record of star cluster, and galaxy
formation in a level of detail which is not possible for more distant
systems. Finally, the proposed observations will provide a key to
interpret an extensive, multiwavelength archive of space- and ground-
based data at lower spatial resolution {SPITZER, CHANDRA, GALEX,
NICMOS P alpha and H band imaging} for local spirals.


FGS 10106


An Astrometric Calibration of the Cepheid Period-Luminosity Relation


We propose to measure the parallaxes of 10 Galactic Cepheid variables.
When these parallaxes {with 1-sigma precisions of 10% or better} are
added to our recent HST FGS parallax determination of delta Cep
{Benedict et al 2002}, we anticipate determining the Period-Luminosity
relation zero point with a 0.03 mag precision. In addition to
permitting the test of assumptions that enter into other Cepheid
distance determination techniques, this calibration will reintroduce
Galactic Cepheids as a fundamental step in the extragalactic distance
scale ladder. A Period-Luminosity relation derived from solar
metallicity Cepheids can be applied directly to extragalactic solar
metallicity Cepheids, removing the need to bridge with the Large
Magellanic Cloud and its associated metallicity complications.


FGS 10386


Long Term Monitoring of FGS1r in Position Mode


It is known from our experience with FGS3, and later with FGS1r, that
an FGS on orbit experiences long term evolution, presumably due to
disorption of water from the instrument's graphite epoxy composites.
This manifests principally as a change in the plate scale and
secondarily as a change in the geometric distortions. These effects
are well modeled by adjustments to the rhoA and kA parameters which
are used to transform the star selector servo angles into FGS {x, y}
detector space coordinates. By observing the relative positions of
selected stars in a standard cluster at a fixed telescope pointing and
orientation, the evolution of rhoA and kA can be monitored and
calibrated to preserve the astrometric performance of FGS1r.


WFPC2 9964


Dynamical Masses of White Dwarfs from Resolved Sirius-Like Binaries


In Cycle 8 we initiated a WFPC2 snapshot survey for resolved,
``Sirius-like'' systems containing hot white-dwarf companions of
cooler main-sequence stars. Out of 17 systems observed to date, 8 have
been resolved with WFPC2 by using UV filters. Two of the resolved
systems---56 Persei and Zeta Cygni---have predicted or known orbital
periods short enough that dynamical masses can be determined for the
white dwarfs within reasonable times. These would thus add to the
extremely small number of white dwarfs presently having accurately and
directly measured masses. We propose to image them annually in the UV
with WFPC2. In addition, we will observe Zeta Cyg with FGS in order to
measure the absolute motion of the optical component, needed for the
mass solution. We also propose to observe Sirius itself with WFPC2
over the next 3 Cycles. The resulting astrometric data will not only
greatly improve the precision of the binary orbit and the dynamical
mass measurements for both the main-sequence and white-dwarf
components, but will also test definitively for the claimed presence
of a third body in this famous system.


FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:


Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary
reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be
investigated.)


HSTAR 9783: Gsacq(2,3,3) results in Fine Lock Backup @ 111/0217z.
At 111/02:16:50 GSacq(2,3,3) scheduled at 111/02:13:41 resulted in
fine lock backup (2,0,2) due to scan step limit exceeded on FGS 3.
Observations affected: NIC 30-31, ACS 114-117. Under investigation.


COMPLETED OPS REQs:
17421-0 Genslew for proposal 10263 - slot 13 @ 110/1657z
17422-0 Genslew for proposal 10263 - slot 12 @ 110/1659z
17422-0 Genslew for proposal 10330 - slot 01 @ 110/1700z
17423-0 Genslew for proposal 10330 - slot 02 @ 110/1702z


OPS NOTES EXECUTED: None


SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES
FGS Gsacq 08 08
FGS Reacq 07 07
FHST Update 16 16
LOSS of LOCK


SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: None

[StarLab]

Well, it's certainly been a while, so here's the next one:


HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science


DAILY REPORT # 3844


PERIOD COVERED: DOY 111


OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED


ACS/HRC 10330


Coronagraphic search for disks around nearby stars


We will use the coronagraphic and imaging modes of the High Resolution
camera to study of the role of circumstellar disks in planetary system
formation over timescales of ~1-1000 Myr. Our targets comprise pre
Main-Sequence {MS} and MS stars, selected by infrared excess, and
targets selected from SIRTF surveys. Some targets, like Beta Pictoris
have debris disks that have been detected at optical or near-IR
wavelengths, while others have disks inferred from mid-IR or ISO
observations. We will obtain multicolor images of each target's
circumstellar environment for the purpose of {1} detecting and
characterizing disk morphologies over all scales {including warps and
regions of enhanced or depleted density}, and {2} seeking evidence of
embedded planets. Direct and occulted images will be recorded for
studying the disks within 2 arcseconds of these targets; the
coronagraph will be used to image the outer regions of the disks.
Together with existing infrared observations, we will provide
constraints on the sizes, distribution, and composition of dust
grains. Unconfirmed disks will first be imaged in F606W, and if they
exist we may later observe them in F435W and F814W.


ACS/HRC 10391


Wavelength and Flux Calibration of the ACS prisms


The wavelength calibration of the SBC {PR110L and PR130L} and HRC
{PR200L} prisms will be established by observing a planetary nebula in
the LMC and QSOs at carefully selected redshifts. Flux calibrations
will be derived for each prism by observing white dwarf standards.


ACS/HRC/WFC 10263


SAINTS - Supernova 1987A INTensive Survey


SAINTS is a program to observe SN 1987A, the brightest supernova in
383 years, as it transforms into supernova remnant {SNR} 1987A, the
youngest supernova remnant. HST is the unique and perfect match in
scale and in field for spatially-resolved observations of SN 1987A.
Rapid changes are taking place in a violent encounter between the
fastest-moving debris and the circumstellar ring. This one-time-only
event, leading to suddenly appearing hotspots and new emission that
can reveal previously hidden gas, is powered by shocks that can be
studied simultaneously with HST and with Chandra to great advantage.
Both the optical and X-ray flux from the ring are rising rapidly so
prompt observations are needed in Cycle 13. Our previous observations
reveal a remarkable reverse shock moving upstream through the
expanding debris. The reverse shock provides a powerful tool for
dissecting the radial structure of the vanished star. The debris from
the explosion itself, still excited by radioactivity, is now well
resolved by ACS and seen to be aspherical, providing direct clues to
the mechanism of the explosion. Many questions about SN 1987A remain
unanswered. SAINTS is a comprehensive attempt to use HST to establish
the facts of SN 1987A, help to answer interesting questions, and to
observe the birth of SNR 1987A.


ACS/WFC 10369


ACS internal CTE monitor


The charge transfer efficiency {CTE} of the ACS CCD detectors will
decline as damage due to on-orbit radiation exposure accumulates. This
degradation will be closely monitored at regular intervals, because it
is likely to determine the useful lifetime of the CCDs. All the data
for this program is acquired using internal targets {lamps} only, so
all of the exposures should be taken during Earth occultation time
{but not during SAA passages}. This program emulates the ACS
pre-flight ground calibration and post-launch SMOV testing {program
8948}, so that results from each epoch can be directly compared.
Extended Pixel Edge Response {EPER} and First Pixel Response {FPR}
data will be obtained over a range of signal levels for both the Wide
Field Channel {WFC}, and the High Resolution Channel {HRC}.


ACS/WFC/WFPC2 10129


Resolving Globular Clusters in NGC 1399


We intend to use the ACS/WFC to measure structural parameters {half
light radius, King core radius and concentration parameter} of
individual globular clusters {GCs} in NGC 1399. Very little is known
about structural parameters of globular clusters as a function of
radius outside the Local Group. The proposed observations, arranged in
a 3x3 ACS mosaic, will allow us to perform the first detailed
wide-field study of structural parameters of globular clusters in a
giant elliptical galaxy. In particular we will: 1} study the
size-galactocentric distance relation of globular clusters out to ~55
kpc {~1.6 eff. radius of the GCS} and determine whether the observed
differences in sizes between metal-rich and metal-poor globular
cluster in early-type galaxies are primordial and thereby reflect
fundamental differences in formation, or are due to projection
effects; 2} match the GC position observed with HST/ACS with X-ray
binaries identified over the full Chandra field, and use the above
sizes to constrain physical models for X-ray binary formation in GCs.
3} The wealth of ground-based data available for this system
{photometry+spectroscopy}, will allow us to correlate the structural
properties with other GC properties, such as their chemical
composition, luminosity, etc.


NIC1/NIC2 10410


Anisotropy and obscuration in the near-nuclear regions of powerful
radio galaxies


Despite the success of the orientation-based unified schemes for
powerful radio sources, we are still far from understanding the
distribution of obscuring material in the near-nuclear regions of such
sources, and how this distribution evolves with radio power. Following
on from our highly successful Cycle 7 pilot observations of Cygnus A,
we propose a near-IR polarimetric survey of a complete sample of
powerful radio galaxies in order map the near-nuclear illumination
cones, and investigate the distribution of obscuring material on a 0.1
to 1kpc scale. In particular, the observations will allow us to test
the "receding torus model'' which predicts that the opening angles of
the illumination cones are smaller in low redshift/low power radio
galaxies than in their high redshift/high power counterparts.We will
also investigate whether AGN- and jet-driven outflows have a
substantial effect on distribution of obscuring material by "hollowing
out'' the quasar illumination cones in the more powerful sources.
Finally, by using our polarization maps to search for signs of
intrinsic anisotropy in the near-IR continuum within the cones, we
will investigate the geometry of the near-IR continuum emitting
regions close to the quasar nuclei. These observations are not only
crucial for our understanding of radio source unification, but also
provide key information about the effects of AGN-induced outflows on
the ISM of the host galaxies.


NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 8793


NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 4


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 10363


WFPC2 CYCLE 13 Intflat and Visflat Sweeps and Filter Rotation Anomaly
Monitor


Using intflat observations, this WFPC2 proposal is designed to monitor
the pixel-to-pixel flatfield response and provide a linearity check.
The intflat sequences, to be done once during the year, are similar to
those from the Cycle 12 program 10075. The images will provide a
backup database as well as allow monitoring of the gain ratios. The
sweep is a complete set of internal flats, cycling through both
shutter blades and both gains. The linearity test consists of a series
of intflats in F555W, in each gain and each shutter. As in Cycle 12,
we plan to continue to take extra visflat, intflat, and earthflat
exposures to test the repeatability of filter wheel motions.


FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:


Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary
reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be
investigated.)


HSTAR 9784: ACS TA Failed due to Guide Star Acg failure @ 111/1724z.
ACS TA (target acquisition) scheduled at 111/17:23:16 (HD-100623)
failed due to REACQ failure (HSTAR#9785).Observations affected: ACS
139-142; Proposal 10330, titled Coronagraphic search for disks around
nearby stars. Under investigation.


HSTAR 9785: REACQ(2,1,2) fails to RGA control, scan step limit
exceeded on FGS 2. REACQ(2,1,2) at 111/17:17:32 ended in gyro control
due to 4 occurrences of scan step limit exceeded on FGS 2 beginning at
17:19:41. Initial GSACQ(2,1,2) at 15:42:17 was successful with no scan
step limits exceeded. ACS target acquisition failed due to this REACQ
failure (HSTAR 9784). Under investigation.


Observations affected: ACS 139 to 142.


COMPLETED OPS REQs: None


OPS NOTES EXECUTED:
1331-0 Change JERRCNT Limit @111/2130z


SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES
FGS Gsacq 07 07
FGS
Reacq 12 11
111/1720z(HSTAR#9785)
FHST Update 08 08
LOSS of LOCK


SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: None

[StarLab]

Okay, so they use a lot of technical terms - it is still an easy skim-through, though... ;)

[tyrie2001]

Hey StarLab, I found something you might be interested in. See below link, it's an article about the Hubbles 15th birthday(toady!), they've got some new photos of two of the telescope's most popular targets: the M51 Whirlpool Galaxy and the Eagle Nebula.

Happy 15th birthday Hubble. (http://www.wired.com/news/space/0,2697,67304,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_1)

[StarLab]

Cool stuff, Tyrie! And now, here we have....

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science


DAILY REPORT # 3845


PERIOD COVERED: DOYs 112-114


OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED


ACS/HRC/WFPC2 9827


UV extinction by dust in unexplored LMC environments


The ensemble of results from studies of the UV extinction in the Milky
Way, Magellanic Clouds {MC}, M31 and M33, indicates a complex
dependence of the dust properties with environment, where starburst
activity and metallicity are relevant factors. Work in the LMC to
date, based on IUE data, has several drawbacks: a} only supergiants
could be used, b} they all have moderate extinction, c} the IUE S/N is
limited, d} the large IUE slit may include light from other sources,
such as scattered light from dust or faint companion stars, e} studies
are confined to few {extreme} environments. We propose to obtain UV
extinction curves more accurate than previous ones, sampling four
environments in the LMC with different levels of star formation
activity, including the general field, hitherto unexplored. The
results will characterize the properties of dust in different
conditions, at the LMC metallicity, which is useful to interpret
integrated properties of distant galaxies, as well as GALEX upcoming
UV surveys. A complementary study is planned with FUSE in the far-UV
range. The combined results will provide insight on the properties of
small grains.


ACS/WFC 9811


Establishing the Metallicity Distribution in Normal Giant Ellipticals


NGC 3377 and 3379, the Leo Group ellipticals at d=11 Mpc, are the
nearest E galaxies commonly regarded to be structurally" normal", and
as such, they are keystone objects for understanding the evolution and
early star formation history of large ellipticals. The ACS/WFC camera
now gives us the ability to obtain the metallicity distribution
function {MDF} of their stellar population by direct resolution and
photometry of their halo stars. To do this, we will follow the same
highly successful techniques we have previously used for NGC 5128 with
WFPC2 {V, I} imaging: the {V-I} colors of the brightest red-giant
stars are highly sensitive to metallicity, and their locations in the
color-magnitude diagram can be used for direct construction of the
MDF. This will be a major step forward to understanding the formation
history of these cosmologically dominant galaxies.


NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 8793


NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 4


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.


NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 10454


Extreme count rates linearity test for NICMOS


This NICMOS calibration proposal tests the linearity of the detectors
at count rates falling at the low and high extremes of what is
feasible. This program is a response to the discovery that grism
observations obtained with NIC3 show a systematic offset from spectra
taken with STIS and ACS in the 0.8-1.0 micron overlap region. The
observations are consistent with a NIC3 sensitivity that depends on
incident flux, i.e. count rate. By observing one bright star
{BD+17D4708, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey absolute standard} and two
faint stars {SNAP-2, a solar analog star; WD1657+343, a white dwarf}
in a number of filters we will check whether this is an intrinsic
feature of the all NICMOS detectors, something intrinsic to NIC3, or a
result of a not understood effect of the grism observations. We will
furthermore be able to test whether the effect has a wavelength
dependence. The data will be reduced in exactly the same fashion as
has been done before for the photometric calibration program, so a
direct comparison with previous data can be made. In addition, we will
obtain extra spectroscopic data on WD1657+343, the faintest and best
modeled white dwarf of the stars on which the original discovery of
the non-linearity was made. This will reduce the errors in this
spectrum from 5% to 2% and will allow a better estimate of the effect.
In order to ease scheduling, there are no time constraints specified
in the proposal. However, because of the potentially important
implications of this effect, it is very important that these orbits be
scheduled as soon as possible. They could be critical for the proper
calibration of NICMOS The targets have visibility 1} BD+17D4708: 16
Apr - 17 Jan 2} SNAP-2: 3 Feb-1 Mar 3} WD1657+343: 3 Feb-26 Feb


ACS/HRC/WFC 10438


The Late Formation of Satellite Galaxies


Tiny isolated HII regions have been discovered up to 30 kpc from the
closest galaxy in the NOAO Survey for Ionization in Neutral Gas
Galaxies {SINGG}. These halo HII regions can be ionized by only a few
OB stars and seem to be most commonly found in interacting systems.
They may represent the beginning of the formation of satellite
galaxies at low redshift and/or are the source of the numerous
intracluster planetary nebula. The halo HII regions are a unique mode
of star formation in a low density and low metallicity environment and
high resolution HST images are required to identify their underlying
stellar populations. Determining the stellar populations of these HII
regions will establish whether in-situ star formation is a significant
contributor to the stellar content and enrichment of galactic halos
and intergalactic space. In particular, ACS/HRC observations are
required for their resolution, UV sensitivity, and wide wavelength
coverage, allowing young and intermediate age populations to be
identified. Parallel ACS/WFC observations will explore the possibility
of a further stellar population in the interactive debris. The results
of this project have implications on the formation of satellite
galaxies, the origin of Galactic halo B stars, IGM ionization and
enrichment, and star formation principles.


ACS/HRC/WFC 10436


Black Hole Growth and the Black Hole Mass -- Bulge Relations for AGNs


Recent work has shown that the mass of a black hole is tightly
correlated with the bulge mass of its host galaxy. This relation needs
to be understood in the context of black hole growth in its active
phase. Highly accreting AGNs, like narrow line Seyfert 1 galaxies
{NLS1s}, are found to lie below the black hole mass -- bulge velocity
dispersion correlation of normal galaxies and broad line AGNs. This
result was obtained using FWHM{[OIII]} as a surrogate for the bulge
velocity dispersion. To test this result we propose to obtain high
resolution images of 10 NLS1s that do not lie on the black hole
mass--sigma relation and measure accurate bulge parameters {luminosity
and effective radius}. We will obtain an alternate handle on the bulge
velocity dispersion through the fundamental plane relations and also
find the locus of these NLS1s on the black hole mass--bulge luminosity
plane. Testing this result is crucial to understanding the role of
accretion on black hole growth, the observed correlations of the black
hole mass with the bulge, and the formation and evolution of galaxies.


ACS/HRC 10434


Particle accelerators in space: resolving them for the first time


The detection of optical counterparts of hot spots in radio galaxies
has been a challenge in astrophysics since the 1960s. Being located at
several 100 kpc away from the AGN, they represent the most striking
sites of interaction between the AGN ejecta and the ambient
inter-galactic medium. Particle acceleration is thought to drive their
emission and therefore, due to their remote locations, hot spots are
the best laboratories to study the physics of that mechanism in
detail. Using carefully directed selection criteria and the VLT we
have discovered hot spots in the optical at an unprecedented detection
rate, all of them disclosing very intriguing structure. This structure
pinpoints the regions where electrons are accelerated to highly
relativistic energies -- the particle accelerators. With HST we aim at
resolving these accelerators for the very first time. This will enable
us to establish the nature and origin of these relativistic particles
in the hot spots of radio galaxies. The results of these studies not
only represent a key for understanding the evolution of radio sources
but also provide important input to plasma acceleration problems in
general.


ACS/WFC 10412


The host galaxies of dust-reddened quasars


We have used the 2MASS near-infrared and FIRST radio surveys, together
with the Palomar Observatory Sky Survey plates to select a sample of
dust-reddened, radio- intermediate quasars. We wish to use ACS to
study the host galaxies of these quasars. The dust reddening of the
quasars makes it possible to study the hosts at rest-frame optical-UV
wavelengths much more easily than the hosts of normal quasars of
similar bolometric luminosity. Our study will compare the hosts of our
dust-reddened quasars to those of normal quasars from the HST archive
to test the hypothesis that dust-reddened quasars are young objects,
whose hosts still show morphological evidence of recent merger events
which triggered the quasar.


ACS/HRC 10391


Wavelength and Flux Calibration of the ACS prisms


The wavelength calibration of the SBC {PR110L and PR130L} and HRC
{PR200L} prisms will be established by observing a planetary nebula in
the LMC and QSOs at carefully selected redshifts. Flux calibrations
will be derived for each prism by observing white dwarf standards.


ACS/HRC/WFC 10389


ACS CCDs daily monitor - Cycle 13 - Part 2


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.


ACS/HRC 10377


ACS Earth Flats


High signal sky flats will be obtained by observing the bright Earth
with the HRC and WFC. These observations will be used to verify the
accuracy of the flats currently used by the pipeline and will provide
a comparison with flats derived via other techniques: L- flats from
stellar observations, sky flats from stacked GO observations, and
internal flats using the calibration lamps. Weekly coronagraphic
monitoring is required to assess the changing position of the spots.


ACS/WFC 10369


ACS internal CTE monitor


The charge transfer efficiency {CTE} of the ACS CCD detectors will
decline as damage due to on-orbit radiation exposure accumulates. This
degradation will be closely monitored at regular intervals, because it
is likely to determine the useful lifetime of the CCDs. All the data
for this program is acquired using internal targets {lamps} only, so
all of the exposures should be taken during Earth occultation time
{but not during SAA passages}. This program emulates the ACS
pre-flight ground calibration and post-launch SMOV testing {program
8948}, so that results from each epoch can be directly compared.
Extended Pixel Edge Response {EPER} and First Pixel Response {FPR}
data will be obtained over a range of signal levels for both the Wide
Field Channel {WFC}, and the High Resolution Channel {HRC}.


ACS/HRC 10330


Coronagraphic search for disks around nearby stars


We will use the coronagraphic and imaging modes of the High Resolution
camera to study of the role of circumstellar disks in planetary system
formation over timescales of ~1-1000 Myr. Our targets comprise pre
Main-Sequence {MS} and MS stars, selected by infrared excess, and
targets selected from SIRTF surveys. Some targets, like Beta Pictoris
have debris disks that have been detected at optical or near-IR
wavelengths, while others have disks inferred from mid-IR or ISO
observations. We will obtain multicolor images of each target's
circumstellar environment for the purpose of {1} detecting and
characterizing disk morphologies over all scales {including warps and
regions of enhanced or depleted density}, and {2} seeking evidence of
embedded planets. Direct and occulted images will be recorded for
studying the disks within 2 arcseconds of these targets; the
coronagraph will be used to image the outer regions of the disks.
Together with existing infrared observations, we will provide
constraints on the sizes, distribution, and composition of dust
grains. Unconfirmed disks will first be imaged in F606W, and if they
exist we may later observe them in F435W and F814W.


ACS/HRC/WFC 10263


SAINTS - Supernova 1987A Intensive Survey


SAINTS is a program to observe SN 1987A, the brightest supernova in
383 years, as it transforms into supernova remnant {SNR} 1987A, the
youngest supernova remnant. HST is the unique and perfect match in
scale and in field for spatially-resolved observations of SN 1987A.
Rapid changes are taking place in a violent encounter between the
fastest-moving debris and the circumstellar ring. This one-time-only
event, leading to suddenly appearing hotspots and new emission that
can reveal previously hidden gas, is powered by shocks that can be
studied simultaneously with HST and with Chandra to great advantage.
Both the optical and X-ray flux from the ring are rising rapidly so
prompt observations are needed in Cycle 13. Our previous observations
reveal a remarkable reverse shock moving upstream through the
expanding debris. The reverse shock provides a powerful tool for
dissecting the radial structure of the vanished star. The debris from
the explosion itself, still excited by radioactivity, is now well
resolved by ACS and seen to be aspherical, providing direct clues to
the mechanism of the explosion. Many questions about SN 1987A remain
unanswered. SAINTS is a comprehensive attempt to use HST to establish
the facts of SN 1987A, help to answer interesting questions, and to
observe the birth of SNR 1987A.


ACS/HRC 10259


Planetary nebulae in the SMC: a study of stellar evolution and
populations in an extremely low-metallicity environment


The final phase of the evolution of low- and intermediate-mass stars,
the planetary nebula {PN} ejection, is thought to largely contribute
to the carbon and nitrogen enrichment in galaxies, in particular in
old stellar populations. Stellar generations forming from a carbon-
and nitrogen-enriched medium are a necessary condition for planetary
and life formation. It is essential to understand how stars go through
the process of shedding their chemically-enriched shells, and to test
the predictions of stellar evolution theory on the relationship
between stellar mass and elemental enrichment. Magellanic Cloud PNs
are ideal probes for this study. Their abundances can be directly
related to the mass of the central stars and to that of the stellar
progenitor, without the great {distance and reddening} uncertainties
that affect Galactic PNs. The UV lines are essential for calculating
the abundances of the element related to stellar evolution {C, N, O}
and to progenitor populations {e.g., Ne}. We propose to acquire UV
spectroscopy of the SMC PNs whose morphology and central star
properties has been previously determined by us with HST. We will
derive the {C, N, O} abundance-to-mass relation, and determine the
extent to which the mass of the progenitors of asymmetric PNs exceed
that of symmetric PNs. We will also test the PN luminosity function,
and probe cosmic recycling, in a very low-metallicity environment.


ACS/HRC 10198


Probing the Dynamics of the Galactic Bar through the Kinematics of
Microlensed Stars


The observed optical depths to microlensing of stars in the Galactic
bulge are difficult to reconcile with our present understanding of
Galactic dynamics. The main source of uncertainty in those comparisons
is now shifting from microlensing measurements to the dynamical models
of the Galactic bar. We propose to constrain the Galactic bar models
with proper motion observations of Bulge stars that underwent
microlensing by determining both the kinematic identity of the
microlensed sources and the importance of streaming motions. The
lensed stars are typically farther than randomly selected stars.
Therefore, our proper motion determinations for 36 targeted MACHO
events will provide valuable constraints on the dynamics of bulge
stars as a function of distance. The first epoch data for our proposed
events is already available in the HST archive so the project can be
completed within a single HST cycle. The exceptional spatial
resolution of HST is essential for completion of the project.
Constraints on the total mass in the bulge will ultimately lead to the
determination of the amount of dark matter in inner Galaxy.


ACS/WFC 10174


Dark-matter halos and evolution of high-z early-type galaxies


Gravitational lensing and stellar dynamics provide two complementary
methods to determine the mass distribution and evolution of luminous
and dark-matter in early-type {E/S0} galaxies. The combined study of
stellar dynamics and gravitational lensing allows one to break
degeneracies inherent to each method separately, providing a clean
probe of the internal structure of massive galaxies. Since most lens
galaxies are at redshifts z=0.1-1.0, they also provide the required
look-back time to study their structural and stellar-population
evolution. We recently analyzed 5 E/S0 lens galaxies between z=0.5 and
1.0, combining exquisite Hubble Space Telescope imaging data with
kinematic data from ground-based Keck spectroscopy, placing the first
precise constraints on the dark- matter mass fraction and its inner
slope beyond the local Universe. To expand the sample to ~30 systems
-- required to study potential trends and evolution in the E/S0 mass
profiles -- we propose to target the 49 E/S0 lens-galaxy candidates
discovered by Bolton et al. {2004} from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey
{SDSS}. With the average lens rate being 40% and some systems having a
lensing probability close to unity, we expect to discover ~20 strong
gravitational lenses from the sample. This will triple the current
sample of 9 E/S0 systems, with data in hand. With the sample of 30
systems, we will be able to determine the average slope of the
dark-matter and total mass profile of E/S0 galaxies to 10% and 4%
accuracy, respectively. If present, we can simultaneously detect 10%
evolution in the total mass slope with 95% confidence. This will
provide unprecedented constraints on E/S0 galaxies beyond the local
Universe and allow a stringent test of their formation scenarios and
the standard cosmological model.


ACS/WFC/WFPC2 10129


Resolving Globular Clusters in NGC 1399


We intend to use the ACS/WFC to measure structural parameters {half
light radius, King core radius and concentration parameter} of
individual globular clusters {GCs} in NGC 1399. Very little is known
about structural parameters of globular clusters as a function of
radius outside the Local Group. The proposed observations, arranged in
a 3x3 ACS mosaic, will allow us to perform the first detailed
wide-field study of structural parameters of globular clusters in a
giant elliptical galaxy. In particular we will: 1} study the
size-galactocentric distance relation of globular clusters out to ~55
kpc {~1.6 eff. radius of the GCS} and determine whether the observed
differences in sizes between metal-rich and metal-poor globular
cluster in early-type galaxies are primordial and thereby reflect
fundamental differences in formation, or are due to projection
effects; 2} match the GC position observed with HST/ACS with X-ray
binaries identified over the full Chandra field, and use the above
sizes to constrain physical models for X-ray binary formation in GCs.
3} The wealth of ground-based data available for this system
{photometry+spectroscopy}, will allow us to correlate the structural
properties with other GC properties, such as their chemical
composition, luminosity, etc.


ACS/WFC/WFPC2 10092


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey


We will undertake a 2 square degree imaging survey {Cosmic Evolution
Survey -- COSMOS} with ACS in the I {F814W} band of the VIMOS
equatorial field. This wide field survey is essential to understand
the interplay between Large Scale Structure {LSS} evolution and the
formation of galaxies, dark matter and AGNs and is the one region of
parameter space completely unexplored at present by HST. The
equatorial field was selected for its accessibility to all
ground-based telescopes and low IR background and because it will
eventually contain ~100, 000 galaxy spectra from the VLT-VIMOS
instrument. The imaging will detect over 2 million objects with I> 27
mag {AB, 10 sigma}, over 35, 000 Lyman Break Galaxies {LBGs} and
extremely red galaxies out to z ~ 5. COSMOS is the only HST project
specifically designed to probe the formation and evolution of
structures ranging from galaxies up to Coma-size clusters in the epoch
of peak galaxy, AGN, star and cluster formation {z ~0.5 to 3}. The
size of the largest structures necessitate the 2 degree field. Our
team is committed to the assembly of several public ancillary datasets
including the optical spectra, deep XMM and VLA imaging, ground-based
optical/IR imaging, UV imaging from GALEX and IR data from SIRTF.
Combining the full-spectrum multiwavelength imaging and spectroscopic
coverage with ACS sub-kpc resolution, COSMOS will be Hubble's ultimate
legacy for understanding the evolution of both the visible and dark
universe.


FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:


Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary
reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be
investigated.)


HSTAR 9787: GS Acq (1,2,1) Failure to RGA Control 5/113/11:19:28z.
GSAcq (1,2,1) scheduled at 113/11:15:40 failed to enter Fine Lock,
with Search Radius Limit Exceeded at 113/11:19:28. All subsequent
attempts failed. Possible Observations affected: ACS 203-206, NIC
39-43 REAcq's scheduled at 113/12:51:30, 113/14:27:27, 113/16:03:23
all failed to RGA control due to Search Radius Limit Exceeded. Under
investigation.


COMPLETED OPS REQs:
17425-0 Genslew for Proposal 10263 Slot#3 @112/1705z
17426-0 R/T Map @113/1311z
17427-0 R/T Map @113/1612z


OPS NOTES EXECUTED:
1331-0 Change JERRCNT Limit @111/2130z


SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES
FGS
Gsacq 24 23 @113/1119z
(HSTAR#9787)
FGS
Reacq 22 19
@113/1251z,1427z,1603z (HSTAR#9787)
FHST Update 40 40
LOSS of LOCK


SIGNIFICANT EVENTS:


The Hubble Space Telescope Team today celebrates the 15th anniversary
of the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope (April 24, 1990).

[StarLab]

This string had better be pinned. ;) C'mon, mods, you out there?

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science


DAILY REPORT # 3846


PERIOD COVERED: DOY 115


OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED


ACS 10140


Identification of a magnetic anomaly at Jupiter from satellite
footprints


Repeated imaging of Jupiter's aurora has shown that the northern main
oval has a distorted 'kidney bean' shape in the general range of
90-140? System III longitude, which appears unchanged since 1994.
While it is more difficult to observe the conjugate regions in the
southern aurora, no corresponding distortion appears in the south.
Recent improved accuracy in locating the satellite footprint auroral
emissions has provided new information about the geometry of Jupiter's
magnetic field in this and other areas. The study of the magnetic
field provides us with insight into the state of matter and the
dynamics deep down Jupiter. There is currently no other way to do this
from orbit. The persistent pattern of the main oval implies a
disturbance of the local magnetic field, and the increased latitudinal
separation of the locus of satellite footprints from each other and
from the main oval implies a locally weaker field strength. It is
possible that these phenomena result from a magnetic anomaly in
Jupiter's intrinsic magnetic field, as was proposed by A. Dessler in
the 1970's. There is presently only limited evidence from the scarcity
of auroral footprints observed in this longitude range. We propose to
obtain HST UV images with specific observing geometries of Jupiter to
determine the locations of the auroral footprints of Io, Europa, and
Ganymede in cycle 13 to accurately determine the magnetic field
geometry in the suggested anomaly region, and to either confirm or
refute the suggestion of a local magnetic anomaly.


ACS/HRC 10130


Systemic Proper Motions of the Magellanic Clouds from Astrometry with
ACS: II. Second Epoch Images


We request second epoch observations with ACS of Magellanic Cloud
fields centered on the 40 quasars in the LMC and SMC for which we have
first epoch Cycle 11 data. The new data will determine the systemic
proper motion of the Clouds. An extensive astrometric analysis of the
first epoch data shows that follow-up observations with a two year
baseline will allow us to measure the proper motion of the clouds to
within 0.022 mas/year in each of the two orthogonal directions
{assuming that we can image 25 quasars, i.e., with a realistic
Snapshot Program completion rate}. The best weighted combination of
all previous measurements has a seven times larger error than what we
expect. We will determine the proper motion of the clouds with 2%
accuracy. When combined with HI data for the Magellanic Stream this
will constrain both the mass distribution in the Galactic Halo and
theoretical models for the origin of the Magellanic Stream. Previous
measurements are too crude for such constraints. Our data will provide
by far the most accurate proper motion measurement for any Milky Way
satellite.


ACS/HRC 10238


The nature of quasar host galaxies: combining ACS imaging and VLT
Integral Field Spectroscopy.


We propose to perform ACS/F606W imaging of a complete sample of 29
quasar host galaxies {0.08<z<0.34}. The spatial resolving power of the
ACS HRC, in combination with the acquisition of empirical PSFs and
advanced deconvolution techniques, will allow to study in detail
structures on scales of a few tens of parsecs, and to access the inner
regions of the host galaxies, even in the presence of bright nuclei.
We demonstrate that combining deep spectroscopy with high resolution
imaging in stable PSF conditions definitely constitutes the solution
to characterize the complex physical properties of quasar host
galaxies, from their outer regions to the inner 0.1 kpc, where most of
the information on the interplay between quasars and their hosts is
hidden. We propose to combine new ACS images with existing Integral
Field VLT Spectra. We will map the stellar and gas velocity fields in
2D, constrain the mass models, derive the radial host M/L ratios, map
and characterize the stellar populations and the ionization state of
the gas.


ACS/HRC 10377


ACS Earth Flats


High signal sky flats will be obtained by observing the bright Earth
with the HRC and WFC. These observations will be used to verify the
accuracy of the flats currently used by the pipeline and will provide
a comparison with flats derived via other techniques: L- flats from
stellar observations, sky flats from stacked GO observations, and
internal flats using the calibration lamps. Weekly coronagraphic
monitoring is required to assess the changing position of the spots.


ACS/HRC 10396


Star Clusters, Stellar Populations, and the Evolution of the Small
Magellanic Cloud


As the closest star forming dwarf galaxy, the SMC is the preferred
location for detailed studies of this extremely common class of
objects. We therefore propose to use the capabilities of ACS, which
provide an improvement by an order of magnitude over what is possible
with ground-based optical imaging surveys that are limited by
confusion and depth, to measure key stellar population parameters in
the SMC from VI color- magnitude diagrams. Our program focuses on
regions where crowding makes HST essential and includes 7 star
clusters and 7 field star locations. We will measure accurate ages of
the clusters, test stellar evolution models, gain fiducial stellar
sequences to use in fitting the field stars, check the form of the
IMF, and substantially extend the study of RR Lyrae variables in the
key NGC121 SMC globular cluster. The field pointings will allow us to
reconstruct the star formation history, look for enhanced star
formation that is expected when the SMC interacts with the LMC and/or
Milky Way, and compare its main sequence luminosity {and mass}
functions with those of the Milky Way, LMC, and UMi dwarf spheroidal.
This proposal is part of a coordinated HST and ground-based study of
the stellar history and star formation processes in the SMC.


ACS/HRC 10426


High resolution follow-up observations of the microlensing event OGLE
2003-BLG- 235/MOA 2003-BLG-53


We propose high resolution imaging observations using HST/ACS to
confirm that the lens in the microlensing event OGLE 2003-BLG-235/MOA
2003-BLG-53 is a planetary system. Modelling of ground based
photometry of this event yields an extreme mass fraction of 0.004 {ApJ
606, L155}. We aim to use high resolution imaging to isolate the flux
of the lens star from the contributions of neighboring "blended" stars
within 1-2 arcsecs. This will allow us to identify the nature of the
lens star and hence determine the mass of the stellar and planetary
components. The lens is most likely a main sequence star, but other
possibilities cannot be ruled out. High resolution imaging
observations are crucial in identifying the nature of the lens.


ACS/HRC/WFC 10389


ACS CCDs daily monitor - Cycle 13 - Part 2


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.


ACS/WFC 10174


Dark-matter halos and evolution of high-z early-type galaxies


Gravitational lensing and stellar dynamics provide two complementary
methods to determine the mass distribution and evolution of luminous
and dark-matter in early-type {E/S0} galaxies. The combined study of
stellar dynamics and gravitational lensing allows one to break
degeneracies inherent to each method separately, providing a clean
probe of the internal structure of massive galaxies. Since most lens
galaxies are at redshifts z=0.1-1.0, they also provide the required
look-back time to study their structural and stellar-population
evolution. We recently analyzed 5 E/S0 lens galaxies between z=0.5 and
1.0, combining exquisite Hubble Space Telescope imaging data with
kinematic data from ground-based Keck spectroscopy, placing the first
precise constraints on the dark- matter mass fraction and its inner
slope beyond the local Universe. To expand the sample to ~30 systems
-- required to study potential trends and evolution in the E/S0 mass
profiles -- we propose to target the 49 E/S0 lens-galaxy candidates
discovered by Bolton et al. {2004} from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey
{SDSS}. With the average lens rate being 40% and some systems having a
lensing probability close to unity, we expect to discover ~20 strong
gravitational lenses from the sample. This will triple the current
sample of 9 E/S0 systems, with data in hand. With the sample of 30
systems, we will be able to determine the average slope of the
dark-matter and total mass profile of E/S0 galaxies to 10% and 4%
accuracy, respectively. If present, we can simultaneously detect 10%
evolution in the total mass slope with 95% confidence. This will
provide unprecedented constraints on E/S0 galaxies beyond the local
Universe and allow a stringent test of their formation scenarios and
the standard cosmological model.


ACS/WFC 10369


ACS internal CTE monitor


The charge transfer efficiency {CTE} of the ACS CCD detectors will
decline as damage due to on-orbit radiation exposure accumulates. This
degradation will be closely monitored at regular intervals, because it
is likely to determine the useful lifetime of the CCDs. All the data
for this program is acquired using internal targets {lamps} only, so
all of the exposures should be taken during Earth occultation time
{but not during SAA passages}. This program emulates the ACS
pre-flight ground calibration and post-launch SMOV testing {program
8948}, so that results from each epoch can be directly compared.
Extended Pixel Edge Response {EPER} and First Pixel Response {FPR}
data will be obtained over a range of signal levels for both the Wide
Field Channel {WFC}, and the High Resolution Channel {HRC}.


ACS/WFC/NIC2 10189


PANS-Probing Acceleration Now with Supernovae


Type Ia supernovae {SNe Ia} provide the most direct evidence for an
accelerating Universe, a result widely attributed to dark energy.
Using HST in Cycle 11 we extended the Hubble diagram with 6 of the 7
highest-redshift SNe Ia known, all at z>1.25, providing conclusive
evidence of an earlier epoch of cosmic deceleration. The full sample
of 16 new SNe Ia match the cosmic concordance model and are
inconsistent with a simple model of evolution or dust as alternatives
to dark energy. Understanding dark energy may be the biggest current
challenge to cosmology and particle physics. To understand the nature
of dark energy, we seek to measure its two most fundamental
properties: its evolution {i.e., dw/dz}, and its recent equation of
state {i.e., w{z=0}}. SNe Ia at z>1, beyond the reach of the ground
but squarely within the reach of HST with ACS, are crucial to break
the degeneracy in the measurements of these two basic aspects of dark
energy. The SNe Ia we have discovered and measured with HST in Cycle
11, now double the precision of our knowledge of both properties. Here
we propose to quadruple the sample of SNe Ia at z>1 in the next two
cycles, complementing on-going surveys from the ground at z<1, and
again doubling the precision of dark energy constraints. Should the
current best fit model prove to be the correct one, the precision
expected from the current proposal will suffice to rule out a
cosmological constant at the 99% confidence level. Whatever the
result, these objects will provide the basis with which to extend our
empirical knowledge of this newly discovered and dominant component of
the Universe, and will remain one of the most significant legacies of
HST. In addition, our survey and follow-up data will greatly enhance
the value of the archival data within the target Treasury fields for
galaxy studies.


NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 8793


NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 4


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 10359


WFPC2 CYCLE 13 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.


WFPC2 10363


WFPC2 CYCLE 13 Intflat and Visflat Sweeps and Filter Rotation Anomaly
Monitor


Using intflat observations, this WFPC2 proposal is designed to monitor
the pixel-to-pixel flatfield response and provide a linearity check.
The intflat sequences, to be done once during the year, are similar to
those from the Cycle 12 program 10075. The images will provide a
backup database as well as allow monitoring of the gain ratios. The
sweep is a complete set of internal flats, cycling through both
shutter blades and both gains. The linearity test consists of a series
of intflats in F555W, in each gain and each shutter. As in Cycle 12,
we plan to continue to take extra visflat, intflat, and earthflat
exposures to test the repeatability of filter wheel motions.


FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:


Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary
reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be
investigated.) None


COMPLETED OPS REQs:
17428-1 Genslew for Proposal 10263 Slot#4 @115/1906z
17429-0 Genslew for Proposal 10263 Slot#5 @115/1908z


OPS NOTES EXECUTED: None


SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES
FGS Gsacq 09 09
FGS Reacq 09 09
FHST Update 14 14
LOSS of LOCK


SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: None

[StarLab]

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science


DAILY REPORT # 3847


PERIOD COVERED: DOY 116


OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED


ACS/HRC 10185


When does Bipolarity Impose itself on the Extreme Mass Outflows from
AGB Stars? An ACS SNAPshot Survey


Essentially all well-characterized preplanetary nebulae {PPNe} --
objects in transition between the AGB and planetary nebula
evolutionary phases - are bipolar, whereas the mass-loss envelopes of
AGB stars are strikingly spherical. In order to understand the
processes leading to bipolar mass-ejection, we need to know at what
stage of stellar evolution does bipolarity in the mass-loss first
manifest itself? Our previous SNAPshot surveys of a PPNe sample {with
ACS & NICMOS} show that roughly half our targets observed are
resolved, with well-defined bipolar or multipolar morphologies.
Spectroscopic surveys of our sample confirm that these objects have
not yet evolved into planetary nebulae. Thus, the transformation from
spherical to aspherical geometries has already fully developed by the
time these dying stars have become preplanetary nebulae. From this new
and surprising result, we hypothesize that the transformation to
bipolarity begins during the very late AGB phase, and happens very
quickly, just before, or as the stars are evolving off the AGB. We
propose to test this hypothesis quantitatively, through a SNAPshot
imaging survey of very evolved AGB stars which we believe are nascent
preplanetary nebulae; with our target list being drawn from published
lists of AGB stars with detected heavy mass-loss {from millimeter-wave
observations}. This survey is crucial for determining how and when the
bipolar geometry asserts itself. Supporting kinematic observations
using long-slit optical spectroscopy {with the Keck}, millimeter and
radio interferometric observations {with OVRO, VLA & VLBA} are being
undertaken. The results from this survey {together with our previous
work} will allow us to draw general conclusions about the onset of
bipolar mass-ejection during late stellar evolution, and will provide
crucial input for theories of post-AGB stellar evolution. Our survey
will produce an archival legacy of long-standing value for future
studies of dying stars.


ACS/HRC 10255


A Never Before Explored Phase Space: Resolving Close White Dwarf / Red
Dwarf Binaries


We propose an ACS Snapshot imaging survey to resolve a well-defined
sample of highly probable white dwarf plus red dwarf close binaries.
These candidates were selected from a search for white dwarfs with
infrared excess from the 2MASS database. They represent unresolved
systems {separations less than approximately 2" in the 2MASS images}
and are distributed over the whole sky. Our HST+ACS observations will
be sensitive to a separation range {1-20 AU} never before probed by
any means. The proposed study will be the first empirical test of
binary star parameters in the post-AGB phase, and cannot be
accomplished from the ground. By resolving as few as 20 of our ~100
targets with HST, we will be able to characterize the distribution of
orbital semi- major axes and secondary star masses.


ACS/HRC/WFC 10263


SAINTS - Supernova 1987A INTensive Survey


SAINTS is a program to observe SN 1987A, the brightest supernova in
383 years, as it transforms into supernova remnant {SNR} 1987A, the
youngest supernova remnant. HST is the unique and perfect match in
scale and in field for spatially-resolved observations of SN 1987A.
Rapid changes are taking place in a violent encounter between the
fastest-moving debris and the circumstellar ring. This one-time-only
event, leading to suddenly appearing hotspots and new emission that
can reveal previously hidden gas, is powered by shocks that can be
studied simultaneously with HST and with Chandra to great advantage.
Both the optical and X-ray flux from the ring are rising rapidly so
prompt observations are needed in Cycle 13. Our previous observations
reveal a remarkable reverse shock moving upstream through the
expanding debris. The reverse shock provides a powerful tool for
dissecting the radial structure of the vanished star. The debris from
the explosion itself, still excited by radioactivity, is now well
resolved by ACS and seen to be aspherical, providing direct clues to
the mechanism of the explosion. Many questions about SN 1987A remain
unanswered. SAINTS is a comprehensive attempt to use HST to establish
the facts of SN 1987A, help to answer interesting questions, and to
observe the birth of SNR 1987A.


ACS/WFC 10257


Astrometric and Photometric Study of NGC 6397 for Internal Motions,
Dark Binaries, and X-Ray Sources


We propose to observe the central regions of the globular cluster NGC
6397 with ACS/WFC once per month for the 10 months of its visibility
in Cycle 13. The project has three main goals: {1} Measure internal
motions for roughly 3000 stars within 150 arcseconds of the cluster
center, using archival WFPC2 as a first epoch. The motion of the
typical star will be measured to 10-20%. We will detect any central
black hole {BH} with a mass greater than 1000 solar masses, and will
also measure core-collapse signatures such as anisotropy. {2} Conduct
the first-ever search for heavy binaries by looking for the
astrometric "wobble" of the luminous secondary. We should find all
heavy binaries in the field with separations between 1 and 5 AU and
periods between 3 months and 5 years. {3} Search for optical
counterparts to X-ray sources found by Chandra.


ACS/WFC 10369


ACS internal CTE monitor


The charge transfer efficiency {CTE} of the ACS CCD detectors will
decline as damage due to on-orbit radiation exposure accumulates. This
degradation will be closely monitored at regular intervals, because it
is likely to determine the useful lifetime of the CCDs. All the data
for this program is acquired using internal targets {lamps} only, so
all of the exposures should be taken during Earth occultation time
{but not during SAA passages}. This program emulates the ACS
pre-flight ground calibration and post-launch SMOV testing {program
8948}, so that results from each epoch can be directly compared.
Extended Pixel Edge Response {EPER} and First Pixel Response {FPR}
data will be obtained over a range of signal levels for both the Wide
Field Channel {WFC}, and the High Resolution Channel {HRC}.


ACS/WFC/NIC/NIC3/WFPC 10246 2 The HST survey of the Orion Nebula
Cluster


We propose a Treasury Program of 104 HST orbits to perform the
definitive study of the Orion Nebula Cluster, the Rosetta stone of
star formation. We will cover with unprecedented sensitivity {23-25
mag}, dynamic range {~12 mag}, spatial resolution {50mas}, and
simultaneous spectral coverage {5 bands} a ~450 square arcmin field
centered on the Trapezium stars. This represents a tremendous gain
over the shallow WFC1 study made in 1991 with the aberrated HST on an
area ~15 times smaller. We maximize the HST observing efficiency using
ACS/WFC and WFPC2 in parallel with two opposite roll angles, to cover
the same total field. We will assemble the richest, most accurate and
unbiased HR diagram for pre-main-sequence objects ever made. Combined
with the optical spectroscopy already available for ~1000 sources and
new deep near-IR imaging and spectroscopy {that we propose as Joint
HST-NOAO observations}, we will be able to attack and possibly solve
the most compelling questions on stellar evolution: the calibration of
pre-main-sequence evolutionary tracks, mass segration and the
variation of the initial mass function in different environments, the
evolution of mass accretion rates vs. age and environment, disk
dissipation in environments dominated by hard vs. soft-UV radiation,
stellar multiplicity vs. disk fraction. In addition, we expect to
discover and classify an unknown, but substantial, population of
pre-Main Sequence binaries, low mass stars and brown dwarfs down to
~10 MJup. This is also the best possible way to discover dark
silhouette disks in the outskirts of the Orion Nebula and study their
evolutionary status through multicolor imaging. This program is timely
and extremely well leveraged to other programs targeting Orion: the
ACS H-alpha survey of the Orion Nebula, the recently completed 850ks
ultradeep Chandra survey, the large GTO programs to be performed with
SIRTF, plus the availability of 2MASS and various deep JHK surveys of
the core recently done with 8m class telescopes.


ACS/WFC/NIC2 10189


PANS-Probing Acceleration Now with Supernovae


Type Ia supernovae {SNe Ia} provide the most direct evidence for an
accelerating Universe, a result widely attributed to dark energy.
Using HST in Cycle 11 we extended the Hubble diagram with 6 of the 7
highest-redshift SNe Ia known, all at z>1.25, providing conclusive
evidence of an earlier epoch of cosmic deceleration. The full sample
of 16 new SNe Ia match the cosmic concordance model and are
inconsistent with a simple model of evolution or dust as alternatives
to dark energy. Understanding dark energy may be the biggest current
challenge to cosmology and particle physics. To understand the nature
of dark energy, we seek to measure its two most fundamental
properties: its evolution {i.e., dw/dz}, and its recent equation of
state {i.e., w{z=0}}. SNe Ia at z>1, beyond the reach of the ground
but squarely within the reach of HST with ACS, are crucial to break
the degeneracy in the measurements of these two basic aspects of dark
energy. The SNe Ia we have discovered and measured with HST in Cycle
11, now double the precision of our knowledge of both properties. Here
we propose to quadruple the sample of SNe Ia at z>1 in the next two
cycles, complementing on-going surveys from the ground at z<1, and
again doubling the precision of dark energy constraints. Should the
current best fit model prove to be the correct one, the precision
expected from the current proposal will suffice to rule out a
cosmological constant at the 99% confidence level. Whatever the
result, these objects will provide the basis with which to extend our
empirical knowledge of this newly discovered and dominant component of
the Universe, and will remain one of the most significant legacies of
HST. In addition, our survey and follow-up data will greatly enhance
the value of the archival data within the target Treasury fields for
galaxy studies.


ACS/WFC/WFPC2 10092


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey


We will undertake a 2 square degree imaging survey {Cosmic Evolution
Survey -- COSMOS} with ACS in the I {F814W} band of the VIMOS
equatorial field. This wide field survey is essential to understand
the interplay between Large Scale Structure {LSS} evolution and the
formation of galaxies, dark matter and AGNs and is the one region of
parameter space completely unexplored at present by HST. The
equatorial field was selected for its accessibility to all
ground-based telescopes and low IR background and because it will
eventually contain ~100, 000 galaxy spectra from the VLT-VIMOS
instrument. The imaging will detect over 2 million objects with I> 27
mag {AB, 10 sigma}, over 35, 000 Lyman Break Galaxies {LBGs} and
extremely red galaxies out to z ~ 5. COSMOS is the only HST project
specifically designed to probe the formation and evolution of
structures ranging from galaxies up to Coma-size clusters in the epoch
of peak galaxy, AGN, star and cluster formation {z ~0.5 to 3}. The
size of the largest structures necessitate the 2 degree field. Our
team is committed to the assembly of several public ancillary datasets
including the optical spectra, deep XMM and VLA imaging, ground-based
optical/IR imaging, UV imaging from GALEX and IR data from SIRTF.
Combining the full-spectrum multiwavelength imaging and spectroscopic
coverage with ACS sub-kpc resolution, COSMOS will be Hubble's ultimate
legacy for understanding the evolution of both the visible and dark
universe.


NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 8793


NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 4


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.


NIC2 10176


Coronagraphic Survey for Giant Planets Around Nearby Young Stars


A systematic imaging search for extra-solar Jovian planets is now
possible thanks to recent progress in identifying "young stars near
Earth". For most of the proposed young {<~ 30 Myrs} and nearby {<~ 60
pc} targets, we can detect a few Jupiter-mass planets as close as a
few tens of AUs from the primary stars. This represents the first time
that potential analogs of our solar system - that is planetary systems
with giant planets having semi-major axes comparable to those of the
four giant planets of the Solar System - come within the grasp of
existing instrumentation. Our proposed targets have not been observed
for planets with the Hubble Space Telescope previously. Considering
the very successful earlier NICMOS observations of low mass brown
dwarfs and planetary disks among members of the TW Hydrae Association,
a fair fraction of our targets should also turn out to posses low mass
brown dwarfs, giant planets, or dusty planetary disks because our
targets are similar to {or even better than} the TW Hydrae stars in
terms of youth and proximity to Earth. Should HST time be awarded and
planetary mass candidates be found, proper motion follow-up of
candidate planets will be done with ground-based AOs.


NIC3 10337


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey NICMOS Parallels


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey NICMOS Parallels. This program is a
companion to program 10092.


WFPC2 10360


WFPC2 CYCLE 13 INTERNAL MONITOR


This calibration proposal is the Cycle 13 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
{gain 7 and gain 15}, a test for quantum efficiency in the CCDs, and a
monitor for possible buildup of contaminants on the CCD windows.


WFPC2 10363


WFPC2 CYCLE 13 Intflat and Visflat Sweeps and Filter Rotation Anomaly
Monitor


Using intflat observations, this WFPC2 proposal is designed to monitor
the pixel-to-pixel flatfield response and provide a linearity check.
The intflat sequences, to be done once during the year, are similar to
those from the Cycle 12 program 10075. The images will provide a
backup database as well as allow monitoring of the gain ratios. The
sweep is a complete set of internal flats, cycling through both
shutter blades and both gains. The linearity test consists of a series
of intflats in F555W, in each gain and each shutter. As in Cycle 12,
we plan to continue to take extra visflat, intflat, and earthflat
exposures to test the repeatability of filter wheel motions.


FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:


Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary
reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be
investigated.) None


COMPLETED OPS REQs: None


OPS NOTES EXECUTED: None


SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES
FGS Gsacq 07 07
FGS Reacq 10 10
FHST Update 09 09
LOSS of LOCK


SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: None

[StarLab]

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science


DAILY REPORT # 3848


PERIOD COVERED: DOY 117


OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED


ACS/HRC 10199


The Most Massive Galaxies in the Universe: Double Trouble?


We are proposing an HST snapshot survey of 70 objects with velocity
dispersion larger than 350 km/s, selected from the Sloan Digital Sky
Survey. Potentially this sample contains the most massive galaxies in
the Universe. Some of these objects may be superpositions; HST imaging
is the key to determining if they are single and massive or if they
are two objects in projection. The objects which HST imaging shows to
be single objects are interesting because they potentially harbor the
most massive black holes, and because their existence places strong
constraints on galaxy formation models. When combined with ground
based data already in hand, the objects which HST imaging shows are
superpositions provide valuable information about interaction rates of
early- type galaxies as well as their dust content. They also
constrain the allowed parameter space for models of binary
gravitational lenses {such models are currently invoked to explain
discrepancies in the distribution of lensed image flux ratios and
separations}.


ACS/HRC 10255


A Never Before Explored Phase Space: Resolving Close White Dwarf / Red
Dwarf Binaries


We propose an ACS Snapshot imaging survey to resolve a well-defined
sample of highly probable white dwarf plus red dwarf close binaries.
These candidates were selected from a search for white dwarfs with
infrared excess from the 2MASS database. They represent unresolved
systems {separations less than approximately 2" in the 2MASS images}
and are distributed over the whole sky. Our HST+ACS observations will
be sensitive to a separation range {1-20 AU} never before probed by
any means. The proposed study will be the first empirical test of
binary star parameters in the post-AGB phase, and cannot be
accomplished from the ground. By resolving as few as 20 of our ~100
targets with HST, we will be able to characterize the distribution of
orbital semi- major axes and secondary star masses.


ACS/HRC/WFC 10263


SAINTS - Supernova 1987A INTensive Survey


SAINTS is a program to observe SN 1987A, the brightest supernova in
383 years, as it transforms into supernova remnant {SNR} 1987A, the
youngest supernova remnant. HST is the unique and perfect match in
scale and in field for spatially-resolved observations of SN 1987A.
Rapid changes are taking place in a violent encounter between the
fastest-moving debris and the circumstellar ring. This one-time-only
event, leading to suddenly appearing hotspots and new emission that
can reveal previously hidden gas, is powered by shocks that can be
studied simultaneously with HST and with Chandra to great advantage.
Both the optical and X-ray flux from the ring are rising rapidly so
prompt observations are needed in Cycle 13. Our previous observations
reveal a remarkable reverse shock moving upstream through the
expanding debris. The reverse shock provides a powerful tool for
dissecting the radial structure of the vanished star. The debris from
the explosion itself, still excited by radioactivity, is now well
resolved by ACS and seen to be aspherical, providing direct clues to
the mechanism of the explosion. Many questions about SN 1987A remain
unanswered. SAINTS is a comprehensive attempt to use HST to establish
the facts of SN 1987A, help to answer interesting questions, and to
observe the birth of SNR 1987A.


ACS/HRC/WFC 10389


ACS CCDs daily monitor - Cycle 13 - Part 2


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.


ACS/WFC/WFPC2 10092


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey


We will undertake a 2 square degree imaging survey {Cosmic Evolution
Survey -- COSMOS} with ACS in the I {F814W} band of the VIMOS
equatorial field. This wide field survey is essential to understand
the interplay between Large Scale Structure {LSS} evolution and the
formation of galaxies, dark matter and AGNs and is the one region of
parameter space completely unexplored at present by HST. The
equatorial field was selected for its accessibility to all
ground-based telescopes and low IR background and because it will
eventually contain ~100, 000 galaxy spectra from the VLT-VIMOS
instrument. The imaging will detect over 2 million objects with I> 27
mag {AB, 10 sigma}, over 35, 000 Lyman Break Galaxies {LBGs} and
extremely red galaxies out to z ~ 5. COSMOS is the only HST project
specifically designed to probe the formation and evolution of
structures ranging from galaxies up to Coma-size clusters in the epoch
of peak galaxy, AGN, star and cluster formation {z ~0.5 to 3}. The
size of the largest structures necessitate the 2 degree field. Our
team is committed to the assembly of several public ancillary datasets
including the optical spectra, deep XMM and VLA imaging, ground-based
optical/IR imaging, UV imaging from GALEX and IR data from SIRTF.
Combining the full-spectrum multiwavelength imaging and spectroscopic
coverage with ACS sub-kpc resolution, COSMOS will be Hubble's ultimate
legacy for understanding the evolution of both the visible and dark
universe.


NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 8793


NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 4


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 10337


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey NICMOS Parallels


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey NICMOS Parallels. This program is a
companion to program 10092.


FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:


Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary
reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be
investigated.)


HSTAR 9790: GSAcq(2,3,2) returns to SSM control @ 113/22:42:13z. OTA
SE review of PTAS processing reveals GSAcq(2,3,2) at 113/22:42:13
required two attempts to successfully acquire. It reached Fine Lock on
both FGS's at 22:46:44 and returned to SSM control at 22:47:42. It
successfully achieved fine lock at 22:48:38.


HSTAR 9791: ReAcq(2,3,3) requires multiple entries into CT to achieve
DataValid @ 110/00:18:30z. OTA SE review of the PTAS processing found
that the ReAcq(2,3,3) at 110/00:18:30 required 2 CT entries on FGS2
before achieving CT-DV. The ReAcq was successful and no science impact
should have been seen.


COMPLETED OPS REQs:
17430-0 Genslew for Proposal 10263 Slot # 6 @ 117/14:51z


OPS NOTES EXECUTED: None


SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES
FGS Gsacq 12 12
FGS
Reacq 05 05


FHST Update 16 16
LOSS of LOCK


SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: None

[StarLab]

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science


DAILY REPORT # 3849


PERIOD COVERED: DOY 118


OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED


ACS/HRC 10130


Systemic Proper Motions of the Magellanic Clouds from Astrometry with
ACS: II. Second Epoch Images


We request second epoch observations with ACS of Magellanic Cloud
fields centered on the 40 quasars in the LMC and SMC for which we have
first epoch Cycle 11 data. The new data will determine the systemic
proper motion of the Clouds. An extensive astrometric analysis of the
first epoch data shows that follow-up observations with a two year
baseline will allow us to measure the proper motion of the clouds to
within 0.022 mas/year in each of the two orthogonal directions
{assuming that we can image 25 quasars, i.e., with a realistic
Snapshot Program completion rate}. The best weighted combination of
all previous measurements has a seven times larger error than what we
expect. We will determine the proper motion of the clouds with 2%
accuracy. When combined with HI data for the Magellanic Stream this
will constrain both the mass distribution in the Galactic Halo and
theoretical models for the origin of the Magellanic Stream. Previous
measurements are too crude for such constraints. Our data will provide
by far the most accurate proper motion measurement for any Milky Way
satellite.


ACS/HRC/WFC 10263


SAINTS - Supernova 1987A INTensive Survey


SAINTS is a program to observe SN 1987A, the brightest supernova in
383 years, as it transforms into supernova remnant {SNR} 1987A, the
youngest supernova remnant. HST is the unique and perfect match in
scale and in field for spatially-resolved observations of SN 1987A.
Rapid changes are taking place in a violent encounter between the
fastest-moving debris and the circumstellar ring. This one-time-only
event, leading to suddenly appearing hotspots and new emission that
can reveal previously hidden gas, is powered by shocks that can be
studied simultaneously with HST and with Chandra to great advantage.
Both the optical and X-ray flux from the ring are rising rapidly so
prompt observations are needed in Cycle 13. Our previous observations
reveal a remarkable reverse shock moving upstream through the
expanding debris. The reverse shock provides a powerful tool for
dissecting the radial structure of the vanished star. The debris from
the explosion itself, still excited by radioactivity, is now well
resolved by ACS and seen to be aspherical, providing direct clues to
the mechanism of the explosion. Many questions about SN 1987A remain
unanswered. SAINTS is a comprehensive attempt to use HST to establish
the facts of SN 1987A, help to answer interesting questions, and to
observe the birth of SNR 1987A.


ACS/HRC/WFC 10399


Accurate and Robust Calibration of the Extragalactic Distance Scale
with the Maser Galaxy NGC4258 II


The extragalactic distance scale {EDS} is defined by a comparison of
Cepheid Period- Luminosity {PL} relations for nearby galaxies and the
LMC, whose uncertain distance is thereby the SOLE anchor. Studies of
masers orbiting the central black hole in NGC4258 have provided the
most accurate extragalactic distance ever {7.2+/-0.5 Mpc}, and new
radio data and analysis techniques will reduce the uncertainty to <
3.5% {0.07 mag} by 2005. Since this distance is well determined and
based on geometric arguments, NGC4258 can provide a much needed new
anchor for the EDS. Ultimately, the combination of an independent
measurement of H0 and measurements of CMB fluctuations {e.g., WMAP}
can be used to directly constrain cosmological parameters including
the equation of state of dark energy. In our Cycle 12 proposal, we
defined a program spanning two cycles. The Cycle 12 portion was
accepted. We have acquired WFC images and are constructing well
sampled PL relations in 3 colors {BVI}. The purpose of the Cycle 13
observations is to address systematic sources of error and is crucial
for the success of the entire program. To disentangle the effects of
reddening and metallicity, and to characterize the effects of
blending, we require 50 orbits to obtain H-band photometry
{NICMOS/NIC2} and high resolution images {ACS/HRC}.


ACS/WFC/WFPC2 10092


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey


We will undertake a 2 square degree imaging survey {Cosmic Evolution
Survey -- COSMOS} with ACS in the I {F814W} band of the VIMOS
equatorial field. This wide field survey is essential to understand
the interplay between Large Scale Structure {LSS} evolution and the
formation of galaxies, dark matter and AGNs and is the one region of
parameter space completely unexplored at present by HST. The
equatorial field was selected for its accessibility to all
ground-based telescopes and low IR background and because it will
eventually contain ~100, 000 galaxy spectra from the VLT-VIMOS
instrument. The imaging will detect over 2 million objects with I> 27
mag {AB, 10 sigma}, over 35, 000 Lyman Break Galaxies {LBGs} and
extremely red galaxies out to z ~ 5. COSMOS is the only HST project
specifically designed to probe the formation and evolution of
structures ranging from galaxies up to Coma-size clusters in the epoch
of peak galaxy, AGN, star and cluster formation {z ~0.5 to 3}. The
size of the largest structures necessitate the 2 degree field. Our
team is committed to the assembly of several public ancillary datasets
including the optical spectra, deep XMM and VLA imaging, ground-based
optical/IR imaging, UV imaging from GALEX and IR data from SIRTF.
Combining the full-spectrum multiwavelength imaging and spectroscopic
coverage with ACS sub-kpc resolution, COSMOS will be Hubble's ultimate
legacy for understanding the evolution of both the visible and dark
universe.


NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 8793


NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 4


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.


NIC2 10173


Infrared Snapshots of 3CR Radio Galaxies


Radio galaxies are an important class of extragalactic objects: they
are one of the most energetic astrophysical phenomena and they provide
an exceptional probe of the evolving Universe, lying typically in high
density regions but well-represented across a wide redshift range. In
earlier Cycles we carried out extensive HST observations of the 3CR
sources in order to acquire a complete and quantitative inventory of
the structure, contents and evolution of these important objects.
Amongst the results, we discovered new optical jets, dust lanes,
face-on disks with optical jets, and revealed point-like nuclei whose
properties support FR-I/BL Lac unified schemes. Here, we propose to
obtain NICMOS infrared images of 3CR sources with z<0.3 as a major
enhancement to an already superb dataset. We aim to deshroud dusty
galaxies, study the underlying host galaxy free from the distorting
effects of dust, locate hidden regions of star formation and establish
the physical characteristics of the dust itself. We will measure
frequency and spectral energy distributions of point-like nuclei,
expected to be stronger and more prevalent in the IR, seek spectral
turnovers in known synchrotron jets and find new jets. We will
strongly test unified AGN schemes and merge these data with existing
X-ray to radio observations. The resulting database will be an
incredibly valuable resource to the astronomical community for years
to come.


NIC3 10337


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey NICMOS Parallels


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey NICMOS Parallels. This program is a
companion to program 10092.


FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:


Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary
reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be
investigated.) None


COMPLETED OPS REQs: None


OPS NOTES EXECUTED: None


SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES
FGS Gsacq 13 13
FGS
Reacq 03 03


FHST Update 20 20
LOSS of LOCK


SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: None

[StarLab]

First one for this week enjoy! ;)

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science


DAILY REPORT # 3850


PERIOD COVERED: DOY 119-121


OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED


NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 8793


NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 4


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.


ACS/HRC/WFC 10436


Black Hole Growth and the Black Hole Mass -- Bulge Relations for AGNs


Recent work has shown that the mass of a black hole is tightly
correlated with the bulge mass of its host galaxy. This relation needs
to be understood in the context of black hole growth in its active
phase. Highly accreting AGNs, like narrow line Seyfert 1 galaxies
{NLS1s}, are found to lie below the black hole mass -- bulge velocity
dispersion correlation of normal galaxies and broad line AGNs. This
result was obtained using FWHM{[OIII]} as a surrogate for the bulge
velocity dispersion. To test this result we propose to obtain high
resolution images of 10 NLS1s that do not lie on the black hole
mass--sigma relation and measure accurate bulge parameters {luminosity
and effective radius}. We will obtain an alternate handle on the bulge
velocity dispersion through the fundamental plane relations and also
find the locus of these NLS1s on the black hole mass--bulge luminosity
plane. Testing this result is crucial to understanding the role of
accretion on black hole growth, the observed correlations of the black
hole mass with the bulge, and the formation and evolution of galaxies.


ACS/WFC/WFPC2 10402


The Formation and Evolution of Spirals: An ACS and WFPC2 Imaging
Survey of Nearby Galaxies


Over 50% of galaxies in the local universe are spirals. Yet the star
formation histories and evolution of this crucial population remain
poorly understood. We propose to combine archival data with new
ACS/WFC and WFPC2 observations of 11 galaxies, to tackle a
comprehensive investigation of nearby spirals covering the entire
spiral sequence. The new observations will fill a serious deficiency
in HST's legacy, and maximize the scientific return of existing HST
data. The filter combination of UBVI, and Halpha is ideal for studying
stellar populations, dust properties, and the ISM. Our immediate
scientific objectives are: {i} to use the resolved cluster
populations, both young massive clusters and ancient globular clusters
as a chronometer, to understand how spirals assembled as a function of
time; {ii} study the rapid disruption properties of young clusters;
and {iii} understand dust distributions in spirals from pc to kpc
scales. Each of these goals provides an important step towards
charting the evolution of galaxies, and an essential baseline for
interpreting the galaxy populations being surveyed in both the early
and present universe. The resolution of our survey, which exploits the
excellent imaging capabilities of HST's two optical cameras, will
enable us to understand the record of star cluster, and galaxy
formation in a level of detail which is not possible for more distant
systems. Finally, the proposed observations will provide a key to
interpret an extensive, multiwavelength archive of space- and ground-
based data at lower spatial resolution {SPITZER, CHANDRA, GALEX,
NICMOS P alpha and H band imaging} for local spirals.


ACS/HRC/WFC 10399


Accurate and Robust Calibration of the Extragalactic Distance Scale
with the Maser Galaxy NGC4258 II


The extragalactic distance scale {EDS} is defined by a comparison of
Cepheid Period-Luminosity {PL} relations for nearby galaxies and the
LMC, whose uncertain distance is thereby the SOLE anchor. Studies of
masers orbiting the central black hole in NGC4258 have provided the
most accurate extragalactic distance ever {7.2+/-0.5 Mpc}, and new
radio data and analysis techniques will reduce the uncertainty to <
3.5% {0.07 mag} by 2005. Since this distance is well determined and
based on geometric arguments, NGC4258 can provide a much needed new
anchor for the EDS. Ultimately, the combination of an independent
measurement of H0 and measurements of CMB fluctuations {e.g., WMAP}
can be used to directly constrain cosmological parameters including
the equation of state of dark energy. In our Cycle 12 proposal, we
defined a program spanning two cycles. The Cycle 12 portion was
accepted. We have acquired WFC images and are constructing well
sampled PL relations in 3 colors {BVI}. The purpose of the Cycle 13
observations is to address systematic sources of error and is crucial
for the success of the entire program. To disentangle the effects of
reddening and metallicity, and to characterize the effects of
blending, we require 50 orbits to obtain H-band photometry
{NICMOS/NIC2} and high resolution images {ACS/HRC}.


ACS/HRC/WFC 10389


ACS CCDs daily monitor - Cycle 13 - Part 2


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.


FGS 10387


Monitoring FGS1r's Interferometric Response as a Function of Spectral
Color


This proposal obtains reference point source Transfer Functions
{S-Curves} for FGS1r through the F583W filter and the F5ND attenuator
at the center position of the FGS1r FOV for a variety of stars of
different spectral types. These Transfer Functions are needed to
support the analysis of GO science data for the study of close and
wide binary star systems and for determining the angular size and
shape of extended sources. This proposal observes stars that have been
observed in previous cycles to monitor the long term evolution of the
FGS1r S-curves. This proposal also {1} monitors the FGS1r Lateral
Color response {using stars Latcol-A and Latcol-B}, {2} calibrates the
"Pos/Trans" bias of a star's position as determined from Transfer mode
and Position mode observations, and {3} calibrates the shift of a
star's centroid when observed with F5ND relative to that when observed
with F583W.


ACS/HRC/WFC/WFPC2 10384


Focus Monitor


The focus of HST is measured from WFPC2/PC and ACS/HRC images of
stars. Multiple exposures are taken in parallel over an orbit to
determine the influence of breathing on the derived mean focus.
Observations are taken of clusters with suitable orientations to
ensure stars appear in all fields.


ACS/WFC 10378


ACS Polarimetry Calibration


Observations are made of the Boomerang Nebula {highly polarized
reflection nebula} to calibrate the ACS polarizers.


ACS/WFC 10374


ACS photometric Stability


This program consists of three parts. In the first part we will
observe a subset of the ACS white dwarfs with HRC and ACS to verify
repeatability to ~0.2%, because the filter shifts are based on
photometric differences between stars of ~1%. These observations are
also required to establish relative magnitudes of the primary WD
standards at the 0.1% level. Targets should be GD153 and G191B2B,
which seems to have the largest V mag error of ~0.008 mag. One orbit
on the most important filters, including the grism and the prisms,
should be expended with each camera for both stars for a total of 4
orbits. In the second part will observe with HRC and WFC a solar
analog star, P330E, to estimate any shifts in the short and the long
wavelength cutoffs of selected filters. Complete filter bandpasses can
be derived directly from the ratio of grism observations with and
without the filter in place. The grism is on filter wheel 1, while
four filters of interest F330W, F344N, F660N, and F814W are on wheel
2. Each grism observation requires 3 settings: filter alone,
filter+grism, and grism alone. In the third part we obtain high S/N
photometric and spectroscopic observations of three red stars, VB-8
{M7}, 2M0038+18 {L3.5} and 2M0559-14 {T5} with HRC and WFC to verify
the photometry at the new standard position and to obtain accurate
calibration {1% or better} of the grism spectra.


ACS/WFC 10361


Earth Flats


This proposal monitors flatfield stability. This proposal obtains
sequences of Earth streak flats to construct high quality flat fields
for the WFPC2 filter set. These flat fields will allow mapping of the
OTA illumination pattern and will be used in conjunction with previous
internal and external flats to generate new pipeline superflats. These
Earth flats will complement the Earth flat data obtained during cycles
4-12.


NIC3 10337


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey NICMOS Parallels


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey NICMOS Parallels. This program is a
companion to program 10092.


ACS/HRC 10272


A Snapshot Survey of the Sites of Recent, Nearby Supernovae


During the past few years, robotic {or nearly robotic} searches for
supernovae {SNe}, most notably our Lick Observatory Supernova Search
{LOSS}, have found hundreds of SNe, many of them in quite nearby
galaxies {cz < 4000 km/s}. Most of the objects were discovered before
maximum brightness, and have follow-up photometry and spectroscopy;
they include some of the best-studied SNe to date. We propose to
conduct a snapshot imaging survey of the sites of some of these nearby
objects, to obtain late-time photometry that {through the shape of the
light and color curves} will help reveal the origin of their lingering
energy. The images will also provide high-resolution information on
the local environment of SNe that are far superior to what we can
procure from the ground. For example, we will obtain color-color and
color-magnitude diagrams of stars in these SN sites, to determine
their progenitor masses and constraints on the reddening. Recovery of
the SNe in the new HST images will also allow us to actually pinpoint
their progenitor stars in cases where pre-explosion images exist in
the HST archive. Use of ACS rather than WFPC2 will make our snapshot
survey even more valuable than our Cycle 9 survey. This Proposal is
complementary to our Cycle 13 archival proposal, in which we outline a
plan for using existing HST images to glean information about SN
environments.


ACS/HRC 10255


A Never Before Explored Phase Space: Resolving Close White Dwarf / Red
Dwarf


We propose an ACS Snapshot imaging survey to resolve a well-defined
sample of highly probable white dwarf plus red dwarf close binaries.
These candidates were selected from a search for white dwarfs with
infrared excess from the 2MASS database. They represent unresolved
systems {separations less than approximately 2" in the 2MASS images}
and are distributed over the whole sky. Our HST+ACS observations will
be sensitive to a separation range {1-20 AU} never before probed by
any means. The proposed study will be the first empirical test of
binary star parameters in the post-AGB phase, and cannot be
accomplished from the ground. By resolving as few as 20 of our ~100
targets with HST, we will be able to characterize the distribution of
orbital semi-major axes and secondary star masses.


ACS/HRC 10199


The Most Massive Galaxies in the Universe: Double Trouble?


We are proposing an HST snapshot survey of 70 objects with velocity
dispersion larger than 350 km/s, selected from the Sloan Digital Sky
Survey. Potentially this sample contains the most massive galaxies in
the Universe. Some of these objects may be superpositions; HST imaging
is the key to determining if they are single and massive or if they
are two objects in projection. The objects which HST imaging shows to
be single objects are interesting because they potentially harbor the
most massive black holes, and because their existence places strong
constraints on galaxy formation models. When combined with ground
based data already in hand, the objects which HST imaging shows are
superpositions provide valuable information about interaction rates of
early-type galaxies as well as their dust content. They also constrain
the allowed parameter space for models of binary gravitational lenses
{such models are currently invoked to explain discrepancies in the
distribution of lensed image flux ratios and separations}.


ACS/WFC/NIC2 10189


PANS-Probing Acceleration Now with Supernovae


Type Ia supernovae {SNe Ia} provide the most direct evidence for an
accelerating Universe, a result widely attributed to dark energy.
Using HST in Cycle 11 we extended the Hubble diagram with 6 of the 7
highest-redshift SNe Ia known, all at z>1.25, providing conclusive
evidence of an earlier epoch of cosmic deceleration. The full sample
of 16 new SNe Ia match the cosmic concordance model and are
inconsistent with a simple model of evolution or dust as alternatives
to dark energy. Understanding dark energy may be the biggest current
challenge to cosmology and particle physics. To understand the nature
of dark energy, we seek to measure its two most fundamental
properties: its evolution {i.e., dw/dz}, and its recent equation of
state {i.e., w{z=0}}. SNe Ia at z>1, beyond the reach of the ground
but squarely within the reach of HST with ACS, are crucial to break
the degeneracy in the measurements of these two basic aspects of dark
energy. The SNe Ia we have discovered and measured with HST in Cycle
11, now double the precision of our knowledge of both properties. Here
we propose to quadruple the sample of SNe Ia at z>1 in the next two
cycles, complementing on-going surveys from the ground at z<1, and
again doubling the precision of dark energy constraints. Should the
current best fit model prove to be the correct one, the precision
expected from the current proposal will suffice to rule out a
cosmological constant at the 99% confidence level. Whatever the
result, these objects will provide the basis with which to extend our
empirical knowledge of this newly discovered and dominant component of
the Universe, and will remain one of the most significant legacies of
HST. In addition, our survey and follow-up data will greatly enhance
the value of the archival data within the target Treasury fields for
galaxy studies.


ACS/HRC 10185


When does Bipolarity Impose itself on the Extreme Mass Outflows from
AGB Stars? An ACS SNAPshot Survey


Essentially all well-characterized preplanetary nebulae {PPNe} --
objects in transition between the AGB and planetary nebula
evolutionary phases - are bipolar, whereas the mass-loss envelopes of
AGB stars are strikingly spherical. In order to understand the
processes leading to bipolar mass-ejection, we need to know at what
stage of stellar evolution does bipolarity in the mass-loss first
manifest itself? Our previous SNAPshot surveys of a PPNe sample {with
ACS & NICMOS} show that roughly half our targets observed are
resolved, with well-defined bipolar or multipolar morphologies.
Spectroscopic surveys of our sample confirm that these objects have
not yet evolved into planetary nebulae. Thus, the transformation from
spherical to aspherical geometries has already fully developed by the
time these dying stars have become preplanetary nebulae. From this new
and surprising result, we hypothesize that the transformation to
bipolarity begins during the very late AGB phase, and happens very
quickly, just before, or as the stars are evolving off the AGB. We
propose to test this hypothesis quantitatively, through a SNAPshot
imaging survey of very evolved AGB stars which we believe are nascent
preplanetary nebulae; with our target list being drawn from published
lists of AGB stars with detected heavy mass-loss {from millimeter-wave
observations}. This survey is crucial for determining how and when the
bipolar geometry asserts itself. Supporting kinematic observations
using long-slit optical spectroscopy {with the Keck}, millimeter and
radio interferometric observations {with OVRO, VLA & VLBA} are being
undertaken. The results from this survey {together with our previous
work} will allow us to draw general conclusions about the onset of
bipolar mass-ejection during late stellar evolution, and will provide
crucial input for theories of post-AGB stellar evolution. Our survey
will produce an archival legacy of long-standing value for future
studies of dying stars.


NIC2 10177


Solar Systems In Formation: A NICMOS Coronagraphic Survey of
Protoplanetary and Debris Disks


Until recently, despite decades of concerted effort applied to
understanding the formation processes that gave birth to our solar
system, the detailed morphology of circumstellar material that must
eventually form planets has been virtually impossible to discern. The
advent of high contrast, coronagraphic imaging as implemented with the
instruments aboard HST has dramatically enhanced our understanding of
natal planetary system formation. Even so, only a handful of evolved
disks {~ 1 Myr and older} have been imaged and spatially resolved in
light scattered from their constituent grains. To elucidate the
physical processes and properties in potentially planet-forming
circumstellar disks, and to understand the nature and evolution of
their grains, a larger spatially resolved and photometrically reliable
sample of such systems must be observed. Thus, we propose a highly
sensitive circumstellar disk imaging survey of a well-defined and
carefully selected sample of YSOs {1-10 Myr T Tau and HAeBe stars} and
{> app 10 Myr} main sequence stars, to probe the posited epoch of
planetary system formation, and to provide this critically needed
imagery. Our resolved images will shed light on the spatial
distributions of the dust in these thermally emissive disks. In
combination with their long wavelength SEDs the physical properties of
the grains will be discerned, or constrained by our photometrically
accurate surface brightness sensitivity limits for faint disks which
elude detection. Our sample builds on the success of the exploratory
GTO 7233 program, using two-roll per orbit PSF- subtracted NICMOS
coronagraphy to provide the highest detection sensitivity to the
smallest disks around bright stars which can be imaged with HST. Our
sample will discriminate between proposed evolutionary scenarios while
providing a legacy of cataloged morphologies for interpreting mid- and
far-IR SEDs that the recently launched Spitzer Space Telescope will
deliver.


ACS/WFC 10152


A Snapshot Survey of a Complete Sample of X-ray Luminous Galaxy
Clusters from Redshift 0.3 to 0.7


We propose a public, uniform imaging survey of a well-studied,
complete, and homogeneous sample of X-ray clusters. The sample of 73
clusters spans the redshift range between 0.3-0.7. The samples spans
almost 2 orders of magnitude of X-ray luminosity, where half of the
sample has X-ray luminosities greater than 10^44 erg/s {0.5-2.0 keV}.
These snapshots will be used to obtain a fair census of the the
morphology of cluster galaxies in the cores of clusters, to detect
radial and tangential arc candidates, to detect optical jet
candidates, and to provide an approximate estimate of the shear signal
of the clusters themselves, and potentially an assessment of the
contribution of large scale structure to lensing shear.


NIC1 10143


Ultracool companions to the nearest L dwarfs


We propose to conduct the most sensitive survey to date for low mass
companions to nearby L dwarfs. We will use NICMOS to image targets
drawn from a volume- complete sample of 70 L dwarfs within 20 parsecs.
The combination of infrared imaging and proximity will allow us to
search for T dwarf companions at separations as small as 1.6 AU. This
is crucial, since no ultracool binaries are currently known with
separations exceeding 15 AU. Only 10 dwarfs in this sample have
previous HST observations primarily at optical wavelengths. With the
increased sensitivity of our survey, we will provide the most
stringent test to date of brown dwarf models which envisage formation
as ejected stellar embryos. In addition, our observations will be
capable of detecting binaries with mass ratios as low as 0.3, and will
therefore also test the apparent preference for equal-mass ultracool
binaries. Finally, our observations offer the best prospect to date of
detecting companions significantly cooler than the coolest t dwarf
currently known.


ACS/WFC/WFPC2 10092


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey


We will undertake a 2 square degree imaging survey {Cosmic Evolution
Survey -- COSMOS} with ACS in the I {F814W} band of the VIMOS
equatorial field. This wide field survey is essential to understand
the interplay between Large Scale Structure {LSS} evolution and the
formation of galaxies, dark matter and AGNs and is the one region of
parameter space completely unexplored at present by HST. The
equatorial field was selected for its accessibility to all
ground-based telescopes and low IR background and because it will
eventually contain ~100, 000 galaxy spectra from the VLT-VIMOS
instrument. The imaging will detect over 2 million objects with I> 27
mag {AB, 10 sigma}, over 35, 000 Lyman Break Galaxies {LBGs} and
extremely red galaxies out to z ~ 5. COSMOS is the only HST project
specifically designed to probe the formation and evolution of
structures ranging from galaxies up to Coma-size clusters in the epoch
of peak galaxy, AGN, star and cluster formation {z ~0.5 to 3}. The
size of the largest structures necessitate the 2 degree field. Our
team is committed to the assembly of several public ancillary datasets
including the optical spectra, deep XMM and VLA imaging, ground-based
optical/IR imaging, UV imaging from GALEX and IR data from SIRTF.
Combining the full-spectrum multiwavelength imaging and spectroscopic
coverage with ACS sub-kpc resolution, COSMOS will be Hubble's ultimate
legacy for understanding the evolution of both the visible and dark
universe.


FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:


Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary
reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be
investigated.)


HSTARS:
9792 - ACS 935 SEMAPHORE_TIMEOUT @ 122/0847z
At 122/08:47:11, ACS 935 status
buffer message P=35, T=21313 was received during ACS/WFC Obs. This is a
routine status buffer message. This is Semaphore_Timeout. This results
when the Take Data Flag goes down during CCD Post-Flash or a Filter
wheel, Fold Mechanism, or Calibration door move.


COMPLETED OPS REQUEST:
17431-1 - NICMOS EEPROM and EDAC dump @122/00:49:49z


COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)


SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES
FGS Gsacq 38 38
FGS
Reacq 14 14
FHST Update 57 57
LOSS of LOCK


SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: None

[StarLab]

Sorry, it's been a while, but here's the next one! ;) :

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science


DAILY REPORT #3851


PERIOD COVERED: DOY 122


OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED


ACS/HRC 10198


Probing the Dynamics of the Galactic Bar through the Kinematics of
Microlensed Stars


The observed optical depths to microlensing of stars in the Galactic
bulge are difficult to reconcile with our present understanding of
Galactic dynamics. The main source of uncertainty in those comparisons
is now shifting from microlensing measurements to the dynamical models
of the Galactic bar. We propose to constrain the Galactic bar models
with proper motion observations of Bulge stars that underwent
microlensing by determining both the kinematic identity of the
microlensed sources and the importance of streaming motions. The
lensed stars are typically farther than randomly selected stars.
Therefore, our proper motion determinations for 36 targeted MACHO
events will provide valuable constraints on the dynamics of bulge
stars as a function of distance. The first epoch data for our proposed
events is already available in the HST archive so the project can be
completed within a single HST cycle. The exceptional spatial
resolution of HST is essential for completion of the project.
Constraints on the total mass in the bulge will ultimately lead to the
determination of the amount of dark matter in inner Galaxy.


ACS/HRC 10272


A Snapshot Survey of the Sites of Recent, Nearby Supernovae


During the past few years, robotic {or nearly robotic} searches for
supernovae {SNe}, most notably our Lick Observatory Supernova Search
{LOSS}, have found hundreds of SNe, many of them in quite nearby
galaxies {cz < 4000 km/s}. Most of the objects were discovered before
maximum brightness, and have follow-up photometry and spectroscopy;
they include some of the best-studied SNe to date. We propose to
conduct a snapshot imaging survey of the sites of some of these nearby
objects, to obtain late-time photometry that {through the shape of the
light and color curves} will help reveal the origin of their lingering
energy. The images will also provide high-resolution information on
the local environment of SNe that are far superior to what we can
procure from the ground. For example, we will obtain color-color and
color-magnitude diagrams of stars in these SN sites, to determine
their progenitor masses and constraints on the reddening. Recovery of
the SNe in the new HST images will also allow us to actually pinpoint
their progenitor stars in cases where pre-explosion images exist in
the HST archive. Use of ACS rather than WFPC2 will make our snapshot
survey even more valuable than our Cycle 9 survey. This Proposal is
complementary to our Cycle 13 archival proposal, in which we outline a
plan for using existing HST images to glean information about SN
environments.


ACS/HRC/WFC 10389


ACS CCDs daily monitor - Cycle 13 - Part 2


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.


ACS/WFC 10361


Earth Flats


This proposal monitors flatfield stability. This proposal obtains
sequences of Earth streak flats to construct high quality flat fields
for the WFPC2 filter set. These flat fields will allow mapping of the
OTA illumination pattern and will be used in conjunction with previous
internal and external flats to generate new pipeline superflats. These
Earth flats will complement the Earth flat data obtained during cycles
4-12.


ACS/WFC/HRS 10371


ACS CCD Flash Calibration


This activity provides a set of CCD FLASH exposure reference images
for each current level/shutter-side/detector combination, for the pair
of FLASH LEDs on the instrument side currently in use. It also tests
the short-term repeatability at the shortest FLASH exposure times that
are expected to be used {1.0 sec}.


ACS/WFC/NIC2 10189


PANS-Probing Acceleration Now with Supernovae


Type Ia supernovae {SNe Ia} provide the most direct evidence for an
accelerating Universe, a result widely attributed to dark energy.
Using HST in Cycle 11 we extended the Hubble diagram with 6 of the 7
highest-redshift SNe Ia known, all at z>1.25, providing conclusive
evidence of an earlier epoch of cosmic deceleration. The full sample
of 16 new SNe Ia match the cosmic concordance model and are
inconsistent with a simple model of evolution or dust as alternatives
to dark energy. Understanding dark energy may be the biggest current
challenge to cosmology and particle physics. To understand the nature
of dark energy, we seek to measure its two most fundamental
properties: its evolution {i.e., dw/dz}, and its recent equation of
state {i.e., w{z=0}}. SNe Ia at z>1, beyond the reach of the ground
but squarely within the reach of HST with ACS, are crucial to break
the degeneracy in the measurements of these two basic aspects of dark
energy. The SNe Ia we have discovered and measured with HST in Cycle
11, now double the precision of our knowledge of both properties. Here
we propose to quadruple the sample of SNe Ia at z>1 in the next two
cycles, complementing on-going surveys from the ground at z<1, and
again doubling the precision of dark energy constraints. Should the
current best fit model prove to be the correct one, the precision
expected from the current proposal will suffice to rule out a
cosmological constant at the 99% confidence level. Whatever the
result, these objects will provide the basis with which to extend our
empirical knowledge of this newly discovered and dominant component of
the Universe, and will remain one of the most significant legacies of
HST. In addition, our survey and follow-up data will greatly enhance
the value of the archival data within the target Treasury fields for
galaxy studies.


ACS/WFC/WFPC2 10092


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey


We will undertake a 2 square degree imaging survey {Cosmic Evolution
Survey -- COSMOS} with ACS in the I {F814W} band of the VIMOS
equatorial field. This wide field survey is essential to understand
the interplay between Large Scale Structure {LSS} evolution and the
formation of galaxies, dark matter and AGNs and is the one region of
parameter space completely unexplored at present by HST. The
equatorial field was selected for its accessibility to all
ground-based telescopes and low IR background and because it will
eventually contain ~100, 000 galaxy spectra from the VLT-VIMOS
instrument. The imaging will detect over 2 million objects with I> 27
mag {AB, 10 sigma}, over 35, 000 Lyman Break Galaxies {LBGs} and
extremely red galaxies out to z ~ 5. COSMOS is the only HST project
specifically designed to probe the formation and evolution of
structures ranging from galaxies up to Coma-size clusters in the epoch
of peak galaxy, AGN, star and cluster formation {z ~0.5 to 3}. The
size of the largest structures necessitate the 2 degree field. Our
team is committed to the assembly of several public ancillary datasets
including the optical spectra, deep XMM and VLA imaging, ground-based
optical/IR imaging, UV imaging from GALEX and IR data from SIRTF.
Combining the full-spectrum multiwavelength imaging and spectroscopic
coverage with ACS sub-kpc resolution, COSMOS will be Hubble's ultimate
legacy for understanding the evolution of both the visible and dark
universe.


FGS 10197


The Astrophysical Parameters of Very Metal-Poor Halo Binaries


Little is currently known concerning the mass-luminosity relation
{MLR} of Population II stars. In Cycle 10, we began an initial study
with FGS1 to resolve a sample of known spectroscopic binaries
preselected as high-velocity and/or low metallicity objects. This has
resulted in significant new information about the astrophysical
parameters of metal-poor stars, but was limited mainly to intermediate
metallicities, not to true Population II stars. A new sample of
metal-poor spectroscopic binaries identified by Latham and his
collaborators {e.g. Latham et al 2002} contains three new very
metal-poor objects resolvable with FGS. We propose to observe these
binaries and obtain additional observations of two very important
resolved targets from our initial sample. As with that program, we
will couple the already-known spectroscopic orbits with astrometric
information which only FGS can deliver at present. To ensure that the
most will be gained from these data, we also request observations of
three metal-poor single stars to be used as calibration objects. In
combination with results from our previous program, these observations
can be expected to resolve the question of the location of the
Population II main sequence and give valuable insight into the
accuracy of isochrone fitting for determination of globular clusters
ages. Due to the combination of target magnitudes and expected
separations, no object in this sample can be resolved without the
unique capabilities of FGS.


NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 8793


NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 4


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.


NIC2 10176


Coronagraphic Survey for Giant Planets Around Nearby Young Stars


A systematic imaging search for extra-solar Jovian planets is now
possible thanks to recent progress in identifying "young stars near
Earth". For most of the proposed young {<~ 30 Myrs} and nearby {<~ 60
pc} targets, we can detect a few Jupiter-mass planets as close as a
few tens of AUs from the primary stars. This represents the first time
that potential analogs of our solar system - that is planetary systems
with giant planets having semi-major axes comparable to those of the
four giant planets of the Solar System - come within the grasp of
existing instrumentation. Our proposed targets have not been observed
for planets with the Hubble Space Telescope previously. Considering
the very successful earlier NICMOS observations of low mass brown
dwarfs and planetary disks among members of the TW Hydrae Association,
a fair fraction of our targets should also turn out to posses low mass
brown dwarfs, giant planets, or dusty planetary disks because our
targets are similar to {or even better than} the TW Hydrae stars in
terms of youth and proximity to Earth. Should HST time be awarded and
planetary mass candidates be found, proper motion follow-up of
candidate planets will be done with ground-based AOs.


NIC2 10177


Solar Systems In Formation: A NICMOS Coronagraphic Survey of
Protoplanetary and Debris Disks Until recently, despite decades of
concerted effort applied to understanding the formation processes that
gave birth to our solar system, the detailed morphology of
circumstellar material that must eventually form planets has been
virtually impossible to discern. The advent of high contrast,
coronagraphic imaging as implemented with the instruments aboard HST
has dramatically enhanced our understanding of natal planetary system
formation. Even so, only a handful of evolved disks {~ 1 Myr and
older} have been imaged and spatially resolved in light scattered from
their constituent grains. To elucidate the physical processes and
properties in potentially planet-forming circumstellar disks, and to
understand the nature and evolution of their grains, a larger
spatially resolved and photometrically reliable sample of such systems
must be observed. Thus, we propose a highly sensitive circumstellar
disk imaging survey of a well-defined and carefully selected sample of
YSOs {1-10 Myr T Tau and HAeBe stars} and {> app 10 Myr} main sequence
stars, to probe the posited epoch of planetary system formation, and
to provide this critically needed imagery. Our resolved images will
shed light on the spatial distributions of the dust in these thermally
emissive disks. In combination with their long wavelength SEDs the
physical properties of the grains will be discerned, or constrained by
our photometrically accurate surface brightness sensitivity limits for
faint disks which elude detection. Our sample builds on the success of
the exploratory GTO 7233 program, using two-roll per orbit PSF-
subtracted NICMOS coronagraphy to provide the highest detection
sensitivity to the smallest disks around bright stars which can be
imaged with HST. Our sample will discriminate between proposed
evolutionary scenarios while providing a legacy of cataloged
morphologies for interpreting mid- and far-IR SEDs that the recently
launched Spitzer Space Telescope will deliver.


NIC3 10337


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey NICMOS Parallels


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey NICMOS Parallels. This program is a
companion to program 10092.


WFPC2 10132


UV Confirmation of New Quasar Sightlines Suitable for the Study of
Intergalactic Helium


The reionization of intergalactic helium is thought to have occurred
between redshifts of about 3 and 4. The study of HeII Lyman-alpha
absorption towards a half- dozen quasars at 2.7<z<3.5 demonstrates the
great potential of such probes of the IGM, but the current
critically-small sample limits confidence in resulting cosmological
inferences. The requisite unobscured quasar sightlines to
high-redshift are extremely rare, especially due to severe absorption
in random intervening Lyman-limit systems, but SDSS provides hundreds
of bright, new quasars at such redshifts potentially suitable for HeII
studies. Our cycle 13 SNAP program proposes to verify the UV
detectability of 40 new, bright, z>2.9 SDSS quasars, but with special
emphasis on extending helium studies to the highest redshift
sightlines. Our proposed approach has already proven successful, and
additional sightlines will enable follow-up spectal observations to
measure the spectrum and evolution of the ionizing background
radiation, the density of intergalactic baryons, and the epoch of
reionization of the IGM.


WFPC2 10356


WFPC2 Cycle 13 Decontaminations and Associated Observations


This proposal is for the monthly WFPC2 decons. Also included are
instrument monitors tied to decons: photometric stability check, focus
monitor, pre- and post- decon internals {bias, intflats, kspots, &
darks}, UV throughput check, VISFLAT sweep, and internal UV flat
check.


WFPC2 10362


WFPC2 Cycle 13 UV Earth Flats


Monitor flat field stability. This proposal obtains sequences of earth
streak flats to improve the quality of pipeline flat fields for the
WFPC2 UV filter set. These Earth flats will complement the UV earth
flat data obtained during cycles 8-12.


FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:


Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary
reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be
investigated.)


HSTARS:


9793 - GSacq(1,2,2) Results in Fine Lock Backup GSacq(2,0,2) @
122/15:37:54z GSACQ(1,2,2) scheduled for 122/15:37:54 - 15:45:05
resulted in Fine Lock on FGS 2 only due to scan step limit exceeded on
FGS 1. The previous Updated scheduled at 15:06, 15:09 both passed with
small attitude error. The following map scheduled for 16:03:11 showed
attitude errors of: -3.161, -6.965 and -5.453 arcsec.


COMPLETED OPS REQUEST: (None)


COMPLETED OPS NOTES:
1333-0 - Change JERRCNT Limit @ 122/15:21z


SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES
FGS Gsacq 13 13
FGS
Reacq 05 05
FHST Update 21 21
LOSS of LOCK


SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)

[StarLab]

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science


DAILY REPORT #3852


PERIOD COVERED: DOY 123


OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED


ACS/HRC 10259


Planetary nebulae in the SMC: a study of stellar evolution and
populations in an extremely low-metallicity environment


The final phase of the evolution of low- and intermediate-mass stars,
the planetary nebula {PN} ejection, is thought to largely contribute
to the carbon and nitrogen enrichment in galaxies, in particular in
old stellar populations. Stellar generations forming from a carbon-
and nitrogen-enriched medium are a necessary condition for planetary
and life formation. It is essential to understand how stars go through
the process of shedding their chemically-enriched shells, and to test
the predictions of stellar evolution theory on the relationship
between stellar mass and elemental enrichment. Magellanic Cloud PNs
are ideal probes for this study. Their abundances can be directly
related to the mass of the central stars and to that of the stellar
progenitor, without the great {distance and reddening} uncertainties
that affect Galactic PNs. The UV lines are essential for calculating
the abundances of the element related to stellar evolution {C, N, O}
and to progenitor populations {e.g., Ne}. We propose to acquire UV
spectroscopy of the SMC PNs whose morphology and central star
properties has been previously determined by us with HST. We will
derive the {C, N, O} abundance-to-mass relation, and determine the
extent to which the mass of the progenitors of asymmetric PNs exceed
that of symmetric PNs. We will also test the PN luminosity function,
and probe cosmic recycling, in a very low-metallicity environment.


ACS/WFC/NIC2 10189


PANS-Probing Acceleration Now with Supernovae


Type Ia supernovae {SNe Ia} provide the most direct evidence for an
accelerating Universe, a result widely attributed to dark energy.
Using HST in Cycle 11 we extended the Hubble diagram with 6 of the 7
highest-redshift SNe Ia known, all at z>1.25, providing conclusive
evidence of an earlier epoch of cosmic deceleration. The full sample
of 16 new SNe Ia match the cosmic concordance model and are
inconsistent with a simple model of evolution or dust as alternatives
to dark energy. Understanding dark energy may be the biggest current
challenge to cosmology and particle physics. To understand the nature
of dark energy, we seek to measure its two most fundamental
properties: its evolution {i.e., dw/dz}, and its recent equation of
state {i.e., w{z=0}}. SNe Ia at z>1, beyond the reach of the ground
but squarely within the reach of HST with ACS, are crucial to break
the degeneracy in the measurements of these two basic aspects of dark
energy. The SNe Ia we have discovered and measured with HST in Cycle
11, now double the precision of our knowledge of both properties. Here
we propose to quadruple the sample of SNe Ia at z>1 in the next two
cycles, complementing on-going surveys from the ground at z<1, and
again doubling the precision of dark energy constraints. Should the
current best fit model prove to be the correct one, the precision
expected from the current proposal will suffice to rule out a
cosmological constant at the 99% confidence level. Whatever the
result, these objects will provide the basis with which to extend our
empirical knowledge of this newly discovered and dominant component of
the Universe, and will remain one of the most significant legacies of
HST. In addition, our survey and follow-up data will greatly enhance
the value of the archival data within the target Treasury fields for
galaxy studies.


ACS/WFC/WFPC2 10092


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey


We will undertake a 2 square degree imaging survey {Cosmic Evolution
Survey -- COSMOS} with ACS in the I {F814W} band of the VIMOS
equatorial field. This wide field survey is essential to understand
the interplay between Large Scale Structure {LSS} evolution and the
formation of galaxies, dark matter and AGNs and is the one region of
parameter space completely unexplored at present by HST. The
equatorial field was selected for its accessibility to all
ground-based telescopes and low IR background and because it will
eventually contain ~100, 000 galaxy spectra from the VLT-VIMOS
instrument. The imaging will detect over 2 million objects with I> 27
mag {AB, 10 sigma}, over 35, 000 Lyman Break Galaxies {LBGs} and
extremely red galaxies out to z ~ 5. COSMOS is the only HST project
specifically designed to probe the formation and evolution of
structures ranging from galaxies up to Coma-size clusters in the epoch
of peak galaxy, AGN, star and cluster formation {z ~0.5 to 3}. The
size of the largest structures necessitate the 2 degree field. Our
team is committed to the assembly of several public ancillary datasets
including the optical spectra, deep XMM and VLA imaging, ground-based
optical/IR imaging, UV imaging from GALEX and IR data from SIRTF.
Combining the full-spectrum multiwavelength imaging and spectroscopic
coverage with ACS sub-kpc resolution, COSMOS will be Hubble's ultimate
legacy for understanding the evolution of both the visible and dark
universe.


FGS 10432


Precise Distances to Nearby Planetary Nebulae


We propose to carry out astrometry with the FGS to obtain accurate and
precise distances to four nearby planetary nebulae. In 1992, Cahn et
al. noted that ``The distances to Galactic planetary nebulae remain a
serious, if not THE most serious, problem in the field, despite
decades of study.'' Twelve years later, the same statement still
applies. Because the distances to planetary nebulae are so uncertain,
our understanding of their masses, luminosities, scale height, birth
rate, and evolutionary state is severely limited. To help remedy this
problem, HST astrometry can guarantee parallaxes with half the error
of any other available approach. These data, when combined with
parallax measurements from the USNO, will improve distance
measurements by more than a factor of two, producing more accurate
distances with uncertainties that are of the order of ~6%. Lastly,
most planetary nebula distance scales in the literature are
statistical. They require several anchor points of known distance in
order to calibrate their zero point. Our program will provide "gold
standard" anchor points by the end of 2006, a decade before any
anticipated results from future space astrometry missions.


NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 8793


NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 4


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.


NIC2 10173


Infrared Snapshots of 3CR Radio Galaxies


Radio galaxies are an important class of extragalactic objects: they
are one of the most energetic astrophysical phenomena and they provide
an exceptional probe of the evolving Universe, lying typically in high
density regions but well-represented across a wide redshift range. In
earlier Cycles we carried out extensive HST observations of the 3CR
sources in order to acquire a complete and quantitative inventory of
the structure, contents and evolution of these important objects.
Amongst the results, we discovered new optical jets, dust lanes,
face-on disks with optical jets, and revealed point-like nuclei whose
properties support FR-I/BL Lac unified schemes. Here, we propose to
obtain NICMOS infrared images of 3CR sources with z<0.3 as a major
enhancement to an already superb dataset. We aim to deshroud dusty
galaxies, study the underlying host galaxy free from the distorting
effects of dust, locate hidden regions of star formation and establish
the physical characteristics of the dust itself. We will measure
frequency and spectral energy distributions of point-like nuclei,
expected to be stronger and more prevalent in the IR, seek spectral
turnovers in known synchrotron jets and find new jets. We will
strongly test unified AGN schemes and merge these data with existing
X-ray to radio observations. The resulting database will be an
incredibly valuable resource to the astronomical community for years
to come.


NIC3 10337


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey NICMOS Parallels


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey NICMOS Parallels. This program is a
companion to program 10092.


WFPC2 10356


WFPC2 Cycle 13 Decontaminations and Associated Observations


This proposal is for the monthly WFPC2 decons. Also included are
instrument monitors tied to decons: photometric stability check, focus
monitor, pre- and post- decon internals {bias, intflats, kspots, &
darks}, UV throughput check, VISFLAT sweep, and internal UV flat
check.


FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:


Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary
reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be
investigated.)


HSTARS:


9794 - Unable to log on the A/string HSTNET desktop 124/01:40z FOT was
unable to log on the A/string HSTNET desktop on NT1,6,7. Response Team
had GDOC to run the External GUI Server partial recycle procedure. The
problem was cleared. FOT was able to bring up the CCS pages.


COMPLETED OPS REQUEST: (None)


COMPLETED OPS NOTES:
1334-0 - Turn Limits ON for certain OTA @ 123/09:16z


SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES
FGS Gsacq 06 06
FGS
Reacq 11 11
FHST Update 10 10
LOSS of LOCK


SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)

[StarLab]

Next one: ;)


HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science


DAILY REPORT # 3853


PERIOD COVERED: DOY 124


OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED


ACS/HRC/WFC 10389


ACS CCDs daily monitor - Cycle 13 - Part 2


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.


ACS/WFC/WFPC2 10092


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey


We will undertake a 2 square degree imaging survey {Cosmic Evolution
Survey -- COSMOS} with ACS in the I {F814W} band of the VIMOS
equatorial field. This wide field survey is essential to understand
the interplay between Large Scale Structure {LSS} evolution and the
formation of galaxies, dark matter and AGNs and is the one region of
parameter space completely unexplored at present by HST. The
equatorial field was selected for its accessibility to all
ground-based telescopes and low IR background and because it will
eventually contain ~100, 000 galaxy spectra from the VLT-VIMOS
instrument. The imaging will detect over 2 million objects with I> 27
mag {AB, 10 sigma}, over 35, 000 Lyman Break Galaxies {LBGs} and
extremely red galaxies out to z ~ 5. COSMOS is the only HST project
specifically designed to probe the formation and evolution of
structures ranging from galaxies up to Coma-size clusters in the epoch
of peak galaxy, AGN, star and cluster formation {z ~0.5 to 3}. The
size of the largest structures necessitate the 2 degree field. Our
team is committed to the assembly of several public ancillary datasets
including the optical spectra, deep XMM and VLA imaging, ground-based
optical/IR imaging, UV imaging from GALEX and IR data from SIRTF.
Combining the full-spectrum multiwavelength imaging and spectroscopic
coverage with ACS sub-kpc resolution, COSMOS will be Hubble's ultimate
legacy for understanding the evolution of both the visible and dark
universe.


NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 8793


NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 4


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.


NIC2 10176


Coronagraphic Survey for Giant Planets Around Nearby Young Stars


A systematic imaging search for extra-solar Jovian planets is now
possible thanks to recent progress in identifying "young stars near
Earth". For most of the proposed young {<~ 30 Myrs} and nearby {<~ 60
pc} targets, we can detect a few Jupiter-mass planets as close as a
few tens of AUs from the primary stars. This represents the first time
that potential analogs of our solar system - that is planetary systems
with giant planets having semi-major axes comparable to those of the
four giant planets of the Solar System - come within the grasp of
existing instrumentation. Our proposed targets have not been observed
for planets with the Hubble Space Telescope previously. Considering
the very successful earlier NICMOS observations of low mass brown
dwarfs and planetary disks among members of the TW Hydrae Association,
a fair fraction of our targets should also turn out to posses low mass
brown dwarfs, giant planets, or dusty planetary disks because our
targets are similar to {or even better than} the TW Hydrae stars in
terms of youth and proximity to Earth. Should HST time be awarded and
planetary mass candidates be found, proper motion follow-up of
candidate planets will be done with ground-based AOs.


NIC3 10337


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey NICMOS Parallels


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey NICMOS Parallels. This program is a
companion to program 10092.


NIC3/WFPC2 10277


Ages and Metallicities of the Intergalactic Globular Cluster
Population in Abell 1185


We will obtain deep NICMOS observations of a recently discovered
population of intergalactic globular clusters in the nearby galaxy
cluster Abell 1185. These H band observations in conjunction with deep
V and I images that we obtained with ACS in Cycle 11 will allow us to
measure the ages and metallicities of these objects from their optical
and near-infrared colors, which will provide important insights to
their origin. We will also obtain parallel observations with both ACS
and WFPC2. ACS parallel observations will be used to obtain deep
images to search for intergalactic globular clusters in a different
region of Abell 1185. WFPC2 parallel observations will be used to
obtain images of interacting galaxy pair Arp 105, to search for
globular clusters currently being ejected into intergalactic space as
a result of this encounter.


WFPC2 10132


UV Confirmation of New Quasar Sightlines Suitable for the Study of
Intergalactic Helium The reionization of intergalactic helium is
thought to have occurred between redshifts of about 3 and 4. The study
of HeII Lyman-alpha absorption towards a half- dozen quasars at
2.7<z<3.5 demonstrates the great potential of such probes of the IGM,
but the current critically-small sample limits confidence in resulting
cosmological inferences. The requisite unobscured quasar sightlines to
high-redshift are extremely rare, especially due to severe absorption
in random intervening Lyman-limit systems, but SDSS provides hundreds
of bright, new quasars at such redshifts potentially suitable for HeII
studies. Our cycle 13 SNAP program proposes to verify the UV
detectability of 40 new, bright, z>2.9 SDSS quasars, but with special
emphasis on extending helium studies to the highest redshift
sightlines. Our proposed approach has already proven successful, and
additional sightlines will enable follow-up spectal observations to
measure the spectrum and evolution of the ionizing background
radiation, the density of intergalactic baryons, and the epoch of
reionization of the IGM.


FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:


Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary
reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be
investigated.)


HSTARS:


9795 - ReAcq(1,0,1) requires multiple CT entries @ 116/19:07:03z OTA
SE review of the PTAS processing found that the ReAcq(1,0,1) at
116/19:07:03 required 3 CT entries on FGS1 before achieving CT-DV. The
ReAcq was successful and no science impact should have been seen.


9796 - Guide Star ReAquisition Fails Due to Scan Step Limit Exceeded @
124/19:00:25z Guide Star ReAquisition, Reacq1,2,2, using FGS 1 and 2,
at 124/19:00:25, failed to RGA control, Due to Scan Step Limite
Exceeded on FGS 1.


9797 - ReAcq(1,0,1) requires multiple CT entries @ 117/03:27:24z OTA
SE review of the PTAS processing found that the ReAcq(1,0,1) at
117/03:27:24 required 8 CT entries on FGS1 before achieving CT-DV. The
ReAcq was successful and no science impact should have been seen.


9798 - U2,3RD Roll Delay Update Failed on FHST 2 @ 125/07:10:25z FHST
Roll Delay Update U2,3RD scheduled at 125/07:09:32 failed with error
box results indicating "2 failed" for mnemonics QEBSTFG0, QEBSTFG1,
QEBSTFG2. 486 status buffer message 901 was received at 07:10:25.
GSACQ(1,2,2) at 07:24:03 was successful.


COMPLETED OPS REQUEST: (None)


COMPLETED OPS NOTES:
915-3 - HSTAR Requirements for FHST Map/Update Failures @ 125/07:10:25z
900-1 - Command Problem @ 125/08:40:02z


SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES
FGS Gsacq 12 12
FGS Reacq 06 05 124/19:00:25z
FHST Update 13 12 125/07:10:25z
LOSS of LOCK


SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)

[StarLab]

Wow...looks like they don't have much to say today... :blink:

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science


DAILY REPORT # 3854


PERIOD COVERED: DOY 125


OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED


ACS/HRC 10377


ACS Earth Flats


High signal sky flats will be obtained by observing the bright Earth
with the HRC and WFC. These observations will be used to verify the
accuracy of the flats currently used by the pipeline and will provide
a comparison with flats derived via other techniques: L-flats from
stellar observations, sky flats from stacked GO observations, and
internal flats using the calibration lamps. Weekly coronagraphic
monitoring is required to assess the changing position of the spots.


ACS/WFC 10152


A Snapshot Survey of a Complete Sample of X-ray Luminous Galaxy
Clusters from Redshift 0.3 to 0.7


We propose a public, uniform imaging survey of a well-studied,
complete, and homogeneous sample of X-ray clusters. The sample of 73
clusters spans the redshift range between 0.3-0.7. The samples spans
almost 2 orders of magnitude of X-ray luminosity, where half of the
sample has X-ray luminosities greater than 10^44 erg/s {0.5-2.0 keV}.
These snapshots will be used to obtain a fair census of the the
morphology of cluster galaxies in the cores of clusters, to detect
radial and tangential arc candidates, to detect optical jet
candidates, and to provide an approximate estimate of the shear signal
of the clusters themselves, and potentially an assessment of the
contribution of large scale structure to lensing shear.


ACS/WFC/WFPC2 10092


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey


We will undertake a 2 square degree imaging survey {Cosmic Evolution
Survey -- COSMOS} with ACS in the I {F814W} band of the VIMOS
equatorial field. This wide field survey is essential to understand
the interplay between Large Scale Structure {LSS} evolution and the
formation of galaxies, dark matter and AGNs and is the one region of
parameter space completely unexplored at present by HST. The
equatorial field was selected for its accessibility to all
ground-based telescopes and low IR background and because it will
eventually contain ~100, 000 galaxy spectra from the VLT-VIMOS
instrument. The imaging will detect over 2 million objects with I> 27
mag {AB, 10 sigma}, over 35, 000 Lyman Break Galaxies {LBGs} and
extremely red galaxies out to z ~ 5. COSMOS is the only HST project
specifically designed to probe the formation and evolution of
structures ranging from galaxies up to Coma-size clusters in the epoch
of peak galaxy, AGN, star and cluster formation {z ~0.5 to 3}. The
size of the largest structures necessitate the 2 degree field. Our
team is committed to the assembly of several public ancillary datasets
including the optical spectra, deep XMM and VLA imaging, ground-based
optical/IR imaging, UV imaging from GALEX and IR data from SIRTF.
Combining the full-spectrum multiwavelength imaging and spectroscopic
coverage with ACS sub-kpc resolution, COSMOS will be Hubble's ultimate
legacy for understanding the evolution of both the visible and dark
universe.


FGS 10432


Precise Distances to Nearby Planetary Nebulae


We propose to carry out astrometry with the FGS to obtain accurate and
precise distances to four nearby planetary nebulae. In 1992, Cahn et
al. noted that ``The distances to Galactic planetary nebulae remain a
serious, if not THE most serious, problem in the field, despite
decades of study.'' Twelve years later, the same statement still
applies. Because the distances to planetary nebulae are so uncertain,
our understanding of their masses, luminosities, scale height, birth
rate, and evolutionary state is severely limited. To help remedy this
problem, HST astrometry can guarantee parallaxes with half the error
of any other available approach. These data, when combined with
parallax measurements from the USNO, will improve distance
measurements by more than a factor of two, producing more accurate
distances with uncertainties that are of the order of ~6%. Lastly,
most planetary nebula distance scales in the literature are
statistical. They require several anchor points of known distance in
order to calibrate their zero point. Our program will provide "gold
standard" anchor points by the end of 2006, a decade before any
anticipated results from future space astrometry missions.


NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 10381


Photometric Stability


This NICMOS calibration proposal carries out photometric monitoring
observations during Cycle 13. The format of the program is identical
to that of the Cycle 12 program 9995


NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 8793


NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 4


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 10337


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey NICMOS Parallels


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey NICMOS Parallels. This program is a
companion to program 10092.


FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:


Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary
reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be
investigated.)


HSTARS:


9800 - GSAcq (1,3,1) Results in Fine Lock Backup GSAcq (1,0,1) @
125/14:01:07z GSAcq (1,3,1) scheduled for 125/13:53:51 - 14:01:07
resulted in Fine Lock on FGS 1 only due to scan step limit exceeded on
FGS 3. The previous updates scheduled at 13:36 and 13:39 both passed
with small attitude error. The following map scheduled for 14:30:xx
showed attitude errors of: -1.026, -7.212 and -1.703 arcsec.


COMPLETED OPS REQUEST: (None)


COMPLETED OPS NOTES:
0900-1 - Command Problem @ 125/20:16:44z
0900-1 - Command Problem @ 125/20:22:23z
1335-0 - EPS Limit Changes During High Sun Time @ 126/0600z


SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES
FGS Gsacq 13 13
FGS Reacq 03 03
FHST Update 17 17
LOSS of LOCK


SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)

[StarLab]

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science


DAILY REPORT # 3855


PERIOD COVERED: DOY 126 - 128


OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED


NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 8793


NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 4


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.


ACS/HRC/WFC 10436


Black Hole Growth and the Black Hole Mass -- Bulge Relations for AGNs


Recent work has shown that the mass of a black hole is tightly
correlated with the bulge mass of its host galaxy. This relation needs
to be understood in the context of black hole growth in its active
phase. Highly accreting AGNs, like narrow line Seyfert 1 galaxies
{NLS1s}, are found to lie below the black hole mass -- bulge velocity
dispersion correlation of normal galaxies and broad line AGNs. This
result was obtained using FWHM{[OIII]} as a surrogate for the bulge
velocity dispersion. To test this result we propose to obtain high
resolution images of 10 NLS1s that do not lie on the black hole
mass--sigma relation and measure accurate bulge parameters {luminosity
and effective radius}. We will obtain an alternate handle on the bulge
velocity dispersion through the fundamental plane relations and also
find the locus of these NLS1s on the black hole mass--bulge luminosity
plane. Testing this result is crucial to understanding the role of
accretion on black hole growth, the observed correlations of the black
hole mass with the bulge, and the formation and evolution of galaxies.


ACS/WFC 10429


Streaming Towards Shapley: The Mass of the Richest Galaxy
Concentration in the Local Universe


The 600 km/s motion of the Local Group {LG} with respect to the cosmic
microwave background {CMB} is now known to high accuracy. However, its
precise origin remains poorly understood. The contribution to the
motion from the pull of the rich Shapley supercluster at z = 0.048 is
particularly controversial. This extreme mass concentration contains
more than 20 Abell clusters within 35 Mpc of its very rich central
cluster A3558, and is recognized as both the optically richest and the
most X-ray luminous structure in the local {z < 0.1} universe. Yet,
published values for the mass of Shapley continue to differ by an
order of magnitude, and recent estimates of its pull on the LG range
from negligible {20 km/s} to highly significant {300 km/s or more}.
Here we propose to resolve this key issue by using ACS to measure
high- precision surface brightness fluctuation {SBF} distances in
order to make a direct measurement of the infall towards Shapley. We
will target three Shapley foreground clusters where the infall is
expected to be high {possibly 1000 km/s or more}, as well as the
Shapley core, in order to test the assumption that it is at rest in
the CMB. Prior to ACS, the Shapley region was unreachable for SBF, but
ACS doubles the distance range of the SBF method with HST, enabling
the distances to be measured to the required accuracy. The proposed
measurements will place a firm limit on the largest mass fluctuation
in the nearby universe and finally determine its contribution to the
observed CMB dipole.


ACS/HRC 10398


Transcending Voyager: A Deeper Look at Neptune's Ring-Moon System


We will use the High Resolution Channel {HRC} of ACS to study the
inner rings, arcs and moons of Neptune with a sensitivity that exceeds
that achieved by Voyager 2 during its 1989 flyby. Our study will
reveal any moons down to V magnitude 25.5, to address a peculiar
truncation in the size distribution of inner moons and to look for the
"shepherds" and source bodies for Neptune's dusty rings. {For
comparison, Neptune's smallest known moon is Naiad, at magnitude
23.9}. Recent ground-based studies show that the mysterious arcs in
the Adams Ring continue to shift and change, and may be fading away
entirely. We will obtain the visual-band data uniquely necessary to
determine whether the arcs are fading. Long-term monitoring of the
arcs at high resolution and sensitivity will reveal their gradual
changes more clearly and enable us to assess the role of Galatea,
whose resonances are widely believed to confine the arcs.


ACS/HRC/WFC 10389


ACS CCDs daily monitor - Cycle 13 - Part 2


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.


WFPC2 10356


WFPC2 Cycle 13 Decontaminations and Associated Observations


This proposal is for the monthly WFPC2 decons. Also included are
instrument monitors tied to decons: photometric stability check, focus
monitor, pre- and post- decon internals {bias, intflats, kspots, &
darks}, UV throughput check, VISFLAT sweep, and internal UV flat
check.


NIC3 10337


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey NICMOS Parallels


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey NICMOS Parallels. This program is a
companion to program 10092.


ACS/HRC 10185


When does Bipolarity Impose itself on the Extreme Mass Outflows from
AGB Stars? An ACS SNAPshot Survey


Essentially all well-characterized preplanetary nebulae {PPNe} --
objects in transition between the AGB and planetary nebula
evolutionary phases - are bipolar, whereas the mass-loss envelopes of
AGB stars are strikingly spherical. In order to understand the
processes leading to bipolar mass-ejection, we need to know at what
stage of stellar evolution does bipolarity in the mass-loss first
manifest itself? Our previous SNAPshot surveys of a PPNe sample {with
ACS & NICMOS} show that roughly half our targets observed are
resolved, with well-defined bipolar or multipolar morphologies.
Spectroscopic surveys of our sample confirm that these objects have
not yet evolved into planetary nebulae. Thus, the transformation from
spherical to aspherical geometries has already fully developed by the
time these dying stars have become preplanetary nebulae. From this new
and surprising result, we hypothesize that the transformation to
bipolarity begins during the very late AGB phase, and happens very
quickly, just before, or as the stars are evolving off the AGB. We
propose to test this hypothesis quantitatively, through a SNAPshot
imaging survey of very evolved AGB stars which we believe are nascent
preplanetary nebulae; with our target list being drawn from published
lists of AGB stars with detected heavy mass-loss {from millimeter-wave
observations}. This survey is crucial for determining how and when the
bipolar geometry asserts itself. Supporting kinematic observations
using long-slit optical spectroscopy {with the Keck}, millimeter and
radio interferometric observations {with OVRO, VLA & VLBA} are being
undertaken. The results from this survey {together with our previous
work} will allow us to draw general conclusions about the onset of
bipolar mass-ejection during late stellar evolution, and will provide
crucial input for theories of post-AGB stellar evolution. Our survey
will produce an archival legacy of long-standing value for future
studies of dying stars.


NIC2 10177


Solar Systems In Formation: A NICMOS Coronagraphic Survey of
Protoplanetary and Debris Disks


Until recently, despite decades of concerted effort applied to
understanding the formation processes that gave birth to our solar
system, the detailed morphology of circumstellar material that must
eventually form planets has been virtually impossible to discern. The
advent of high contrast, coronagraphic imaging as implemented with the
instruments aboard HST has dramatically enhanced our understanding of
natal planetary system formation. Even so, only a handful of evolved
disks {~ 1 Myr and older} have been imaged and spatially resolved in
light scattered from their constituent grains. To elucidate the
physical processes and properties in potentially planet-forming
circumstellar disks, and to understand the nature and evolution of
their grains, a larger spatially resolved and photometrically reliable
sample of such systems must be observed. Thus, we propose a highly
sensitive circumstellar disk imaging survey of a well-defined and
carefully selected sample of YSOs {1-10 Myr T Tau and HAeBe stars} and
{> app 10 Myr} main sequence stars, to probe the posited epoch of
planetary system formation, and to provide this critically needed
imagery. Our resolved images will shed light on the spatial
distributions of the dust in these thermally emissive disks. In
combination with their long wavelength SEDs the physical properties of
the grains will be discerned, or constrained by our photometrically
accurate surface brightness sensitivity limits for faint disks which
elude detection. Our sample builds on the success of the exploratory
GTO 7233 program, using two-roll per orbit PSF- subtracted NICMOS
coronagraphy to provide the highest detection sensitivity to the
smallest disks around bright stars which can be imaged with HST. Our
sample will discriminate between proposed evolutionary scenarios while
providing a legacy of cataloged morphologies for interpreting mid- and
far-IR SEDs that the recently launched Spitzer Space Telescope will
deliver.


NIC2 10176


Coronagraphic Survey for Giant Planets Around Nearby Young Stars


A systematic imaging search for extra-solar Jovian planets is now
possible thanks to recent progress in identifying "young stars near
Earth". For most of the proposed young {<~ 30 Myrs} and nearby {<~ 60
pc} targets, we can detect a few Jupiter-mass planets as close as a
few tens of AUs from the primary stars. This represents the first time
that potential analogs of our solar system - that is planetary systems
with giant planets having semi-major axes comparable to those of the
four giant planets of the Solar System - come within the grasp of
existing instrumentation. Our proposed targets have not been observed
for planets with the Hubble Space Telescope previously. Considering
the very successful earlier NICMOS observations of low mass brown
dwarfs and planetary disks among members of the TW Hydrae Association,
a fair fraction of our targets should also turn out to posses low mass
brown dwarfs, giant planets, or dusty planetary disks because our
targets are similar to {or even better than} the TW Hydrae stars in
terms of youth and proximity to Earth. Should HST time be awarded and
planetary mass candidates be found, proper motion follow-up of
candidate planets will be done with ground-based AOs.


ACS/WFC 10174


Dark-matter halos and evolution of high-z early-type galaxies


Gravitational lensing and stellar dynamics provide two complementary
methods to determine the mass distribution and evolution of luminous
and dark-matter in early- type {E/S0} galaxies. The combined study of
stellar dynamics and gravitational lensing allows one to break
degeneracies inherent to each method separately, providing a clean
probe of the internal structure of massive galaxies. Since most lens
galaxies are at redshifts z=0.1-1.0, they also provide the required
look-back time to study their structural and stellar-population
evolution. We recently analyzed 5 E/S0 lens galaxies between z=0.5 and
1.0, combining exquisite Hubble Space Telescope imaging data with
kinematic data from ground-based Keck spectroscopy, placing the first
precise constraints on the dark-matter mass fraction and its inner
slope beyond the local Universe. To expand the sample to ~30 systems
-- required to study potential trends and evolution in the E/S0 mass
profiles -- we propose to target the 49 E/S0 lens-galaxy candidates
discovered by Bolton et al. {2004} from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey
{SDSS}. With the average lens rate being 40% and some systems having a
lensing probability close to unity, we expect to discover ~20 strong
gravitational lenses from the sample. This will triple the current
sample of 9 E/S0 systems, with data in hand. With the sample of 30
systems, we will be able to determine the average slope of the
dark-matter and total mass profile of E/S0 galaxies to 10% and 4%
accuracy, respectively. If present, we can simultaneously detect 10%
evolution in the total mass slope with 95% confidence. This will
provide unprecedented constraints on E/S0 galaxies beyond the local
Universe and allow a stringent test of their formation scenarios and
the standard cosmological model.


ACS 10140


Identification of a magnetic anomaly at Jupiter from satellite
footprints


Repeated imaging of Jupiter's aurora has shown that the northern main
oval has a distorted 'kidney bean' shape in the general range of
90-140? System III longitude, which appears unchanged since 1994.
While it is more difficult to observe the conjugate regions in the
southern aurora, no corresponding distortion appears in the south.
Recent improved accuracy in locating the satellite footprint auroral
emissions has provided new information about the geometry of Jupiter's
magnetic field in this and other areas. The study of the magnetic
field provides us with insight into the state of matter and the
dynamics deep down Jupiter. There is currently no other way to do this
from orbit. The persistent pattern of the main oval implies a
disturbance of the local magnetic field, and the increased latitudinal
separation of the locus of satellite footprints from each other and
from the main oval implies a locally weaker field strength. It is
possible that these phenomena result from a magnetic anomaly in
Jupiter's intrinsic magnetic field, as was proposed by A. Dessler in
the 1970's. There is presently only limited evidence from the scarcity
of auroral footprints observed in this longitude range. We propose to
obtain HST UV images with specific observing geometries of Jupiter to
determine the locations of the auroral footprints of Io, Europa, and
Ganymede in cycle 13 to accurately determine the magnetic field
geometry in the suggested anomaly region, and to either confirm or
refute the suggestion of a local magnetic anomaly.


ACS/WFC/WFPC2 10092


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey


We will undertake a 2 square degree imaging survey {Cosmic Evolution
Survey -- COSMOS} with ACS in the I {F814W} band of the VIMOS
equatorial field. This wide field survey is essential to understand
the interplay between Large Scale Structure {LSS} evolution and the
formation of galaxies, dark matter and AGNs and is the one region of
parameter space completely unexplored at present by HST. The
equatorial field was selected for its accessibility to all
ground-based telescopes and low IR background and because it will
eventually contain ~100, 000 galaxy spectra from the VLT-VIMOS
instrument. The imaging will detect over 2 million objects with I> 27
mag {AB, 10 sigma}, over 35, 000 Lyman Break Galaxies {LBGs} and
extremely red galaxies out to z ~ 5. COSMOS is the only HST project
specifically designed to probe the formation and evolution of
structures ranging from galaxies up to Coma-size clusters in the epoch
of peak galaxy, AGN, star and cluster formation {z ~0.5 to 3}. The
size of the largest structures necessitate the 2 degree field. Our
team is committed to the assembly of several public ancillary datasets
including the optical spectra, deep XMM and VLA imaging, ground-based
optical/IR imaging, UV imaging from GALEX and IR data from SIRTF.
Combining the full-spectrum multiwavelength imaging and spectroscopic
coverage with ACS sub-kpc resolution, COSMOS will be Hubble's ultimate
legacy for understanding the evolution of both the visible and dark
universe.


FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:


Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary
reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be
investigated.)


HSTARS:


9801 - GSACQ(1,2,2) fine lock backup, search radius limit exceeded on
FGS 2 @ 126/09:38:25z GSACQ(1,2,2) at 126/09:34:06 failed to fine lock
backup on FGS 1 due to Search Radius Limit Exceeded on FGS 2 at
09:38:25. Additional acquisition attempts also failed at 09:39:15 and
09:40:43. FHST map at 09:43:00 showed attitude errors of 16.645,
-7.867, -1.279.


9803 - Event Failed To Configure at STGT @ 127/09:09:45z (Ref: CDS
#39445) Due to an equipment failure at STGT. The MA ADPE hung at event
start time and caused HST to lose 36 minutes and 29 second of R/T 32
kb data non-recoverable. Anomaly start 127/09:09:45z Anomaly stop
127/09:47:14z. CDS # 39445.


COMPLETED OPS REQUEST: (None)


COMPLETED OPS NOTES:
0916-0 - Tabulation of Slew Attitude Error (Miss-distance) @ 129/0211z
0915-3 - HSTAR Requirements for FHST Map/Update Failures @ 129/0214z
0900-1 - COMMAND PROBLEM @ 128/18:35:39z
0900-1 - COMMAND PROBLEM @ 129/08:29:58z


SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES
FGS Gsacq 31 31
FGS Reacq 16 16
FHST Update 44 43 129/02:14:38z
LOSS of LOCK


SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)

[StarLab]

Hooray, onto our third page of Hubble Updates - Yippee! B) :) ;)

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science


DAILY REPORT #3856


PERIOD COVERED: DOY 129


OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED


ACS/HRC 10133


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 2003 its brightness has increased twenty-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 monitoring during Cycle 13, as well as 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. This monitoring is continued into Cycles
14 and 15. 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. Revisions 6 Oct 2004:
We are replacing STIS visits 1-7 with ACS/HRC observations in new
visits 31- 37.


ACS/HRC/WFC 9405


The Origin of Gamma-Ray Bursts


The rapid and accurate localization of gamma-ray bursts {GRBs}
promised by a working HETE-2 during the coming year may well
revolutionize our ability to study these enigmatic, highly luminous
transients. We propose a program of HST and Chandra observations to
capitalize on this extraordinary opportunity. We will perform some of
the most stringent tests yet of the standard model, in which GRBs
represent collimated relativistic outflows from collapsing massive
stars. NICMOS imaging will detect broad atomic features of supernovae
underlying GRB optical transients, at luminosities more than three
times fainter than SN 1998bw. UV, optical, and X-ray spectroscopy will
be used to study the local ISM around the GRB. Chandra spectroscopy
will investigate whether the GRB X-ray lines are from metals freshly
ripped from the stellar core by the GRB. HST and CTIO infra-red
imaging of the GRBs and their hosts will be used to determine whether
`dark' bursts are the product of unusually strong local extinction;
imaging studies may for the first time locate the hosts of `short'
GRBs. Our early polarimetry and late-time broadband imaging will
further test physical models of the relativistic blast wave that
produces the bright GRB afterglow, and will provide unique insight
into the influence of the GRB environment on the afterglow.


ACS/WFC/WFPC2 10092


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey


We will undertake a 2 square degree imaging survey {Cosmic Evolution
Survey -- COSMOS} with ACS in the I {F814W} band of the VIMOS
equatorial field. This wide field survey is essential to understand
the interplay between Large Scale Structure {LSS} evolution and the
formation of galaxies, dark matter and AGNs and is the one region of
parameter space completely unexplored at present by HST. The
equatorial field was selected for its accessibility to all
ground-based telescopes and low IR background and because it will
eventually contain ~100, 000 galaxy spectra from the VLT-VIMOS
instrument. The imaging will detect over 2 million objects with I> 27
mag {AB, 10 sigma}, over 35, 000 Lyman Break Galaxies {LBGs} and
extremely red galaxies out to z ~ 5. COSMOS is the only HST project
specifically designed to probe the formation and evolution of
structures ranging from galaxies up to Coma-size clusters in the epoch
of peak galaxy, AGN, star and cluster formation {z ~0.5 to 3}. The
size of the largest structures necessitate the 2 degree field. Our
team is committed to the assembly of several public ancillary datasets
including the optical spectra, deep XMM and VLA imaging, ground-based
optical/IR imaging, UV imaging from GALEX and IR data from SIRTF.
Combining the full-spectrum multiwavelength imaging and spectroscopic
coverage with ACS sub-kpc resolution, COSMOS will be Hubble's ultimate
legacy for understanding the evolution of both the visible and dark
universe.


FGS 10113


Trigonometric Calibration of the Period- Luminosity Relations for
Fundamental and First-Overtone Galactic Cepheids


Cepheids are the primary distance indicators for the extragalactic
distance scale and the Hubble constant. The Hubble Constant Key
Project set the zero-point for their Cepheid distance scale by
adopting a distance to the LMC, averaged over a variety of techniques.
However, different methods give an LMC distance modulus ranging from
18.1 to 18.8, and the uncertainty in the Cepheid zero-point is now the
largest contributor to the error budget for H_0. Moreover, the low
metallicity of the LMC raises additional concerns, since the PL
relation probably depends on metallicity. The zero-point can be
determined from Hipparcos parallaxes of Galactic Cepheids out to
several hundred parsecs, but with a typical parallax error of 0.5-1
mas, the Hipparcos error bars are uncomfortably large for this
demanding application. By contrast, HST's FGS1R interferometer can
achieve astrometric accuracy of 0.2 mas. We propose to use FGS1R to
determine trigonometric parallaxes for a sample of 9 nearby Cepheids,
including both fundamental {F} and first-overtone {FO} pulsators. We
show that the improvement in the PL relations for F and FO Cepheids
will be dramatic. We will determine the PL slopes from our nearby
solar- metallicity sample alone, without recourse to nearby galaxies
and the issue of [Fe/H] dependence. The zero-point will be determined
robustly to about 0.05 mag, based on accurate, purely geometrical
measurements.


NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 8793


NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 4


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.


NIC2 10167


Imaging of Ices in Circumstellar Disks


The link between the material of the interstellar medium and the
ultimate composition of planets lies in the way gas and dust are
processed in circumstellar disks. Planet formation models rely upon a
knowledge of the disk constituents and temperature profiles to
simulate how small grains eventually combine into terrestrial planets
and gas giant cores. Disks around other stars may be analogs for our
own early Solar System and thus allow the direct measurement of such
phenomena. Only recently, however, have well-resolved images of dust
disks around several late T Tauri or main sequence stars been secured.
HST provides a uniquely stable platform for making such sensitive high
dynamic range images. Now, for those handful of disks already
resolved, we are able to go beyond the discovery phase and begin
making astrophysical measurements to deepen our understanding of the
course of disk evolution. We therefore propose a multi-wavelength
study with NICMOS designed to discover the spatial distribution of two
common Solar System materials -- methane and water ices -- in other
systems.


NIC2 10173


Infrared Snapshots of 3CR Radio Galaxies


Radio galaxies are an important class of extragalactic objects: they
are one of the most energetic astrophysical phenomena and they provide
an exceptional probe of the evolving Universe, lying typically in high
density regions but well-represented across a wide redshift range. In
earlier Cycles we carried out extensive HST observations of the 3CR
sources in order to acquire a complete and quantitative inventory of
the structure, contents and evolution of these important objects.
Amongst the results, we discovered new optical jets, dust lanes,
face-on disks with optical jets, and revealed point-like nuclei whose
properties support FR-I/BL Lac unified schemes. Here, we propose to
obtain NICMOS infrared images of 3CR sources with z<0.3 as a major
enhancement to an already superb dataset. We aim to deshroud dusty
galaxies, study the underlying host galaxy free from the distorting
effects of dust, locate hidden regions of star formation and establish
the physical characteristics of the dust itself. We will measure
frequency and spectral energy distributions of point-like nuclei,
expected to be stronger and more prevalent in the IR, seek spectral
turnovers in known synchrotron jets and find new jets. We will
strongly test unified AGN schemes and merge these data with existing
X-ray to radio observations. The resulting database will be an
incredibly valuable resource to the astronomical community for years
to come.


NIC2 10176


Coronagraphic Survey for Giant Planets Around Nearby Young Stars


A systematic imaging search for extra-solar Jovian planets is now
possible thanks to recent progress in identifying "young stars near
Earth". For most of the proposed young {<~ 30 Myrs} and nearby {<~ 60
pc} targets, we can detect a few Jupiter-mass planets as close as a
few tens of AUs from the primary stars. This represents the first time
that potential analogs of our solar system - that is planetary systems
with giant planets having semi-major axes comparable to those of the
four giant planets of the Solar System - come within the grasp of
existing instrumentation. Our proposed targets have not been observed
for planets with the Hubble Space Telescope previously. Considering
the very successful earlier NICMOS observations of low mass brown
dwarfs and planetary disks among members of the TW Hydrae Association,
a fair fraction of our targets should also turn out to posses low mass
brown dwarfs, giant planets, or dusty planetary disks because our
targets are similar to {or even better than} the TW Hydrae stars in
terms of youth and proximity to Earth. Should HST time be awarded and
planetary mass candidates be found, proper motion follow-up of
candidate planets will be done with ground-based AOs.


NIC3 10337


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey NICMOS Parallels


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey NICMOS Parallels. This program is a
companion to program 10092.


WFPC2 10359


WFPC2 CYCLE 13 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.


FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:


Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary
reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be
investigated.)


HSTARS:


9804 - NICMOS Cooling System MNDRDT2 broke limit for one sample @
129/23:29:02z On day 129/23:29:02 mnemonic MNDRDT2 (Nicmos Cooling
System - Capillary Pumped Loop Reservoir Delta-T) broke lower limit
for 60 seconds, with a value of 5.88875 Degrees C. PRD lower limit is
7.0 Degrees C.


9805 - GSACQ(1,2,2) fine lock backup, scan step limit exceeded on FGS
1 @ 130/02:41:31z GSACQ(1,2,2) at 130/02:38:32 ended in fine lock
backup on FGS 1 due to scan step limit exceeded on FGS 1 at 02:41:31.
REACQ(1,2,2) at 04:15:14 also ended up in fine lock backup on FGS 1.


COMPLETED OPS REQUEST: (None)


COMPLETED OPS NOTES:
0942-0 - Detecting and Reporting of Loss of Locks @130/05:05:43z (HSTAR #
9805)


SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES
FGS Gsacq 15 15
FGS Reacq 03 03
FHST Update 17 17
LOSS of
LOCK 130/05:05:43z
(HSTAR # 9805)


SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)

[StarLab]

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science


DAILY REPORT #3857


PERIOD COVERED: DOY 130


OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED


ACS/WFC 10429


Streaming Towards Shapley: The Mass of the Richest Galaxy
Concentration in the Local Universe


The 600 km/s motion of the Local Group {LG} with respect to the cosmic
microwave background {CMB} is now known to high accuracy. However, its
precise origin remains poorly understood. The contribution to the
motion from the pull of the rich Shapley supercluster at z = 0.048 is
particularly controversial. This extreme mass concentration contains
more than 20 Abell clusters within 35 Mpc of its very rich central
cluster A3558, and is recognized as both the optically richest and the
most X-ray luminous structure in the local {z < 0.1} universe. Yet,
published values for the mass of Shapley continue to differ by an
order of magnitude, and recent estimates of its pull on the LG range
from negligible {20 km/s} to highly significant {300 km/s or more}.
Here we propose to resolve this key issue by using ACS to measure
high- precision surface brightness fluctuation {SBF} distances in
order to make a direct measurement of the infall towards Shapley. We
will target three Shapley foreground clusters where the infall is
expected to be high {possibly 1000 km/s or more}, as well as the
Shapley core, in order to test the assumption that it is at rest in
the CMB. Prior to ACS, the Shapley region was unreachable for SBF, but
ACS doubles the distance range of the SBF method with HST, enabling
the distances to be measured to the required accuracy. The proposed
measurements will place a firm limit on the largest mass fluctuation
in the nearby universe and finally determine its contribution to the
observed CMB dipole.


ACS/WFC/WFPC2 10092


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey


We will undertake a 2 square degree imaging survey {Cosmic Evolution
Survey -- COSMOS} with ACS in the I {F814W} band of the VIMOS
equatorial field. This wide field survey is essential to understand
the interplay between Large Scale Structure {LSS} evolution and the
formation of galaxies, dark matter and AGNs and is the one region of
parameter space completely unexplored at present by HST. The
equatorial field was selected for its accessibility to all
ground-based telescopes and low IR background and because it will
eventually contain ~100, 000 galaxy spectra from the VLT-VIMOS
instrument. The imaging will detect over 2 million objects with I> 27
mag {AB, 10 sigma}, over 35, 000 Lyman Break Galaxies {LBGs} and
extremely red galaxies out to z ~ 5. COSMOS is the only HST project
specifically designed to probe the formation and evolution of
structures ranging from galaxies up to Coma-size clusters in the epoch
of peak galaxy, AGN, star and cluster formation {z ~0.5 to 3}. The
size of the largest structures necessitate the 2 degree field. Our
team is committed to the assembly of several public ancillary datasets
including the optical spectra, deep XMM and VLA imaging, ground-based
optical/IR imaging, UV imaging from GALEX and IR data from SIRTF.
Combining the full-spectrum multiwavelength imaging and spectroscopic
coverage with ACS sub-kpc resolution, COSMOS will be Hubble's ultimate
legacy for understanding the evolution of both the visible and dark
universe.


NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 8793


NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 4


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.


NIC2 10177


Solar Systems In Formation: A NICMOS Coronagraphic Survey of
Protoplanetary and Debris Disks


Until recently, despite decades of concerted effort applied to
understanding the formation processes that gave birth to our solar
system, the detailed morphology of circumstellar material that must
eventually form planets has been virtually impossible to discern. The
advent of high contrast, coronagraphic imaging as implemented with the
instruments aboard HST has dramatically enhanced our understanding of
natal planetary system formation. Even so, only a handful of evolved
disks {~ 1 Myr and older} have been imaged and spatially resolved in
light scattered from their constituent grains. To elucidate the
physical processes and properties in potentially planet-forming
circumstellar disks, and to understand the nature and evolution of
their grains, a larger spatially resolved and photometrically reliable
sample of such systems must be observed. Thus, we propose a highly
sensitive circumstellar disk imaging survey of a well-defined and
carefully selected sample of YSOs {1-10 Myr T Tau and HAeBe stars} and
{> app 10 Myr} main sequence stars, to probe the posited epoch of
planetary system formation, and to provide this critically needed
imagery. Our resolved images will shed light on the spatial
distributions of the dust in these thermally emissive disks. In
combination with their long wavelength SEDs the physical properties of
the grains will be discerned, or constrained by our photometrically
accurate surface brightness sensitivity limits for faint disks which
elude detection. Our sample builds on the success of the exploratory
GTO 7233 program, using two-roll per orbit PSF- subtracted NICMOS
coronagraphy to provide the highest detection sensitivity to the
smallest disks around bright stars which can be imaged with HST. Our
sample will discriminate between proposed evolutionary scenarios while
providing a legacy of cataloged morphologies for interpreting mid- and
far-IR SEDs that the recently launched Spitzer Space Telescope will
deliver.


NIC3 10337


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey NICMOS Parallels


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey NICMOS Parallels. This program is a
companion to program 10092.


WFPC2 10360


WFPC2 CYCLE 13 INTERNAL MONITOR


This calibration proposal is the Cycle 13 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
{gain 7 and gain 15}, a test for quantum efficiency in the CCDs, and a
monitor for possible buildup of contaminants on the CCD windows.


FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:


Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary
reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be
investigated.)


HSTARS:


9806 - G_CoreData Server Grayed Out @ 130/15:00:00z CoreData Server
grayed out on G-String. Patrol Agent was found to be down. GDOC
restarted the Patrol Agent and cleared the problem.


9807 - GSAcq (2,1,1) requires multiple entries into CT @ 128/12:08:56z
OTA SE review of the PTAS processing found that the GSAcq(2,1,1) at
128/12:08:56 required 2 CT entries on FGS2 before achieving CT-DV. The
Acq was successful and no science impact should have been seen.


9808 - REACQ(1,2,2) scan step limit exceeded on FGS 1, acquisition
successful @ 131/05:52:49z REACQ(1,2,2) at 131/05:50:24 had scan step
limit exceeded on FGS 1 at 05:52:49. REACQ was successful on the
second attempt, no science affected.


COMPLETED OPS REQUEST: (None)


COMPLETED OPS NOTES:
1336-0 - Restore Some Thermal Limits @ 130/2229z
1337-0 - Modify TCS Limits @ 130/2235z


SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES
FGS Gsacq 06 06
FGS Reacq 10 10
FHST Update 10 10
LOSS of LOCK


SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)

[StarLab]

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science


DAILY REPORT #3858


PERIOD COVERED: DOY 131


OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED


ACS/HRC 10199


The Most Massive Galaxies in the Universe: Double Trouble?


We are proposing an HST snapshot survey of 70 objects with velocity
dispersion larger than 350 km/s, selected from the Sloan Digital Sky
Survey. Potentially this sample contains the most massive galaxies in
the Universe. Some of these objects may be superpositions; HST imaging
is the key to determining if they are single and massive or if they
are two objects in projection. The objects which HST imaging shows to
be single objects are interesting because they potentially harbor the
most massive black holes, and because their existence places strong
constraints on galaxy formation models. When combined with ground
based data already in hand, the objects which HST imaging shows are
superpositions provide valuable information about interaction rates of
early-type galaxies as well as their dust content. They also constrain
the allowed parameter space for models of binary gravitational lenses
{such models are currently invoked to explain discrepancies in the
distribution of lensed image flux ratios and separations}.


ACS/HRC 10377


ACS Earth Flats


High signal sky flats will be obtained by observing the bright Earth
with the HRC and WFC. These observations will be used to verify the
accuracy of the flats currently used by the pipeline and will provide
a comparison with flats derived via other techniques: L-flats from
stellar observations, sky flats from stacked GO observations, and
internal flats using the calibration lamps. Weekly coronagraphic
monitoring is required to assess the changing position of the spots.


ACS/HRC/WFC 10389


ACS CCDs daily monitor - Cycle 13 - Part 2


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.


ACS/WFC 10374


ACS photometric Stability


This program consists of three parts. In the first part we will
observe a subset of the ACS white dwarfs with HRC and ACS to verify
repeatability to ~0.2%, because the filter shifts are based on
photometric differences between stars of ~1%. These observations are
also required to establish relative magnitudes of the primary WD
standards at the 0.1% level. Targets should be GD153 and G191B2B,
which seems to have the largest V mag error of ~0.008 mag. One orbit
on the most important filters, including the grism and the prisms,
should be expended with each camera for both stars for a total of 4
orbits. In the second part will observe with HRC and WFC a solar
analog star, P330E, to estimate any shifts in the short and the long
wavelength cutoffs of selected filters. Complete filter bandpasses can
be derived directly from the ratio of grism observations with and
without the filter in place. The grism is on filter wheel 1, while
four filters of interest F330W, F344N, F660N, and F814W are on wheel
2. Each grism observation requires 3 settings: filter alone,
filter+grism, and grism alone. In the third part we obtain high S/N
photometric and spectroscopic observations of three red stars, VB-8
{M7}, 2M0038+18 {L3.5} and 2M0559-14 {T5} with HRC and WFC to verify
the photometry at the new standard position and to obtain accurate
calibration {1% or better} of the grism spectra.


ACS/WFC 10429


Streaming Towards Shapley: The Mass of the Richest Galaxy


Concentration in the Local Universe The 600 km/s motion of the Local
Group {LG} with respect to the cosmic microwave background {CMB} is
now known to high accuracy. However, its precise origin remains poorly
understood. The contribution to the motion from the pull of the rich
Shapley supercluster at z = 0.048 is particularly controversial. This
extreme mass concentration contains more than 20 Abell clusters within
35 Mpc of its very rich central cluster A3558, and is recognized as
both the optically richest and the most X-ray luminous structure in
the local {z < 0.1} universe. Yet, published values for the mass of
Shapley continue to differ by an order of magnitude, and recent
estimates of its pull on the LG range from negligible {20 km/s} to
highly significant {300 km/s or more}. Here we propose to resolve this
key issue by using ACS to measure high- precision surface brightness
fluctuation {SBF} distances in order to make a direct measurement of
the infall towards Shapley. We will target three Shapley foreground
clusters where the infall is expected to be high {possibly 1000 km/s
or more}, as well as the Shapley core, in order to test the assumption
that it is at rest in the CMB. Prior to ACS, the Shapley region was
unreachable for SBF, but ACS doubles the distance range of the SBF
method with HST, enabling the distances to be measured to the required
accuracy. The proposed measurements will place a firm limit on the
largest mass fluctuation in the nearby universe and finally determine
its contribution to the observed CMB dipole.


FGS 10110


Parallaxes of Extreme Halo Subgiants: Calibrating Globular Cluster
Distances and the Ages of the Oldest Stars


The ages of the oldest stars are a key constraint on the evolution of
our Galaxy, the history of star formation, and cosmological models.
These ages are usually determined from globular clusters. However, it
is alternatively possible to determine ages of extreme Population II
subgiants in the solar neighborhood based on trigonometric parallaxes,
without any recourse to clusters. This approach completely avoids the
vexing issues of cluster distances, reddenings, and chemical
compositions. There are 3 known nearby, extremely metal-deficient Pop
II subgiants with Hipparcos parallax errors of 6-11% which are
available for such age determinations. At present, based on the latest
isochrones, the derived ages of these stars {HD 84937, HD 132475, and
HD 140283} are all close to 14 Gyr, uncomfortably close to or higher
than current estimates of the age of the universe. However, the errors
in the Hipparcos parallaxes imply uncertainties of at least 2 Gyr in
the ages of the 3 stars. We propose to measure parallaxes of these
three Pop II subgiants using HST's Fine Guidance Sensor 1R. We expect
to reduce the Hipparcos parallax error bars by factors of 5-6,
providing the most stringent test yet of current theoretical stellar
models of Pop II stars and pushing the age uncertainties to below 0.5
Gyr. These data will also provide a major new constraint on the
distance scale of globular clusters, with wide implications for
stellar evolution and the calibration of Pop II standard candles.


NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 8793


NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 4


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.


NIC2 10176


Coronagraphic Survey for Giant Planets Around Nearby Young Stars


A systematic imaging search for extra-solar Jovian planets is now
possible thanks to recent progress in identifying "young stars near
Earth". For most of the proposed young {<~ 30 Myrs} and nearby {<~ 60
pc} targets, we can detect a few Jupiter-mass planets as close as a
few tens of AUs from the primary stars. This represents the first time
that potential analogs of our solar system - that is planetary systems
with giant planets having semi-major axes comparable to those of the
four giant planets of the Solar System - come within the grasp of
existing instrumentation. Our proposed targets have not been observed
for planets with the Hubble Space Telescope previously. Considering
the very successful earlier NICMOS observations of low mass brown
dwarfs and planetary disks among members of the TW Hydrae Association,
a fair fraction of our targets should also turn out to posses low mass
brown dwarfs, giant planets, or dusty planetary disks because our
targets are similar to {or even better than} the TW Hydrae stars in
terms of youth and proximity to Earth. Should HST time be awarded and
planetary mass candidates be found, proper motion follow-up of
candidate planets will be done with ground-based AOs.


NIC2 10177


Solar Systems In Formation: A NICMOS Coronagraphic Survey of
Protoplanetary and Debris Disks


Until recently, despite decades of concerted effort applied to
understanding the formation processes that gave birth to our solar
system, the detailed morphology of circumstellar material that must
eventually form planets has been virtually impossible to discern. The
advent of high contrast, coronagraphic imaging as implemented with the
instruments aboard HST has dramatically enhanced our understanding of
natal planetary system formation. Even so, only a handful of evolved
disks {~ 1 Myr and older} have been imaged and spatially resolved in
light scattered from their constituent grains. To elucidate the
physical processes and properties in potentially planet-forming
circumstellar disks, and to understand the nature and evolution of
their grains, a larger spatially resolved and photometrically reliable
sample of such systems must be observed. Thus, we propose a highly
sensitive circumstellar disk imaging survey of a well-defined and
carefully selected sample of YSOs {1-10 Myr T Tau and HAeBe stars} and
{> app 10 Myr} main sequence stars, to probe the posited epoch of
planetary system formation, and to provide this critically needed
imagery. Our resolved images will shed light on the spatial
distributions of the dust in these thermally emissive disks. In
combination with their long wavelength SEDs the physical properties of
the grains will be discerned, or constrained by our photometrically
accurate surface brightness sensitivity limits for faint disks which
elude detection. Our sample builds on the success of the exploratory
GTO 7233 program, using two-roll per orbit PSF- subtracted NICMOS
coronagraphy to provide the highest detection sensitivity to the
smallest disks around bright stars which can be imaged with HST. Our
sample will discriminate between proposed evolutionary scenarios while
providing a legacy of cataloged morphologies for interpreting mid- and
far-IR SEDs that the recently launched Spitzer Space Telescope will
deliver.


NIC2 10467


SEARCHING FOR LIGHT ECHOES AFTER THE SGR 1806-20- HYPERFLARE


On 2004 December 27, the ``magnetar'' candidate SGR1806-20 experienced
a giant flare, the third detected from Soft Gamma-ray Repeaters since
1979 {GCN Circulars #2920, #2922}. This was by far the most luminous
flare ever observed from a Galactic high energy source {more than
10^46 erg/s}. Following this event, SGR1806-20 was observed and
detected in the radio band {GCN # 2928, #2930} and resolved into two
parts: a point-like and a diffuse component. Our team, based on the
radio position, detected the probable IR counterpart , the first IR
counterpart ever for a SGR, by using the VLT NACO observations carried
out in 2004 {ATel #278}. This DDT proposal is aimed at {a} studying,
in the IR band, the afterglow diffuse component {linked to the giant
flare event}, its shape and expansion rate as a function of time, {b}
tracing back the flux at the onset of the flare through the detection
and study of its scattered-light echoes, {c} searching for jet--like
structures.


FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:


Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary
reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be
investigated.)


HSTARS:


9810 - GSACQ(2,1,1) results in finelock backup (1,0,1) @ 131/1908z The
GSACQ(2,1,1) scheduled at 131/19:08:08 - 19:16:10 during ZOE period,
resulted to finelock backup (1,0,1) using FGS1, due to scan step limit
exceeded indication flag on FGS2 at AOS 131/19:24:15. Prior FM Updates
at 131/19:02:38, 131/19:05:23 showed good attitude error vector at
AOS.


9811 - GSACQ(2,1,1) achives FL DV after multiple attempts @ 131/1942z
The GSACQ(2,1,1) scheduled at 131/19:42:43- 19:50:45 had search radius
limit exceeded on FGS1. Acquisition was successful after multiple
attempts.


OPS REQUEST: (None)


COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)


SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES
FGS Gsacq 14 14
FGS Reacq 5 5
FHST Update 19 19
LOSS of LOCK


SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)

[StarLab]

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science


DAILY REPORT #3859


PERIOD COVERED: DOY 132


OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED


ACS/HRC 10185


When does Bipolarity Impose itself on the Extreme Mass Outflows from
AGB Stars? An ACS SNAPshot Survey


Essentially all well-characterized preplanetary nebulae {PPNe} --
objects in transition between the AGB and planetary nebula
evolutionary phases - are bipolar, whereas the mass-loss envelopes of
AGB stars are strikingly spherical. In order to understand the
processes leading to bipolar mass-ejection, we need to know at what
stage of stellar evolution does bipolarity in the mass-loss first
manifest itself? Our previous SNAPshot surveys of a PPNe sample {with
ACS & NICMOS} show that roughly half our targets observed are
resolved, with well-defined bipolar or multipolar morphologies.
Spectroscopic surveys of our sample confirm that these objects have
not yet evolved into planetary nebulae. Thus, the transformation from
spherical to aspherical geometries has already fully developed by the
time these dying stars have become preplanetary nebulae. From this new
and surprising result, we hypothesize that the transformation to
bipolarity begins during the very late AGB phase, and happens very
quickly, just before, or as the stars are evolving off the AGB. We
propose to test this hypothesis quantitatively, through a SNAPshot
imaging survey of very evolved AGB stars which we believe are nascent
preplanetary nebulae; with our target list being drawn from published
lists of AGB stars with detected heavy mass-loss {from millimeter-wave
observations}. This survey is crucial for determining how and when the
bipolar geometry asserts itself. Supporting kinematic observations
using long-slit optical spectroscopy {with the Keck}, millimeter and
radio interferometric observations {with OVRO, VLA & VLBA} are being
undertaken. The results from this survey {together with our previous
work} will allow us to draw general conclusions about the onset of
bipolar mass-ejection during late stellar evolution, and will provide
crucial input for theories of post-AGB stellar evolution. Our survey
will produce an archival legacy of long-standing value for future
studies of dying stars.


ACS/HRC 10272


A Snapshot Survey of the Sites of Recent, Nearby Supernovae


During the past few years, robotic {or nearly robotic} searches for
supernovae {SNe}, most notably our Lick Observatory Supernova Search
{LOSS}, have found hundreds of SNe, many of them in quite nearby
galaxies {cz < 4000 km/s}. Most of the objects were discovered before
maximum brightness, and have follow-up photometry and spectroscopy;
they include some of the best-studied SNe to date. We propose to
conduct a snapshot imaging survey of the sites of some of these nearby
objects, to obtain late-time photometry that {through the shape of the
light and color curves} will help reveal the origin of their lingering
energy. The images will also provide high-resolution information on
the local environment of SNe that are far superior to what we can
procure from the ground. For example, we will obtain color-color and
color-magnitude diagrams of stars in these SN sites, to determine
their progenitor masses and constraints on the reddening. Recovery of
the SNe in the new HST images will also allow us to actually pinpoint
their progenitor stars in cases where pre-explosion images exist in
the HST archive. Use of ACS rather than WFPC2 will make our snapshot
survey even more valuable than our Cycle 9 survey. This Proposal is
complementary to our Cycle 13 archival proposal, in which we outline a
plan for using existing HST images to glean information about SN
environments.


ACS/HRC 10398


Transcending Voyager: A Deeper Look at Neptune's Ring-Moon System


We will use the High Resolution Channel {HRC} of ACS to study the
inner rings, arcs and moons of Neptune with a sensitivity that exceeds
that achieved by Voyager 2 during its 1989 flyby. Our study will
reveal any moons down to V magnitude 25.5, to address a peculiar
truncation in the size distribution of inner moons and to look for the
"shepherds" and source bodies for Neptune's dusty rings. {For
comparison, Neptune's smallest known moon is Naiad, at magnitude
23.9}. Recent ground-based studies show that the mysterious arcs in
the Adams Ring continue to shift and change, and may be fading away
entirely. We will obtain the visual-band data uniquely necessary to
determine whether the arcs are fading. Long-term monitoring of the
arcs at high resolution and sensitivity will reveal their gradual
changes more clearly and enable us to assess the role of Galatea,
whose resonances are widely believed to confine the arcs.


ACS/WFC/WFPC2 10092


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey


We will undertake a 2 square degree imaging survey {Cosmic Evolution
Survey -- COSMOS} with ACS in the I {F814W} band of the VIMOS
equatorial field. This wide field survey is essential to understand
the interplay between Large Scale Structure {LSS} evolution and the
formation of galaxies, dark matter and AGNs and is the one region of
parameter space completely unexplored at present by HST. The
equatorial field was selected for its accessibility to all
ground-based telescopes and low IR background and because it will
eventually contain ~100, 000 galaxy spectra from the VLT-VIMOS
instrument. The imaging will detect over 2 million objects with I> 27
mag {AB, 10 sigma}, over 35, 000 Lyman Break Galaxies {LBGs} and
extremely red galaxies out to z ~ 5. COSMOS is the only HST project
specifically designed to probe the formation and evolution of
structures ranging from galaxies up to Coma-size clusters in the epoch
of peak galaxy, AGN, star and cluster formation {z ~0.5 to 3}. The
size of the largest structures necessitate the 2 degree field. Our
team is committed to the assembly of several public ancillary datasets
including the optical spectra, deep XMM and VLA imaging, ground-based
optical/IR imaging, UV imaging from GALEX and IR data from SIRTF.
Combining the full-spectrum multiwavelength imaging and spectroscopic
coverage with ACS sub-kpc resolution, COSMOS will be Hubble's ultimate
legacy for understanding the evolution of both the visible and dark
universe.


FGS 10106


An Astrometric Calibration of the Cepheid Period-Luminosity Relation


We propose to measure the parallaxes of 10 Galactic Cepheid variables.
When these parallaxes {with 1-sigma precisions of 10% or better} are
added to our recent HST FGS parallax determination of delta Cep
{Benedict et al 2002}, we anticipate determining the Period-Luminosity
relation zero point with a 0.03 mag precision. In addition to
permitting the test of assumptions that enter into other Cepheid
distance determination techniques, this calibration will reintroduce
Galactic Cepheids as a fundamental step in the extragalactic distance
scale ladder. A Period-Luminosity relation derived from solar
metallicity Cepheids can be applied directly to extragalactic solar
metallicity Cepheids, removing the need to bridge with the Large
Magellanic Cloud and its associated metallicity complications.


NIC1 10143


Ultracool companions to the nearest L dwarfs


We propose to conduct the most sensitive survey to date for low mass
companions to nearby L dwarfs. We will use NICMOS to image targets
drawn from a volume- complete sample of 70 L dwarfs within 20 parsecs.
The combination of infrared imaging and proximity will allow us to
search for T dwarf companions at separations as small as 1.6 AU. This
is crucial, since no ultracool binaries are currently known with
separations exceeding 15 AU. Only 10 dwarfs in this sample have
previous HST observations primarily at optical wavelengths. With the
increased sensitivity of our survey, we will provide the most
stringent test to date of brown dwarf models which envisage formation
as ejected stellar embryos. In addition, our observations will be
capable of detecting binaries with mass ratios as low as 0.3, and will
therefore also test the apparent preference for equal-mass ultracool
binaries. Finally, our observations offer the best prospect to date of
detecting companions significantly cooler than the coolest t dwarf
currently known.


NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 8793


NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 4


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.


NIC2 10176


Coronagraphic Survey for Giant Planets Around Nearby Young Stars


A systematic imaging search for extra-solar Jovian planets is now
possible thanks to recent progress in identifying "young stars near
Earth". For most of the proposed young {<~ 30 Myrs} and nearby {<~ 60
pc} targets, we can detect a few Jupiter-mass planets as close as a
few tens of AUs from the primary stars. This represents the first time
that potential analogs of our solar system - that is planetary systems
with giant planets having semi-major axes comparable to those of the
four giant planets of the Solar System - come within the grasp of
existing instrumentation. Our proposed targets have not been observed
for planets with the Hubble Space Telescope previously. Considering
the very successful earlier NICMOS observations of low mass brown
dwarfs and planetary disks among members of the TW Hydrae Association,
a fair fraction of our targets should also turn out to posses low mass
brown dwarfs, giant planets, or dusty planetary disks because our
targets are similar to {or even better than} the TW Hydrae stars in
terms of youth and proximity to Earth. Should HST time be awarded and
planetary mass candidates be found, proper motion follow-up of
candidate planets will be done with ground-based AOs.


NIC2 10177


Solar Systems In Formation: A NICMOS Coronagraphic Survey of
Protoplanetary and Debris Disks


Until recently, despite decades of concerted effort applied to
understanding the formation processes that gave birth to our solar
system, the detailed morphology of circumstellar material that must
eventually form planets has been virtually impossible to discern. The
advent of high contrast, coronagraphic imaging as implemented with the
instruments aboard HST has dramatically enhanced our understanding of
natal planetary system formation. Even so, only a handful of evolved
disks {~ 1 Myr and older} have been imaged and spatially resolved in
light scattered from their constituent grains. To elucidate the
physical processes and properties in potentially planet-forming
circumstellar disks, and to understand the nature and evolution of
their grains, a larger spatially resolved and photometrically reliable
sample of such systems must be observed. Thus, we propose a highly
sensitive circumstellar disk imaging survey of a well-defined and
carefully selected sample of YSOs {1-10 Myr T Tau and HAeBe stars} and
{> app 10 Myr} main sequence stars, to probe the posited epoch of
planetary system formation, and to provide this critically needed
imagery. Our resolved images will shed light on the spatial
distributions of the dust in these thermally emissive disks. In
combination with their long wavelength SEDs the physical properties of
the grains will be discerned, or constrained by our photometrically
accurate surface brightness sensitivity limits for faint disks which
elude detection. Our sample builds on the success of the exploratory
GTO 7233 program, using two-roll per orbit PSF- subtracted NICMOS
coronagraphy to provide the highest detection sensitivity to the
smallest disks around bright stars which can be imaged with HST. Our
sample will discriminate between proposed evolutionary scenarios while
providing a legacy of cataloged morphologies for interpreting mid- and
far-IR SEDs that the recently launched Spitzer Space Telescope will
deliver.


NIC3 10337


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey NICMOS Parallels


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey NICMOS Parallels. This program is a
companion to program 10092.


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)


COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)


SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES
FGS Gsacq 16 16
FGS Reacq 3 3
FHST Update 18 18
LOSS of LOCK


SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)

[StarLab]

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science


DAILY REPORT #3860


PERIOD COVERED: DOY 133 - 135


OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED


NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 8793


NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 4


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.


ACS/WFC 10429


Streaming Towards Shapley: The Mass of the Richest Galaxy
Concentration in the Local Universe


The 600 km/s motion of the Local Group {LG} with respect to the cosmic
microwave background {CMB} is now known to high accuracy. However, its
precise origin remains poorly understood. The contribution to the
motion from the pull of the rich Shapley supercluster at z = 0.048 is
particularly controversial. This extreme mass concentration contains
more than 20 Abell clusters within 35 Mpc of its very rich central
cluster A3558, and is recognized as both the optically richest and the
most X-ray luminous structure in the local {z < 0.1} universe. Yet,
published values for the mass of Shapley continue to differ by an
order of magnitude, and recent estimates of its pull on the LG range
from negligible {20 km/s} to highly significant {300 km/s or more}.
Here we propose to resolve this key issue by using ACS to measure
high- precision surface brightness fluctuation {SBF} distances in
order to make a direct measurement of the infall towards Shapley. We
will target three Shapley foreground clusters where the infall is
expected to be high {possibly 1000 km/s or more}, as well as the
Shapley core, in order to test the assumption that it is at rest in
the CMB. Prior to ACS, the Shapley region was unreachable for SBF, but
ACS doubles the distance range of the SBF method with HST, enabling
the distances to be measured to the required accuracy. The proposed
measurements will place a firm limit on the largest mass fluctuation
in the nearby universe and finally determine its contribution to the
observed CMB dipole.


ACS/HRC/WFC 10389


ACS CCDs daily monitor - Cycle 13 - Part 2


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.


NIC1/Spacecraft 10382


NICMOS Focus Stability


The purpose of this activity is to determine the best focus. This
program will execute in one month intervals starting about 1 month
after the last execution of proposal 9994 {the previous focus
monitoring program}. The program starts with a focus sweep using only
the NIC1 camera {visit 11}. The following observation is with the NIC2
camera {visit 12} after about 45 days. This pattern is repeated
throughout the period except for Feb 15 where also the NIC3 camera is
used. In total this will result in 9 orbits. Notice that VISIT #1 #2
refers to visits for #1 sequential visit number for a given camera #2
camera in question visit 32 is therefore the third visit for camera 2.


NIC1/NIC2/NIC3 10380


Cycle 13 NICMOS dark current, shading profile, and read noise
monitoring program


The purpose of this proposal is to monitor the dark current, read
noise, and shading profile for all three NICMOS detectors throughout
the duration of Cycle 13. This proposal is an essentially unchanged
continuation of PID 9993 which cover the duration of Cycle 12.


WFPC2 10363


WFPC2 CYCLE 13 Intflat and Visflat Sweeps and Filter Rotation Anomaly
Monitor


Using intflat observations, this WFPC2 proposal is designed to monitor
the pixel-to- pixel flatfield response and provide a linearity check.
The intflat sequences, to be done once during the year, are similar to
those from the Cycle 12 program 10075. The images will provide a
backup database as well as allow monitoring of the gain ratios. The
sweep is a complete set of internal flats, cycling through both
shutter blades and both gains. The linearity test consists of a series
of intflats in F555W, in each gain and each shutter. As in Cycle 12,
we plan to continue to take extra visflat, intflat, and earthflat
exposures to test the repeatability of filter wheel motions.


NIC3 10337


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey NICMOS Parallels


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey NICMOS Parallels. This program is a
companion to program 10092.


FGS 10197


The Astrophysical Parameters of Very Metal-Poor Halo Binaries


Little is currently known concerning the mass-luminosity relation
{MLR} of Population II stars. In Cycle 10, we began an initial study
with FGS1 to resolve a sample of known spectroscopic binaries
preselected as high-velocity and/or low metallicity objects. This has
resulted in significant new information about the astrophysical
parameters of metal-poor stars, but was limited mainly to intermediate
metallicities, not to true Population II stars. A new sample of
metal-poor spectroscopic binaries identified by Latham and his
collaborators {e.g. Latham et al 2002} contains three new very
metal-poor objects resolvable with FGS. We propose to observe these
binaries and obtain additional observations of two very important
resolved targets from our initial sample. As with that program, we
will couple the already-known spectroscopic orbits with astrometric
information which only FGS can deliver at present. To ensure that the
most will be gained from these data, we also request observations of
three metal-poor single stars to be used as calibration objects. In
combination with results from our previous program, these observations
can be expected to resolve the question of the location of the
Population II main sequence and give valuable insight into the
accuracy of isochrone fitting for determination of globular clusters
ages. Due to the combination of target magnitudes and expected
separations, no object in this sample can be resolved without the
unique capabilities of FGS.


ACS/WFC/NIC2 10189


PANS-Probing Acceleration Now with Supernovae


Type Ia supernovae {SNe Ia} provide the most direct evidence for an
accelerating Universe, a result widely attributed to dark energy.
Using HST in Cycle 11 we extended the Hubble diagram with 6 of the 7
highest-redshift SNe Ia known, all at z>1.25, providing conclusive
evidence of an earlier epoch of cosmic deceleration. The full sample
of 16 new SNe Ia match the cosmic concordance model and are
inconsistent with a simple model of evolution or dust as alternatives
to dark energy. Understanding dark energy may be the biggest current
challenge to cosmology and particle physics. To understand the nature
of dark energy, we seek to measure its two most fundamental
properties: its evolution {i.e., dw/dz}, and its recent equation of
state {i.e., w{z=0}}. SNe Ia at z>1, beyond the reach of the ground
but squarely within the reach of HST with ACS, are crucial to break
the degeneracy in the measurements of these two basic aspects of dark
energy. The SNe Ia we have discovered and measured with HST in Cycle
11, now double the precision of our knowledge of both properties. Here
we propose to quadruple the sample of SNe Ia at z>1 in the next two
cycles, complementing on-going surveys from the ground at z<1, and
again doubling the precision of dark energy constraints. Should the
current best fit model prove to be the correct one, the precision
expected from the current proposal will suffice to rule out a
cosmological constant at the 99% confidence level. Whatever the
result, these objects will provide the basis with which to extend our
empirical knowledge of this newly discovered and dominant component of
the Universe, and will remain one of the most significant legacies of
HST. In addition, our survey and follow-up data will greatly enhance
the value of the archival data within the target Treasury fields for
galaxy studies.


NIC2 10177


Solar Systems In Formation: A NICMOS Coronagraphic Survey of
Protoplanetary and Debris Disks


Until recently, despite decades of concerted effort applied to
understanding the formation processes that gave birth to our solar
system, the detailed morphology of circumstellar material that must
eventually form planets has been virtually impossible to discern. The
advent of high contrast, coronagraphic imaging as implemented with the
instruments aboard HST has dramatically enhanced our understanding of
natal planetary system formation. Even so, only a handful of evolved
disks {~ 1 Myr and older} have been imaged and spatially resolved in
light scattered from their constituent grains. To elucidate the
physical processes and properties in potentially planet-forming
circumstellar disks, and to understand the nature and evolution of
their grains, a larger spatially resolved and photometrically reliable
sample of such systems must be observed. Thus, we propose a highly
sensitive circumstellar disk imaging survey of a well-defined and
carefully selected sample of YSOs {1-10 Myr T Tau and HAeBe stars} and
{> app 10 Myr} main sequence stars, to probe the posited epoch of
planetary system formation, and to provide this critically needed
imagery. Our resolved images will shed light on the spatial
distributions of the dust in these thermally emissive disks. In
combination with their long wavelength SEDs the physical properties of
the grains will be discerned, or constrained by our photometrically
accurate surface brightness sensitivity limits for faint disks which
elude detection. Our sample builds on the success of the exploratory
GTO 7233 program, using two-roll per orbit PSF- subtracted NICMOS
coronagraphy to provide the highest detection sensitivity to the
smallest disks around bright stars which can be imaged with HST. Our
sample will discriminate between proposed evolutionary scenarios while
providing a legacy of cataloged morphologies for interpreting mid- and
far-IR SEDs that the recently launched Spitzer Space Telescope will
deliver.


NIC2 10176


Coronagraphic Survey for Giant Planets Around Nearby Young Stars


A systematic imaging search for extra-solar Jovian planets is now
possible thanks to recent progress in identifying "young stars near
Earth". For most of the proposed young {<~ 30 Myrs} and nearby {<~ 60
pc} targets, we can detect a few Jupiter-mass planets as close as a
few tens of AUs from the primary stars. This represents the first time
that potential analogs of our solar system - that is planetary systems
with giant planets having semi-major axes comparable to those of the
four giant planets of the Solar System - come within the grasp of
existing instrumentation. Our proposed targets have not been observed
for planets with the Hubble Space Telescope previously. Considering
the very successful earlier NICMOS observations of low mass brown
dwarfs and planetary disks among members of the TW Hydrae Association,
a fair fraction of our targets should also turn out to posses low mass
brown dwarfs, giant planets, or dusty planetary disks because our
targets are similar to {or even better than} the TW Hydrae stars in
terms of youth and proximity to Earth. Should HST time be awarded and
planetary mass candidates be found, proper motion follow-up of
candidate planets will be done with ground-based AOs.


WFPC2 10170


Atmospheric Variability on Uranus and Neptune


We propose Snapshot observations of Uranus and Neptune to monitor
changes in their atmospheres on time scales of weeks, months, and
years. Uranus is rapidly approaching equinox in 2007, with another 4
degrees of latitude becoming visible every year. Recent HST
observations during this epoch {including 6818: Hammel, Lockwood, and
Rages; 7885: Hammel, Karkoschka, and Marley; 8680: Hammel, Rages,
Lockwood, and Marley; and 8634: Rages, Hammel, Lockwood, Marley, and
McKay} have revealed strongly wavelength-dependent latitudinal
structure and the presence of numerous visible-wavelength cloud
features in the northern hemisphere. Long-term ground-based
observations {Lockwood and Thompson 1999} show seasonal brightness
changes whose origins are not well understood. Recent near-IR images
of Neptune obtained using adaptive optics on the Keck Telescope
together with images from our Cycle 9 Snapshot program {8634} show a
general increase in activity at south temperate latitudes as well as
the possible development of another Great Dark Spot. Further Snapshot
observations of these two dynamic planets will elucidate the nature of
long-term changes in their zonal atmospheric bands and clarify the
processes of formation, evolution, and dissipation of discrete albedo
features.


NIC1 10143


Ultracool companions to the nearest L dwarfs


We propose to conduct the most sensitive survey to date for low mass
companions to nearby L dwarfs. We will use NICMOS to image targets
drawn from a volume- complete sample of 70 L dwarfs within 20 parsecs.
The combination of infrared imaging and proximity will allow us to
search for T dwarf companions at separations as small as 1.6 AU. This
is crucial, since no ultracool binaries are currently known with
separations exceeding 15 AU. Only 10 dwarfs in this sample have
previous HST observations primarily at optical wavelengths. With the
increased sensitivity of our survey, we will provide the most
stringent test to date of brown dwarf models which envisage formation
as ejected stellar embryos. In addition, our observations will be
capable of detecting binaries with mass ratios as low as 0.3, and will
therefore also test the apparent preference for equal-mass ultracool
binaries. Finally, our observations offer the best prospect to date of
detecting companions significantly cooler than the coolest t dwarf
currently known.


ACS/HRC 10137


Cluster Archeology: The Origin of Ultra-compact Dwarf Galaxies


Ultra-compact dwarf {UCD} galaxies are a new type of galaxy we have
discovered in the central regions of the Fornax and Virgo galaxy
clusters. Our most recent observations in the Fornax Cluster show that
UCDs outnumber normal galaxies in the centre of that cluster. Here we
propose snapshot imaging of UCDs in the Fornax and Virgo clusters to
test theories of how these fascinating objects formed. In particular
we wish to image Virgo cluster UCDs for which we have ground-based
Keck spectroscopy to test predictions that they formed more recently
than the Fornax UCDs.


ACS/WFC 10098


Probing the nature of Type Ia SNe through HST astrometry


Type Ia supernovae are of key importance in cosmology. Empirical
relations allow their use as cosmological standard candles. The
generally accepted picture is that the exploding star is a C+O white
dwarf which accretes matter from a companion in a binary system.
However, the nature of the companion is still unknown. It could either
be another WD, or be a giant, subgiant, or main-sequence star.
Calculations have shown that it is possible to distinguish among those
possibilities by the effect that the supernova explosion has on the
companion star. We propose to identify the companion star of the two
historical well-known SNeIa through ACS imaging of the targets
complemented by WFPC2 observations. A radial-velocity study of the
stars in those two Galactic SNeIa has been done from ground-based
facilities. To obtain the full motion vector of those stars, we plan
to use ACS for high-resolution astrometry in two different epochs.
That should allow to detect motion imparted during the explosion in
the direction perpendicular to the line of sight, down to a level of a
few milliarcsecs/yr.


ACS/WFC/WFPC2 10092


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey


We will undertake a 2 square degree imaging survey {Cosmic Evolution
Survey -- COSMOS} with ACS in the I {F814W} band of the VIMOS
equatorial field. This wide field survey is essential to understand
the interplay between Large Scale Structure {LSS} evolution and the
formation of galaxies, dark matter and AGNs and is the one region of
parameter space completely unexplored at present by HST. The
equatorial field was selected for its accessibility to all
ground-based telescopes and low IR background and because it will
eventually contain ~100, 000 galaxy spectra from the VLT-VIMOS
instrument. The imaging will detect over 2 million objects with I> 27
mag {AB, 10 sigma}, over 35, 000 Lyman Break Galaxies {LBGs} and
extremely red galaxies out to z ~ 5. COSMOS is the only HST project
specifically designed to probe the formation and evolution of
structures ranging from galaxies up to Coma-size clusters in the epoch
of peak galaxy, AGN, star and cluster formation {z ~0.5 to 3}. The
size of the largest structures necessitate the 2 degree field. Our
team is committed to the assembly of several public ancillary datasets
including the optical spectra, deep XMM and VLA imaging, ground-based
optical/IR imaging, UV imaging from GALEX and IR data from SIRTF.
Combining the full-spectrum multiwavelength imaging and spectroscopic
coverage with ACS sub-kpc resolution, COSMOS will be Hubble's ultimate
legacy for understanding the evolution of both the visible and dark
universe.


FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:


Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary
reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be
investigated.)


HSTARS:


9812 - GSACQ(2,1,2) fine lock backup, scan step limit exceeded on FGS
1 @ 134/1207z GSACQ(2,1,2) at 134/12:03:19 ended in fine lock backup
on FGS 2 due to scan step limit exceeded on FGS 1 at 12:07:16.


9814 - HSTUPS1 went down @ 135/1050z HSTUPS1 system crashed. System
Admin will investigate Monday morning. Rebooted the system as
requested.


COMPLETED OPS REQUEST:
17432-0 - ESTR Reconditioning @ 134/0457z


COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)


SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES
FGS Gsacq 36 36
FGS Reacq 18 18
FHST Update 53 53
LOSS of LOCK


SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)

[StarLab]

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science


DAILY REPORT #3861


PERIOD COVERED: DOY 136


OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED


ACS/HRC 10165


Determination of orbits and colors for two new binaries in the Koronis
asteroid family


We propose to measure color and orbital properties of two asteroid
binaries in the Koronis family discovered in our SNAP-9747 survey. The
best previously studied asteroid binary system, Ida/Dactyl, is also in
the Koronis family. Differential space weathering measured on the Ida
and Dactyl surfaces has been a powerful constraint on models of
satellite formation mechanisms and satellite survivability. HST offers
the unique opportunity for similar measurements of these much smaller,
main-belt binaries. The new satellites are believed to have formed
through different collisional mechanisms than Ida/Dactyl. Further,
with a set of 4 relative position measurements for each of the two
systems, added to the discovery snapshots, we will determine and
compare the densities of the primaries with Ida {a large, 31.5 km,
asteroid with density 2.6+-0.5 g/cm^3, measured by the Galileo flyby}.
In contrast, {17246} and {22899} are 4.5 km bodies that are likely to
have been restructured since the family-forming event by subsequent
collisions. As all are members of the same family, differences in
density would constrain bulk composition and internal structure {e.g.
shard vs. rubble-pile}. Hence, these measurements are likely to
further elucidate the mechanisms for formation of satellites.


ACS/HRC 10255


A Never Before Explored Phase Space: Resolving Close White Dwarf / Red
Dwarf Binaries We propose an ACS Snapshot imaging survey to resolve a
well-defined sample of highly probable white dwarf plus red dwarf
close binaries. These candidates were selected from a search for white
dwarfs with infrared excess from the 2MASS database. They represent
unresolved systems {separations less than approximately 2" in the
2MASS images} and are distributed over the whole sky. Our HST+ACS
observations will be sensitive to a separation range {1-20 AU} never
before probed by any means. The proposed study will be the first
empirical test of binary star parameters in the post-AGB phase, and
cannot be accomplished from the ground. By resolving as few as 20 of
our ~100 targets with HST, we will be able to characterize the
distribution of orbital semi-major axes and secondary star masses.


ACS/HRC 10377


ACS Earth Flats


High signal sky flats will be obtained by observing the bright Earth
with the HRC and WFC. These observations will be used to verify the
accuracy of the flats currently used by the pipeline and will provide
a comparison with flats derived via other techniques: L-flats from
stellar observations, sky flats from stacked GO observations, and
internal flats using the calibration lamps. Weekly coronagraphic
monitoring is required to assess the changing position of the spots.


ACS/HRC/WFC 10389


ACS CCDs daily monitor - Cycle 13 - Part 2


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.


ACS/WFC 10187


Direct imaging of the progenitors of massive, core-collapse supernovae


Modern supernovae searches in the nearby Universe are discovering
large numbers of SNe which have massive star progenitors {Types II, Ib
and Ic}. The extensive HST image archives of galaxies within ~20Mpc
enables their individual bright stellar content to be resolved. As
massive, evolved stars are the most luminous single objects in a
galaxy, the progenitors of core-collapse SNe should be directly
detectable on pre-explosion images. In our ongoing HST programme we
have detected the first red supergiant progenitor of a normal type II
supernova, shown that SN 1993J came from a binary system, and set
direct mass-limits on three other type II supernovae progenitors.
These discoveries are providing strong constraints on theoretical
models of pre-supernova stellar evolution that predict which stars
produce which type of supernovae. We request time to continue this
successful project, and require ACS observations of future SNe which
are discovered in galaxies closer than 20Mpc which have pre-explosion
HST archive images available. These observations will allow the SNe to
be precisely positioned on the pre-explosion frames with the required
astrometric accuracy of around 0.05", and provide 3-colour photometry
of the surrounding stellar populations for reddening estimations. The
goal of this project is to directly identify the progenitor stars of
core-collapse supernovae. We will compare the results to our own
stellar evolutionary tracks in order to determine masses or
restrictive mass-limits for the progenitors.


ACS/WFC 10237


Low-Ionization BALs: Evolution or Orientation?


We propose to test the hypothesis that Low-Ionization Broad Absorption
Line Quasars {LoBALs} represent a special stage of quasar evolution:
young quasars in systems with strong interaction and star-formation.
We will carry out high resolution imaging using ACS/WFC and NICMOS to
measure the properties of the host galaxies of four LoBAL quasars at z
= 0.9 - 2.0 that show strong overlapping FeII absorption troughs. The
ACS imaging will be carried out in the passband with the strongest BAL
absorption, acting as a natural coronagraph. This results in a
reduction of quasar light by a factor of 15 - 26 in these passbands,
providing arguably the best view of the host galaxies of luminous,
high-redshift quasars. This method allows efficient detection and
detailed modeling of the host galaxy morphology in the rest-frame
ultraviolet, which is most sensitive to star formation and galaxy
interaction. We will also use NICMOS imaging to measure the rest-
frame light from the host galaxy to probe the old stellar populations
where the host galaxy is likely to be brighter. It has been suggested
that LoBALs might not be explained simply as an orientation effect but
rather as an early phase of quasar evolution. Such a phase is
typically associated with large amounts of dust and gas, and young
galaxies with strong star formation. With HST observations, we will
study the color and morphology of the FeLoBAL quasar host galaxies,
and measure the age of their dominant stellar populations. We will
also measure the density of close companions, and, in particular, look
for signs of ongoing or recent mergers. These measurements will be
compared to those of control samples of normal quasars at similar
redshift. If LoBALs are indeed young systems, then their host galaxies
are expected to show stronger interactions and merger activity,
younger stellar ages, and regions with strong star formation. If the
LoBAL host galaxies show no significant difference from those of
normal quasars, it will support the view that LoBAL quasars are not a
distinct population and that all quasars have BAL outflows along some
lines of sight.


ACS/WFC 10417


Host Galaxies and Environments of the Most Massive Black Holes in the
Early Universe


The existence of luminous quasars with billion solar mass black holes
at high redshift poses important questions about the relation between
the formation and evolution of the earliest galaxies and quasars in
the universe: how could these high- redshift black holes accrete
matter so quickly and so efficiently? Is the quasar phase connected to
the formation of galactic bulge in the earliest epoch? Was the black
hole-bulge mass relation observed locally already established at
high-redshift? We will use ACS/WFC to obtain rest-frame UV imaging of
five quasars at z~4 with the highest estimated black hole mass, of the
order 10 billion solar masses. The goal of the HST observation is to
directly detect their host galaxies and to probe their galactic
environment. These quasars are likely among the most massive and
luminous host galaxies at high-redshift, providing ideal targets for
direct detection. The rest-frame UV properties measured with HST will
be combined with rest-frame optical, mid to far-IR oberservations of
these quasars to measure the star-formation rate, to estimate the
stellar age and mass of the host galaxy, and to probe the
quasar/starburst connection, quasar triggering mechanism and relation
between black hole and bulge formation at the highest possible
redshift. One of the targets, PSS 2322+1944 {z=4.17}, is a
gravitational lensed quasar with a nearly complete Einstein ring in CO
emission, providing a unique opportunity to study the small scale
structure of a high-redshift quasar host galaxy.


ACS/WFC/NIC2 10189


PANS-Probing Acceleration Now with Supernovae


Type Ia supernovae {SNe Ia} provide the most direct evidence for an
accelerating Universe, a result widely attributed to dark energy.
Using HST in Cycle 11 we extended the Hubble diagram with 6 of the 7
highest-redshift SNe Ia known, all at z>1.25, providing conclusive
evidence of an earlier epoch of cosmic deceleration. The full sample
of 16 new SNe Ia match the cosmic concordance model and are
inconsistent with a simple model of evolution or dust as alternatives
to dark energy. Understanding dark energy may be the biggest current
challenge to cosmology and particle physics. To understand the nature
of dark energy, we seek to measure its two most fundamental
properties: its evolution {i.e., dw/dz}, and its recent equation of
state {i.e., w{z=0}}. SNe Ia at z>1, beyond the reach of the ground
but squarely within the reach of HST with ACS, are crucial to break
the degeneracy in the measurements of these two basic aspects of dark
energy. The SNe Ia we have discovered and measured with HST in Cycle
11, now double the precision of our knowledge of both properties. Here
we propose to quadruple the sample of SNe Ia at z>1 in the next two
cycles, complementing on-going surveys from the ground at z<1, and
again doubling the precision of dark energy constraints. Should the
current best fit model prove to be the correct one, the precision
expected from the current proposal will suffice to rule out a
cosmological constant at the 99% confidence level. Whatever the
result, these objects will provide the basis with which to extend our
empirical knowledge of this newly discovered and dominant component of
the Universe, and will remain one of the most significant legacies of
HST. In addition, our survey and follow-up data will greatly enhance
the value of the archival data within the target Treasury fields for
galaxy studies.


NIC1 10143


Ultracool companions to the nearest L dwarfs


We propose to conduct the most sensitive survey to date for low mass
companions to nearby L dwarfs. We will use NICMOS to image targets
drawn from a volume- complete sample of 70 L dwarfs within 20 parsecs.
The combination of infrared imaging and proximity will allow us to
search for T dwarf companions at separations as small as 1.6 AU. This
is crucial, since no ultracool binaries are currently known with
separations exceeding 15 AU. Only 10 dwarfs in this sample have
previous HST observations primarily at optical wavelengths. With the
increased sensitivity of our survey, we will provide the most
stringent test to date of brown dwarf models which envisage formation
as ejected stellar embryos. In addition, our observations will be
capable of detecting binaries with mass ratios as low as 0.3, and will
therefore also test the apparent preference for equal-mass ultracool
binaries. Finally, our observations offer the best prospect to date of
detecting companions significantly cooler than the coolest t dwarf
currently known.


NIC2 10418


Morphologies and Color Gradients of Galaxies with the Oldest Stellar
Populations at High Redshifts


We have isolated a sample of 9 luminous {~2L*} galaxies with the very
oldest stellar populations at their respective redshifts. The galaxies
have been found in radio- source fields chosen to be at the key
redshifts z~1.5 and z~2.5, which allow the cleanest separation of old
stellar populations from highly reddened starbursts with colors
derived from standard filter combinations. Ground-based observations
in excellent seeing and with adaptive optics of 3 of these galaxies
indicate that all 3 are dominated by well relaxed disks of old stars,
suggesting that the first large stellar systems to form in the
universe were disks in which star formation proceeded extremely
rapidly and efficiently. In order to test this conjecture, we are
requesting NICMOS2 exposures of our sample to obtain high S/N imaging
in the F160W filter to determine detailed morphologies of the old
stellar population, coupled with either NICMOS2 F110W or ACS F814W
exposures {depending on redshift} to determine color gradients and/or
other systematic color variations that might provide clues to
formation processes.


NICMOS 8790


NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 1.


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.


WFPC2 10359


WFPC2 CYCLE 13 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.


WFPC2 10363


WFPC2 CYCLE 13 Intflat and Visflat Sweeps and Filter Rotation Anomaly
Monitor


Using intflat observations, this WFPC2 proposal is designed to monitor
the pixel-to- pixel flatfield response and provide a linearity check.
The intflat sequences, to be done once during the year, are similar to
those from the Cycle 12 program 10075. The images will provide a
backup database as well as allow monitoring of the gain ratios. The
sweep is a complete set of internal flats, cycling through both
shutter blades and both gains. The linearity test consists of a series
of intflats in F555W, in each gain and each shutter. As in Cycle 12,
we plan to continue to take extra visflat, intflat, and earthflat
exposures to test the repeatability of filter wheel motions.


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)


COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)


SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES
FGS Gsacq 6 6
FGS Reacq 10 10
FHST Update 12 12
LOSS of LOCK


SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)

[StarLab]

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science


DAILY REPORT #3862


PERIOD COVERED: DOY 137


OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED


ACS/HRC 10185


When does Bipolarity Impose itself on the Extreme Mass Outflows from
AGB Stars? An ACS SNAPshot Survey


Essentially all well-characterized preplanetary nebulae {PPNe} --
objects in transition between the AGB and planetary nebula
evolutionary phases - are bipolar, whereas the mass-loss envelopes of
AGB stars are strikingly spherical. In order to understand the
processes leading to bipolar mass-ejection, we need to know at what
stage of stellar evolution does bipolarity in the mass-loss first
manifest itself? Our previous SNAPshot surveys of a PPNe sample {with
ACS & NICMOS} show that roughly half our targets observed are
resolved, with well-defined bipolar or multipolar morphologies.
Spectroscopic surveys of our sample confirm that these objects have
not yet evolved into planetary nebulae. Thus, the transformation from
spherical to aspherical geometries has already fully developed by the
time these dying stars have become preplanetary nebulae. From this new
and surprising result, we hypothesize that the transformation to
bipolarity begins during the very late AGB phase, and happens very
quickly, just before, or as the stars are evolving off the AGB. We
propose to test this hypothesis quantitatively, through a SNAPshot
imaging survey of very evolved AGB stars which we believe are nascent
preplanetary nebulae; with our target list being drawn from published
lists of AGB stars with detected heavy mass-loss {from millimeter-wave
observations}. This survey is crucial for determining how and when the
bipolar geometry asserts itself. Supporting kinematic observations
using long-slit optical spectroscopy {with the Keck}, millimeter and
radio interferometric observations {with OVRO, VLA & VLBA} are being
undertaken. The results from this survey {together with our previous
work} will allow us to draw general conclusions about the onset of
bipolar mass-ejection during late stellar evolution, and will provide
crucial input for theories of post-AGB stellar evolution. Our survey
will produce an archival legacy of long-standing value for future
studies of dying stars.


ACS/HRC 10398


Transcending Voyager: A Deeper Look at Neptune's Ring-Moon System


We will use the High Resolution Channel {HRC} of ACS to study the
inner rings, arcs and moons of Neptune with a sensitivity that exceeds
that achieved by Voyager 2 during its 1989 flyby. Our study will
reveal any moons down to V magnitude 25.5, to address a peculiar
truncation in the size distribution of inner moons and to look for the
"shepherds" and source bodies for Neptune's dusty rings. {For
comparison, Neptune's smallest known moon is Naiad, at magnitude
23.9}. Recent ground-based studies show that the mysterious arcs in
the Adams Ring continue to shift and change, and may be fading away
entirely. We will obtain the visual-band data uniquely necessary to
determine whether the arcs are fading. Long-term monitoring of the
arcs at high resolution and sensitivity will reveal their gradual
changes more clearly and enable us to assess the role of Galatea,
whose resonances are widely believed to confine the arcs.


FGS 10106


An Astrometric Calibration of the Cepheid Period-Luminosity Relation


We propose to measure the parallaxes of 10 Galactic Cepheid variables.
When these parallaxes {with 1-sigma precisions of 10% or better} are
added to our recent HST FGS parallax determination of delta Cep
{Benedict et al 2002}, we anticipate determining the Period-Luminosity
relation zero point with a 0.03 mag precision. In addition to
permitting the test of assumptions that enter into other Cepheid
distance determination techniques, this calibration will reintroduce
Galactic Cepheids as a fundamental step in the extragalactic distance
scale ladder. A Period-Luminosity relation derived from solar
metallicity Cepheids can be applied directly to extragalactic solar
metallicity Cepheids, removing the need to bridge with the Large
Magellanic Cloud and its associated metallicity complications.


NIC3/ACS/WFC 10327


ACS Imaging of a High-Redshift Cluster of Galaxies


This programme uses ACS observations of the high-redshift radio galaxy
MRC1138- 262 {z=2.16} to investigate massive galaxy and cluster
formation in the early Universe. This field is unique in that it is
known to contain overdensities in both line-emitting {both Lyman-alpha
and H-alpha} and continuum {4000A break} objects. Utilizing the
excellent angular-resolution and field-coverage of HST/ACS we can
obtain the colors and morphologies for a substantial fraction of these
protocluster galaxies. These morphologies and colors will be compared
to studies of field galaxies at similar redshifts {e.g., from GOODS}.
In addition, very deep images of the radio galaxy itself, the presumed
central dominant galaxy of this cluster, will allow us to study in
detail the process of formation for the most massive known galaxies.
The properties of continuum and Ly-alpha clumps within the radio
galaxy will be compared in relation to the radio structures.


NIC3/WFPC2 10277


Ages and Metallicities of the Intergalactic Globular Cluster
Population in Abell 1185 We will obtain deep NICMOS observations of a
recently discovered population of intergalactic globular clusters in
the nearby galaxy cluster Abell 1185. These H band observations in
conjunction with deep V and I images that we obtained with ACS in
Cycle 11 will allow us to measure the ages and metallicities of these
objects from their optical and near-infrared colors, which will
provide important insights to their origin. We will also obtain
parallel observations with both ACS and WFPC2. ACS parallel
observations will be used to obtain deep images to search for
intergalactic globular clusters in a different region of Abell 1185.
WFPC2 parallel observations will be used to obtain images of
interacting galaxy pair Arp 105, to search for globular clusters
currently being ejected into intergalactic space as a result of this
encounter.


NICMOS 8790


NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 1.


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.


WFPC2 10360


WFPC2 CYCLE 13 INTERNAL MONITOR


This calibration proposal is the Cycle 13 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
{gain 7 and gain 15}, a test for quantum efficiency in the CCDs, and a
monitor for possible buildup of contaminants on the CCD windows.


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)


COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)


SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES
FGS Gsacq 9 9
FGS Reacq 6 6
FHST Update 14 14
LOSS of LOCK


SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)

[StarLab]

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science


DAILY REPORT # 3863


PERIOD COVERED: DOY 138


OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED


ACS/HRC 10198


Probing the Dynamics of the Galactic Bar through the Kinematics of
Microlensed Stars


The observed optical depths to microlensing of stars in the Galactic
bulge are difficult to reconcile with our present understanding of
Galactic dynamics. The main source of uncertainty in those comparisons
is now shifting from microlensing measurements to the dynamical models
of the Galactic bar. We propose to constrain the Galactic bar models
with proper motion observations of Bulge stars that underwent
microlensing by determining both the kinematic identity of the
microlensed sources and the importance of streaming motions. The
lensed stars are typically farther than randomly selected stars.
Therefore, our proper motion determinations for 36 targeted MACHO
events will provide valuable constraints on the dynamics of bulge
stars as a function of distance. The first epoch data for our proposed
events is already available in the HST archive so the project can be
completed within a single HST cycle. The exceptional spatial
resolution of HST is essential for completion of the project.
Constraints on the total mass in the bulge will ultimately lead to the
determination of the amount of dark matter in inner Galaxy.


ACS/HRC/WFC 10389


ACS CCDs daily monitor - Cycle 13 - Part 2


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.


ACS/WFC 10119


Solving the Mystery of the Short-Hard Gamma-Ray Bursts


Seven years after the afterglow detections that revolutionized studies
of the long- soft gamma-ray bursts, not even one afterglow of a
short-hard GRB has been seen, and the nature of these events has
become one of the most important problems in GRB research. The
forthcoming Swift satellite will report few-arcsecond localizations
for short-hard bursts in minutes, however, enabling prompt, deep
optical afterglow searches for the first time. Discovery and
observation of the first short-hard optical afterglows will answer
most of the critical questions about these events: What are their
distances and energies? Do they occur in distant galaxies, and if so,
in which regions of those galaxies? Are they the result of collimated
or quasi-spherical explosions? In combination with an extensive
rapid-response ground-based campaign, we propose to make the critical
high-sensitivity HST TOO observations that will allow us to answer
these questions. If theorists are correct in attributing the
short-hard bursts to binary neutron star coalescence events, then the
short-hard bursts are signposts to the primary targeted source
population for ground- based gravitational-wave detectors, and
short-hard burst studies will have a vital role to play in guiding
their observations.


ACS/WFC 10152


A Snapshot Survey of a Complete Sample of X-ray Luminous Galaxy
Clusters from Redshift 0.3 to 0.7


We propose a public, uniform imaging survey of a well-studied,
complete, and homogeneous sample of X-ray clusters. The sample of 73
clusters spans the redshift range between 0.3-0.7. The samples spans
almost 2 orders of magnitude of X-ray luminosity, where half of the
sample has X-ray luminosities greater than 10^44 erg/s {0.5-2.0 keV}.
These snapshots will be used to obtain a fair census of the the
morphology of cluster galaxies in the cores of clusters, to detect
radial and tangential arc candidates, to detect optical jet
candidates, and to provide an approximate estimate of the shear signal
of the clusters themselves, and potentially an assessment of the
contribution of large scale structure to lensing shear.


ACS/WFC 10352


A Study of the Physics of Extended Relativistic X-ray Jets, Discovered
in our Chandra Survey


We will measure the changing flow speeds, magnetic fields, and energy
fluxes in well-resolved quasar jets found in our short-exposure
Chandra survey by combining new, deep Chandra data with radio and
optical imaging. We will image each jet with sufficient sensitivity to
estimate beaming factors and magnetic fields in several distinct
regions, and so map the variations in these parameters down the jets.
HST observations will help diagnose the role of synchrotron emission
in the overall SED, and may reveal condensations on scales less than
0.1 arcsec.


ACS/WFC 10417


Host Galaxies and Environments of the Most Massive Black Holes in the
Early Universe


The existence of luminous quasars with billion solar mass black holes
at high redshift poses important questions about the relation between
the formation and evolution of the earliest galaxies and quasars in
the universe: how could these high- redshift black holes accrete
matter so quickly and so efficiently? Is the quasar phase connected to
the formation of galactic bulge in the earliest epoch? Was the black
hole-bulge mass relation observed locally already established at
high-redshift? We will use ACS/WFC to obtain rest-frame UV imaging of
five quasars at z~4 with the highest estimated black hole mass, of the
order 10 billion solar masses. The goal of the HST observation is to
directly detect their host galaxies and to probe their galactic
environment. These quasars are likely among the most massive and
luminous host galaxies at high-redshift, providing ideal targets for
direct detection. The rest-frame UV properties measured with HST will
be combined with rest-frame optical, mid to far-IR oberservations of
these quasars to measure the star-formation rate, to estimate the
stellar age and mass of the host galaxy, and to probe the
quasar/starburst connection, quasar triggering mechanism and relation
between black hole and bulge formation at the highest possible
redshift. One of the targets, PSS 2322+1944 {z=4.17}, is a
gravitational lensed quasar with a nearly complete Einstein ring in CO
emission, providing a unique opportunity to study the small scale
structure of a high-redshift quasar host galaxy.


ACS/WFC 10427


A Deep Search for Companions in the Pluto-Charon System


We propose to perform a deep search for new satellites in the
Pluto-Charon system using the ACS in WFC mode. In a single orbit,
ACS/WFC imaging will reach a sensitivity that is ~5.5 mag fainter than
previous surveys, and we will be able to detect objects that are only
~5 km in diameter, if they have the same albedo as Pluto {50%}, and
~17 km if the albedo is similar to that of cometary nuclei {4%}. The
discovery of a satellite in the Pluto-Charon system would be an
exciting development in the burgeoning field of satellite formation
theory and would also provide critical mission support for the New
Horizons mission, which will be launched in January 2006 and will make
a close flyby of Pluto-Charon as early as July 2015. Pluto is
approaching the Milky Way, and observations near the time of this
year's opposition will mitigate the background confusion problem,
which generally becomes worse during the coming decade. The high
spatial resolution of HST is ideal for this type of search in crowded
stellar fields, and the field-of-view of the ACS/WFC is almost
perfectly matched to the orbital stability radius of companions in the
Pluto-Charon system. One additional image, taken ~5 days after the
first, is needed to confirm that any detected objects are truly
members of the Pluto-Charon system. Thus, the entire program requires
a total of only 2 orbits.


ACS/WFC/WFPC2 10092


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey


We will undertake a 2 square degree imaging survey {Cosmic Evolution
Survey -- COSMOS} with ACS in the I {F814W} band of the VIMOS
equatorial field. This wide field survey is essential to understand
the interplay between Large Scale Structure {LSS} evolution and the
formation of galaxies, dark matter and AGNs and is the one region of
parameter space completely unexplored at present by HST. The
equatorial field was selected for its accessibility to all
ground-based telescopes and low IR background and because it will
eventually contain ~100, 000 galaxy spectra from the VLT-VIMOS
instrument. The imaging will detect over 2 million objects with I> 27
mag {AB, 10 sigma}, over 35, 000 Lyman Break Galaxies {LBGs} and
extremely red galaxies out to z ~ 5. COSMOS is the only HST project
specifically designed to probe the formation and evolution of
structures ranging from galaxies up to Coma-size clusters in the epoch
of peak galaxy, AGN, star and cluster formation {z ~0.5 to 3}. The
size of the largest structures necessitate the 2 degree field. Our
team is committed to the assembly of several public ancillary datasets
including the optical spectra, deep XMM and VLA imaging, ground-based
optical/IR imaging, UV imaging from GALEX and IR data from SIRTF.
Combining the full-spectrum multiwavelength imaging and spectroscopic
coverage with ACS sub-kpc resolution, COSMOS will be Hubble's ultimate
legacy for understanding the evolution of both the visible and dark
universe.


ACS/WFC/WFPC2 10402


The Formation and Evolution of Spirals: An ACS and WFPC2 Imaging
Survey of Nearby Galaxies


Over 50% of galaxies in the local universe are spirals. Yet the star
formation histories and evolution of this crucial population remain
poorly understood. We propose to combine archival data with new
ACS/WFC and WFPC2 observations of 11 galaxies, to tackle a
comprehensive investigation of nearby spirals covering the entire
spiral sequence. The new observations will fill a serious deficiency
in HST's legacy, and maximize the scientific return of existing HST
data. The filter combination of UBVI, and Halpha is ideal for studying
stellar populations, dust properties, and the ISM. Our immediate
scientific objectives are: {i} to use the resolved cluster
populations, both young massive clusters and ancient globular clusters
as a chronometer, to understand how spirals assembled as a function of
time; {ii} study the rapid disruption properties of young clusters;
and {iii} understand dust distributions in spirals from pc to kpc
scales. Each of these goals provides an important step towards
charting the evolution of galaxies, and an essential baseline for
interpreting the galaxy populations being surveyed in both the early
and present universe. The resolution of our survey, which exploits the
excellent imaging capabilities of HST's two optical cameras, will
enable us to understand the record of star cluster, and galaxy
formation in a level of detail which is not possible for more distant
systems. Finally, the proposed observations will provide a key to
interpret an extensive, multiwavelength archive of space- and ground-
based data at lower spatial resolution {SPITZER, CHANDRA, GALEX,
NICMOS P alpha and H band imaging} for local spirals.


NIC3 10702


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey NICMOS Parallels


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey NICMOS Parallels. This program is a
companion to program 10092.


NICMOS 8790


NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 1.


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.


FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:


Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary
reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be
investigated.)


HSTARS:


9819 - GSAcq(1,2,1) returns to SSM control @129/1941z OTA SE review of
PTAS processing reveals that GSAcq(1,2,1) at 129/19:40:51, achieved
FL-DV on both FGS 1 and 2 by 19:45:31, but both FGSs returned to SSM
control at 19:47:14. Both FGSs successfully recovered to FL-DV at
19:48:13.


9820 - ReAcq(1,2,2) requires multiple entries into Course Track
@130/2029z OTA SE review of PTAS processing revealed that ReAcq(1,2,2)
at 130/20:28:50 required three entries into Coarse Track on FGS1
before achieving CT-DV.


9821 - ReAcq(1,2,2) requires two attempts to achieve FL-DV @130/2251z
OTA SE review of PTAS processing reveals that ReAcq(1,2,2) at
130/21:50:39 required two attempts to achieve FL-DV on FGS1 due to
scan step limit exceeded. ReAcq was successful. This is the same star
set as HSTAR 9820.


9822 - ReAcq(1,2,2) requires two attempts to achieve FL-DV @131/1038z
OTA SE review of PTAS processing reveals that ReAcq(1,2,2) at
131/10:38:17 required two attempts to achieve FL-DV on FGS1 due to
scan step limit exceeded. ReAcq was successful.


9823 - GSAcq(1,2,2) requires multiple entries into Course Track
@134/2021z OTA SE review of PTAS processing revealed that GSAcq(1,2,2)
at 134/20:21:09 required seven entries into Coarse Track on FGS1
before achieving CT-DV.


COMPLETED OPS REQUEST: (None)


COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)


SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES
FGS Gsacq 11 11
FGS Reacq 5 5
FHST Update 18 18
LOSS of LOCK


SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)

[StarLab]

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science


DAILY REPORT # 3865


PERIOD COVERED: DOY 140 - 142


OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED


NICMOS 8790


NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 1.


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.


NIC3 10702


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey NICMOS Parallels


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey NICMOS Parallels. This program is a
companion to program 10092.


ACS/WFC/NIC2/WFPC 10413 2 Resolving the Red Giant Population in Early
Type Galaxies


This project addresses the fundamental issue of the age and abundance
of the stellar populations in early type galaxies. We propose deep
imaging observations with ACS/WFC in F606W, F814W, and NICMOS/NIC2 in
F110W, F160W to create optical/IR color-magnitude diagrams of the
upper red giant branch in the nearest example of a bona fide
elliptical galaxy, NGC3379, and simultaneously in the disk and halo of
its companion, the S0 galaxy NGC3384. These observations will build
upon the results from our NICMOS study of NGC3379, which produced the
first deep IR color-magnitude data for a normal, luminous elliptical
galaxy. This is the most direct way to establish the metallicity,
metallicity spread, and presence of intermediate age populations in
these representative Hubble types, exploring their star formation
histories and evolution. The data will enable comparison with M32, the
M31 halo, NGC5128, and other nearby galaxies similarly observed with
HST.


ACS/HRC/WFC 10389


ACS CCDs daily monitor - Cycle 13 - Part 2


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.


ACS/WFC 10378


ACS Polarimetry Calibration


Observations are made of the Boomerang Nebula {highly polarized
reflection nebula} to calibrate the ACS polarizers.


ACS/HRC/WFC 10370


CCD Hot Pixel Annealing


Hot pixel annealing will continue to be performed once every 4 weeks.
The CCD TECs will be turned off and heaters will be activated to bring
the detector temperatures to about +20C. This state will be held for
approximately 12 hours, after which the heaters are turned off, the
TECs turned on, and the CCDs returned to normal operating condition.
To assess the effectiveness of the annealing, a bias and four dark
images will be taken before and after the annealing procedure for both
WFC and HRC. The HRC darks are taken in parallel with the WFC darks.
The charge transfer efficiency {CTE} of the ACS CCD detectors declines
as damage due to on-orbit radiation exposure accumulates. This
degradation has been closely monitored at regular intervals, because
it is likely to determine the useful lifetime of the CCDs. We will now
combine the annealling activity with the charge transfer efficiency
monitoring and also merge into the routine dark image collection. To
this end, the CTE monitoring exposures have been moved into this
proposal . All the data for this program is acquired using internal
targets {lamps} only, so all of the exposures should be taken during
Earth occultation time {but not during SAA passages}. This program
emulates the ACS pre-flight ground calibration and post- launch SMOV
testing {program 8948}, so that results from each epoch can be
directly compared. Extended Pixel Edge Response {EPER} and First Pixel
Response {FPR} data will be obtained over a range of signal levels for
both the Wide Field Channel {WFC}, and the High Resolution Channel
{HRC}.


NIC3/ACS/WFC 10327


ACS Imaging of a High-Redshift Cluster of Galaxies


This programme uses ACS observations of the high-redshift radio galaxy
MRC1138- 262 {z=2.16} to investigate massive galaxy and cluster
formation in the early Universe. This field is unique in that it is
known to contain overdensities in both line-emitting {both Lyman-alpha
and H-alpha} and continuum {4000A break} objects. Utilizing the
excellent angular-resolution and field-coverage of HST/ACS we can
obtain the colors and morphologies for a substantial fraction of these
protocluster galaxies. These morphologies and colors will be compared
to studies of field galaxies at similar redshifts {e.g., from GOODS}.
In addition, very deep images of the radio galaxy itself, the presumed
central dominant galaxy of this cluster, will allow us to study in
detail the process of formation for the most massive known galaxies.
The properties of continuum and Ly-alpha clumps within the radio
galaxy will be compared in relation to the radio structures.


WFPC2 10276


Resolving Distance Ambiguity toward Westerlund 2


Resolving Distance Ambiguity toward Westerlund 2 - No description
listed in proposal database.


NIC2 10169


Star Formation in Luminous Infrared Galaxies: giant HII Regions and
Super Star


Luminous Infrared Galaxies {LIRGs, LIR = 10^11-10^12Lsol} and
Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies {LIR>10^12Lsol} account for
approximately 75% of all the galaxies detected in the mid-infrared in
the redshift range z=0-1.5. In the local universe it is found that
LIRGs are predominantly powered by intense star formation {SF}.
However, the physical conditions and processes governing such dramatic
activity over scales of tens to a few hundred parsecs are poorly
known. In the last decade HST has been playing a significant role,
mainly with the discovery of super star clusters {SSCs}, and more
recently, giant HII regions. Based on observations of a few LIRGs, we
found that these giant HII regions and associated SSCs appear to be
more common in LIRGs than in normal galaxies, and may dominate the
star formation activity in LIRGs. A larger sample is required to
address fundamental questions. We propose an HST/NICMOS targeted
campaign of a volume limited sample {v<5200km/s} of 24 LIRGs. This
proposal will probe the role of giant HII regions in the overall
energetics of the current star formation, their relation to SSCs, and
the dependence of star formation properties on other parameters of
LIRGs. Such detailed knowledge of the SF properties of LIRGs in the
local universe is essential for understanding galaxies at high
redshift.


NIC1 10143


Ultracool companions to the nearest L dwarfs


We propose to conduct the most sensitive survey to date for low mass
companions to nearby L dwarfs. We will use NICMOS to image targets
drawn from a volume- complete sample of 70 L dwarfs within 20 parsecs.
The combination of infrared imaging and proximity will allow us to
search for T dwarf companions at separations as small as 1.6 AU. This
is crucial, since no ultracool binaries are currently known with
separations exceeding 15 AU. Only 10 dwarfs in this sample have
previous HST observations primarily at optical wavelengths. With the
increased sensitivity of our survey, we will provide the most
stringent test to date of brown dwarf models which envisage formation
as ejected stellar embryos. In addition, our observations will be
capable of detecting binaries with mass ratios as low as 0.3, and will
therefore also test the apparent preference for equal-mass ultracool
binaries. Finally, our observations offer the best prospect to date of
detecting companions significantly cooler than the coolest t dwarf
currently known.


FGS 10104


Calibrating the Mass-Luminosity Relation at the End of the Main
Sequence


We propose to use HST-FGS1R to calibrate the mass-luminosity relation
{MLR} for stars less massive than 0.2 Msun, with special emphasis on
objects near the stellar/brown dwarf border. Our goals are to
determine M_V values to 0.05 magnitude, masses to 5 than double the
number of objects with masses determined to be less than 0.20 Msun.
This program uses the combination of HST- FGS3/FGS1R at optical
wavelengths and ground-based infrared interferometry to examine
nearby, subarcsecond binary systems. The high precision measurements
with HST-FGS3/FGS1R {to 1 mas in the separations} for these faint
targets {V = 10-- 15} simply cannot be equaled by any ground based
technique. As a result of these measurements, we are deriving high
quality luminosities and masses for the components in the observed
systems, and characterizing their spectral energy distributions from
0.5 to 2.2 Mum. Several of the objects included have M < 0.1 Msun,
placing them at the very end of the stellar main sequence. Three of
the targets are brown dwarf candidates, including the current low mass
record holder, GJ 1245C, with a mass of 0.062 +/- 0.004 Msun. The
payoff of this proposal is high because all 10 of the systems selected
have already been resolved with HST- FGS3/FGS1R during Cycles 5--10
and contain most of the reddest objects for which masses can be
determined.


ACS/WFC/WFPC2 10092


The COSMOS 2-Degree ACS Survey


We will undertake a 2 square degree imaging survey {Cosmic Evolution
Survey -- COSMOS} with ACS in the I {F814W} band of the VIMOS
equatorial field. This wide field survey is essential to understand
the interplay between Large Scale Structure {LSS} evolution and the
formation of galaxies, dark matter and AGNs and is the one region of
parameter space completely unexplored at present by HST. The
equatorial field was selected for its accessibility to all
ground-based telescopes and low IR background and because it will
eventually contain ~100, 000 galaxy spectra from the VLT-VIMOS
instrument. The imaging will detect over 2 million objects with I> 27
mag {AB, 10 sigma}, over 35, 000 Lyman Break Galaxies {LBGs} and
extremely red galaxies out to z ~ 5. COSMOS is the only HST project
specifically designed to probe the formation and evolution of
structures ranging from galaxies up to Coma-size clusters in the epoch
of peak galaxy, AGN, star and cluster formation {z ~0.5 to 3}. The
size of the largest structures necessitate the 2 degree field. Our
team is committed to the assembly of several public ancillary datasets
including the optical spectra, deep XMM and VLA imaging, ground-based
optical/IR imaging, UV imaging from GALEX and IR data from SIRTF.
Combining the full-spectrum multiwavelength imaging and spectroscopic
coverage with ACS sub-kpc resolution, COSMOS will be Hubble's ultimate
legacy for understanding the evolution of both the visible and dark
universe.


FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:


Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary
reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be
investigated.)


HSTARS:


9825 - GSACQ(2,1,1) results in finelock backup (2,0,2) @140/1338z The
GSACQ(2,1,1) scheduled at 140/13:38:13 - 13:45:38 resulted to finelock
backup (2,0,2) using FGS2, due to scan step limit exceeded indication
flag on FGS2. Prior FM Updates at 140/13:09:23, 140/13:12:08,showed
very low attitude error. The following Map schedule for 140/14:05:09
showed attitude errors of: -8.461, -7.473 and -0.240 ARCSEC.


9826 - GSACQ(2,1,1) results in finelock backup (1,0,1) @140/1516z The
GSACQ(2,1,1) scheduled at 140/15:15:52 - 15:23:17 resulted to finelock
backup (1,0,1) using FGS1, due to scan step limit exceeded indication
flag on FGS2. Prior RD Update at 140/14:48:05 showed very low attitude
error. The following Map schedule for 140/15:41:05 showed attitude
errors of: -7.377, -7.680 and 1.684 ARCSEC.


COMPLETED OPS REQUEST:
17433-0 - Off-line +D SPA Trim Relay @140/1618z


COMPLETED OPS NOTES:
1339-0 - Adjust the CCC V/T Disable Yellow Limits @140/1347z
1340-0 - Adjust the PDU 1 current yellow limits @140/1350z


SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES
FGS Gsacq 23 23
FGS Reacq 23 23
FHST Update 34 34
LOSS of LOCK


SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)

[StarLab]

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science


DAILY REPORT # 3866


PERIOD COVERED: DOY 143


OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED


ACS/HRC 10198


Probing the Dynamics of the Galactic Bar through the Kinematics of
Microlensed Stars


The observed optical depths to microlensing of stars in the Galactic
bulge are difficult to reconcile with our present understanding of
Galactic dynamics. The main source of uncertainty in those comparisons
is now shifting from microlensing measurements to the dynamical models
of the Galactic bar. We propose to constrain the Galactic bar models
with proper motion observations of Bulge stars that underwent
microlensing by determining both the kinematic identity of the
microlensed sources and the importance of streaming motions. The
lensed stars are typically farther than randomly selected stars.
Therefore, our proper motion determinations for 36 targeted MACHO
events will provide valuable constraints on the dynamics of bulge
stars as a function of distance. The first epoch data for our proposed
events is already available in the HST archive so the project can be
completed within a single HST cycle. The exceptional spatial
resolution of HST is essential for completion of the project.
Constraints on the total mass in the bulge will ultimately lead to the
determination of the amount of dark matter in inner Galaxy.


ACS/HRC 10707


First Mass Measurement of a Planet Found By Microlensing


We will use ACS to determine the mass of the extra-solar planet found
in the ongoing microlensing event OGLE-2005-BLG-071. This source will
be imaged in V {F555W} and I {F814W} at two epochs, one "very soon"
while the event is still significantly magnified, and the other after
5 months when it has returned to baseline. If the centroid does not
move, this will demonstrate that the "blended light" detected in the
event is "perfectly aligned" {within 15 mas, 1 sigma} with the source,
and so is almost certainly the lens. V and I photometry will then
permit an estimate of its mass and distance. Since the planet-star
mass ratio is already known to be 0.007, this will yield a planet
mass. Even if the HST images show that the blended light is not
aligned with the source {and so is not from the lens}, the HST
observations will still strongly constrain the mass by helping to
measure the "microlens parallax", which when combined with the
"angular Einstein radius", determines the mass. Thus, the observations
have a very high probability of success. The observations are
time-critical because the first one must be taken while the event is
still in progress.


ACS/HRC/WFC 10389


ACS CCDs daily monitor - Cycle 13 - Part 2


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.


ACS/S/C/SBC 10233


Determining the Instability Strip for Accreting White Dwarfs


Using UV observations with SBC and PR110L, we will obtain spectra of 3
newly discovered pulsating white dwarfs found among recent cataclysmic
variables identified in the SDSS. Our Cycle 8 observations of the only
previously known accreting, pulsating, white dwarf in GW Lib revealed
large amplitude UV pulsations, a spectrum that showed metals and
required a dual temperature fit with a high white dwarf mass. Since
accretion likely causes abundance, rotation, and atmospheric
temperature differences in accreting white dwarfs versus single white
dwarfs, we will use these systems to explore the location of the
instability strip for accreting white dwarfs and determine whether
they are all massive and spotted objects. Light curves can be
constructed at different wavelengths to aid in mode identification.
Having knowledge of the atmospheres and interior structure of 4 sytems
will provide great insight into the interaction of accretion, stellar
pulsation and long term evolution. Due to optical contamination by the
disk, stream, and/or secondary, the UV is the optimum regime to study
pulsating, accreting white dwarfs.


ACS/WFC 10135


Unveiling the Progenitors and Physics of Cosmic Explosions


GRBs and XRFs are clearly highly asymmetric explosions and require a
long-lived power source {central engine}. In contrast, nearby
core-collapse events are essentially spherical explosions. However,
the failure of spherical neutrino driven collapses has led to the idea
that asymmetric energy release is essential for the explosion. The
recent finding of a Type Ic SN in GRB 030329, the association of the
low energy event GRB 980425 with SN 1998bw, the theoretical
development discussed above and the rise of collapsar models make it
timely to consider whether all these explosions contain engines. Given
the uncertainties in theoretical modeling it is clear that
observations are needed to guide models. A priori there is little
reason to expect connection between the ultra-relativistic jet that
powers the GRB and the explosive nucleosynthesis of the ~0.5 solar
masses of Nickel-56 that powers the accompanying supernova. We propose
a comprehensive program of ACS photometric searches {and measurements}
for SNe associated with GRBs and XRFs. In concert, we will undertake
ground-based spectroscopy to determine velocity widths, and measure
engine parameters from pan-chromatic afterglow observations. Our goal
is to produce a comprehensive database of engine and SN physical
parameters against which theoretical modeling will be guided.


ACS/WFC/NIC2 10189


PANS-Probing Acceleration Now with Supernovae


Type Ia supernovae {SNe Ia} provide the most direct evidence for an
accelerating Universe, a result widely attributed to dark energy.
Using HST in Cycle 11 we extended the Hubble diagram with 6 of the 7
highest-redshift SNe Ia known, all at z>1.25, providing conclusive
evidence of an earlier epoch of cosmic deceleration. The full sample
of 16 new SNe Ia match the cosmic concordance model and are
inconsistent with a simple model of evolution or dust as alternatives
to dark energy. Understanding dark energy may be the biggest current
challenge to cosmology and particle physics. To understand the nature
of dark energy, we seek to measure its two most fundamental
properties: its evolution {i.e., dw/dz}, and its recent equation of
state {i.e., w{z=0}}. SNe Ia at z>1, beyond the reach of the ground
but squarely within the reach of HST with ACS, are crucial to break
the degeneracy in the measurements of these two basic aspects of dark
energy. The SNe Ia we have discovered and measured with HST in Cycle
11, now double the precision of our knowledge of both properties. Here
we propose to quadruple the sample of SNe Ia at z>1 in the next two
cycles, complementing on-going surveys from the ground at z<1, and
again doubling the precision of dark energy constraints. Should the
current best fit model prove to be the correct one, the precision
expected from the current proposal will suffice to rule out a
cosmological constant at the 99% confidence level. Whatever the
result, these objects will provide the basis with which to extend our
empirical knowledge of this newly discovered and dominant component of
the Universe, and will remain one of the most significant legacies of
HST. In addition, our survey and follow-up data will greatly enhance
the value of the archival data within the target Treasury fields for
galaxy studies.


ACS/WFC/NIC3 10195


Probing the Surroundings of a Highly Luminous Redshift 6.5 Galaxy


We propose deep images of a recently discovered galaxy at z=6.535,
which is among the most luminous Lyman-alpha emitting galaxies known
at high redshift. The brightness and rarity of this source imply that
it is associated with a high peak in the matter density distribution.
{It is the brightest Lyman alpha source in 2e5 comoving Mpc3, with a
luminosity of 6 L*.} Further objects in this peak are expected to be
visible with HST's sensitivity. The Lyman alpha line has a large rest
frame equivalent width, with a lower bound >100 Angstroms. Such a
large equivalent width would be impossible for objects embedded in
neutral gas, and instead requires either that {a} the universe was
reionized before z=6.5 or {b} the galaxy resides in a local ionized
bubble, in which case an additional contribution to the ionizing
photon budget from presently undetected neighbors is required. With 19
orbits of ACS and NICMOS imaging, we will measure this object's
morphology and spectral energy distribution, thus searching for either
active nuclei or old stellar populations. We will also search for
possible neighbors, which could establish the first known galaxy group
at z>6, and may provide sufficient ionizing flux to allow the escape
of the observed Lyman alpha photons in a neutral universe. If
neighbors are not found, it will lead to an upper bound on the neutral
fraction in the general IGM at z=6.5.


NICMOS 8790


NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 1.


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.


WFPC2 10359


WFPC2 CYCLE 13 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.


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:


COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)


SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES
FGS Gsacq 06 06
FGS Reacq 09 09
FHST Update 12 12
LOSS of LOCK


SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)

[StarLab]

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science


DAILY REPORT # 3867


PERIOD COVERED: DOY 144


OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED


ACS/HRC 10198


Probing the Dynamics of the Galactic Bar through the Kinematics of
Microlensed Stars


The observed optical depths to microlensing of stars in the Galactic
bulge are difficult to reconcile with our present understanding of
Galactic dynamics. The main source of uncertainty in those comparisons
is now shifting from microlensing measurements to the dynamical models
of the Galactic bar. We propose to constrain the Galactic bar models
with proper motion observations of Bulge stars that underwent
microlensing by determining both the kinematic identity of the
microlensed sources and the importance of streaming motions. The
lensed stars are typically farther than randomly selected stars.
Therefore, our proper motion determinations for 36 targeted MACHO
events will provide valuable constraints on the dynamics of bulge
stars as a function of distance. The first epoch data for our proposed
events is already available in the HST archive so the project can be
completed within a single HST cycle. The exceptional spatial
resolution of HST is essential for completion of the project.
Constraints on the total mass in the bulge will ultimately lead to the
determination of the amount of dark matter in inner Galaxy.


ACS/HRC 10377


ACS Earth Flats


High signal sky flats will be obtained by observing the bright Earth
with the HRC and WFC. These observations will be used to verify the
accuracy of the flats currently used by the pipeline and will provide
a comparison with flats derived via other techniques: L-flats from
stellar observations, sky flats from stacked GO observations, and
internal flats using the calibration lamps. Weekly coronagraphic
monitoring is required to assess the changing position of the spots.


ACS/HRC/WFPC2 9827


UV extinction by dust in unexplored LMC environments


The ensemble of results from studies of the UV extinction in the Milky
Way, Magellanic Clouds {MC}, M31 and M33, indicates a complex
dependence of the dust properties with environment, where starburst
activity and metallicity are relevant factors. Work in the LMC to
date, based on IUE data, has several drawbacks: a} only supergiants
could be used, b} they all have moderate extinction, c} the IUE S/N is
limited, d} the large IUE slit may include light from other sources,
such as scattered light from dust or faint companion stars, e} studies
are confined to few {extreme} environments. We propose to obtain UV
extinction curves more accurate than previous ones, sampling four
environments in the LMC with different levels of star formation
activity, including the general field, hitherto unexplored. The
results will characterize the properties of dust in different
conditions, at the LMC metallicity, which is useful to interpret
integrated properties of distant galaxies, as well as GALEX upcoming
UV surveys. A complementary study is under way with FUSE in the far-UV
range. The combined results will provide insight on the properties of
small grains.


ACS/WFC 10352


A Study of the Physics of Extended Relativistic X-ray Jets, Discovered
in our Chandra Survey


We will measure the changing flow speeds, magnetic fields, and energy
fluxes in well-resolved quasar jets found in our short-exposure
Chandra survey by combining new, deep Chandra data with radio and
optical imaging. We will image each jet with sufficient sensitivity to
estimate beaming factors and magnetic fields in several distinct
regions, and so map the variations in these parameters down the jets.
HST observations will help diagnose the role of synchrotron emission
in the overall SED, and may reveal condensations on scales less than
0.1 arcsec.


ACS/WFC 10417


Host Galaxies and Environments of the Most Massive Black Holes in the
Early Universe


The existence of luminous quasars with billion solar mass black holes
at high redshift poses important questions about the relation between
the formation and evolution of the earliest galaxies and quasars in
the universe: how could these high- redshift black holes accrete
matter so quickly and so efficiently? Is the quasar phase connected to
the formation of galactic bulge in the earliest epoch? Was the black
hole-bulge mass relation observed locally already established at
high-redshift? We will use ACS/WFC to obtain rest-frame UV imaging of
five quasars at z~4 with the highest estimated black hole mass, of the
order 10 billion solar masses. The goal of the HST observation is to
directly detect their host galaxies and to probe their galactic
environment. These quasars are likely among the most massive and
luminous host galaxies at high-redshift, providing ideal targets for
direct detection. The rest-frame UV properties measured with HST will
be combined with rest-frame optical, mid to far-IR oberservations of
these quasars to measure the star-formation rate, to estimate the
stellar age and mass of the host galaxy, and to probe the
quasar/starburst connection, quasar triggering mechanism and relation
between black hole and bulge formation at the highest possible
redshift. One of the targets, PSS 2322+1944 {z=4.17}, is a
gravitational lensed quasar with a nearly complete Einstein ring in CO
emission, providing a unique opportunity to study the small scale
structure of a high-redshift quasar host galaxy.


ACS/WFC/WFPC2 10402


The Formation and Evolution of Spirals


An ACS and WFPC2 Imaging Survey of Nearby Galaxies Over 50% of
galaxies in the local universe are spirals. Yet the star formation
histories and evolution of this crucial population remain poorly
understood. We propose to combine archival data with new ACS/WFC and
WFPC2 observations of 11 galaxies, to tackle a comprehensive
investigation of nearby spirals covering the entire spiral sequence.
The new observations will fill a serious deficiency in HST's legacy,
and maximize the scientific return of existing HST data. The filter
combination of UBVI, and Halpha is ideal for studying stellar
populations, dust properties, and the ISM. Our immediate scientific
objectives are: {i} to use the resolved cluster populations, both
young massive clusters and ancient globular clusters as a chronometer,
to understand how spirals assembled as a function of time; {ii} study
the rapid disruption properties of young clusters; and {iii}
understand dust distributions in spirals from pc to kpc scales. Each
of these goals provides an important step towards charting the
evolution of galaxies, and an essential baseline for interpreting the
galaxy populations being surveyed in both the early and present
universe. The resolution of our survey, which exploits the excellent
imaging capabilities of HST's two optical cameras, will enable us to
understand the record of star cluster, and galaxy formation in a level
of detail which is not possible for more distant systems. Finally, the
proposed observations will provide a key to interpret an extensive,
multiwavelength archive of space- and ground- based data at lower
spatial resolution {SPITZER, CHANDRA, GALEX, NICMOS P alpha and H band
imaging} for local spirals.


NIC3 10150


NICMOS observations of A1689


The potential of galaxy clusters as ``cosmic telescopes'' has been
known for a long time, but practical results in the pre-ACS era have
been scarce due to two main problems: the uncertainty in determining
the magnification distribution of the cluster {the ``optics'' of the
instrument} and the presence of numerous bright cluster galaxies which
cover the field of view and hinder the detection of background
galaxies. We have developed techniques to solve these two problems
working with our ACS observations of A1689, the most powerful lens in
the sky, and for the first time we have been able to determine the
"specifications" of a cosmic telescope with a useful level of
precision, thanks to the detection and identification of more than 100
multiple images with reliable redshift information. We propose to
observe the high magnification region in the A1689 field in the F110W
band with a 3x3 mosaic of NIC3 pointings; the resulting image will
reach a lens-corrected limiting magnitudes of 29.5 for point sources,
surpassing in depth the UDF NICMOS observations and providing an
unique dataset with multiple scientific returns.


WFPC2 10360


WFPC2 CYCLE 13 INTERNAL MONITOR


This calibration proposal is the Cycle 13 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
{gain 7 and gain 15}, a test for quantum efficiency in the CCDs, and a
monitor for possible buildup of contaminants on the CCD windows.


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)


COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)


SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES
FGS Gsacq 11 11
FGS Reacq 05 05
FHST Update 17 17
LOSS of LOCK


SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)

[StarLab]

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science


DAILY REPORT # 3868


PERIOD COVERED: DOY 145


OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED


ACS/HRC 10165


Determination of orbits and colors for two new binaries in the Koronis
asteroid family


We propose to measure color and orbital properties of two asteroid
binaries in the Koronis family discovered in our SNAP-9747 survey. The
best previously studied asteroid binary system, Ida/Dactyl, is also in
the Koronis family. Differential space weathering measured on the Ida
and Dactyl surfaces has been a powerful constraint on models of
satellite formation mechanisms and satellite survivability. HST offers
the unique opportunity for similar measurements of these much smaller,
main-belt binaries. The new satellites are believed to have formed
through different collisional mechanisms than Ida/Dactyl. Further,
with a set of 4 relative position measurements for each of the two
systems, added to the discovery snapshots, we will determine and
compare the densities of the primaries with Ida {a large, 31.5 km,
asteroid with density 2.6+-0.5 g/cm^3, measured by the Galileo flyby}.
In contrast, {17246} and {22899} are 4.5 km bodies that are likely to
have been restructured since the family-forming event by subsequent
collisions. As all are members of the same family, differences in
density would constrain bulk composition and internal structure {e.g.
shard vs. rubble-pile}. Hence, these measurements are likely to
further elucidate the mechanisms for formation of satellites.


ACS/HRC/WFC 10389


ACS CCDs daily monitor - Cycle 13 - Part 2


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.


ACS/HRC/WFC 10399


Accurate and Robust Calibration of the Extragalactic Distance Scale
with the Maser Galaxy NGC4258 II


The extragalactic distance scale {EDS} is defined by a comparison of
Cepheid Period-Luminosity {PL} relations for nearby galaxies and the
LMC, whose uncertain distance is thereby the SOLE anchor. Studies of
masers orbiting the central black hole in NGC4258 have provided the
most accurate extragalactic distance ever {7.2+/-0.5 Mpc}, and new
radio data and analysis techniques will reduce the uncertainty to <
3.5% {0.07 mag} by 2005. Since this distance is well determined and
based on geometric arguments, NGC4258 can provide a much needed new
anchor for the EDS. Ultimately, the combination of an independent
measurement of H0 and measurements of CMB fluctuations {e.g., WMAP}
can be used to directly constrain cosmological parameters including
the equation of state of dark energy. In our Cycle 12 proposal, we
defined a program spanning two cycles. The Cycle 12 portion was
accepted. We have acquired WFC images and are constructing well
sampled PL relations in 3 colors {BVI}. The purpose of the Cycle 13
observations is to address systematic sources of error and is crucial
for the success of the entire program. To disentangle the effects of
reddening and metallicity, and to characterize the effects of
blending, we require 50 orbits to obtain H-band photometry
{NICMOS/NIC2} and high resolution images {ACS/HRC}.


ACS/WFC 10235


Dark vs. luminous matter in the CenA/M83 galaxy complex


The distribution of dark vs. luminous matter on scales of 0.1-1.0 Mpc
remains poorly understood. For a nearby group, the total mass can be
determined from the radius of "the zero-velocity surface", which
separates the group from the general Hubble flow. This new method
requires the measurement of accurate distances and radial velocities
of galaxies around the group, but gives total mass estimates
independent of assumptions about the state of relaxation or orbital
characteristics. The mass pertains to the group at the full scale to
which it is bound. Upon application in several nearest groups, the
method yields mass estimates in agreement with the sum of the virial
masses of subcomponents. However, the typical total M/L ratio for the
nearby groups of ~30 Mo/Lo implies a local mean density of matter
which is only 1/7 the canonical global density . The nearby complex of
galaxies around Cen A and M83 resembles our Local Group by the
dumb-bell concentration of objects around a pair of dominant galaxies.
Accurate distances have been acquired recently for ~20 group members
by the TRGB method using HST. We will measure TRGB distances to the 17
remaining galaxies in the region. These observations will constrain
the dynamical state of the halo surrounding the nearest giant E-galaxy
Cen A, providing a comparison with the halos of the nearest spirals.


FGS 10432


Precise Distances to Nearby Planetary Nebulae


We propose to carry out astrometry with the FGS to obtain accurate and
precise distances to four nearby planetary nebulae. In 1992, Cahn et
al. noted that ``The distances to Galactic planetary nebulae remain a
serious, if not THE most serious, problem in the field, despite
decades of study.'' Twelve years later, the same statement still
applies. Because the distances to planetary nebulae are so uncertain,
our understanding of their masses, luminosities, scale height, birth
rate, and evolutionary state is severely limited. To help remedy this
problem, HST astrometry can guarantee parallaxes with half the error
of any other available approach. These data, when combined with
parallax measurements from the USNO, will improve distance
measurements by more than a factor of two, producing more accurate
distances with uncertainties that are of the order of ~6%. Lastly,
most planetary nebula distance scales in the literature are
statistical. They require several anchor points of known distance in
order to calibrate their zero point. Our program will provide "gold
standard" anchor points by the end of 2006, a decade before any
anticipated results from future space astrometry missions.


NIC3 10150


NICMOS observations of A1689


The potential of galaxy clusters as ``cosmic telescopes'' has been
known for a long time, but practical results in the pre-ACS era have
been scarce due to two main problems: the uncertainty in determining
the magnification distribution of the cluster {the ``optics'' of the
instrument} and the presence of numerous bright cluster galaxies which
cover the field of view and hinder the detection of background
galaxies. We have developed techniques to solve these two problems
working with our ACS observations of A1689, the most powerful lens in
the sky, and for the first time we have been able to determine the
"specifications" of a cosmic telescope with a useful level of
precision, thanks to the detection and identification of more than 100
multiple images with reliable redshift information. We propose to
observe the high magnification region in the A1689 field in the F110W
band with a 3x3 mosaic of NIC3 pointings; the resulting image will
reach a lens-corrected limiting magnitudes of 29.5 for point sources,
surpassing in depth the UDF NICMOS observations and providing an
unique dataset with multiple scientific returns.


NIC3/ACS/WFC 10404


The Nature of Protocluster Galaxies at z=2.16: Morphology-Density and
Color- Magnitude Relations


To establish the epoch when galaxy environment manifests itself as a
large-scale evolutionary process, we propose to extend the study of
galaxy colors and morphologies to a protocluster at z=2.16. Here the
universe is only 3 Gyrs old and significant differences are expected
between scenarios favoring a morphology- radius relation over a
morphology-density relation. In addition, because the fractional age
differences among cluster galaxies are larger, study of the color-
magnitude relation provides considerable leverage for determining the
epoch of early-type galaxy formation. To facilitate direct comparison
to studies at lower redshift, one must probe the same rest-frame
wavelengths with high photometric accuracy and at similar physical
scales. Its near-infrared photometric stability {low, constant
background} and ability to image large areas of sky at high angular-
resolution {compared to adaptive optics} makes HST/NICMOS ideal for
this program. Six pointings of NICMOS camera 3 will result in
rest-frame optical, high resolution images of 16 confirmed
protocluster members, and an additional 60 candidate protocluster
members including 29 EROs. These galaxies were selected with a variety
of techniques and span a range of projected radii within the
protocluster. The proposed observations constitute a unique
opportunity to extend the study of galaxies in overdense regions to an
early time in cosmic history.


NICMOS 8790


NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 1.


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.


FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:


Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary
reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be
investigated.)


HSTARS:


9831 - ReAcq(2,1,2) requires three attempts to achieve FL-DV @
136/08:57:49z OTA SE review of PTAS processing reveals that
ReAcq(2,1,2) at 136/08:57:49 required three attempts to achieve FL-DV
on FGS2 due to scan step limit exceeded. The ReAcq was ultimately
successful.


9832 - ReAcq(1,2,2) requires two entries into CT @ 137/16:59:28z OTA
SE review of PTAS processing revealed that ReAcq(1,2,2) at
137/16:59:28 required two entries into Coarse Track on FGS1 before
achieving CT-DV.


9833 - GSAcq(2,1,1) requires two entries into CT @ 140/18:06:18z OTA
SE review of PTAS processing revealed that GSAcq(2,1,1) at
140/18:06:18 required two entries into Coarse Track on FGS2 before
achieving CT-DV.


COMPLETED OPS REQUEST: (None)


COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)


SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES
FGS Gsacq 11 11
FGS Reacq 05 05
FHST Update 17 17
LOSS of LOCK


SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)

[StarLab]

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science


DAILY REPORT # 3869


PERIOD COVERED: DOY 146


OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED


ACS/HRC 10145


Physical parameters of the upper atmosphere of the extrasolar planet
HD209458b


Every 3.5 days, the transits of the gaseous planet orbiting HD209458
offer the unique opportunity to investigate the spectral features of
an extra-solar planetary atmosphere. Using HST, we first discovered
the extended upper atmosphere of HD209458b through the detection of a
15% HI Lyman alpha absorption. We concluded that the hydrogen must be
escaping the planet with a lower limit rate of 10^10 g/s {Vidal-Madjar
et al. 2003}. Additional observations, subsequently allowed to detect
OI and CII in the upper atmosphere implying that this atmosphere is
hydrodynamically escaping {in "blow off", Vidal-Madjar et al. 2004}.
Here we propose to further study this upper atmosphere to better
constrain the "blow off" state by directly estimating the physical
conditions and the flow characteristics. In particular we will
determine the temperature and density at the base of the upper
atmosphere {the thermosphere}, and the density distribution and
ionization state just below that level. Comparison between the optical
and ultraviolet occultation light curves will provide useful
information on the molecular/haze content of the lower atmosphere. The
observation of six HD209458b transits with HRC and SBC settings will
allow the detection of many lines adressing these issues. The proposed
observations will give us for the first time a detailed probe of the
atmosphere of an "evaporating" extra-solar planet.With species as
abundant as FeII or MgII, the damping wings in the strongest lines
will start to form at levels around 1.9% absorption. Due to either the
strength of the MgII doublet lines around 280 nm or the packing of
FeII lines, strong absorptions arising from the accumulated damping
wings should show up clearly in FeII and MgII. All these signatures
should be easily detected even with the 40 to 100 Angstrom resolution
of the PR200L prism in these spectral regions. In addition to these
goals, any signature of molecules {e.g CO below 154 nm}, dust or haze
should also show up as broad band absorption in both PR110L and PR200L
settings. The estimate of the planet radius at different wavelengths
in the UV would become possible for all efficient absorbers in this
spectral range. The achievement of 0.1% precision in the occultation
curves thus provides sensitivity high enough to potentially lead to
important discoveries.


ACS/WFC 10412


The host galaxies of dust-reddened quasars


We have used the 2MASS near-infrared and FIRST radio surveys, together
with the Palomar Observatory Sky Survey plates to select a sample of
dust-reddened, radio- intermediate quasars. We wish to use ACS to
study the host galaxies of these quasars. The dust reddening of the
quasars makes it possible to study the hosts at rest-frame optical-UV
wavelengths much more easily than the hosts of normal quasars of
similar bolometric luminosity. Our study will compare the hosts of our
dust-reddened quasars to those of normal quasars from the HST archive
to test the hypothesis that dust-reddened quasars are young objects,
whose hosts still show morphological evidence of recent merger events
which triggered the quasar.


ACS/WFC/NIC3 10195


Probing the Surroundings of a Highly Luminous Redshift 6.5 Galaxy


We propose deep images of a recently discovered galaxy at z=6.535,
which is among the most luminous Lyman-alpha emitting galaxies known
at high redshift. The brightness and rarity of this source imply that
it is associated with a high peak in the matter density distribution.
{It is the brightest Lyman alpha source in 2e5 comoving Mpc3, with a
luminosity of 6 L*.} Further objects in this peak are expected to be
visible with HST's sensitivity. The Lyman alpha line has a large rest
frame equivalent width, with a lower bound >100 Angstroms. Such a
large equivalent width would be impossible for objects embedded in
neutral gas, and instead requires either that {a} the universe was
reionized before z=6.5 or {b} the galaxy resides in a local ionized
bubble, in which case an additional contribution to the ionizing
photon budget from presently undetected neighbors is required. With 19
orbits of ACS and NICMOS imaging, we will measure this object's
morphology and spectral energy distribution, thus searching for either
active nuclei or old stellar populations. We will also search for
possible neighbors, which could establish the first known galaxy group
at z>6, and may provide sufficient ionizing flux to allow the escape
of the observed Lyman alpha photons in a neutral universe. If
neighbors are not found, it will lead to an upper bound on the neutral
fraction in the general IGM at z=6.5.


FGS 10432


Precise Distances to Nearby Planetary Nebulae


We propose to carry out astrometry with the FGS to obtain accurate and
precise distances to four nearby planetary nebulae. In 1992, Cahn et
al. noted that ``The distances to Galactic planetary nebulae remain a
serious, if not THE most serious, problem in the field, despite
decades of study.'' Twelve years later, the same statement still
applies. Because the distances to planetary nebulae are so uncertain,
our understanding of their masses, luminosities, scale height, birth
rate, and evolutionary state is severely limited. To help remedy this
problem, HST astrometry can guarantee parallaxes with half the error
of any other available approach. These data, when combined with
parallax measurements from the USNO, will improve distance
measurements by more than a factor of two, producing more accurate
distances with uncertainties that are of the order of ~6%. Lastly,
most planetary nebula distance scales in the literature are
statistical. They require several anchor points of known distance in
order to calibrate their zero point. Our program will provide "gold
standard" anchor points by the end of 2006, a decade before any
anticipated results from future space astrometry missions.


NIC2 10169


Star Formation in Luminous Infrared Galaxies: giant HII Regions and
Super Star Clusters


Luminous Infrared Galaxies {LIRGs, LIR = 10^11-10^12Lsol} and
Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies {LIR>10^12Lsol} account for
approximately 75% of all the galaxies detected in the mid-infrared in
the redshift range z=0-1.5. In the local universe it is found that
LIRGs are predominantly powered by intense star formation {SF}.
However, the physical conditions and processes governing such dramatic
activity over scales of tens to a few hundred parsecs are poorly
known. In the last decade HST has been playing a significant role,
mainly with the discovery of super star clusters {SSCs}, and more
recently, giant HII regions. Based on observations of a few LIRGs, we
found that these giant HII regions and associated SSCs appear to be
more common in LIRGs than in normal galaxies, and may dominate the
star formation activity in LIRGs. A larger sample is required to
address fundamental questions. We propose an HST/NICMOS targeted
campaign of a volume limited sample {v<5200km/s} of 24 LIRGs. This
proposal will probe the role of giant HII regions in the overall
energetics of the current star formation, their relation to SSCs, and
the dependence of star formation properties on other parameters of
LIRGs. Such detailed knowledge of the SF properties of LIRGs in the
local universe is essential for understanding galaxies at high
redshift.


NICMOS 8790


NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistenc