Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #2679 08/04/00
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
DAILY REPORT #2679
PERIOD COVERED: 0000Z (UTC) 08/03/00 – 0000Z (UTC) 08/04/00
Daily Status Report as of 217/0000Z
1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:
1.1 Completed Two Sets of 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.
1.2 Completed 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.
1.3 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.
1.4 Completed STIS/CCD/MA2 8266 (Coherence Length of Lyman-Alpha Absorbers at z ~ 1)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA2) was used to measure the coherence length of Lyman-Alpha absorbers in the redshift range 0.5 < z < 1.1, using a new pair of quasars with a separation of 130 arcseconds. For quasars with this brightness {R = 18.1}, redshift and separation are very rare. Coincident absorbers along the line-of-sight to quasar pairs can reveal the geometry of the diffuse but highly ionized gas that makes up the Lyman-Alpha forest; this gas represents the majority of the baryons and it traces the underlying dark matter distribution. The observations completed with no reported anomalies.
1.5 Completed Three 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.
1.6 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 8445 (WF/PC-2 Cycle 8 Earth Flats)
The WF/PC-2 was used to make Cycle 8 Earth flat calibration observations. This is to obtain sequences of earth streak flats to construct high quality flat fields for the WF/PC-2 filter set. The observations were executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted.
1.7 Completed STIS/CCD 8437 (Dark Monitor-Part 2 C8)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to monitor the darks. The proposal completed nominally.
1.8 Completed WF/PC-2 8720 (Masses and Multiplicity of Nearby Free- floating Methane and L Dwarfs)
The WF/PC-2 was used to observe 50 very-low-mass objects in the solar neighborhood with spectral types of L0 and later {including several dwarfs with Methane absorption bands in their atmospheres}. These objects will be observed in two filter bands with the aim to identify close companions, measure their colors, and to obtain first epoch data of the newly discovered binaries. The observations completed nominally.
1.9 Completed STIS/MA2 8426 (Cycle 8 MAMA Dark Measurements)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (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.
1.10 Completed STIS/MA2 8430 (STIS MAMA Dipsersion Solution Check)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA2) was used to perform a wavelength dispersion observation which is determined on a yearly basis {2x in Cycle 8} as part of a long-term monitoring program. The observations were completed as planned, and no anomalies were reported.
1.11 Completed STIS/CCD 8189 (The Source of Gamma Ray Bursts and the Nature of their Hosts)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to make high resolution optical and ultraviolet observations of the Gamma Ray Burster (GRB) 991208 and its host galaxy. This comprehensive set of observations will provide new insights into the astrophysics of GRBs and their high redshift host galaxies. The observations were completed as planned, and no problems were reported.
1.12 Complete Two Sets of WF/PC-2 8331 (Probing the Dark Side of Galaxy Formation: HST Imaging of the ISO Ultradeep Survey)
The WF/PC-2 was used to observe the Hubble Deep Field (HDF) which gave astronomers an unprecedented view of the optical and rest–frame–UV side of galaxy formation. However,
new data from ISO and COBE confirms the suspicion that the optical/UV does not tell the whole story. ISO observations have also demonstrated that this is true even in the HDF. These show the presence of ~25 galaxies brighter than ~200MuJy at 15Mum. The observations were completed with no reported anomalies.
1.13 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.
1.14 Completed Two Sets of 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.
1.15 Completed WF/PC-2 8632 (A UV Atlas of Nearby Galaxies)
The WF/PC-2 was used to perform a snapshot survey of local galaxies at UV wavelengths with the F300W filter. The aim of the project is to build a reference UV Atlas of normal galaxies, whose optical images are well known, with the highest possible degree of information, covering all the morphological types and luminosity classes. The proposal completed normally.
2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:
2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:
Scheduled Acquisitions: 9
Successful: 9
Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 8
Successful: 8
2.2 FHST Updates:
Scheduled: 18
Successful: 18
2.3 Operations Notes:
Using ROP SR-1A, the SSR EDAC error counter was cleared three times.
The STIS MCE-1 reset at 216/115348Z while the low voltage was on and while in an SAA interval. The STIS flight software error counter was cleared at 216/1159Z per ROP NS-12. MAMA-1 was recovered at 217/0537Z via normal SMS commanding (at the time of high voltage on commanding).
SI C&DH errors were reset at 216/2114 per ROP NS-5.
3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:
The load containing the three visits to the Comet Linear target of opportunity is scheduled to be uplinked this afternoon. The first visit is scheduled for execution at 218/035224Z.
Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.