Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #2686 08/15/00

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
 
  DAILY REPORT #2686
 
PERIOD COVERED:  0000Z (UTC) 08/14/00 – 0000Z (UTC) 08/15/00
 
Daily Status Report as of 228/0000Z
 
1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:
 
    1.1 Completed Four 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/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.
 
    1.3 Completed 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.
 
    1.4 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.
 
    1.5 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.
 
    1.6 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.
 
    1.7 Completed 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.
 
    1.8 Completed 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.
 
    1.9 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.
 
    1.10 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.
 
    1.11 Completed 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.
 
    1.12 Completed FGS/1 8777 (Calibrating Stellar Models with the Pleiades: Resolving the Distance Discrepancy-Cycle 9)
 
        FGS-1 was used to measure an accurate distance to the Pleiades and to resolve the problem raised by the Hipparcos results for this cluster.  The Hipparcos distance, taken at face value, indicates that solar-composition ZAMS stars are 30% fainter than previously believed.  The resolution to the Hipparcos distance problem is vital for understanding all the parallaxes that have come from that mission and hence this issue is fundamental to the cosmic distance scale. In this first phase we observed several spectroscopic binary systems with 2 to 3 year orbital periods to assertain the prospects for deriving visual orbits and hence orbital parallaxes for these cluster members.  The proposal completed with no reported problems.
 
    1.13 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1 8219 (A Definitive Census of the Cataclysmic Variable Population in 47 Tuc)
 
        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was used to make deep, far-ultraviolet, time-resolved observations of the cataclysmic variable population in the globular cluster 47 Tuc (a.k.a., NGC-104).  A wavelength calibration image was also taken.  The observations were executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted.
 
    1.14 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 8059 (POMS Test Proposal: Targeted Parallel Archive Proposal)
 
        The WF/PC-2 was used to observe the parallel opportunities available in the neighborhood of bright galaxies are treated in a slightly different way from the normal pure parallels.  Local Group galaxies offer the opportunity for a closer look at young stellar
populations.  Narrow-band images in F656N can be used both to identify young stars via their emission lines, and to map the gas distribution in star-forming regions.  The observations completed nominally.
 
    1.15 Completed 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.
 
2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:
 
    2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:
      Scheduled Acquisitions: 8
Successful: 8
 
  Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 9
Successful: 9
 
    2.2 FHST Updates:
Scheduled: 17
Successful: 16
 
        The update at 228/0330Z failed.
 
    2.3 Operations Notes:
 
        Using ROP SR-1A, the SSR EDAC error counter was cleared three times.
 
        ROP DF-18A was used to dump the engineering status buffer (ESB) and to update the ESB limits.
 
        SI C&DH errors were reset at 227/1131Z per ROP NS-5.
 
        As directed by ROP NS-3, the NSSC-1 status buffer was dumped at 227/1449Z.
 
        The ephemeris table was uplinked at 228/0342Z per ROP DF-07A.
 
        The SSA transmitter was turned on and off at 228/0953Z, using ROP IC-2.
 
3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:
 
        Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.