Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #3041 – 24 Jan 2002
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
DAILY REPORT #3041
PERIOD COVERED: 0000Z (UTC) 01/23/02 – 0000Z (UTC) 01/24/02
Daily Status Report as of 024/0000Z
1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:
1.1 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1/MA2 9279 (Resolving the Warm Absorber in NGC
5548)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD, MA1 and MA2) was
used to map the ionization and velocity structure of the X-ray and UV
absorbers in NGC 5548. NGC 5548 is an important target because 1} it shows
multiple kinematic components in the UV characterized by a range in
ionization parameter and effective column, 2} it shows evidence for
multiple kinematic and ionization components in previous Chandra X-ray
spectra, and 3} it has a low Galactic column, which permits coverage of
spectral lines out to 80 Angstrom with the LETGS. These data yield the
ionization parameter and column density of density of the absorption-line
regions as a function of radial velocity, and constrain the elemental
abundances and shape of the observed EUV continuum. All observations
completed and no anomalies were reported.
1.2 Completed STIS/MA1 8920 (Cycle 10 MAMA Dark Measurements)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA1) was used to perform
the routine monitoring of the MAMA detector dark noise, and is the primary
means of checking on health of the MAMA detectors systems through frequent
monitoring of the background count rate. The proposal completed with no
reported anomalous activity.
1.3 Completed STIS/CCD 8901 (Dark Monitor-Part 1)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to monitor
the darks. There was no anomalous activity.
1.4 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD 9317 (Pure Parallel Imaging Program:
Cycle 10)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to perform
the default archival pure parallel program for STIS during cycle 10. There
were no reported problems.
1.5 Completed Two Sets of FGS/1 9407 (Astrometry of a Star Hosting an
Extrasolar Planet: The Mass of Upsilon Andromedae)
Fine Guidance Sensor #1 was used to determine the astrometric
elements {perturbation orbit semimajor axis and inclination} produced by
the outermost extra-solar planet orbiting the F8V star Upsilon
Andromedae. These observations will permit us to determine the actual mass
of the planet by providing the presently unknown sin i factor intrinsic to
the radial velocity method which discovered this object. An inclination, i
= 30degrees, within the range of one very low precision determination using
reanalyzed HIPPARCOS intermediate data products, would produce the observed
radial velocity amplitude, K = 66 ms with a companion mass of ~8 M_Jupiter.
Such a mass would induce in Upsilon Andromedae a perturbation semi-major
axis, Alpha = 0arcs0012. The proposed observations will yield a planetary
mass, rather than, as previous investigations have done, only suggest a
planetary mass companion. The proposal completed nominally.
1.6 Completed Three Sets of WF/PC-2 8932 (Decontaminations and
Associated Observations Pt. 1/3)
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, &and
darks}, UV throughput check, VISFLAT sweep, and internal UV flat check. No
problems were reported.
1.7 Completed STIS/CCD 9136 (T Tauri Star Coronagraphic Survey: A PMS
Protoplanetary Disk Census)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to observe
pre-main sequence solar-mass stars, the T Tauri stars that Millimeter and
IR studies suggest at least 50 percent have circumstellar disks similar to
the disk from which our planetary system formed. High spatial resolution,
high dynamic range imaging of such systems will map the spatial
distribution of material around the star, constraining the disk sizes and
inclinations, and provide a first assessment of when structure in the disk,
such as cleared central zones and annuli, which has been linked to planet
formation, develops. All observations completed without incident.
1.8 Completed STIS/CCD 9088 (Next Generation Spectral Library of Stars)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to produce
a “Next Generation” Spectral Library of 600 stars for use in modeling the
integrated light of galaxies and clusters by using the low dispersion UV
and optical gratings of STIS. The library will be roughly equally divided
among four metallicities, very low {Fe/H < -1.5}, low {-1.5 < Fe/H < -0.5},
near-solar {-0.5 < Fe/H < 0.1}, and super-solar {Fe/H > 0.1}, well-sampling
the entire HR-diagram in each bin. Such a library will surpass all extant
compilations and have lasting archival value, well into the Next Generation
Space Telescope era. No problems occurred.
1.9 Completed STIS/CCD 9143 (Spectrophotometry of Nearby Seyfert 2
Nuclei: Can We Eliminate the Seyfert 2 Class?)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to
investigate Seyfert 2s that are distinguished by the absence of the broad
emission lines characteristic of Seyfert 1s and more luminous QSOs. Are
Seyfert 2s fundamentally different from Seyfert 1s and their brighter
cousins? Or is the broad emission line region in Seyfert 2s simply
suppressed by obscuring material as postulated by the unification
model? If the latter model is correct, the weak broad emission lines in
the Seyfert 2s may simply be overwhelmed by starlight from the
circumnuclear region, particularly in the case of recent star
formation. It is proposed to determine if all Seyfert 2s have {weak} broad
emission line regions by obtaining long-slit STIS spectroscopy for a
well-defined sample of 20 Seyfert 2s {3 archival, 17 new}. The
observations completed with no anomalous activity.
1.10 Completed WF/PC-2 9318 (POMS Test Proposal: WFII Parallel Archive
Proposal Continuation)
The WF/PC-2 was used to perform the generic target version of the
WFPC2 Archival Pure Parallel program. The program was used to take
parallel images of random areas of the sky, following the recommendations
of the Parallels Working Group. There were no reported problems.
1.11 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 8937 (Cycle 9 Supplemental Darks pt2/3)
The WF/PC-2 was used obtain three dark frames every day to provide
data for monitoring and characterizing the evolution of hot pixels. No
problems were encountered.
1.12 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.
13.0 Completed WF/PC-2 9058 (Trigonometric Parallax of the Globular
Cluster 47 Tucanae)
The WF/PC-2 was used measure the trigonometric parallax of 47 Tuc,
which is about 1/4 milliarcsec, to an accuracy of 10%. By repeating a
field that was observed in 1995, we will measure the secular motion of the
cluster stars with respect to the SMC background with sufficient accuracy
that the parallax can be measured directly from the displacements within
Cycle 10. Constraints of orientation, and the shape of the WFPC2
footprint, require that we take images at 3-month intervals, rotating 90
degrees each time. The proposal completed with no reported problems.
2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:
2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:
Scheduled Acquisitions: 9
Successful: 9
Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 5
Successful: 5
2.2 FHST Updates:
Scheduled: 21
Successful: 21
2.3 Operations Notes:
The SSR-1 EDAC error counter was cleared at 024/0337Z per ROP SR-1A.
3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:
Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.
