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3\05 HST Daily Rpt No 3313
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.

STIS 9507

STIS/UV snapshot survey of bright AGN

We propose a UV spectroscopic snapshot survey of bright AGN, 
quadrupling the number of Seyferts UV spectra and adding dozens of new 
quasars, aimed at the following goals: beginenumerate em Finding the 
relationship between the intrinsic luminosity of the AGN and the 
maximum velocity {and width} of the outflow emanating from it, and 
determining the frequency of outflows in low-z AGN as a function of 
luminosity. em Surveying IGM absorption line systems in numerous new 
sight-lines. em Identifying promising targets for observations with
the future highly sensitive Cosmic Origin Spectrograph. endenumerate A 
35-minute snapshot with exposures in either the G140L or G230L will 
yield spectra with a minimum S/N > 15 per resolution element at all 
wavelengths for all our potential targets. This will allow us to be 
sensitive to absorption lines to a limiting equivalent width of 0.3 
Angstrom at the 3 Sigma level. In order to facilitate rapid 
observational followup, we waive the data proprietary period entirely.

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

FGS 9603

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 with 
different stellar spectral colors. The data will be added to the 
library of point source interferograms that was assembled from the 
Cycles 8 and 9 calibration programs. 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 check for long term temporal 
stability of the FGS1r S-curves.  This proposal monitors the cycle 10
calibration the FGS1r Lateral Color response {using stars Latcol-A and 
Latcol-B}, as well as calibrates the "Pos/Trans" bias of a star's 
position as determined from Transfer mode and Position mode 
observations, and finally the shift of a star's centroid when observed 
with F5ND relative to that when observed with F583W {the cross filter 
shift} is calibrated for the fainter stars in this proposal {stars 
brighter than V=8 can not be observed with F583W.}

STIS 9605

CCD Dark Monitor-Part 1

Monitor the darks for the STIS CCD

STIS 9607

CCD Bias Monitor - Part 1

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 9658

ACS Earth Flats

This program will obtain sequences of flat field images by observing 
the bright Earth. Several UV filters from the interim calibration 
program {9564} require additional exposures to obtain the required 
illumination. A few UV filters from this program will be repeated to 
monitor for changes in the flat fields and to verify the interim 
results. Since no streaks are observed in the UV, the wavelength 
coverage is extended to longer wavelengths in order to explore the 
severity of streaks in the flats from clouds in the FOV. We have added 
exposures for the HRC in the visible filters to verify the results 
derived from the L-flat campaign and to explore the severity of 
streaks. We have also added exposures on WFC using the minimum 
exposure time and using filters which will not saturate the brightest 
WFC pixel by more than 10 times the full well.

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