Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #2852 – 17 Apr 2001

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

DAILY REPORT #2852

PERIOD COVERED: 0000Z (UTC) 04/16/01 – 0000Z (UTC) 04/17/01

Daily Status Report as of 107/0000Z

1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:

1.1 Completed Five 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.

1.2 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD 8864 (CCD Dark Monitor-Part 2)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to monitor
the darks for the CCD. The proposal completed nominally.

1.3 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1 8606 (Determining the Nature of the Variable
Absorption in AGN: Monitoring NGC 3783 with HST And Chandra)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was used to
investigate Seyfert 1 galaxies, many of which show intrinsic UV absorption
lines, characterized by high moderate widths, significant outflow
velocities, and variability on time scales as small as days. Seyferts with
UV absorption also show variable X-ray “warm absorbers”, characterized by
O VII and O VIII absorption edges, which suggests a common
origin. Variability monitoring is the key to understanding the absorbers,
by providing their radial locations, densities, and evolution in
ionization, column density, velocity, and coverage of the inner active
nucleus. The proposal completed with no problems.

1.4 Completed Nine Sets of WF/PC-2 9244 (POMS Test Proposal: WFII
Parallel Archive Proposal Continuation)

The WF/PC-2 was used to perform a generic target version of the
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 observations completed with no anomalous
activity.

1.5 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 8812 (Cycle 9 Internal Monitor)

The WF/PC-2 was used to obtain routine internal monitors for WFPC2
in order to monitor the health of the cameras. A variety of internal
exposures are obtained in order to provide a monitor of the integrity of
the CCD camera electronics in both bays {gain 7 and gain 15}, a test for
quantum efficiency in the CCDs, and a monitor for possible buildup of
contaminants on the CCD windows. There were no reported problems.

1.6 Completed STIS/CCD 8865 (Bias Monitor-Part 2)

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 with no anomalous activity.

1.7 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 8683 (Imaging Of Brightest Cluster
Galaxies: The High End Of The Black Hole Mass Distribution)

The WF/PC-2 was used to make kinematic black hole detections in
galaxies to decide whether they indicate that the mass correlates with both
optical luminosity and radio power. The observation completed with no
reported problems.

1.8 Completed Four Sets of STIS/CCD 9248 (Probing the Large Scale
Structure: Cosmic Shear Observations)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to measure
the distortion of light bundles from distant galaxies that probe the
statistical properties of the intervening inhomogeneous {dark} matter
distribution. Its tidal gravitational field distorts the observable image
shapes thereby causing a coherent ellipticity pattern {Cosmic Shear}. The
observations completed nominally.

1.9 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD 8840 (Read Noise Monitor)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to measure
the read noise of all the amplifiers on the STIS CCD using pairs of bias
frames. Full frame and binned observations are made in both Gain 1 and
Gain 4, with binning factors of 1 x 1, 1 x 2, 2 x 1 and 2 x 2. All
exposures are internals. The observations completed with no reported problems.

1.10 Completed WF/PC-2 8581 (A Search For Low-Mass Companions To
Ultracool Dwarfs)

The WF/PC-2 was used to search for very low-mass {VLM} companions
to a complete sample of 120 late-M and L dwarfs, drawn mainly from the
2MASS and SDSS surveys. The primary goal is to determine the multiplicity
of M < 0.1 M_odot dwarfs. In particular, we aim to identify binary systems suitable for long-term astrometric monitoring and mass measurement, and systems with cool, sub-1000K companions. The proposal completed with no reported problems.

1.11 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD 8607 (Completing the Local AGN
Inventory: The AGN Content of Composite Nuclei)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to increase
the knowledge of the local space density of AGNs which is of fundamental
importance to a number of astrophysical problems. A significant fraction
of nearby galaxies have nuclei whose spectra are intermediate between those
of LINERs and nuclear starbursts. These “transition objects” may be
composite systems that contain both a central AGN and circumnuclear star
formation. We will test this hypothesis by obtaining spatially-resolved
optical spectra of a well-defined sample of 15 nearby transition nuclei
selected from the extensive ground-based survey of Ho, Filippenko, and
Sargent. The observations completed with no reported problems.

1.12 Completed Four Sets of WF/PC-2 8815 (Cycle 9 Earth Flats)

The WF/PC-2 was used to monitor flatfield stability. This proposal
obtains sequences of Earth streak flats to construct high quality flat
fields for the WF/PC-2 filter set. These flat fields will allow mapping of
the OTA illumination pattern and will be used in conjunction with previous
internal and external flats to generate new pipeline superflats. The
proposal completed nominally.

1.13 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 8824 (Decontaminations and
Associated Observations Pt. 3/4)

The WF/PC-2 was used for the monthly WFPC2 decons. Also included
are instrument monitors tied to decons: photometric stability check, focus
monitor, pre- and post-decon internals {bias, intflats, kspots, & darks},
UV throughput check, VISFLAT sweep, and internal UV flat check. There were
no reported problems.

1.14 Completed S/C 5582 (FOC/48 Monthly Activation (Camera Section
Only): Cycle 4)

This proposal was executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted.

1.15 Completed FOC/96 7923 (FOC F/96 Turn-on)

The Faint Object Camera (f/96) was used to take an internal flat
and a dark to ensure that the 30-day limit for the FOC is not
exceeded. The observations were executed as scheduled, and no anomalies
were noted.

1.16 Completed FGS/1 8774 (Calibrating the Mass-Luminosity Relation at
the End of the Main Sequence)

The FGSs-1R was used to calibrate the mass-luminosity relation
{MLR} for stars less massive than 0.2 Msun, with special emphasis on
objects near the stellar/brown dwarf border. Our goals are to determine Mv
values to 0.10 magnitude, masses to 5%, and more than double the number of
objects with masses determined to be less than 0.20 Msun. The proposal
completed with no reported problems.

1.17 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1 8712 (The Wind Accretion Wake In A Detached
Binary System)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was used to
observe RW Hya {= HD 117970}, the only known detached binary system, where
direct observational evidence for wind accretion onto a white dwarf is
found. UV
observations will enable the investigator to advance knowledge in a field
which has for long had to remain a theoretical subject. RW Hya is an
eclipsing system containing a mass-losing M-giant and a hot white dwarf on
circular orbits {370 days}. The observation completed with no reported
problems.

1.18 Completed STIS/MA1 8843 (Cycle 9 MAMA Dark Measurements)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA1) was used to perform
the routine monitoring of the MAMA detector dark noise. The proposal
completed nominally.

1.19 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1 8665 (The Starburst – AGN Connection: The
Nature of the UV-bright Core in NGC 4303)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was used to
observe NGC-4303, to date the best example of the claimed starburst- AGN
connection in active galaxies. The observations completed with no reported
problems.

2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:

Scheduled Acquisitions: 8

Successful: 8

Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 8

Successful: 8

2.2 FHST Updates:

Scheduled: 20

Successful: 20

2.3 Operations Notes:

The SSR EDAC error counter was cleared three times per ROP SR-1A.

A TTR was generated when data dropouts occurred, starting at 106/1527Z.

The ephemeris table was uplinked at 107/0005Z as directed by ROP
DF-07A.

The STIS MCE-2 reset at 107/035110Z while the low voltage was on
and while outside any SAA interval. The STIS flight software error counter
was reset at 107/0403Z, using ROP NS-12. MAMA-2 will be recovered, via
normal SMS commanding, at 1081740Z when the high voltage is next turned on.

3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:

Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.