| Program Number | Principal Investigator | Program Title | Links |
| 10487 | David Ardila, California Institute of Technology | A Search for Debris Disks in the Coeval Beta Pictoris Moving Group | Abstract |
| 11079 | Luciana Bianchi, The Johns Hopkins University | Treasury Imaging of Star Forming Regions in the Local Group: Complementing the GALEX and NOAO Surveys | Abstract |
| 11110 | Stephan McCandliss, The Johns Hopkins University | Searching for Lyman alpha Emission from FUSE Lyman Continuum Candidates | Abstract |
| 11137 | Anthony F.J. Moffat, Universite de Montreal | First Accurate Geometric Distance to a Galactic Wolf-Rayet Star: Knots in the Ejecta M1-67 | Abstract |
| 11143 | Andrew J. Baker, Rutgers the State University of New Jersey | NICMOS imaging of submillimeter galaxies with CO and PAH redshifts | Abstract |
| 11144 | Richard Bouwens, University of California, Santa Cruz | Building on the Significant NICMOS Investment in GOODS: A Bright, Wide-Area Search for z>=7 Galaxies | Abstract |
| 11147 | Rupali Chandar, Carnegie Institution of Washington | The Origin of Diffuse UV Light from Spiral Disks | Abstract |
| 11158 | R. Michael Rich, University of California - Los Angeles | HST Imaging of UV emission in Quiescent Early-type Galaxies | Abstract |
| 11172 | Arlin Crotts, Columbia University in the City of New York | Defining Classes of Long Period Variable Stars in M31 | Abstract |
| 11175 | Sandra M. Faber, University of California - Santa Cruz | UV Imaging to Determine the Location of Residual Star Formation in Galaxies Recently Arrived on the Red Sequence | Abstract |
| 11192 | Hao-Jing Yan, Observatories of the Carnegie Institution of Washington | NICMOS Confirmation of Candidates of the Most Luminous Galaxies at z > 7 | Abstract |
| 11196 | Aaron S. Evans, State University of New York at Stony Brook | An Ultraviolet Survey of Luminous Infrared Galaxies in the Local Universe | Abstract |
| 11202 | Leon Koopmans, Kapteyn Astronomical Institute | The Structure of Early-type Galaxies: 0.1-100 Effective Radii | Abstract |
| 11206 | Kai G. Noeske, University of California - Santa Cruz | At the cradle of the Milky Way: Formation of the most massive field disk galaxies at z>1 | Abstract |
| 11210 | George Fritz Benedict, University of Texas at Austin | The Architecture of Exoplanetary Systems | Abstract |
| 11211 | George Fritz Benedict, University of Texas at Austin | An Astrometric Calibration of Population II Distance Indicators | Abstract |
| 11215 | Scott F. Anderson, University of Washington | New Sightlines for the Study of Intergalactic Helium: Dozens of High-Confidence, UV-Bright Quasars from SDSS/GALEX | Abstract |
| 11218 | Howard E. Bond, Space Telescope Science Institute | Snapshot Survey for Planetary Nebulae in Globular Clusters of the Local Group | Abstract |
| 11225 | C. S. Kochanek, The Ohio State University Research Foundation | The Wavelength Dependence of Accretion Disk Structure | Abstract |
| 11233 | Giampaolo Piotto, Universita di Padova | Multiple Generations of Stars in Massive Galactic Globular Clusters | Abstract |
| 11235 | Jason A. Surace, California Institute of Technology | HST NICMOS Survey of the Nuclear Regions of Luminous Infrared Galaxies in the Local Universe | Abstract |
GO 11144: Building on the Significant NICMOS Investment in GOODS: A Bright, Wide-Area Search for z>=7 Galaxies
Part of the GOODS/Chandra Deep Field South field, as imaged by HST
|
The Great Observatory Origins Deep Survey (GOODS) is a multi-wavelength survey that covers two 150 sq. arcmin. fields, centred on the northern Hubble Deep Field (HDF) in Ursa Major and the Chandra Deep Field-South in Fornax. In addition to deep HST data at optical and near-infrared wavelengths, the fields have been covered at X-ray wavelengths by Chandra (obviously) and XMM-Newton; at mid-infrared wavelengths with Spitzer; and ground-based imaging and spectroscopy using numerous telescopes, including the Kecks, Surbaru and the ESO VLT. The prime aim of the GOODS program is to reconstruct the history of galaxy formation, star formation and nuclear galactic activity from the epoch of reionisation to the present. The present HST program builds on past results and aims to push observations to the highest redshifts, searching for galaxies at z > 7. Previously obtained GOODS data have been used to identify z-H dropouts - objects visible on F160W NICMOS images, but not on F098 ACS images. deeper NICMOS images of those candidates will be obtained in the J-band (F110W filter) to confirm whether the fluxes are consistent with 7 < z < 8 star-forming galaxies. |
GO 11172: Defining Classes of Long Period Variable Stars in M31
M31, The Andromeda galaxy
|
Most long period variable stars (LPVs) are red giants on the asymptotic giant branch (AGB). These are intermediate mass stars, between ~1.5 and ~7 solar masses, that are powered by hydrogen and helium shell-burning. The interactions between the two energy sources lead to instabilities that can generate substantial pulsations, with periods from ~50 to ~500 days. Mira, or omicron Ceti, is the Galactic prototype for this type of variable, and numerous LPVs have been identified throughout the Milky Way and in the neighbouring Small and Large Magellanic Clouds. The LMC and SMC variables show a clear period-luminosity relation, particularly at near-infrared wavelengths, with longer period stars having higher intrinsic luminosities. This P-L relation, while not as well established for classical cepheids, allows LPVs to contribute to measurements of the extragalactic distance scale. The present program aims to expand LPV surveys to M31, using the NIC1 and NIC2 cameras within NICMOS to obtain follow-up near-infrared imaging of regions of the Andromeda galaxy that have been observed with ACS and WFPC2 in previous cycles. These new observations will both provide detailed colour-magnitude diagrams for the selected areas and allow the identification of LPVs within the Andromeda disk population. |
GO 11175: UV Imaging to Determine the Location of Residual Star Formation in Galaxies Recently Arrived on the Red Sequence
Galaxy mergers and the red sequence
The overwhelming majority of galaxies are found in clusters. Observations show
that almost all well-defined cluster systems at low and moderate redshift have a
significant population of elliptical galaxies
which have red colours, indicative of old stellar populations and minimal current star formation.
The elliptical galaxies outline a distinct sequence in the colour-magnitude (or colour-mass) diagram, the
so-called
GO 11211: An Astrometric Calibration of Population II Distance Indicators
Measuring trigonometric parallax
|
Trigonometric parallax measurement remains the fundamental method of determining distances to astronomical objects. The best ground-based parallax measurements can achieve accuracies of ~1 milliarcsecond, comparable with the typical accuracies achieved by the ESA Hipparcos astrometric satellite. This level of accuracy allows us to obtain reliable distances and luminosities for main sequence stars, subgiants, red giants and even a number of metal poor subdwarfs. However, with an effective distance limit of 100-150 parsecs, the sampling volume includes less than a handful of rarer, shorter-lived celestial objects. In particular, there are no RR Lyraes or Cepheids, two of the principal calibrators in the extragalactic distance scale. There is only one instrument currently available that can achieve astrometry of higher accuracy - the Fine Guidance Sensors (FGS) on HST. The present team used the FGS to measure a parallax of 3.82+/10.2 milliarseconds for RR Lyrae, the nearest star of its type. this corresponds to a distance of 262 parsecs. The present program aims to improve the calibration by extending observations to four more relatively nearby RR Lyraes (XZ Cyg, UV Oct, RZ Cep and SU Dra) and two Pop II Cepheids (Kappa Pav and VY Pyx). |