Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #2644 06/14/00

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
 
  DAILY REPORT #2644
 
PERIOD COVERED:  0000Z (UTC) 06/13/00 – 0000Z (UTC) 06/14/00
 
Daily Status Report as of 166/0000Z
 
1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:
 
    1.1 Completed Three Sets of WF/PC-2 8461 (Cycle 8 Supplemental Darks pt3/3)
 
        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 WF/PC-2 8669 (Merger-Driven Evolution Of Galactic Nuclei: Observations Of The Toomre Sequence)
 
        The WF/PC-2 was used to observe galaxy mergers that are believed responsible for triggering starburst and AGN activity in galaxies, and even perhaps transforming spiral galaxies into ellipticals.  The proposal completed nominally.
 
    1.3 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD 8808 (POMS Test Proposal: STIS Non-Scripted Parallel Proposal Continuation III)
 
        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to make non-scripted, parallel observations as part of a POMS test proposal.  The observations completed with no anomalous activity.
 
    1.4 Completed STIS/CCD 8439 (Bias Monitor-Part 2 C8)
 
        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 reported problems.
 
    1.5 Completed WF/PC-2 7409 (Resolving sdB Binary Systems)
 
        The WF/PC-2 was used to make observations to try to resolve the sdB class binary system Star-16040.  The observations were completed as scheduled, and no anomalies were reported.
 
    1.6 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD 8437 (Dark Monitor-Part 2 C8)
 
        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to monitor the darks.  The proposal completed nominally.
 
    1.7 Completed STIS/MA1 8311 (Moderate Redshift Analogs To Lyman-Break Galaxies?)
 
        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA1) was used to determine whether high luminosity galaxies selected using rest ultraviolet luminosity at low-to-moderate redshift {0.2<z<0.7, UV-selected Bright Galaxies are related to Lyman-Break galaxies at high redshift {3<z<5} selected by the drop-out technique.  The observations completed with no reported problems.
 
    1.8 Completed Two 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.  The proposal completed with no reported problems.
 
    1.9 Completed WF/PC-2 8457 (UV Earth Flats)
 
        The WF/PC-2 was used to obtain a series of Ultraviolet Earth flats.  The observations were completed with no reported problems.
 
    1.10 Completed WF/PC-2 8459 (Decontaminations and Associated Observations Pt. 2/2)
 
        The WF/PC-2 was used to perform the monthly decons.  Also included are instrument monitors tied to decons: photometric stability check, focus monitor, pre- and post-decon internals {bias, intflats, kspots, & darks}, and UV throughput checks.  The observations were completed nominally.
 
    1.11 Completed STIS/MA1 8426 (Cycle 8 MAMA Dark Measurements)
 
        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA1) was used to make a routine Cycle-8 MAMA dark noise calibration measurement.  This proposal will provide the primary means of checking on the health of the MAMA detectors.  This is done through frequent monitoring of the background count rate.  The observations were completed as planned, and no problems were reported.
 
    1.12 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1/MA2 8265 (Reverberation Mapping of a Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 Galaxy)
 
        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD, MA1 and MA2) was used to monitor the UV spectral variability of the narrow-line Seyfert 1 {NLS1} galaxy AKN 564 at 46 epochs in order to measure the size of the broad emission-line region via reverberation-mapping techniques.  This measurement, and the virial mass estimate that follows from it, will provide a key test of NLS1 models and help determine the physical mechanism that underlies the principal component of AGN spectra, the Boroson–Green primary eigenvector.  These observations will be undertaken in parallel with X-ray and ground-based optical observations that will allow us for the first time to explore the multiwavelength variability characteristics of this important subclass of active galactic nuclei.  The observations completed with no reported problems.
 
    1.13 Completed WF/PC-2 8773 (Expansion Parallax Distances to Planetary Nebulae)
 
        The WF/PC-2 was used to observe planetary nebulae {PNe} for which the lack of reliable distances is especially troubling.  Acquired by generalized statistical methods in all but a handful of cases, individual PNe distances are often uncertain by factors of two or more.  The observations completed nominaly.
 
    1.14 Completed STIS/CCD 7912 (STIS Parallel Archive Proposal – Nearby Galaxies – Imaging and Spectroscopy)
 
        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to make parallel observations of nearby galaxies.  This survey will be useful to study the star formation histories, chemical evolution, and distances to these galaxies.  These data will be placed immediately into the Hubble Data Archive.  The observations were completed as scheduled, and no problems were reported.
 
    1.15 Completed WF/PC-2 8563 (Determining the Duplicity of Nearby T Dwarfs {Methane Brown Dwarfs})
 
        The WF/PC-2 was used to investigate the binary fraction of T-type dwarfs {methane brown dwarfs} which is crucial to accurate determinations of the T-dwarf space density and mass function, especially since equal- magnitude binaries can introduce significant biases in photometric distance estimates.  The proposal completed nominally.
 
    1.16 Completed WF/PC-2 8269 (The Morphological Evolution of Field Galaxies)
 
        The WF/PC-2 was used to make observations of the near-infrared field galaxy PISCES-CEN/1 in order to study its morphology.  The observations were completed as planned, and no anomalies were reported.
 
2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:
 
    2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:
      Scheduled Acquisitions: 8
Successful: 8
 
        The acquisition at 165/104300Z defaulted to fine lock backup on FGS-3 only when the scan step limit was exceeded on FGS-2.  HSTAR 7665 was written.  The proposal detailed in 1.12 may have been affected.
 
        The acquisition at 166/091020Z defaulted to fine lock backup on FGS-3 only when the scan step limit was exceeded on FGS-2.  HSTAR 7670 was written.  A proposal, STIS 8265, detailed in tomorrow’s report, may have been affected.
  Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 7
Successful: 6
 
        Per HSTAR 7668, the re-acquisition scheduled for 166/053835Z failed.  The subsequent re-acquisition at 166/071015Z was successful.  A proposal, STIS 8311, described in tomorrow’s report, was affected.
 
    2.2 FHST Updates:
Scheduled: 21
Successful: 21
 
    2.3 Operations Notes:
 
        Real-time operations remained in the Building 23 backup facility.  Operations switched to CCS string "B" at 165/1615Z, to sting "C" at 165/1700Z, and to string "G" at 165/1925Z.
 
        Using ROP SR-1A, the SSR EDAC error counter was cleared twice.
 
        The SSA transmitter was turned on and off at 165/1559Z per ROP IC-2.
 
        The ephemeris tables were uplinked at 165/2303Z per ROP DF-07B.
 
        As directed by ROP NS-3, the NSSC-1 status buffer was dumped at 165/2333Z.
 
        Fine attitude determinations were performed at 166/0555Z and at 166/0605Z per ROP PO-8.
 
3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:
 
        Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.
 
/CAW