This Echo is READ ONLY !   NO Un-Authorized Messages Please!
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

06 May 2003

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

DAILY REPORT # 3356

PERIOD COVERED: DOY 125

Part 3 of 4

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. 

WFPC2 9592

WFPC2 CYCLE 11 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 9594

WFPC2 CYCLE 11 SUPPLEMENTAL DARKS pt2/3

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

WFPC2 9596

WFPC2 CYCLE 11 INTERNAL MONITOR

This calibration proposal is the Cycle 11 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.

STIS 9604

STIS CCD Performance Monitor

This activity measures the baseline performance and commandability of
the CCD subsystem. Only primary amplifier D is used. Bias and Flat
Field exposures are taken in order to measure bias level, read noise,
CTE, and gain. Numerous bias frames are taken to permit construction
of "superbias" frames in which the effects of read noise have been
rendered negligible. Full frame and binned observations are made,
with binning factors of 2 x 1, 1 x 2, 2 x 2, 4 x 1, and 4 x 2. Dark
images are taken in 2x2 binning mode; 1x1 binning darks are being
taken in the nominal CCD Dark Monitor. Bias frames are taken in
subarray readouts to check the bias level for ACQ and ACQ/PEAK
observations. All exposures are internals. 

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.

STIS 9613

STIS CCD Spectroscopic Flats C11

Obtain CCD flats on the STIS CCD in spectroscopic mode.

STIS 9633

STIS parallel archive proposal - Nearby Galaxies - Imaging and
Spectroscopy

Using parallel opportunities with STIS which were not allocated by
the TAC, we propose to obtain deep STIS imagery with both the Clear
{50CCD} and Long-Pass {F28X50LP} filters in order to make
color-magnitude diagrams and luminosity functions for nearby
galaxies. For local group galaxies, we also include G750L slitless
spectroscopy to search for e.g., Carbon stars, late M giants and
S-type stars. This survey will be useful to study the star formation
histories, chemical evolution, and distances to these galaxies. These
data will be placed immediately into the Hubble Data Archive.

 - Continued -

@Message posted automagically by IMTHINGS POST 1.30
---