Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #2951 – 6 Sep 2001

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

DAILY REPORT #2951

PERIOD COVERED: 0000Z (UTC) 09/05/01 – 0000Z (UTC) 09/06/01

Daily Status Report as of 249/0000Z

1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:

1.1 Completed STIS/CCD 9077 (Survey of the LMC Planetary Nebulae)

The Space telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to perform
a snapshot survey of all known LMC planetary nebulae {PNe} in order to
study the co-evolution of the nebulae and their central stars, and to probe
the chemical enrichment history of the LMC. There were no reported problems.

1.2 Completed STIS/CCD/MA2 8569 (A New Survey for Low-Redshift Damped
Lyman-Alpha Lines in QSO MgII Systems)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA2) was used to
support studies which have shown that most of the observable neutral gas
mass in the Universe resides in QSO damped LyAlpha {DLA} systems. However,
at low redshift, DLA can only be found by searching in the UV with HST. By
boot-strapping from the MgII statistics, we will be able to further improve
the determination of the low- redshift statistical properties of DLA {their
incidence and cosmological mass density} and open up new opportunities for
studies at low redshift. The observations completed nominally.

1.3 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD 8901 (Dark Monitor-Part 1)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to
monitor. There was no anomalous activity.

1.4 Completed Three Sets of WF/PC-2 8825 (Decontaminations and
Associated Observations)

The WF/PC-2 was used to perform the monthly decontaminations
(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. The proposal completed with no reported problems.

1.5 Completed STIS/CCD 8930 (Investigating The Effect Of The Optical
Baffles On STIS CCD Imaging)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to
characterize the optical baffles around the edge of the STIS detector that
may affect some images. This proposal will investigate the effect of the
stars outside the STIS CCD detector on the STIS images. The idea would be
to image a bright star at various positions outside the field and check the
contamination effects on the detector. The proposal completed nominally.

1.6 Completed 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.

1.7 Completed STIS/CCD 8903 (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. There were no problems.

1.8 Completed Three Sets of WF/PC-2 8936 (Cycle 10 Supplemental Darks
Pt1/3)

The WF/PC-2 was used to perform a dark calibration program that
obtains three dark frames every day to provide data for monitoring and
characterizing the evolution of hot pixels. The proposal completed with no
reported problems.

1.9 Completed STIS/CCD 8845 (Spectroscopic Flats C9)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to obtain
CCD flats in the spectroscopic mode. The observations completed with no
reported problems.

1.10 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 9060 (Photometry of a Statistically
Significant Sample of Kuiper Belt Objects)

The WF/PC-2 was used to propel the physical study of KBOs forward
by performing accurate photometry at V, R, and I on a sample of up to 150
KBOs. The sample is made up of objects that will be observed at thermal
infrared wavelengths by SIRTF and will be used with those data to derive
the first accurate diameters and albedos for a large sample of KBOs. The
observations completed nominally.

1.11 Completed STIS/CCD 9110 (A Search for Kuiper Belt Object Satellites)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to
investigate whether the large number of collisions thought to have taken
place in the primordial Kuiper belt suggest that many Kuiper belt objects
{KBOs} could have suffered binary-forming collisions similar to that which
formed the Pluto — Charon binary. Detection of such KBO satellites would
allow measurement of KBO masses, would help to understand the past
collisional environment of the Kuiper belt, and would give a context to the
otherwise unique-seeming formation of the Pluto — Charon binary. The
proposal completed with no reported problems.

1.12 Completed WF/PC-2 9046 (Black Holes and Bars: A Recipe for Making
Bulges?)

The WF/PC-2 was used to obtain multi-color images and (eventually)
STIS emission line spectroscopy of the nuclear regions of 6 edge-on barred
spiral galaxies spanning a range of bulge morphologies and bar
strengths. The goal is to quantify the amount of vertical heating in the
nuclei, and to test whether or not bars are indeed destroyed and create a
bulge if enough mass is accumulated in their centers. There were no
reported problems.

1.13 Completed STIS/CCD 9066 (Closing in on the Hydrogen Reionization
Edge of the Universe)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used in parallel
constrain the Hydrogen reionization edge in emission that marks the
transition from a neutral to a fully ionized IGM at a predicted
redshifts. The proposal completed uneventfully.

1.14 Completed STIS/CCD 9285 (POMS Test Proposal: STIS Non-scripted
Parallel Proposal Continuation III)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to make low
galactic latitude, non-scripted parallel observations as part of a POMS
test proposal. The observations were completed as planned, and no
anomalies were reported.

1.15 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1 9137 (Quasar Absorbers and Large Scale
Structure)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was used to
perform spectroscopy of 15 bright quasars in a 22 square degree region that
has well-sampled galaxy redshifts. No problems were encountered.

1.16 Completed 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.

2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:

Scheduled Acquisitions: 8

Successful: 8

Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 7

Successful: 7

2.2 FHST Updates:

Scheduled: 21

Successful: 21

2.3 Operations Notes:

Using ROP SR-1A, the SSR EDAC error counter was cleared three times.

The NSSC-1 was dumped at 248/1420Z per ROP NS-03.

The STIS MCE-2 reset at 248/143644Z while outside any SAA interval
and while the low voltage was on. The STIS flight software error counter
was reset at 248/1445Z as directed by ROP NS-12. MAMA-2 was recovered at
249/0326Z by normal SMS commanding at the time that the high voltage was
turned on.

3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:

Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.