Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #2675 07/31/00
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
DAILY REPORT #2675
PERIOD COVERED: 0000Z (UTC) 07/28/00 – 0000Z (UTC) 07/31/00
Daily Status Report as of 213/0000Z
1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:
1.1 Completed Five 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 Three Sets of STIS/CCD 8410 (STIS CCD Hot Pixel Annealing C8)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to assess the effectiveness of the CCD hot pixel annealing process by measuring the dark current behavior before and after annealing and by searching for any window contamination effects. In addition CTE performance is examined by looking for traps in a low signal level flat. The observations were completed as planned, and no anomalies were reported.
1.3 Completed Three Sets of WF/PC-2 8220 (Galaxy M/L Ratios, the Morphology-Density Relation, and Weak Lensing in the z=0.93 Cluster of 3C336)
The WF/PC-2 was used to obtain deep mosaic images for the radio selected cluster around 3C336 at z=0.93. This proposal is the last part of a program to take large HST WFPC2 mosaics of distant clusters. We augment the HST mosaics of the clusters with extensive ground-based spectroscopy and imaging from the Keck, MMT, ESO-VLT, NTT, and WHT telescopes. The observations completed, and there were no reported problems.
1.4 Completed Three Sets of WF/PC-2 8676 (Halo Microlens Source Systems and their Backgrounds and Reddening)
The WF/PC-2 was used to investigate the existence of dark objects in the Galactic halo suggested by the MACHO project while is about to release 5.7 years of LMC data revealing ~ 20 candidate microlensing events. The observer proposes to obtain medium-deep broadband images of eight of the new candidate source stars. The observations completed with no reported anomalies.
1.5 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.
1.6 Completed Nine 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.
1.7 Completed Two Sets of 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.
1.8 Completed Three 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.
1.9 Completed STIS/CCD 8685 (Isolated Compact Stellar Systems In The Fornax Cluster)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to observe a new population of compact objects in the center of the Fornax Cluster. These objects have spectra typical of old stellar systems, but are unresolved in ground- based imaging. They are all at least 10 times more luminous than any Galactic globular clusters, but fainter than any known compact dwarf galaxies. They may be a new class of intermediate object, neither globular clusters nor dwarf galaxies but something in between. The observations completed nominally.
1.10 Completed Three Sets of STIS/CCD 8260 (Searching for the Hydrogen Reionization Edge of the Universe at 5HST)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to observe one of 36 parallel orbits {4–5 fields of 5–8 orbits each} to constrain the H Lyman-edge in emission that marks the transition from a neutral to a fully ionized IGM at a predicted zion~eq5–15. This edge is due to recombination from the H Lyman series and Lyman continuum, and can be used to constrain zion, one of the most important unknown quantities in large scale structure and cosmology. The proposal completed nominally.
1.11 Completed STIS/CCD 8844 (Deep Spatial/Spectral PSF Calibration)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to acquire a set of deep spectroscopic images of isolated, point source stars for the purpose of correcting spectroscopic science observations for dispersed residual scattered light along the slit from the point-like central object. Using limited observations from the archive, it is suspected that a dynamic range approaching 10exp7 can be measured from the stellar core to 26" away at the limit of the CCD and aperture edge. The observations completed with no anomalies reported.
1.12 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.
1.13 Completed STIS/CCD 8870 (POMS Test Proposal: STIS Non-Scripted Parallel Proposal Continuation IV)
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.
1.14 Completed WF/PC-2 8829 (Observatory Focus Monitor)
The WF/PC-2 was used to analyze the HST focus which drifts slowly and shows evidence of undergoing slips of a few microns at random times. The rate of the WFPC2 monitoring program is insufficient to track and/or understand OTA behavior in order to request timely and appropriate secondary mirror corrections. This 14 orbit program obtains a large amount of high signal to noise focus data, sometimes in two Science Instruments at once, and will be sufficient to more accurately define the HST
focus. There were no reported problems.
1.15 Completed WF/PC-2 8581 (A Search For Low-Mass Companions To Ultracool Dwarfs)
The WF/PC-2 was used to search for very low-mass {VLM} companions to a complete sample of 120 late-M and L dwarfs, drawn mainly from the 2MASS and SDSS surveys. The primary goal is to determine the multiplicity of M < 0.1 M_odot dwarfs. In particular, we aim to identify binary systems suitable for long-term astrometric monitoring and mass measurement, and systems with cool, sub-1000K companions. The proposal completed with no reported problems.
1.16 Completed WF/PC-2 8390 (Expansion Parallax Distances to Planetary Nebulae)
The WF/PC-2 was used to make observations of the planetary nebula IC3568 in order to study its parallax distance. The largest impediment to our understanding of planetary nebulae is the lack of reliable
distances. The observations were executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted.
1.17 Completed 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.
1.18 Completed WF/PC-2 8771 (Development And Evolution Of Yso Outflows And Jets, Cycle 9)
The WF/PC-2 was used to observe XZ Tauri, HL Tauri, and HH 30 which are three young stars which can be observed simultaneously in a single WFPC2 pointing. Broad-band HST imaging has revealed that the XZ Tauri binary is the source of an elongated bubble of emission nebulosity nearly 5" long. In new images of these objects, it was discovered that the XZ Tau bubble had expanded significantly and had become markedly limb-brightened since 1995. This behavior suggests that we are witnessing, for the first time, the earliest stages of development of a Herbig-Haro bowshock, perhaps the initial formation of its post-shock cooling zone. It is proposed to test this hypothesis with emission line imaging and temporal monitoring of the bubble’s size and brightness. Simultaneously with the XZ Tau study, we will observe the jets and reflection nebulosities of HH 30 and HL Tauri. Monitoring of HH 30 is particularly important, as our 1998 imaging also revealed that a very large reflected light asymmetry has developed in this prototype young stellar object accretion disk system. There were no anomalies.
1.19 Completed STIS/CCD 8172 (STIS Deep DLA Imaging Survey II)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to make deep observations of quasar/alpha galaxy PC0056+012. The HST imaging, together with ground-based spectroscopy, will unify absorption-line studies and faint galaxy imaging studies, providing a comprehensive picture of the history of assembly, star formation, gas consumption, and chemical enrichment in the Damped Lyman-Alpha galaxies. The observations were executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted.
2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:
2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:
Scheduled Acquisitions: 12
Successful: 12
Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 42
Successful: 42
2.2 FHST Updates:
Scheduled: 28
Successful: 28
2.3 Operations Notes:
The SSR EDAC error counter was cleared ten times as directed by ROP SR-1A.
Using ROP IC-1, MA transponder #1 was turned on and off twice.
The engineering status buffer limits were modified twice, using DF-18A.
The NSSC-1 status buffer was dumped at 210/1923Z per ROP NS-3.
Per operations requests, the K52 VT level and the ROC test trickle charge timer was extended at 210/2302Z, and the minimum trickle charge level was modified at 211/044133Z.
At 211/065134Z the HST EPS system failed to reach trickle charge. Shortly thereafter, both the battery discharge and charge mnemonics also went out-of-limits. At 211/081215Z, after a ZOE, all mnemonics returned to normal limits. This event, recorded in HSTAR 7755, had the same signature as a similar event on day 210.
SI C&DH errors were reset at 211/2054Z per ROP NS-5.
3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:
Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.