Assigned ID: 892 ----- Attempting Submission 1 (Sat Feb 26 01:00:58 GMT 2011) ----- HST Phase I Proposal 892 (burgasser_ar_draft1_submit.apt) successfully submitted. ----- Attempting Submission 2 (Sat Feb 26 02:00:01 GMT 2011) ----- HST Phase I Proposal 892 (burgasser_ar_draft1_submit.apt) successfully submitted. ----- Attempting Submission 3 (Sat Feb 26 02:25:07 GMT 2011) ----- HST Phase I Proposal 892 (burgasser_ar_draft1_submit.apt) successfully submitted. ----- Attempting Submission 4 (Sat Feb 26 02:50:53 GMT 2011) ----- Low-temperature L- and T-type brown dwarfs are ubiquitous in the vicinity of the Sun, but studies of these objects at large distances have been avoided due to their exceedingly faint luminosities. Nevertheless, a significant sample (roughly 200) of distant and cold brown dwarfs are likely present in the >250 WFC3 slitless G141 grism pointings currently available in the HST archive. I propose an Archival Program to identify and characterize these sources, using empirical templates to determine spectral types and atmospheric parameters (temperature, surface gravity and metallicity). I will then use this sample to constrain the mass function and Galactic spatial distribution of brown dwarfs in thin disk, thick disk and halo populations, extending prior work with HST/WFPC2 and HST/ACS well beyond the hydrogen-burning mass limit. By sampling and spectroscopically characterizing these overlooked distant and cold brown dwarfs, I aim to realize their potential as standard candles and clocks in investigations of the Milky Way.

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