Status Report

Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #2685 08/14/00

By SpaceRef Editor
August 14, 2000
Filed under

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
 
  DAILY REPORT #2685
 
PERIOD COVERED:  0000Z (UTC) 08/11/00 – 0000Z (UTC) 08/14/00
 
Daily Status Report as of 227/0000Z
 
1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:
 
    1.1 Completed Two Sets of 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.
 
    1.2 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1 8287 (A Search For Transparent Lines of Sight With Intergalactic He-II Absorption Towards 26 Bright z > 2.9 Quasars)
 
        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was used to make He-II absorption line observations of quasar HE0016-354.  The aim is to identify more suitable bright objects for detailed studies of intergalactic He-II absorption at a redshift of Z <2.9 and >3.2 .  A wavelength calibration observation was also taken.  The observations were executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted.
 
    1.3 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.
 
    1.4 Completed Three 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.
 
    1.5 Completed WF/PC-2 8447 (Cycle 8 WFPC2 CTE Monitor)
 
        The WF/PC-2 was used to make observations of the large globular cluster NGC-5139 (a.k.a., Omega Centaurus) to monitor the CTE changes during Cycle-8.  An internal flat calibration image was also taken.  The observations were executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted.
 
    1.6 Completed Five 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 Four 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 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.
 
    1.9 Completed WF/PC-2 8597 (The Fueling of Active Nuclei: Why are Active Galaxies Active?)
 
        The WF/PC-2 was used to investigate the accretion onto massive black holes which is believed to be the energy source for AGN.  However, evidence for black holes in quiescent galaxies has also been reported.  Why are these galaxies inactive?  One possibility is that active galaxies are better at providing fuel to the nuclear region than quiescent
galaxies.  Other possible fueling mechanisms such as “bars-within-bars” or nuclear spirals cannot be investigated from the ground because they are relatively small features in the ISM.  The observations were completed as planned.
 
    1.10 Completed Two Sets of 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.
 
    1.11 Completed STIS/CCD 8142 (Orientation and Extent of the Bipolar Outflow in Beta Lyrae)
 
        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to make use of two orthogonal orientations of the STIS spectrograph slit to verify the orientation of the bipolar outflow in the interacting binary system Beta Lyrae {HD174638}, and to investigate the extent of the outflow in four spectral regions of interest.  There were no reported problems.
 
    1.12 Completed STIS/CCD 8664 (Structural Measurement of Globular Clusters in M31 and NGC 5128: Stalking the Fundamental Plane)
 
        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to observe in the snapshot mode to image a wide selection of individual globular clusters in two other large galaxies {M31 and NGC 5128} for measurement of their structural parameters {r_c, c, central surface brightness}.  We will use these to compute their binding energies and define the FP in these two galaxies. Comparison with the Milky Way will then give us powerful new information on just how “universal” the cluster formation process was in the early protogalaxies.  The observations completed with no reported problems.
 
    1.13 Completed Three Sets of WF/PC-2 8876 (Does Comet Linear Have a Nucleus?)
 
        The WF/PC-2 was to be used to observe the nucleus of Comet Linear {C/1999 S4} that has reportedly disintegrated into a cloud of dust during the past week {Kidger, IAUC 7467, 27 July
2000}.  As described more fully in 2.1 and HSTARs 7795 and 7796, all three iterations were affected by acquisition failures.  The take data flag remained down throughout all observations.
 
    1.14 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.  The First iteration of this proposal was affected by the acquisition failure detailed in 2.1 and HSTAR 7795.  Otherwise, there were no other reported anomalies.
 
    1.15 Completed WF/PC-2 8114 (Fundamental Problems in Plasma Astrophysics)
 
        The WF/PC-2 was used to observe NGC 7009 which has become the standard-bearer for a growing body of work that finds nebular abundances derived from recombination lines are up to factors of 5–15 larger than those obtained from the optical/UV collisionally excited lines.  These can be forced into agreement at the higher value if large unexplained temperature fluctuations {t^2} exist. STIS long-slit observations will allow us to study the line-of-sight t^2 in addition to plane-of-the-sky variations, within the slit areas, thereby creating 3-dimensional t^2 information.  The proposal completed nominally.
 
    1.16 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.
 
    1.17 Completed Two Sets of 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.
 
    1.18 Completed WF/PC-2 8769 (The Red Giant Stellar Population In Two Nearby Low-Metallicity Blue Compact Dwarf Galaxies)
 
        The WF/PC-2 was used to obtain deep V and I images of two nearby metal-deficient blue compact dwarf {BCD} galaxies UGC 4483 and NGC 2366.  The main goal is to detect the red giant stellar population in these resolved BCDs to study their evolutionary history and constrain their ages.  Are they young or old?  The observations completed with no reported problems.
 
    1.19 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD/MA2 8126 (Observations Of QSO Pairs)
 
        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA2) was used to obtain ultraviolet spectra of four QSO pairs with similar common redshift ranges {z ~ 0.7–1} and projected linear separations gradually increasing from ~0.5 to sim1 h^-1_100 Mpc.  This is being done to: {i} to probe the extension and structure of gaseous complexes giving rise to the formation of LyAlpha absorption lines at intermediate redshift {z ~ 0.9}, {ii} to investigate the transversal proximity effect of the foreground quasar along the line of sight to the background quasar; and {iii} study the environment in which QSOs reside and in particular the presence of gas around the foreground quasar.  The observations completed nominally.
 
    1.20 Completed WF/PC-2 8822 (Decontaminations and Associated Observations Pt. 1/4)
 
        The Wf/PC-2 was used for 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}, UV throughput check, VISFLAT sweep, and internal UV flat check.  There were no reported problems.
 
    1.21 Completed WF/PC-2 8599 (A Census of Nuclear Star Clusters in Late-Type Spiral Galaxies)
 
        The WF/PC-2 was used to conduct an I-band snapshot survey of a well-defined sample of nearby, face-on spiral galaxies of type Scd or later.  The proposal completed nominally.
 
    1.22 Completed WF/PC-2 8594 (H-Deficient Condensations In Pne — A Key To Discrepancies In Abundance Determinations)
 
        The WF/PC-2 was used to obtain deep long-slit spectra for the well-resolved H-deficient knots of A 30 and to search for such knots in NGC 6153.  The data will yield the spatially resolved temperature, density and ionization structure of the knots in Abell 30, and, for the first time, accurate ORL C and O abundances for them.  The results will lead to a much better understanding of the physics of such knots and their effects on abundance determinations .  There were no reported problems.
 
    1.23 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.
 
    1.24 Completed STIS/CCD 8842 (Pointed and Coronagraphic PSF Library C9)
 
        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to obtain high S/N observations of stars {both saturated and unsaturated} for a PSF library.  This cycle’s observations will concentrate on deep PSFs for the F28X50LP of an A and F star, and for the WEDGEA1.0 and WEDGEA1.8 positions of a K star.  The observations completed with no problems.
 
    1.25 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD 8258 (A Search for Kuiper Belt Object Satellites)
 
        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to look for Kuiper belt objects which may have been caused by the large number of collisions thought to have taken place in the primordial Kuiper belt similar to the binary-forming collisions to that which formed the Pluto — Charon binary.  There were no reported anomalies.
 
    1.26 Completed WF/PC-2 8719 (A Continuation Of A Snapshot Survey Of X- Ray Selected Central Cluster Galaxies0
 
        The WF/PC-2 was used to perform snapshot images of a representative subset of the central cluster galaxies from an X-ray selected cluster sample that would provide important constraints on the formation and evolution of dust in cluster cores that cannot be obtained from ground-based observations.  The observations completed as planned.
 
    1.27 Completed STIS/CCD 8653 (Collimation and Physical Conditions Within the HH 30 Protostellar Jet)
 
        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to observe the protostellar jet HH 30 through a wide slit in order to determine the distance from the star that the jet becomes collimated, and to diagnose the density, temperature, shock structure, and ionization within the collimation region.  There were no reported problems.
 
2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:
 
    2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:
      Scheduled Acquisitions: 22
Successful: 19
 
        Per HSTAR 7795, the acquisition due to occur at 224/221857Z failed when the search radius limit was exceeded for FGS-2.  Vehicle attitude errors were acceptable.  The failure was probably attributable to a faint guide star.  Proposals described in 1.13 and 1.14 were affected.
 
      As documented in HSTAR 7796, the acquisitions at 225/013140Z and at 225/030827Z failed due to the search radius limits being exceeded on FGS-2 with the probable cause being the same faint guide star in both instances.  The proposal defined in 1.13 was affected.
  Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 24
Successful: 24
 
    2.2 FHST Updates:
Scheduled: 50
Successful: 49
 
        The update scheduled for 224/2204Z failed.
 
    2.3 Operations Notes:
 
        The target-of-opportunity proposal described in 1.13 was not successful due to the acquisition failures described in HSTARs 7795 and 7796 and 2.1.
 
        Using ROP SR-1A, the SSR EDAC error counter was cleared seven times.
 
        ROP DF-18B was utilized twice to update the engineering status buffer limits.
 
        In connection with the acquisition failures mentioned in 2.1, SI C&DH errors were reset twice, per ROP NS-5.
 
        ROP IC-2 was used three times to turn an SSA transmitter on and off three times.
 
        CCS string "A" was released by operations at 227/0800Z for its move to the Science Institute.
 
3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:
 
        Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.

SpaceRef staff editor.