Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #2671 07/25/00

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
 
  DAILY REPORT #2671
 
PERIOD COVERED:  0000Z (UTC) 07/24/00 – 0000Z (UTC) 07/25/00
 
Daily Status Report as of 207/0000Z
 
1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:
 
    1.1 Completed Three Sets of WF/PC-2 8826 (Cycle 9 Supplemental Darks pt 1)
 
        The WF/PC-2 was used to perform a T dark calibration program that obtains three dark frames every day in order to provide data for monitoring and characterizing the evolution of hot pixels.  There were no reported anomalies.
 
    1.2 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.
 
    1.3 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.
 
    1.4 Completed FGS 8319 (Masses and Distances of Pre-Main Sequence Binaries)
 
        The Fine Guidance Sensors were used to make astrometric observations of the pre-main sequence binary star system
ZZ-TAU.  Observations were also made of several reference stars.  Our goal is to measure the masses of low mass young stars.  This will enable a calibration of theoretical calculations of stellar evolution to the main sequence.  The observations were completed as planned and no problems were reported.
 
    1.5 Completed Four Sets of WF/PC-2 8811 (Cycle 9 Standard Darks)
 
        The WF/PC-2 was used to obtain dark frames every week in order to provide data for the ongoing calibration of the CCD dark current rate, and to monitor and characterize the evolution of hot pixels.  Over an extended period these data will also provide a monitor of radiation damage to the CCDs.  The proposal completed with no reported problems.
 
    1.6 Completed FGS 8334 (HD 98800: An Opportunity to Measure True Masses for Low-Mass PMS Stars)
 
        The Fine Guidance Sensors were used to make astrometric observations of the low mass pre-main sequence (PMS) star HD98800 in order to measure its true mass.  HD 98800 became interesting when IRAS found it to have a large infrared excess, indicating a substantial dust disk.  The observations were executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted.
 
    1.7 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.
 
    1.8 Completed Three Sets of STIS/MA1/MA2 8426 (Cycle 8 MAMA Dark Measurements)
 
        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA1 and MA2) 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.
 
    1.9 Completed Three Sets of FGS 8835 (Calibrating FGS-1R’s Transfer Mode Scale)
 
        FGS-1R was used to calibrate its Transfer Mode "plate scale" along the x, y axis.  Special testing during the commissioning of FGS1r in early cycle 7 revealed that this instrument’s Koester’s Prisms are not perfectly aligned with respect to the polarizing beam splitter and with respect to one another.  This introduces an effect whereby the measured separation and position angle of the stars in a binary system is slightly HST ORIENT dependent.  This proposal will gather the data needed to determine the Koester’s prism roll error so that this effect can be calibrated and eliminated from the science data during post observation data
analysis.  There were no reported problems.
 
    1.10 Completed 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.
 
    1.11 Completed FGS 8774 (Calibrating the Mass-Luminosity Relation at the End of the Main Sequence)
 
        The FGSs were 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.
 
    1.12 Completed WF/PC-2 8645 (A Survey of Mid-UV Morphology of Nearby Galaxies: Galaxy Structure and Faint Galaxy)
 
        The WF/PC-2 was used to investigate the relation between star formation and the global physical characteristics of galaxies to interpret the morphologies of distant galaxies in terms of their evolutionary status.  The observations completed nominally.
 
    1.13 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.
 
    1.14 Completed WF/PC-2/STIS/CCD 8675 (The Massive Star Content of NGC 6822)
 
        The WF/PC-2 and the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) were used to characterize the young, coeval stellar population discovered with WFPC2 multiband imaging in a NGC6822 star forming region, with follow-up spectroscopy of the massive star candidates.  The proposal completed with no reported problems.
 
    1.15 Completed 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.
 
    1.16 Completed Three 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.
 
    1.17 Completed FGS 8729 (Speedy Gonzales Mass Determinations: Fast Orbiting Red Dwarf Systems)
 
        The FGSs were used to observe five fast-orbiting red dwarf systems to determine masses for objects near the end of the stellar main sequence.  All five systems have periods of two years or less, hence the moniker "Speedy Gonzales” systems.  In addition, all have parallaxes placing them within 10 parsecs, so high quality masses with errors less than 5% can be derived.  The observation completed as planned.
 
    1.18 Completed STIS/CCD 8700 (A STIS Spectroscopic Snapshot Survey of 3CR Radio Galaxies : The Nature of the Unresolved Nuclei)
 
        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was to be used to perform STIS snapshot long-slit spectroscopy of these nuclei over 2900- 10300 AA to classify them {QSO, NLRG, BLRG, BL Lac, ldots} and establish their AGN characteristics down to the lowest nuclear luminosities, while still within powerful 3C radio galaxies.  However, as described in 2.1 and HSTAR 7745, the acquisition for this proposal failed, the take data flag remained down, and all observations were lost.
 
    1.19 Completed STIS/CCD 8631 (Bright Quasar Close Lensing Search II)
 
        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to expand the Cycle 8 second generation HST snapshot survey of bright quasars, optimized to find lenses with component image separations < 1".  The observations completed nominally.
 
2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:
 
    2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:
      Scheduled Acquisitions: 12
Successful: 11
 
        As documented in HSTAR 7745, the acquisition at 206/204800Z failed when the scan step limit was exceeded for FGS-3.  The proposal described in 1.18 was affected.  Per ROP NS-12, the STIS flight software error counter was reset.
  Scheduled Re-acquisitions:  1
Successful:  1
 
    2.2 FHST Updates:
Scheduled: 30
Successful: 30
 
    2.3 Operations Notes:
 
        Using ROP SR-1A, the SSR EDAC error counter was cleared twice.
 
        The battery pressure limits were adjusted at 206/2034Z in response to the PCU fault encountered last week.
 
        ESTR #2 was reconditioned at 206/2234Z as directed by ROP RD-7A.
 
3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:
 
        Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.