Updated the comments section 1052953325 ----- Attempting Submission 4 (Mon Aug 19 16:56:55 GMT 2013) ----- We propose a STIS calibration program to enable HST coronagraphy at its ultimate inner working angle (IWA) limit, with anticipated greater than previously possible contrast performance, well characterized at IWAs as small as 0.15", at optical wavelengths that cannot be broached from the ground even with AO augmented telescopes. Achieving such small IWAs with high contrast will enable the pursuit of some of the most compelling questions in astrophysics today. Observations enabled by our calibrations will advance exoplanetary science by revealing the inner regions of circumstellar protoplanetary and debris disks, and detect and resolve close orbit substellar companions to nearby stars. Extragalactic studies of host galaxies of bright QSOs, damped Lyman alpha absorbers, and feedback mechanisms in the bulges of AGN can be pursued at distances closer to their hosts than ever before. The STIS occulting WEDGEA & B provide IWAs to only ~ 0.3" before aperture edge intrusion and cut-off. Our calibration program will mitigate this unintended deficiency unplanned in the STIS design to, for the first time on orbit, explore the "finger" occulter - unfortunately bent on the ground but quite likely still a functional, small IWA, focal plane occulter. We will also explore the BAR10 occulter corners, unused in this fashion on-orbit, to comparatively demonstrate the merits of both with new capabilities for optical coronagraphy. By carrying out this program in Cy 20, sufficient time will remain before intended HST end of mission to exploit this potentially unmatched capability in unexplored observational domains required for high contrast science and uniquely at visible light wavelengths. Guide Star Acquisitions: We require pointing and roll controll with 2-FGS guiding. Single-FGS guiding does not offer sufficient target position stability for coronagraphy. Each visit (after its Guide Star acquisition) begins with a mode-2 target acquistion. This is followed by a sequence of short CR-SPLIT exposures at varying positions near the edge of the BAR10 aperture and across the uncalibrated finger occulter. The positions will be POSTARG-eted from the BAR10 aperture, calculated from its SIAF pixel coordinates. Target Acquisitions: We expose our TA images to a SNR > approx 100, using the STIS ETC. While robust target acquistion is enabled with SNR 40, we also use the TA images as a pre mode-2 astrometric anchor to assess the "behind the wedge" target position to high precision. We also use the neutral density filtered images to photometrically obtain target:PSF template brightness ratios in the broad STIS passband. The STIS Target Acqusition ETC was used to determine the exposure times for all acqusition images. Coronagraphic Exposures: The short exposure times are designed to reach 90% of full-well depth, with the target coronagraphically occulted, at the edge of the aperture, 0.15" from the star, at the nearest positioning. We scale, using the ETC, this from observations predicated upon that an A0 star with V=3.55 reaches 90% full-well from the PSF halo in 1 second, based upon previous STIS coronagraphic observations allowing for up to as much of 1/2 pixel of possible target decentering in acquisition performance. Sub-Array Readouts: For the coronagraphic exposures we use subarray readouts (SIZEAXIS2), sized large enough to fully encompass our regions of interest. We will be using the AVAILABLE but NOT SUPPORTED CENTERAXIS2 parameter to center our postargeted readout column to be centered on the source. We will read out only a 100 px wide column to decrease read out time and to enable the testing of more positions. We use 3 orbits for both target/PSF pairs, totaling 6 orbits. Each calibration star and its matched PSF star is observed in three single-orbit visits. The first visit observes the calibration star, the second visit observes the PSF star, while the third visits the calibration star again. The three visits within each set must be executed in sequential, contigious orbits (i.e., back to back with no interruptions except Earth occultation). Orientation: The calibration targets are ideally observed with a relative orientation offset of ~ 33.5 degrees. The PSF stars are ideally observed with a relative orientation within the orientation angles of the calibration stars. Ideal nominal angles are chosen to avoid image corruption by the HST OTA diffraction spikes. PSF templates: The PSF templates are selected to match the spectral type and brightness of the calibration stars, and will be observed interleaved within the first and third visit of the source-psf-source observation sequence. In the event of scheduling difficulties (e.g., guide star selections), if any visit (and thus the linked-set) becomes unschedulable due to the PSF star, in SOME cases we can suggest an alternate - but in general we would look to further "relaxing" Orient From or other requirements. We chose a PSF star for Beta Pictoris that is fainter than our source, due to the already possible saturation of Beta Pictoris at its closest position to the edge of the occulters. The PSF stars, to the extent possible, have been vetted against binarity, field-crowding, and/or nebulosity (including known light-scattering CS dust of their own). PSF stars are usually constrained to be ~ < 10 deg from their science targets to minimize differences in contemporaneous observations in Sun and Beta angles that can drive OTA breathing mode (phase) changes. We have no real-time requirements. We ask for no SPECIAL calibrations for this proposal (and called none out in Phase 1). We did not because we ASSUME that STScI will acquire GAIN=4 (supported mode) bias, DARK, and flat-field frames (and derived hot/bad pixel maps) as part of their Cycle 20 calibration plan in support of approved Cycle 20 science programs. If this is NOT the case, then we must obtain GAIN=4 calibration reference bias/dark data as part of our program using NON-POINTED (internal) orbits only. A crucial part of our observations is determining the precise POSTARG values to use for displacing the stars to the required positions behind the coronagraph. Since we were unable to match STScI's SIAF values of the BAR10 position to a specific flat field image, which we intended to use to determine the relative offsets needed, we decided to use actual BAR10 coronagraphic observations combined with 50CORON flat field images to find the BAR10 pixel coordinate for the specific flat field image we inteded to use. The latest flat field we found was obn409010, taken in 2011. We compared this to Fomalhaut images taken in 2010 (Kalas) from program GO11818 (observations OB7914010 and OB7915010). We determined the precise position of Fomalhaut in images taken in orbit 14 and 15 by finding the crossing point of the diffraction spikes at (ob7914010_raw_1.fits: 643.95 866.31, ob7915010_raw_1.fits: 644.07 866.83). We then determined the X and Y shift required to match the backlit silhouette of the finger occulting element with its image on the flat field exposure (ob7914010_raw_1.fits: Flat Shift = +18.40, +19.30; ob7915010_raw_1.fits: Flat Shift = +18.40, +19.60). From these fits, we could infer the position of the nominal BAR10 position at 625.55 847.01 and 625.67 847.23. We took the average of these as the BAR10 pixel position on the flat field image: Average (expected BAR10 pointing position) in FF image: 625.61 847.12 We note, that the position of Fomalhaut was offset by almost a full pixel in the image taken on orbit 13, which we discarded from our calculations. We also note, that the position of the BAR10 location appears to be slightly asymmetrically placed w.r.t. the bar vertical axis of symmetry. As a result, positioning the star at the LL edge will be 40.6 pixels from the initial BAR10 pointing, whereas positioning the star at the LR will be 41.8 pixels from the initial BAR10 pointing. We determined the LL and LR corner of the BAR10 occulting element by measuring the 45 degree apex FROM both rounded corners of the bar occulter at the SIAF coordinates below, at the point where the measured intensity is 50% of the background flat illumination: Lower Left: SIAF(X,Y) = 598.125, 817.312 Lower Right: SIAF(X,Y)= 655.062, 817.38 We determined positions at 0.15, 0.175, 0.2, 0.25, and 0.3" from these positions along the 45 degree apex as imaging positions. For Beta Pic we have an additional pointing at 0.125". We also determined the scan center of the finger observations to be at 970.06, 699.40, and measured the line angle of the finger at 11.28 deg CW from image +Y. We placed imaging positions at 0,+/-0.04, and +/- 0.08 arcsecond from this central point, along a perpendicular to the central line. For Beta Pic we have additional positions at 0.12". We show these positions on the images found at these links: http://merope.as.arizona.edu/~agaspar/BAR10.jpg http://merope.as.arizona.edu/~agaspar/Finger.jpg Our final POSTARG values are: Name X Y POSTARGX POSTARGY ___________________________________________ LL_0.125: 599.868 819.055 -1.23270 -1.30535 LL_0.150: 600.217 819.404 -1.22209 -1.29474 LL_0.175: 600.565 819.752 -1.21148 -1.28414 LL_0.200: 600.914 820.101 -1.20088 -1.27353 LL_0.250: 601.611 820.798 -1.19027 -1.26292 LL_0.300: 602.308 821.495 -1.17966 -1.25232 LR_0.125: 653.319 819.123 1.33805 -1.30016 LR_0.150: 652.970 819.472 1.32744 -1.28955 LR_0.175: 652.622 819.820 1.31683 -1.27894 LR_0.200: 652.273 820.169 1.30623 -1.26834 LR_0.250: 651.576 820.866 1.29562 -1.25773 LR_0.300: 650.879 821.563 1.28501 -1.24712 F+0.00: 970.060 699.400 17.46706 -7.46566 F+0.04: 970.214 700.174 17.47993 -7.45095 F+0.08: 970.369 700.947 17.48271 -7.41243 F-0.04: 969.906 698.626 17.45924 -7.53011 F-0.08: 969.751 697.853 17.48873 -7.56934 F+0.12: 970.523 701.721 17.49166 -7.39211 F-0.12: 969.597 697.079 17.49460 -7.37740 PROPOSAL UPDATE FOLLOWING THE EXECUTION OF AU MIC VISITS 04-06: Our preliminary analysis of the observations of AU Mic and its PSF star in Visits 04-06 has lead to a better understanding (and calibration) of the metrology of the BAR10 and "FINGER" focal plane occulters. With this updated knowledge, and quantitative error estimation, we have re-defined and revised the POSTARG offsets to be applied to the Beta Pic and its PSF star observations in Visits 01 - 03 as follows: LL 0.225: POSTARGS: -1.23270 -1.30535 LL 0.240: POSTARGS: -1.22209 -1.29474 LL 0.255: POSTARGS: -1.21148 -1.28414 LL 0.270: POSTARGS: -1.20088 -1.27353 LL 0.285: POSTARGS: -1.19027 -1.26292 LL 0.300: POSTARGS: -1.17966 -1.25232 LR 0.225: POSTARGS: 1.33805 -1.30016 LR 0.240: POSTARGS: 1.32744 -1.28955 LR 0.255: POSTARGS: 1.31683 -1.27894 LR 0.270: POSTARGS: 1.30623 -1.26834 LR 0.285: POSTARGS: 1.29562 -1.25773 LR 0.300: POSTARGS: 1.28501 -1.24712 F -0.045: POSTARGS: 17.47699 -7.46566 F -0.030: POSTARGS: 17.47993 -7.45095 F -0.015: POSTARGS: 17.48286 -7.43624 F 0.000: POSTARGS: 17.48579 -7.42153 F 0.015: POSTARGS: 17.48873 -7.40682 F 0.030: POSTARGS: 17.49166 -7.39211 F 0.045: POSTARGS: 17.49460 -7.37740 We have also shifted the CENTERAXIS2 values by -20 pixels to account for the overscan region, which we did not do for the first three visits. ISM AND CIRCUMSTELLAR MATTER 0 Medium true false 0.0 0.0 false false false AVAILABLE STAR A4-A9 V-IV DISK This object was generated by the targetselector and retrieved from the SIMBAD database. Spec: A6V HD39060 HIP27321 J2000 J2000 B-Magnitude 4.029 STAR CIRCUMSTELLAR MATTER M V-IV This object was generated by the targetselector and retrieved from the SIMBAD database. HD197481 HIP102409 J2000 J2000 B-Magnitude=10.05 STAR A4-A9 V-IV This object was generated by the targetselector and retrieved from the SIMBAD database. DELTA-DOR HD39014 J2000 J2000 B-Magnitude=4.56 STAR M V-IV This object was generated by the targetselector and retrieved from the SIMBAD database. HD191849 HIP99701 J2000 J2000 B-Magnitude=9.419 STIS/CCD Imaging Yes No BAR10 STIS/CCD Imaging Yes No BAR10 STIS/CCD Imaging Yes No BAR10 STIS/CCD Imaging Yes No BAR10 STIS/CCD Imaging Yes No BAR10 STIS/CCD Imaging Yes No BAR10 Timing link suitability includes constraints ([02 After 01 by 0.0 to 0.1 days]) The scheduling data was generated by CASM 21.2. CASM was run in Phase II mode. /private/var/folders/qf/rnrtlq_13m3dxspk5gg09qkh0000gn/T/OPVisit1663140739178500680.xml 1376931214416 Ideal absolute orientation at 239.05 (or rotated by 180) (Tic-Visit :proposal-id 12923 :visit-id "01" :proposal-version -1 :trans-version "20130502" :date "19-Aug-2013 09:53:29.0" :trans-errors '(:WARNINGS 0 :ERRORS 0 :HEALTH-AND-SAFETY 0 :FATAL-ERRORS 0 :CONTINUABLE-FATALS 0) :number-of-orbits 1 :saa-model "24" :si-bright-earth-limb-angle 20.0 :data-volume 169168 :tdrss-contact-duration 0 :coron NIL ) (Tic-Obset :proposal-id 12923 :visit-id "01" :obset-id "01" :pcs-mode "FGS" ) (Tic-Orbit :proposal-id 12923 :visit-id "01" :orbit-number 1 :pcs-time 333 :si-vis-utilization 3061 :al-overhead-at-end 0 :internal-dur-at-end 396 :dark-offset NIL :dark-utilization 0 :max-dark-utilization 1920 :low-sky "N" :pcs-visibility 3430 :pcs-gap 0 ) true 1 0 SNR = 100, V=3.86, Sp=A5V, Exptime rounded to nearest 0.1 second. Timing link suitability includes constraints ([02 After 01 by 0.0 to 0.1 days] [03 After 02 by 0.0 to 0.1 days]) The scheduling data was generated by CASM 21.2. CASM was run in Phase II mode. /private/var/folders/qf/rnrtlq_13m3dxspk5gg09qkh0000gn/T/OPVisit8162549583817574393.xml 1376931229243 (Tic-Visit :proposal-id 12923 :visit-id "02" :proposal-version -1 :trans-version "20130502" :date "19-Aug-2013 09:53:45.0" :trans-errors '(:WARNINGS 0 :ERRORS 0 :HEALTH-AND-SAFETY 0 :FATAL-ERRORS 0 :CONTINUABLE-FATALS 0) :number-of-orbits 1 :saa-model "24" :si-bright-earth-limb-angle 20.0 :data-volume 169168 :tdrss-contact-duration 0 :coron NIL ) (Tic-Obset :proposal-id 12923 :visit-id "02" :obset-id "02" :pcs-mode "FGS" ) (Tic-Orbit :proposal-id 12923 :visit-id "02" :orbit-number 1 :pcs-time 333 :si-vis-utilization 3069 :al-overhead-at-end 0 :internal-dur-at-end 396 :dark-offset NIL :dark-utilization 0 :max-dark-utilization 1920 :low-sky "N" :pcs-visibility 3582 :pcs-gap 0 ) true 1 0 SNR = 100, V=4.35, Sp=A7V, Exptime rounded to nearest 0.1 second. Timing link suitability includes constraints ([03 After 02 by 0.0 to 0.1 days]) The scheduling data was generated by CASM 21.2. CASM was run in Phase II mode. /private/var/folders/qf/rnrtlq_13m3dxspk5gg09qkh0000gn/T/OPVisit8245005916284124021.xml 1376931239969 Ideal absolute orientation at 272.55 (or rotate by 180) (Tic-Visit :proposal-id 12923 :visit-id "03" :proposal-version -1 :trans-version "20130502" :date "19-Aug-2013 09:53:56.0" :trans-errors '(:WARNINGS 0 :ERRORS 0 :HEALTH-AND-SAFETY 0 :FATAL-ERRORS 0 :CONTINUABLE-FATALS 0) :number-of-orbits 1 :saa-model "24" :si-bright-earth-limb-angle 20.0 :data-volume 169168 :tdrss-contact-duration 0 :coron NIL ) (Tic-Obset :proposal-id 12923 :visit-id "03" :obset-id "03" :pcs-mode "FGS" ) (Tic-Orbit :proposal-id 12923 :visit-id "03" :orbit-number 1 :pcs-time 333 :si-vis-utilization 3061 :al-overhead-at-end 0 :internal-dur-at-end 396 :dark-offset NIL :dark-utilization 0 :max-dark-utilization 1920 :low-sky "N" :pcs-visibility 3430 :pcs-gap 0 ) true 1 0 SNR = 100, V=3.86, Sp=A5V, Exptime rounded to nearest 0.1 second. Timing link suitability includes constraints ([05 After 04 by 0.0 to 0.1 days]) The scheduling data was generated by CASM 21.2. CASM was run in Phase II mode. /private/var/folders/qf/rnrtlq_13m3dxspk5gg09qkh0000gn/T/OPVisit398628081747124120.xml 1376931248810 1375248093000 340.0 (Tic-Visit :proposal-id 12923 :visit-id "04" :proposal-version -1 :trans-version "20130502" :date "19-Aug-2013 09:54:06.0" :trans-errors '(:WARNINGS 0 :ERRORS 0 :HEALTH-AND-SAFETY 0 :FATAL-ERRORS 0 :CONTINUABLE-FATALS 0) :number-of-orbits 1 :saa-model "24" :si-bright-earth-limb-angle 20.0 :data-volume 133648 :tdrss-contact-duration 0 :coron NIL ) (Tic-Obset :proposal-id 12923 :visit-id "04" :obset-id "04" :pcs-mode "FGS" ) (Tic-Orbit :proposal-id 12923 :visit-id "04" :orbit-number 1 :pcs-time 333 :si-vis-utilization 2658 :al-overhead-at-end 0 :internal-dur-at-end 358 :dark-offset NIL :dark-utilization 0 :max-dark-utilization 1920 :low-sky "N" :pcs-visibility 3267 :pcs-gap 0 ) true 1 0 SNR = 100, V=8.61, Sp=M0V, Exptime rounded to nearest 0.1 second. Timing link suitability includes constraints ([05 After 04 by 0.0 to 0.1 days] [06 After 05 by 0.0 to 0.1 days]) The scheduling data was generated by CASM 21.2. CASM was run in Phase II mode. /private/var/folders/qf/rnrtlq_13m3dxspk5gg09qkh0000gn/T/OPVisit2832716906433532821.xml 1376931258297 1375253633000 14.745236543194608 (Tic-Visit :proposal-id 12923 :visit-id "05" :proposal-version -1 :trans-version "20130502" :date "19-Aug-2013 09:54:15.0" :trans-errors '(:WARNINGS 0 :ERRORS 0 :HEALTH-AND-SAFETY 0 :FATAL-ERRORS 0 :CONTINUABLE-FATALS 0) :number-of-orbits 1 :saa-model "24" :si-bright-earth-limb-angle 20.0 :data-volume 160288 :tdrss-contact-duration 0 :coron NIL ) (Tic-Obset :proposal-id 12923 :visit-id "05" :obset-id "05" :pcs-mode "FGS" ) (Tic-Orbit :proposal-id 12923 :visit-id "05" :orbit-number 1 :pcs-time 333 :si-vis-utilization 2830 :al-overhead-at-end 0 :internal-dur-at-end 392 :dark-offset NIL :dark-utilization 0 :max-dark-utilization 1920 :low-sky "N" :pcs-visibility 3377 :pcs-gap 0 ) true 1 0 SNR = 100, V=7.96, Sp=M0V, Exptime rounded to nearest 0.1 second. Timing link suitability includes constraints ([06 After 05 by 0.0 to 0.1 days]) The scheduling data was generated by CASM 21.2. CASM was run in Phase II mode. /private/var/folders/qf/rnrtlq_13m3dxspk5gg09qkh0000gn/T/OPVisit6430210273541768814.xml 1376931266937 1375259572000 10.0 (Tic-Visit :proposal-id 12923 :visit-id "06" :proposal-version -1 :trans-version "20130502" :date "19-Aug-2013 09:54:24.0" :trans-errors '(:WARNINGS 0 :ERRORS 0 :HEALTH-AND-SAFETY 0 :FATAL-ERRORS 0 :CONTINUABLE-FATALS 0) :number-of-orbits 1 :saa-model "24" :si-bright-earth-limb-angle 20.0 :data-volume 133648 :tdrss-contact-duration 0 :coron NIL ) (Tic-Obset :proposal-id 12923 :visit-id "06" :obset-id "06" :pcs-mode "FGS" ) (Tic-Orbit :proposal-id 12923 :visit-id "06" :orbit-number 1 :pcs-time 333 :si-vis-utilization 2658 :al-overhead-at-end 0 :internal-dur-at-end 358 :dark-offset NIL :dark-utilization 0 :max-dark-utilization 1920 :low-sky "N" :pcs-visibility 3267 :pcs-gap 0 ) true 1 0 SNR = 100, V=8.61, Sp=M0V, Exptime rounded to nearest 0.1 second.