HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE<br /><br />DAILY REPORT # 3142<br /><br />PERIOD COVERED: DOY 171<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 />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 />FGS/1 9034<br /><br />The Masses and Luminosities of Population II Stars.<br /><br />Fine Guidance Sensor 11R was used to observe the mass-luminosity relation {MLR}<br />of Population II stars of which very little is currently known. With the advent<br />of the Hipparcos Catalogue, improved distances to many spectroscopic binaries<br />known to be Pop II systems are now available. After surveying the literature and<br />making reasonable estimates of the secondary masses, we find 13 systems whose<br />minimum separation should be larger than the resolution limit of FGS #1.<br /><br />WF/PC-2 9042<br /><br />An Archive To Detect The Progenitors Of Massive, Core-Collapse Supernovae.<br /><br />The WF/PC-2 was used to search for supernovae which have massive star<br />progenitors. The already extensive HST archive and high-resolution ground-based<br />images of galaxies within ~20 Mpc enables us to resolve and quantify their<br />individual bright stellar content. As massive, evolved stars are the most<br />luminous single objects in a galaxy, the progenitors of core-collapse supernovae<br />should be directly detectable on pre-explosion images. One Type II progenitor<br />has been observed this year, and the investigators have proposed a short,<br />companion WFPC2 proposal to confirm this candidate and identify a second.<br /><br />WF/PC-2 9050<br /><br />Outflow Collimation in Bipolar Symbiotic Nebulae.<br /><br />The WF/PC-2 was used to observe flow collimation in evolved stars that is<br />neither expected nor understood. Classical theories of stellar evolution do not<br />predict and cannot explain this bipolarity. More exotic concepts {binary<br />interactions, spun-up atmospheres, poloidal or toroidal magnetized winds} have<br />been proposed, but observations are yet to verify or falsify any of their<br />predictions. This proposal will probe the near-nuclear morphology and kinematics<br />of four bright, low-extinction targets whose large-scale structure is highly<br />bipolar. The goal is to provide a detailed description of the circumnuclear<br />outflows, to uncover the physical structure and nature of the collimator, and to<br />evaluate the speculative collimation mechanisms. The bright nucleus has hampered<br />efforts to explore the nebular collimators that lie close to the star, so we'll<br />use STIS to disperse the nuclear light and, thus, to avoid its glare. A<br />secondary goal is to obtain second-epoch WFPC2 images of all targets.<br /><br />WF/PC-2 9101<br /><br />Toward Understanding the Bipolar Geometries of Preplanetary Nebulae with<br />High-Velocity Polar Flows.<br /><br />The WF/PC-2 was used to image 17 pre-planetary nebula for comparison with<br />high-resolution spectral-line images {being obtained with VLA/MERLIN/ATCA},<br />enabling us to understand the fast outflow and how its hydrodynamical<br />interaction with the AGB wind produces a bipolar nebula.<br /><br />STIS/CCD/MA1/MA2 9113<br /><br />Solar UV Radiation and the Origin of Life on Earth.<br /><br />The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph [CCD, MA1 and MA2] was used to observe<br />chromospheric models that will enable the proposers to predict the extreme-UV<br />emission of the early Sun and its consequences for the erosion of the early<br />Earth's atmosphere and the altered oxidation state of the planet, and<br />investigate the effect of metallicity on the UV emission and its consequences<br />for the photochemistry of Earth-like planets.<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 />GO 9276<br /><br />Localization of Optically-Dark Gamma-Ray bursts by Chandra and HST<br /><br />We propose Chandra {CXO} observations of 4 GRBs detected by the HETE soft X-ray<br />camera, with contemporaneous observations with HST. These observations are<br />"relaxed" TOOs, performed 7-16 days after burst detection. To optimize the<br />chance of isolating Z>10 GRBs, we will select "dark GRBs" for which no optical<br />counterpart has been found by ground-based searches within 2 days of GRB onset.<br />Previous CXO GRB searches have required that observations start within ~24 hours<br />of burst onset, placing an enormous strain on CXO operations. We have determined<br />that 30 ks observations made 7-16 days after burst onset will detect sufficient<br />photons to allow <0.7" locatization of the GRB afterglow. We will immediately<br />place all CXO and HST positions and intensities in the public domain via the<br />GCN.<br /><br />ACS 9289<br /><br />Low Redshift Cluster Gravitational Lensing Survey<br /><br />This proposal has two main scientific goals: to determine the dark matter<br />distribution of massive galaxy clusters, and to observe the high redshift<br />universe using these clusters as powerful cosmic telescopes. Deep, g, r, i, z<br />imaging of a sample of low-z {0.2-0.4} clusters will yield a large sample of<br />lensed background galaxies with reliable photometric redshifts. Using multiple<br />pointings with a central overlap region we will reach HDF-like depth in the<br />central, highly magnified cluster region and a shallower but wider coverage in<br />the outer cluster regions. By combining strong and weak lensing constraints with<br />the photometric redshift information it will be possible to precisely measure<br />the cluster dark matter distribution with an unprecedented combination of high<br />spatial resolution and area coverage, avoiding many of the uncertainties which<br />plague ground-based studies and yielding definitive answers about the structure<br />of massive dark matter haloes. In addition, the cosmological parameters can be<br />constrained in a largely model independent way using the multiply lensed objects<br />due to the dependence of the Einsteinng radius on the distance to the source. We<br />can also expect to detect several highly magnified dropout galaxies behind the<br />clusters in the redshift ranges 4-5 5-6 and 7-8, corresponding to a drop in the<br />flux in the g, r, and i bands relative to longer wavelength. We will obtain the<br />best information to date on the giant arcs already known in these clusters,<br />making possible detailed, pixel-by-pixel studies of their star formation rate,<br />dust distribution and structural components, including spiral arms, out to a<br />redshift of around z~2.5 in several passbands.<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 />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/WFC/HRC 9566<br /><br />CCD Hot Pixel Annealing.<br /><br />The Advanced Camera for Surveys [WFC and HRC] was used to perform hot pixel<br />annealing that will be performed once per month. The CCD TECs will be turned off<br />and heaters will be activated to bring the WFC detector temperature to about<br />+10C. The HRC temperature will reach about 30C. This state will be held for<br />approximately 24 hours, after which the heaters are turned off, the TECs turned<br />on, and the CCDs returned to normal operating condition.<br /><br />STIS 9618<br /><br />STIS MAMA Dispersion Solutions<br /><br />Obtain wavecals just deep enough to constrain wavelength and spatial distortion<br />maps without overusing the calibration lamp. For the first time on orbit, data<br />will be obtained at all available central wavelengths. This information will<br />help constrain global models of STIS optical performance being developed at ECF<br />and STScI. During the observations, MSM monthly offsets will be set to zero to<br />complement observations over the past couple of cycles, which occurred at extreme<br />monthly offsets. The echelle observations at zero offset will yield dispersion<br />solutions that are directly applicable to all echelle science data obtained<br />after monthly offsets are disabled.<br /><br />POMS 9677<br /><br />POMS Test Proposal: WFII backup parallel archive proposal<br /><br />This is a POMS test proposal designed to simulate scientific plans. FLIGHT<br />OPERATIONS SUMMARY:<br /><br />HSTARS: [For details see ]http://hst-sers.hst.nasa.gov/SERS/HST/HSTAR.nsf]<br /><br />8708 - GSACQ [1,3,3] results in fine lock backup @171/1412z. The GSacq [1,3,3]<br /> resulted to fine lock backup [1,0,1] using FGS#1, after multiple attempts<br /> due to [QF3SSLEX] scan step limit exceeded on FGS#3.<br /><br /> *****Possible observations affected: WFPCII 168 thru 170, NIC 149 thru 151, STIS 111.<br /><br />COMPLETED OPS REQs:<br />16791-0 - Recover NICMOS from Suspend @170/2005z<br /><br />OPS NOTES EXECUTED:<br />1005-2 - Battery 5 Capacity Test ground limits. Closed @172/0033z<br />1007-0 - Post Batt 5 Test Chg & Dischg Buffer Limits. Closed @172/0039z<br /><br /> SCHEDULED SUCCESSFUL FAILURE TIMES<br />FGS GSacq 8 8<br />FGS REacq 7 7<br />FHST Update 20 20<br />LOSS of LOCK None<br /><br />Operations Notes: None<br /><br />SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: None