UDF/ACS PARAMETERS: POINTING, FILTERS, DEPTH, STATUS

Based on a consensus recommendation of a Scientific Advisory Committee to the STScI Director Steven Beckwith, supported by planning documents from a local Working Group, the parameters below have been adopted for the HST/ACS Ultra Deep Field.

Pointing

The UDF will consist of a single ultra-deep field (412 orbits in total) within the CDF-S GOODS area (link area to picture). The pointing will be RA(J2000)=3 32 39.0 and Decl.(J2000)=-27 47 29.1 These coordinates have been changed slightly in May 2003 due to guide star availability and implementation issues. We have attempted to include in the field both a spectroscopically confirmed z=5.8 galaxy and a spectroscopically confirmed type Ia SN at z=1.3. The pointing avoids the gaps with the lowest effective exposure on the Chandra ACIS image of CDFS.

• GOODS image of the UDF field

• schematic of UDF pointing with respect to the GOODS 15 tile-mosaic

Filters/Expected Depth

The survey will use four filters: F435W (56 orbits), F606W (56 orbits), F775W (150 orbits), and F850LP (150 orbits). Based on the ACS planning document, the limiting AB magnitudes below are expected for extended source which gives S/N of 10 in aperture =0.2 sq arcsec (For WFC this is 9x9 pix). Average zodiac and Earthshine are assumed. The F435W (B) and F606W (V) exposures will be ~1 magnitude deeper than the equivalent HDF filters. The F775W (I) exposure will be ~1.5 magnitude deeper than the equivalent HDF exposure. The depth in F775W and F850LP is optimized for searching very red objects at the detection limit of the F850LP image.

ACS Phase II and Status

The phase II is accessible on the web as DD proposal 9978

Data will be taken between September 24, 2003 and January 16, 2004. For details, see the planned visits schedule.

(For latest updates see the internal UDF ACS observing monitor.)