Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #2799 02/01/01
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
DAILY REPORT #2799
PERIOD COVERED: 0000Z (UTC) 01/31/01 – 0000Z (UTC) 02/01/01
Daily Status Report as of 032/0000Z
1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:
1.1 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD 8837 (CCD Dark Monitor-Part 1)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to monitor the darks. The proposal completed with no reported problems.
1.2 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 8827 (Cycle 9 Supplemental Darks pt2/3)
The WF/PC-2 was used to obtain three dark frames every day to provide data for monitoring and characterizing the evolution of hot pixels. The proposal completed nominally.
1.3 Completed WF/PC-2/STIS/CCD 8559 (The Role of Dark Matter in Cluster Formation and Galaxy Evolution)
The WF/PC-2 and the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) were used to observe the outer regions of massive clusters that represent transitional areas of great cosmological importance where field galaxies encounter the steep potential wells of dark matter and baryonic hot gas. Little is known about either the dark matter profile at large radii or the morphological properties of infalling galaxies at those redshifts where strong evolution is observed in the cluster cores. The proposal completed normally, with no reported problems.
1.4 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1 8633 (The Physical Parameters of the Hottest, Most Luminous Stars as a Function of Metallicity)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was used to obtain higher spatial resolution data on the H Alpha line for six of our stars for which nebular contamination is significant even with long-slit subtraction in our ground- based data. As described in HSTAR 8067 and yesterday’s report, the acquisition for this proposal defaulted to fine lock back-up on one FGS only, possibly affecting two
observations. Otherwise, there were no other reported problems.
1.5 Completed STIS/MA2 8843 (Cycle 9 MAMA Dark Measurements)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA2) was used to perform the routine monitoring of the MAMA detector dark noise. The proposal completed nominally.
1.6 Completed STIS/CCD/MA2 8342 (Abundances in Halo Stars and Galactic Element Formation)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA1 and CCD) was used to make observations of star HD6268 as part of a study of the abundances in halo stars and galactic element formation. The results for the very oldest galactic stars will also provide an important, and independent, age determination for the Galaxy and hence constrain cosmological age estimates. A wavelength calibration image was also taken. The observations were executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted.
1.7 Completed Three Sets of WF/PC-2 8805 (POMS Test Proposal: WFII Parallel Archive Proposal Continuation)
The WF/PC-2 was used to perform a generic target version of the WFPC2 Archival Pure Parallel program. The program will be used to take parallel images of random areas of the sky, following the recommendations of the Parallels Working Group. The proposal completed with no reported problems.
1.8 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1 8590 (UV Imaging and Spectroscopy of Luminous Blue Compact Galaxies from z=0 to z=1)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was used to observe two well-defined samples of low-mass starburst galaxies, one in the local universe {z<0.1} and another at intermediate redshifts {0.2 < z < 0.7}. Both samples show optical sizes, morphologies, emission line widths, and luminosities comparable to those of LBGs at z=3, and are therefore probably the best local analogs and testbeds for further study of LBGs. Our main goals are to: {1} explore the morphologies, surface brightness distributions, and half-light radii of nearby starforming galaxies in the FUV, near Ly-alpha; {2} search for systematic differences among UV, optical, and near-IR morphologies and structural parameters; {3} investigate the intrinsic emission and absorption spectra near Ly-alpha of starbursting dwarf galaxies, with special attention to Ly- alpha profiles and interstellar and stellar photospheric absorption from Si II, O I, C II, Si IV, and C IV; {4} measure their FUV-optical colors and dust extinction properties; and {5} test the hypothesis that low-mass starbursts are the local counterparts of LBGs. The observation completed normally.
1.9 Completed STIS/CCD 8838 (Bias Monitor – Part 1)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to monitor the bias in the 1×1, 1×2, 2×1, and 2×2 bin settings at gain=1, and 1×1 at gain = 4, to build up high-S/N superbiases and track the evolution of hot columns. The proposal completed nominally.
1.10 Completed WF/PC-2 8598 (Snapshot Survey of Extended OIIl Lambda 5007Angstrom Emission in Seyfert Galaxies)
The WF/PC-2 was used for a snapshot survey of narrow band OIII Lambda 5007Angstrom images for a well defined sample of 88 Seyfert galaxies {29 Seyfert 1s and 59 Seyfert 2s}, 18 of which already have data in the archive, selected from a mostly isotropic property, the 60Mum flux. These data will be used: 1} to determine the origin of the misalignment between the accretion disk axis and the host galaxy plane axis, which can be due to mergers with other galaxies, or by the self induced radiation warping; 2} to compare the size and shape of the Narrow Line Regions (NLR) of Seyfert 1s and Seyfert 2s, and to study the frequency of conically shaped NLR in Seyfert galaxies, which are usually unresolved from ground-based observations; and 3} estimate the importance of shocks to the ionization of the NLR. The observations completed with no reported problems.
1.11 Completed STIS/CCD 8562 (Probing the Large Scale Structure: Cosmic Shear Observations)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to probe the distortion of light bundles from distant galaxies, looking at the statistical properties of the intervening inhomogeneous {dark} matter distribution. The proposal completed nominally.
1.12 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1 8478 (STIS GTO Observations)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was used to exercise the solar blind and long slit capabilities to investigate the population of hot stars in galaxies. maging of galaxies with WF/PC-2 has indicated the presence of knots of blue stars in many galaxies. It has been suggested that these knots may be young globular clusters. Images of the galaxies in our sample in the ultraviolet and visible bands will determine whether such knots are present. The observations completed with no reported problems.
1.13 Completed WF/PC-2 8883 (POMS Test Proposal: WFII Backup Parallel Archive Proposal II)
The WF/PC-2 was used to complete a POMS test proposal designed to simulate scientific plans. There were no reported problems.
1.14 Completed WF/PC-2 8816 (Cycle 9 UV Earthflats)
The WF/PC-2 was used to obtain sequences of Earth streak flats to improve the quality of pipeline flat fields for the WFPC2 UV filter set and in order to monitor flat field stability. There were no reported problems.
1.15 Completed WF/PC-2/STIS/CCD 8679 (Constraining the Age of the Oldest Stars from the White Dwarf Cooling Sequence in M4)
The WF/PC-2 and the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) were used to search for the oldest and hence coolest white dwarfs {WDs} in M4, the nearest Galactic globular cluster to the Sun. New models for cooling hydrogen white dwarfs predict that their colors should become bluer, rather than redder, with increasing age. The goal is to test these models and at the same time constrain the age of M4. The proposal completed with no problems.
2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:
2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:
Scheduled Acquisitions: 8
Successful: 8
Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 7
Successful: 7
As described in HSTAR 8069, following a successful re-acquisition at 032/072637Z, there were multiple losses of lock. STIS proposal 8562, occurring during the period of the next report, was affected.
2.2 FHST Updates:
Scheduled: 22
Successful: 22
2.3 Operations Notes:
Using ROP SR-1A, the SSR EDAC error counter was cleared twice.
3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:
Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.
