HSTPROMO: The Hubble Space Telescope Proper Motion
Collaboration
The HSTPROMO collaboration studies a set of related Hubble Space
Telescope (HST) research projects, with overlapping sets of
investigators, all aimed at improving our dynamical understanding of
stars, clusters, and galaxies in the nearby Universe through
measurement and interpretation of their proper motions (PMs).
Individual projects are pursued by traditional teams consisting of a
Principal Investigator (PI) and select Co-Investigators (CoIs).
HSTPROMO adds coherence to the overall effort, and provides a
framework for sharing of techniques, expertise, models, and insights.
After more than 10 years of work, our collaboration has had 28 HST projects awarded in highly competitive
peer-review, supported by some 3 million dollars in
NASA research funding. A total of 23 refereed
papers have been completed, with many others in preparation. Our
research results have been the topic of 7 press
releases, a live-televised NASA
press conference, and 2 Astronomy Picture of
the Day images. It has been discussed by Nature Magazine,
Scientific American, CNN TV, and many other media outlets around the world.
Lead Coordinators
Members
- Andrea Bellini (STScI; Globular clusters, PM data analysis)
- Gurtina Besla (Columbia U.; Magellanic Clouds, Local Group dynamical modeling)
- Paolo Bianchini (Max Plack Institute fuer Astronomie,
Heidelberg; Globular Clusters, dynamical modeling)
- Mike Boylan-Kolchin (U. of California, Irvine; Local Group, cosmological modeling)
- Julio Chaname (Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile; globular clusters, PM data analysis)
- Alis Deason (U. of California,Santa Cruz; Milky Way halo, dynamical modeling)
- Tuan Do (U. of Toronto; Milky Way dSphs, PM data analysis)
- Puragra Guhathakurta (U. of California, Santa Cruz; M31, Milky Way halo, ground-based spectroscopy)
- Nitya Kallivayalil (U. of Virginia; Magellanic Clouds, PM data analysis)
- Danny Lennon (ESA, ESAC, Madrid; Young stars and star clusters)
- Davide Massari (U. of Bologna; Globular Clusters, PM data analysis)
- Eileen Meyer (STScI; AGN jets, PM data analysis)
- Imants Platais (Johns Hopkins U.; Open clusters, PM data analysis)
- Elena Sabbi (STScI; Magellanic Clouds, Tarantula Nebula, stellar populations)
- Sangmo Tony Sohn (STScI; Local Group galaxies, PM data analysis using background galaxies)
- Mario Soto (STScI; Globular clusters, Milky Way, PM data analysis)
- Michele Trenti (Cambidge University; Globular clusters, N-body modeling)
- Laura Watkins (Max Plack Institute fuer Astronomie, Heidelberg; Local Group, Globular clusters, dynamical modeling)
Associates/Advisors/Former Members
- Many other PIs and CoIs on individual projects, and
co-authors on individual papers, as available through the links below.
Press Releases, Images, and Media Attention
Videos
Refereed Papers
- Optical Proper Motion Measurements of the M87 Jet: New Results from the Hubble Space Telescope (Meyer et al. 2013, ApJL, submitted)
- HST Absolute Proper Motions of NGC 6681 and the Sagittarius Dwarf Galaxy (Massari et al. 2013, ApJ, submitted)
- No Energy Equipartition in Globular Clusters (Trenti & van der Marel, 2013, ApJ, submitted)
- Third-Epoch Magellanic Cloud Proper Motions II: The Large Magellanic Cloud Rotation Field in Three Dimensions (van der Marel & Kallivayalil 2013, ApJ, submitted)
- Hubble Tarantula Treasury Project: Unraveling Tarantula's Web. I. Observational overview and first results (Sabbi et al. 2013, AJ, in press)
- The Velocity Anisotropy of Distant Milky Way Halo Stars from Hubble Space Telescope Proper Motions (Deason et al. 2013, 766, 24)
- The Space Motion of Leo I: The Mass of the Milky Way's Dark Matter Halo (Boylan-Kolchin et al. 2013, ApJ, 768, 140)
- The Space Motion of Leo I: Hubble Space Telescope Proper Motion and Implied Orbit (Sohn et al. 2013, ApJ, 768, 139)
- Third-Epoch Magellanic Cloud Proper Motions I: HST/WFC3 data and Orbit Implications (Kallivayalil et al. 2013, 764, 161)
- The M31 Velocity Vector. III. Future Milky Way-M31-M33 Orbital Evolution, Merging, and Fate of the Sun (van der Marel et al. 2012, ApJ, 753, 9)
- The M31 Velocity Vector. II. Radial Orbit towards the Milky Way and Implied Local Group Mass (van der Marel et al. 2012, ApJ, 753, 8)
- The M31 Velocity Vector. I. Hubble Space Telescope Proper Motion Measurements (Sohn et al. 2012, ApJ, 753, 7)
- The role of dwarf galaxy interactions in shaping the Magellanic System and implications for Magellanic Irregulars (Besla et al. 2012, MNRAS, 421, 2109)
- Simulations of the Magellanic Stream in a First Infall Scenario (Besla et al. 2010, ApJ, 721, 97)
- New Limits on an Intermediate Mass Black Hole in Omega Centauri: II. Dynamical Models (van der Marel & Anderson 2010, ApJ, 710, 1063)
- New Limits on an Intermediate Mass Black Hole in Omega Centauri: I. Hubble Space Telescope Photometry and Proper Motions (Anderson & van der Marel 2010, ApJ, 710, 1032)
- Using Resolved Galaxies in Hubble Space Telescope Images to Measure Absolute Proper Motions (Mahmud & Anderson 2008, PASP, 120, 907)
- Constraining the Mass Profiles of Stellar Systems: Schwarzschild Modeling of Discrete Velocity Data Sets (Chaname et al. 2008, ApJ, 682, 841)
- M31 Transverse Velocity and Local Group Mass from Satellite Kinematics (van der Marel & Guhathakurta 2008, ApJ, 678, 187)
- Are the Magellanic Clouds on their First Passage about the Milky Way? (Besla et al. 2007, 668, 949)
- Is the SMC bound to the LMC? The HST proper motion of the SMC (Kallivayalil et al. 2006, ApJ, 652, 1213)
- The Proper Motion of the Large Magellanic Cloud using HST (Kallivayalil et al. 2006, ApJ, 638, 722)
- Toward High-Precision Astrometry with WFPC2. I. Deriving an Accurate Point-Spread Function (Anderson & King, 2000, PASP, 112, 1360)
HST Projects
- 13476: Proper Motion and Internal Kinematics of the SMC: are the Magellanic Clouds bound to one another? (GO; PI: Kallivayalil; CoI list)
- 13443: Proper Motions along the Orphan Stream: Finding the Parent, Orbit, and Milky Way Halo Shape (GO; PI: van der Marel; CoI list)
- 13359: Proper Motions of Massive Stars in 30 Doradus --- 2nd epoch observations (GO; PI: Lennon; CoI list)
- 13327: Proper Motions at 500 Mpc: Measuring Superluminal motions in Optical Jets with HST (GO; PI: Meyer; CoI list)
- 13272: Proper Motions of Distant Halo Stars: New Clues to Milky Way Structure, Evolution and Mass (AR; PI: van der Marel; CoI list)
- 12966: The Nature of Dark Matter: Halo Cusps or Cores from dSph internal proper motion dynamics (GO; PI: van der Marel; CoI list)
- 12915: Proper Motions of Isolated Massive Stars near the Galactic Center (GO; PI: Lennon; CoI list)
- 12914: Measuring the Milky Way Mass with the Proper Motion of Leo T (GO; PI: Do; CoI list)
- 12845: Hunting for Intermediate-Mass Black Holes: Archival Proper-Motion Analysis of Globular Clusters (AR; PI: Bellini; CoI list)
- 12656: The Ultimate Catalog of Omega Centauri: 15-band Photometry and Proper Motions (AR; PI: Anderson; CoI list)
- 12635: The Complete Velocity Field of the M87 Optical Jet (GO; PI: Sparks; CoI list)
- 12564: Proper Motions along the Sagittarius Stream: Constraining Milky Way Parameters and Dark Halo Shape (GO; PI: van der Marel; CoI list)
- 12499: Proper Motions of Massive Stars in 30 Doradus (GO; PI: Lennon; CoI list)
- 12274: Proper motion study of M54: an intermediate-mass black hole in the nucleus of the Sagittarius Dwarf Galaxy? (GO; PI: van der Marel; CoI list)
- 12273: Mass of the Local Group from Proper Motions of Distant Dwarf Galaxies (GO; PI: van der Marel; CoI list)
- 12270: Proper Motion of Leo I: Constraining the Milky Way Mass (GO; PI: Sohn; CoI list)
- 12156: N-body modeling of globular clusters: detecting intermediate-mass black holes by non-equipartition in HST proper motions (GO; PI: Trenti; CoI list)
- 11988: Searching for Intermediate Mass Black Holes in Globular Clusters via Proper Motions (GO; PI: Chandar; CoI list)
- 11730: Continued Proper Motions of the Magellanic Clouds: Orbits, Internal Kinematics, and Distance (GO; PI: Kallivayalil; CoI list)
- 11684: The First Proper Motion Measurement for M31: Dynamics and Mass of the Local Group (GO; PI: van der Marel; CoI list)
- 11609: NGC 6266: The Smoking Gun of Intermediate-Mass Black Holes in Galactic Globular Clusters? (GO; PI: Chaname; CoI list)
- 11201: Systemic and Internal motions of the Magellanic Clouds: Third Epoch Images (GO; PI: Kallivayalil; CoI list)
- 10841: A Proper Motion Search for Intermediate Mass Black Holes in Globular Clusters --- 2nd Epoch Observations (GO; PI: Chandar; CoI list)
- 10401: A Proper Motion Search for Intermediate Mass Black Holes in Globular Clusters (GO; PI: Chandar; CoI list)
- 10335: Black Holes in Globular Clusters (GTO; PI: Ford; CoI list)
- 10130: Systemic Proper Motions of the Magellanic Clouds from Astrometry with ACS: II. Second Epoch Images (SNAP; PI: Alcock; CoI list)
- 9952: Stellar Dynamical Models for HST Proper Motion Datasets (Theory; PI: van der Marel; CoI list)
- 9462: Systemic and Internal Proper Motions of the Magellanic Clouds from Astrometry with ACS (SNAP; PI: Alcock; CoI list)
Funding
- Support for individual HSTPROMO projects is provided
by NASA through grants from by STScI, which is operated by AURA, Inc.,
under NASA contract NAS 5-26555. Grants are awarded to individual
investigator institutions. Grants to date have totalled $2.5M, with
another $1.3M of funding requests currently pending.
Last modified July 23, 2013.
Roeland van der Marel,
marel@stsci.edu.
Copyright Notice.