From: "Jacques van Oene" <j.vanoene@chello.nl>
Newsgroups: sci.space.news
Subject: HST Daily Report #3376
Date: Wed, 4 Jun 2003 21:23:29 +0200
Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory - Pasadena CA
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HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

DAILY REPORT        # 3376

PERIOD COVERED: DOY 154

OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED

NICMOS 8791

NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 2

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.

NICMOS 9360

Paschen-alpha Imaging of a SIRTF-Selected Nearby Galaxy Sample

We propose to carry out a NICMOS snapshot survey in the Paschen-alpha
{PAlpha}
emission line and H-band of the sample of galaxies being observed at 3.5 --
160
microns as part of SIRTF Nearby Galaxies Survey {SINGS} and a related
guaranteed
time survey of starburst galaxies. The PAlpha images, accessible only from
HST,
will be combined with groundbased HAlpha imaging to measure the extinction
in
the star-forming centers of these galaxies, and obtain robust, extinction-
corrected maps of the massive star formation rate {SFR}. The PAlpha data by
themselves will provide reliable `extinction- free' SFRs, and a
cross-calibration of the {dust--affected} HAlpha-- and UV--based SFRs. The
PAlpha--based SFR measurements will extend the SFR-vs.-gas density law
{Schmidt--law} to surface densities at least 30 times higher than what is
accessible using HAlpha--based SFR measurements alone, bridging the gap
between
normal galaxies and IR--luminous starbursts. Furthermore, the combination
of the
HST PAlpha images with the SIRTF images and spectra, as well as ancillary
ground--based UBVRIJHK images and GALEX UV images being obtained as part of
the
SINGS project, will provide a definitive study of the radiative transfer of
starlight and dust heating in star--forming galaxies. The processed NICMOS
images will be incorporated into the public SINGS Legacy Data Archive, to
enable
scores of follow-up studies by the astronomical community at large.

ACS/HRC 9379

Near Ultraviolet Imaging of Seyfert Galaxies: Understanding the
Starburst-AGN
Connection

We propose a near-UV snapshot survey of 101 Seyfert galaxies using ACS/HRC
and
the filter F330W, a configuration which is optimal to detect faint star
forming
regions around their nuclei. These images will complement optical and
near-IR
images available in the HST archive, thus providing a panchromatic atlas of
the
inner regions of active galaxies, which we will use to study the
starburst-AGN
connection. The main goals of this proposal are: {1} Determine the frequency
of
circumnuclear starbursts in Seyferts, down to levels which cannot be
observed
from the ground; {2} characterize the observational {fluxes, colors,
structure,
sizes} and intrinsic {luminosities, masses, ages, global star-formation
rate}
properties of these clusters; {3} derive the luminosity functions of young
star
clusters around the nucleus of Seyferts and compare these results with those
from normal and starburst galaxies to determine their survival rate close
to the
AGN; {4} address questions about the relation between AGNs and starbursts,
like
the possible connection between the masses and luminosities of black holes
and
starbursts, and the implications for the evolution of the black holes and
their
host galaxy bulges. By adding UV images to the existing optical and near-IR
ones, this project will create an extremely valuable database for
astronomers
with a broad range of scientific interests, from the properties of the AGN
to
the properties of their host galaxies.

HST 9382

A Large Targeted Survey for z < 1.6 Damped Lyman Alpha Lines in SDSS QSO
MgII-FeII Systems.

We have searched the first public release of SDSS QSO spectra for low-z
{z<1.65}
metal absorption lines and found over 200 large rest equivalent width
MgII-FeII
systems. Previously, we empirically showed that such systems are good
tracers of
large neutral gas columns, with ~50% being classical damped Lyman alpha
{DLA}
systems {N_HI>=2*10^20 cm^-2}. Here we propose to follow up a well-defined
subset of 79 of them to search for DLAs with 0.47<z<1.60. Only QSOs brighter
than g'=19 were selected. The QSO emission and DLA absorption redshifts were
constrained to virtually eliminate data loss due to intervening Lyman limit
absorption. Consequently, we expect to discover ~40 new DLAs, which is a
three-fold increase in this redshift interval. This will significantly
improve
our earlier low-z DLA statistical results on their incidence, cosmological
mass
density, and N_HI distribution. The results will also allow us to better
quantify the empirical DLA -- metal-line correlation. With this improved
understanding, the need for follow-up UV spectroscopy will lessen and, with
the
release of the final database of SDSS QSO spectra {an ~25-fold increase},
the
number of low-z DLAs could be increased arbitrarily. Thus, the power of the
large and statistically-sound SDSS database in combination with a proven
technique for finding low-z DLAs will, over the next few years, essentially
solve the problem of making an accurate determination of the cosmic
evolution of
the neutral gas component down to z~0.4.

NICMOS 9386

Infrared Photometry of a Statistically Significant Sample of KBOs

While the discovery rate of Kuiper Belt objects is accelerating, the
physical
study of this new region of the solar system has been slowed by a lack of
basic
astrophysical data. Photometric observations of the majority of the more
than
400 known KBOs and Centaurs are rudimentary and incomplete, particularly in
the
infrared. The multicolor optical-infrared photometry that exists for a small
subset of KBOs often shows significant discrepancies between observations by
different observers. Their intrinsic faintness puts them at the practical
limits
of ground-based systems. In July 2001 we began what will be the largest
uniform
sample of optical photometry of KBOs with a WFPC2 SNAPSHOT program that will
perform accurate photometry at V, R, and I on a sample of up to 150 targets.
We
seek to greatly enhance the value of this survey by obtaining J and H
photometry
on the same sample using NICMOS. Combined optical and infrared broad band
photometry is a far more powerful tool for physical studies than is either
alone. Our sample includes objects that will be observed at thermal infrared
wavelengths by SIRTF and will be used with those data to derive the first
accurate diameters, albedos, and surface properties for a large sample of
KBOs.

ACS 9400

ARE THERE YOUNG GALAXIES IN THE LOCAL UNIVERSE: THE AGE OF THE BLUE COMPACT
DWARF GALAXY I ZW 18

The question of whether there exists young galaxies in the local universe is
important for cosmology. Cold Dark matter models predict that low-mass
galaxies
could still be forming at the present epoch. In the hierarchical model of
galaxy
formation, large galaxies result from the merging of smaller structures.
These
primordial building-block galaxies are too faint and small to be studied at
high
redshifts, while we stand a much better chance of understanding them if we
can
find some local examples. One of the best candidates for being a young
nearby
galaxy forming stars for the first time at the present epoch, is the blue
compact dwarf {BCD} galaxy I Zw 18 because of its extremely low heavy
element
content {2% that of the Sun}. We propose to obtain deep $V$ and $I$ ACS
images
of I Zw 18. Our goal is to detect or put limits on the red giant branch
{RGB}
stellar population in this galaxy. If RGB stars are not detected, then we
can
set an upper limit for the age of I Zw 18 to be less than 1 Gyr. If they are
detected, I Zw 18 is not young, and the RGB tip can be used to derive its
distance and set limits on the metallicity of the pregalactic gas.

ACS 9454

The Nature of the UV Continuum in LINERs: A Variability Test

LINERs may be the most common AGNs, and the signposts of accretion onto the
massive black holes present in most galaxies. However, the LINER spectrum
is the
result of UV excitation, and, in at least some LINERs, a nuclear cluster of
hot
stars, rather than an AGN, dominates the energetics in the UV. Thus, it is
still
unknown if the UV continuum, or the optical emission lines it excites, have
anything to do with an AGN. The demographics and accretion physics of
low-luminosity AGNs hinge on this question. We propose to search for
variability
in a sample of 17 LINERs with compact UV nuclei. Variability can reveal an
AGN
component in the UV continuum, even when its light is not dominant. We will
test
systematically the handful of non-definitive reports of UV variability, and
potentially quantify the AGN contribution to the UV emission. Variability
in all
or most objects will be strong evidence that LINERs mark dormant AGNs in
most
galaxies. Alternatively, a general null detection of variability will
suggest
that, even in LINERs with additional AGN signatures, the UV continuum is
stellar
in origin. Contemporaneous monitoring with the VLA/VLBA of 11 objects which
have
radio cores {five of which we already know are radio-variable} will reveal
the
relations between UV and radio variations. The UV-variable objects will be
targeted for future, better-sampled, monitoring.

ACS 9480

Cosmic Shear With ACS Pure Parallels

Small distortions in the shapes of background galaxies by foreground mass
provide a powerful method of directly measuring the amount and distribution
of
dark matter. Several groups have recently detected this weak lensing by
large-scale structure, also called cosmic shear. The high resolution and
sensitivity of HST/ACS provide a unique opportunity to measure cosmic shear
accurately on small scales. Using 260 parallel orbits in Sloan textiti
{F775W}
we will measure for the first time: beginlistosetlength sep0cm
setlengthemsep0cm
setlength opsep0cm em the cosmic shear variance on scales <0.7 arcmin, em
the
skewness of the shear distribution, and em the magnification effect.
endlist Our
measurements will determine the amplitude of the mass power spectrum
sigma_8Omega_m^0.5, with signal-to-noise {s/n} ~ 20, and the mass density
Omega_m with s/n=4. They will be done at small angular scales where
non-linear
effects dominate the power spectrum, providing a test of the gravitational
instability paradigm for structure formation. Measurements on these scales
are
not possible from the ground, because of the systematic effects induced by
PSF
smearing from seeing. Having many independent lines of sight reduces the
uncertainty due to cosmic variance, making parallel observations ideal.

NICMOS 9484

The NICMOS Parallel Observing Program

We propose to manage the default set of pure parallels with NICMOS. Our
experience with both our GO NICMOS parallel program and the public parallel
NICMOS programs in cycle 7 prepared us to make optimal use of the parallel
opportunities. The NICMOS G141 grism remains the most powerful survey tool
for
HAlpha emission-line galaxies at cosmologically interesting redshifts. It is
particularly well suited to addressing two key uncertainties regarding the
global history of star formation: the peak rate of star formation in the
relatively unexplored but critical 1<= z <= 2 epoch, and the amount of star
formation missing from UV continuum-based estimates due to high extinction.
Our
proposed deep G141 exposures will increase the sample of known HAlpha
emission-
line objects at z ~ 1.3 by roughly an order of magnitude. We will also
obtain a
mix of F110W and F160W images along random sight-lines to examine the space
density and morphologies of the reddest galaxies. The nature of the
extremely
red galaxies remains unclear and our program of imaging and grism
spectroscopy
provides unique information regarding both the incidence of obscured star
bursts
and the build up of stellar mass at intermediate redshifts. In addition to
carrying
out the parallel program we will populate a public database with calibrated
spectra
and images, and provide limited ground- based optical and near-IR data for
the
deepest parallel fields.

NICMOS 9485

Completing A Near-Infrared Search for Very Low Mass Companions to Stars
within
10 pc of the Sun

Most stars are fainter and less massive than the Sun. Nevertheless, our
knowledge of very low mass {VLM} red dwarfs and their brown dwarf cousins is
quite limited. Unknown are the true luminosity function {LF}, multiplicity
fraction, mass function, and mass-luminosity relation for red and brown
dwarfs,
though they dominate the Galaxy in both numbers and total mass. The best way
to
constrain these relations is a search for faint companions to nearby stars.
Such
a search has several advantages over field surveys, including greater
sensitivity to VLM objects and the availability of precise parallaxes from
which
luminosities and masses can be derived. We propose to complete our
four-filter
NICMOS snapshot search for companions to stars within 10 pc. With a 10 sigma
detection limit of M_J ~ 20 at 10 pc, we can detect companions between 10
and
100 AU that are at least 9 mag fainter than the empirical end of the main
sequence and at least 6.5 mag fainter than the brown dwarf Gl 229B. When
completed, our search will be the largest, most sensitive, volume-limited
search
for VLM companions ever undertaken. Our four-filter search will permit
unambiguous identification of VLM-companion candidates for follow-up
observation. Together with IR speckle and deep imaging surveys, our program
will
firmly establish the LF for VLM companions at separations of 1-1000 AU and
the
multiplicity fraction of all stars within 10 pc.

ACS/WFC 9584

ACS Default {Archival} Pure Parallel Program II.

The Advanced Camera for Surveys (WFC) was used to test ACS pure parallels.

WFPC2 9595

WFPC2 CYCLE 11 SUPPLEMENTAL DARKS pt3/3

This dark calibration program obtains 3 dark frames every day to provide
data
for monitoring and characterizing the evolution of hot pixels.

STIS 9606

CCD Dark Monitor-Part 2

Monitor the darks for the STIS CCD.

STIS 9608

CCD Bias Monitor - Part 2

Monitor the bias in the 1x1, 1x2, 2x1, and 2x2 bin settings at gain=1, and
1x1
at gain = 4, to build up high-S/N superbiases and track the evolution of hot
columns.

ACS 9674

CCD Daily Monitor

This program consists of basic tests to monitor, the read noise, the
development
of hot pixels and test for any source of noise in ACS CCD detectors. This
programme will be executed once a day for the entire lifetime of ACS.

STIS 9708

STIS Pure Parallel Imaging Program: Cycle 11

This is the default archival pure parallel program for STIS during cycle 11.

WFPC2 9709

POMS Test Proposal: WFII parallel archive proposal

This is the generic target version of the WFPC2 Archival Pure Parallel
program.
The program will be used to take parallel images of random areas of the sky,
following the recommendations of the 2002 Parallels Working Group.

WFPC2 9710

POMS Test Proposal: WFII backup parallel archive proposal

This is a POMS test proposal designed to simulate scientific plans.

FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

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

COMPLETED OPS REQs:
16985-1  Add Battery #6 Discharge Off Commands to SMAC01 @ 155/05:08:49z

OPS NOTES EXECUTED: NONE

                           SCHEDULED     SUCCESSFUL    FAILURE TIMES
FGS GSacq               15                        15
FGS REacq               05                         05
FHST Update             17                         17
LOSS of LOCK


SIGNIFICANT EVENTS:

Initial commanding for Battery 6 Capacity Test started @ 154/10:53Z with
configuration
of TMDIAGs.Battery 6 Capacity Test was initiated at second opportunity
(OR 16980 with attached Battery 6 Reconditioning script).  Battery 6 was
connected to
the Diode Bus C and high rate discharge was initiated @ 154/13:28Z,
discharge continued
nominally until approximately 155/04:50Z when the 15 Volt termination point
was reached.
Throughout the discharge, the 5-battery system maintained Voltage, Rate of
Chare, and
State of Charge margins.  SA Section 6 was connected to Battery 6 @
155/05:45Z for
recharging the battery.  To aid the recovery, Battery 5 is being operated
at the VTFE
level.  Due to Battery 5 characteristics and this elevated Voltage cut-off,
some battery
warming is expected.  Plan to set the CCC 5 K1 level back to Level 5 @
155/13:30Z and
configure the FSW back to a 6-battery system @ 156/15:10Z.

----

Jacques :-)

Editor: www.spacepatches.info

------------------------------------------------------