Status Report

Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #2674 07/28/00

By SpaceRef Editor
July 28, 2000
Filed under

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
 
  DAILY REPORT #2674
 
PERIOD COVERED:  0000Z (UTC) 07/27/00 – 0000Z (UTC) 07/28/00
 
Daily Status Report as of 210/0000Z
 
1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:
 
    1.1 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.  As described in yesterday’s report and HSTAR 7746, the acquisition for this proposal failed, the take data flag remained down and all observations were lost.
 
    1.2 Completed Two 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.  As described in yesterday’s report and HSTAR 7746, the acquisition for the first iteration of this proposal failed, the take data flag remained down and all observations were lost.  Otherwise, there were no further reported anomalies.
 
    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.  As described in yesterday’s report and HSTAR 7746, the acquisition for the first iteration of this proposal failed, the take data flag remained down and all observations were lost.  Otherwise, the proposal completed nominally.
 
    1.4 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 8601 (A Snapshot Survey of Probable Nearby Galaxies)
 
        The WF/PC-2 was used to continue the very successful snapshot survey in order to use the high spatial resolution of HST to determine whether selected galaxies are nearby on the basis of resolution into stars, and the magnitudes and colors of the brightest stars.  There were no reported problems.
 
    1.5 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1/MA2 8198 (Understanding the Starburst-like Dust in the Small Magellanic Cloud)
 
        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD, MA1 and MA2) was used to investigate the similarities between the ultraviolet extinction found in the star forming bar of the Small Magellanic Cloud {SMC} and starburst galaxies has highlighted the importance of understanding the dust extinction in the SMC.  The proposal completed with no reported problems.
 
    1.6 Completed WF/PC-2 8716 (Search For Sub-Stellar Companions To Young Brown Dwarfs In The Chamaeleon I Dark Cloud)
 
        The WF/PC-2 was used to observe twelve very low-mass dwarfs in the Chamaeleon I dark cloud, a site of on-going star formation, all showing H-alpha emission with spectral types from M6 to M8.  We propose to observe these young, very low-mass dwarfs in order to search for close, faint companions.  There were no reported problems.
 
    1.7 Completed Five 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
 
    1.8 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1/MA2 8484 (Physical Properties of H I AND H II Regions)
 
        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD, MA1 and MA2) was used to observe Interstellar absorption lines within the wavelength intervals 1170-1370A and 1630-1890A in the spectra of 10 early-type stars.  The following objectives were achieved: {1} to measure the populations of the fine-structure levels of O I, C I and Si II within H I and H II regions, {2} to determine the ionization ratios Al I/Al III {the Al II line will probably be too saturated}, S I/S II/S III, and Si I/Si II/Si III, and {3} to measure the abundances of Mg, O, S, Ni and Si from unsaturated lines arising from their preferred ionization stages in H I regions. Objectives {1} and {2} should define local kinetic temperatures, densities of H atoms {both neutral and ionized}, and also the ratios of uv ionizing photons to electrons.  The proposal completed nominally.
 
    1.9 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.
 
    1.10 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1 8435 (LSF Measure of the MAMA Echelle Modes)
 
        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was used to measure the LSF of the Echelle modes with an external target using a narrow slit.  The proposal completed nominally.
 
    1.11 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1 8107 (What is the Nature of the Cold Medium in Cooling Flow Clusters?)
 
        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was used to observe X-ray spectra of cooling flow clusters of galaxies in an attempt to discover the presence of large columns of "cold” absorbing material.  The proposal completed with no reported problems.
 
    1.12 Completed WF/PC-2 8193 (Comparing the Hosts of High-Z Radio-Quiet Quasars to Lyman Break Galaxies)
 
        The WF/PC-2 was used to try to determine the underlying causes of the rapid cosmological evolution of the quasar population that is a mystery around which is woven many different strands of contemporary
cosmology.  The proposal completed nominally.
 
    1.13 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.
 
    1.14 Completed WF/PC-2 8809 (Imaging the Chandra Deep Field with HST)
 
        The WF/PC-2 was used to observe three candidate target fields from the AXAF deep field with WFPC2 in two bands.  We will obtain high angular resolution images of the host galaxies of the AGNs detected in the X-rays.  We will observe the target areas in three WFPC2 fields, each one of which contains a number of interesting objects that have been detected in the X-rays.  The proposal completed nominally.
 
    1.15 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.
 
2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:
 
    2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:
      Scheduled Acquisitions: 7
Successful: 7
 
  Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 9
Successful: 9
 
    2.2 FHST Updates:
Scheduled: 17
Successful: 17
 
    2.3 Operations Notes:
 
        Using ROP SR-1A, the SSR EDAC error counter was cleared three times.
 
        At 209/150754Z, an operations request was completed that reconfigured the EPS hardware and the SWCC software for PCU fault management.  Thereafter, the vehicle did not reach trickle charge for the first orbit day period after the reconfiguration.  The trickle charge elapsed timer, the battery charge and the discharge buffers all flagged out-of limits as a result.  During the second orbit day, at 209/174246Z, trickle charge was achieved.  HSTAR 7750 was written to capture these events for further analysis.  Trickle charge has since occurred as expected, although at 210/051932Z, the trickle charge timer began to increment again.  The battery discharge and battery charge monitors also went out-of-limits briefly.  By 210/0632Z all parameters were back in bounds.  HSTAR 7753 described these latter events.
 
        Per IC-2, SSA transmitter #1 was turned off and on at 210/0109Z and at 210/0138Z.
 
3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:
 
        Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.

SpaceRef staff editor.