HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE<br /><br />DAILY REPORT # 3140<br /><br />PERIOD COVERED: DOY 169<br /><br />OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED [see HSTARS below for possible observation problems]<br /><br />NICMOS 8790<br /><br />NICMOS Post-SAA calibration - CR Persistence Part 1.<br /><br />A new procedure proposed to alleviate the CR-persistence problem of NICMOS. Dark<br />frames will be obtained immediately upon exiting the SAA contour 23, and every<br />time a NICMOS exposure is scheduled within 50 minutes of coming out of the SAA.<br />The darks will be obtained in parallel in all three NICMOS Cameras. The POST-SAA<br />darks will be non-standard reference files available to users with a USEAFTER<br />date/time mark.<br /><br />STIS/CCD/MA1/MA2 8849<br /><br />Faint Standard Extension.<br /><br />The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph [CCD, MA1 and MA2] was used to observe<br />fainter standard stars that are needed for the flux calibration of COS, while<br />re-observations are required to check for variability and to improve S/N.<br /><br />STIS/CCD 8902<br /><br />Dark Monitor-Part 2.<br /><br />STIS/CCD 8904<br /><br />Bias Monitor-Part 2.<br /><br />2x2 bin settings at gain=1, and 1x1 at gain = 4 in order to build up high-S/N<br />superbiases and track the evolution of hot columns.<br /><br />STIS/MA1/MA2 8920<br /><br />Cycle 10 MAMA Dark Measurements.<br /><br />The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph [MA1 and MA2] was used to perform the<br />routine monitoring of the MAMA detector dark noise, and is the primary means of<br />checking on health of the MAMA detectors systems through frequent monitoring of<br />the background count rate.<br /><br />WFPC2 8938<br /><br />WFPC2 CYCLE 9 SUPPLEMENTAL DARKS pt3/3.<br /><br />This dark calibration program obtains 3 dark frames every day to provide data<br />for monitoring and characterizing the evolution of hot pixels.<br /><br />WF/PC-2 9060<br /><br />Photometry of a Statistically Significant Sample of Kuiper Belt Objects.<br /><br />The WF/PC-2 was used to propel the physical study of KBOs forward by performing<br />accurate photometry at V, R, and I on a sample of up to 150 KBOs. The sample is<br />made up of objects that will be observed at thermal infrared wavelengths by<br />SIRTF and will be used with those data to derive the first accurate diameters<br />and albedos for a large sample of KBOs.<br /><br />STIS/CCD 9066<br /><br />Closing in on the Hydrogen Reionization Edge of the Universe.<br /><br />The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph [CCD] was used in parallel constrain<br />the Hydrogen reionization edge in emission that marks the transition from a<br />neutral to a fully ionized IGM at a predicted redshifts.<br /><br />WF/PC-2 9104<br /><br />A Study of Proplyds and a Protostellar Condensation at the Center of M20.<br /><br />The WF/PC-2 was used to observe the Trifid nebula {M20} that is a well-known<br />prominent optical HII region trisected by bands of obscuring dust lanes and<br />excited by an O7.5 star HD 164492A. Our recent study of near-IR ground-based<br />observations of this region at J, H, K and L show all seven components of HD<br />164492 {A to G} identified optically. Our sub-arcsecond radio continuum VLA and<br />ground- based observations of M20 also show free-free emission from three<br />stellar sources {B, C and D} and a bright rim outlining a protostellar<br />condensation {TC1} lying close to the O7V star {HD 164492A} at the center of the<br />nebula. Based on a number of strong arguments, these stars have disks associated<br />with them and their envelopes are photoionized externally by the UV radiation<br />from the hot central star, HD 164492A. These proposed WFPC2 observations are<br />intended to search for neutral protoplanetary disks ``proplyds'', to study the<br />optically bright rim of ionized gas associated with TC1 for signs of star<br />formation, and to make a detailed subarcsecond determination of extinction<br />toward the dust lanes of M20 using HAlpha and 6cm data.<br /><br />STIS/MA1/MA2 9151<br /><br />UV Snapshot Observation of Nearby Star Forming Galaxies.<br /><br />The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph [MA1 and MA2] was used to obtain FUV<br />and NUV images of nearby emission- line galaxies with existing star-formation<br />rate {SFR} measurements from their HAlpha flux. Recently, the use of the UV flux<br />as a measure of SFR has gained much popularity for estimating SFRs at different<br />cosmic epochs. However, the SFR estimated from UV flux could be greatly biased<br />due to dust extinction. The KPNO International Spectroscopic Survey {KISS}<br />provides a large sample of nearby HAlpha-selected starforming galaxies for which<br />rich optical spectra are available for measuring metallicity and dust extinction<br />through line ratios. By observing a subset of nearby emission-line galaxies in<br />the KISS sample with the STIS FUV and NUV MAMA, a direct comparison between UV<br />and Halpha SFR estimates will be possible. This will allow us to understand the<br />effect of dust extinction on UV flux for star- forming galaxies over a wide<br />range of HAlpha luminosity, metallicity absolute magnitude, and B-V color . A<br />rough dust extinction curve will be constructed for such objects, making it<br />possible to test plausible dust extinction curves used in previous SFR studies<br />of the distant universe. Also, high-resolution UV images will allow us to search<br />for plausible local counterparts to high redshift galaxies whose rest-frame UV<br />morphology is available from existing optical HST data.<br /><br />STIS/CCD 9186<br /><br />D/H in Lyman Limit Absorbers with Simple Velocity Structure.<br /><br />absorbers that provides a direct measurement of the baryonic density of the<br />Universe. This proposal will obtain new high resolution data of two carefully<br />selected, intermediate redshift absorption systems.<br /><br />NICMOS 9269<br /><br />NICMOS Parallel Thermal Background<br /><br />NICMOS Camera 3 pure parallel exposures in the F222M filter will be obtained for<br />the entire duration of SMOV to establish the stability of the HST+NCS+Instrument<br />thermal emission.<br /><br />GTO/ACS 9290<br /><br />The Nature of Galaxies at z > 4.<br /><br />The Morphological, Photometric, and Spectroscopic Properties of Intermediate<br />Redshift Cluster.New and fundamental constraints on the evolutionary state of<br />high redshift clusters will be made by obtaining deep, multiband images {SDSS g,<br />r, i, z} over the central 1.5 Mpc regions of seven distant clusters in the range<br />0.76 < z < 1.27. In addition, slitless spectroscopy, using the WFC GRISM, will<br />be performed over the central 750 kpc region of each system galaxy.<br /><br />STIS/CCD 9317<br /><br />Pure Parallel Imaging Program: Cycle 10.<br /><br />The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph [CCD] was used to perform the default<br />archival pure parallel program for STIS during cycle 10.<br /><br />WF/PC-2 9318<br /><br />POMS Test Proposal: WFII Parallel Archive Proposal Continuation.<br /><br />The WF/PC-2 was used to perform the generic target version of the WFPC2 Archival<br />Pure Parallel program. The program was used to take parallel images of random<br />areas of the sky, following the recommendations of the Parallels Working Group.<br /><br />NICMOS 9321<br /><br />Dark current, shading profile, and read noise monitoring program<br /><br />The purpose of this proposal is to monitor the detector dark current, read<br />noise, and shading profile for all three NICMOS cameras from the onset of normal<br />NCS operations throughout the start of Cycle 11.<br /><br />HST 9382<br /><br />A Large Targeted Survey for z < 1.6 Damped Lyman Alpha Lines in SDSS QSO<br />MgII-FeII Systems.<br /><br />We have searched the first public release of SDSS QSO spectra for low-z {z<1.65}<br />metal absorption lines and found over 200 large rest equivalent width MgII-FeII<br />systems. Previously, we empirically showed that such systems are good tracers of<br />large neutral gas columns, with ~50% being classical damped Lyman alpha {DLA}<br />systems {N_HI>=2*10^20 cm^-2}. Here we propose to follow up a well-defined<br />subset of 79 of them to search for DLAs with 0.47<z<1.60. Only QSOs brighter<br />than g'=19 were selected. The QSO emission and DLA absorption redshifts were<br />constrained to virtually eliminate data loss due to intervening Lyman limit<br />absorption. Consequently, we expect to discover ~40 new DLAs, which is a<br />three-fold increase in this redshift interval. This will significantly improve<br />our earlier low-z DLA statistical results on their incidence, cosmological mass<br />density, and N_HI distribution. The results will also allow us to better<br />quantify the empirical DLA -- metal-line correlation. With this improved<br />understanding, the need for follow-up UV spectroscopy will lessen and, with the<br />release of the final database of SDSS QSO spectra {an ~25-fold increase}, the<br />number of low-z DLAs could be increased arbitrarily. Thus, the power of the<br />large and statistically-sound SDSS database in combination with a proven<br />technique for finding low-z DLAs will, over the next few years, essentially<br />solve the problem of making an accurate determination of the cosmic evolution of<br />the neutral gas component down to z~0.4.<br /><br />ACS/HRC 9391<br /><br />High-Resolution Imaging of Pluto's Surface<br /><br />We will collect a series of observations with the ACS/HRC from which we will<br />derive a two-color global map of Pluto's surface. We will image Pluto at F435W<br />and F555W, wavelengths that have been extensively studied from the ground over<br />the past 50 years. The maps will provide albedos with accurate error<br />determinations down to 52 degrees South latitude. These observations will<br />provide a second epoch of HST mapping of the active surface of Pluto as it<br />continues to recede from the Sun and will provide an important context for other<br />detailed studies of Pluto.<br /><br />ACS/CAL 9558<br /><br />ACS weekly Test<br /><br />This program consists of basic tests to monitor, the read noise, the development<br />of hot pixels and test for any source of noise in ACS CCD detectors. This<br />programme will be executed once a day for the entire lifetime of ACS.<br /><br />ACS 9567<br /><br />SBC Dark Current<br /><br />Dark current measurements will be made for the ACS SBC once a week.<br /><br />ACS/WFC 9575<br /><br />Default {Archival} Pure Parallel Program.<br /><br />The Advanced Camera for Surveys [WFC] was used to test ACS pure parallels in<br />POMS.<br /><br />ACS/WFC 9584<br /><br />ACS Default {Archival} Pure Parallel Program II.<br /><br />The Advanced Camera for Surveys [WFC] was used to test ACS pure parallels.<br /><br />GO 9585<br /><br />Discovery of a Binary Kuiper Belt Object by HST<br /><br />We will observe 1997CQ29 at three epochs to make a first determination of its<br />orbital properties FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:<br /><br />HSTARS: [For details see ]http://hst-sers.hst.nasa.gov/SERS/HST/HSTAR.nsf]<br />None<br /><br />COMPLETED OPS REQs: None<br /><br />OPS NOTES EXECUTED:<br />1016-0 - Adjust Recharge Ratio Limits for High Sun DOY 164-180 @ 169/1640z<br />1017-1 - Adjust ACS Calibration Lamp Input Voltage @ 169/1711z<br /><br /> SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES<br />FGS GSacq 7 7<br />FGS REacq 9 9<br />FHST Update 13 13<br />LOSS of LOCK None<br /><br />Operations Notes: None<br /><br />SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: None