Status Report

Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #2687 08/16/00

By SpaceRef Editor
August 16, 2000
Filed under

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
 
  DAILY REPORT #2687
 
PERIOD COVERED:  0000Z (UTC) 08/15/00 – 0000Z (UTC) 08/16/00
 
Daily Status Report as of 229/0000Z
 
1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:
 
    1.1 Completed STIS/MA1 8426 (Cycle 8 MAMA Dark Measurements)
 
        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA1) 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.
 
    1.2 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1 8615 (Ultraviolet Spectroscopy of R Coronae Borealis Stars — Broad Lines from an Accretion Disc?)
 
      The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was used to obtain spectra of three R Coronae Borealis {RCB} stars that will provide novel data on hot gas near these stars.
RCBs are hydrogen-deficient and fade at unpredictable times as a carbon soot cloud obscures the star.  Optical spectra taken when a star has faded reveal an emission line spectrum containing sharp and broad lines.  The latter are of much higher excitation than the former.  For RCB, it has been suggested that the broad lines arise from an accretion disk around a compact secondary.  These optical lines are visible only during the infrequent extreme fadings of a RCB.  The observations completed as planned.
 
    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 Two Sets of WF/PC-2 8162 (Identifying The Hidden Phases Of Galaxy Evolution)
 
        The WF/PC-2 was used to perform deep surveys in the sub-mm waveband that are revealing a population of very luminous dusty galaxies at high redshifts, which are {a} as a population, producing stars at a rate as large or larger than the optically selected galaxy population at high redshifts and thus presumably producing a substantial fraction of all stars that have ever been produced; and {b} doing so, individually, in systems with bolometric luminosities (i.e. star-formation rates} that are very much larger than typically seen in the optically-selected population).  The observations completed with no anomalous activity.
 
    1.5 Completed Two 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.
 
    1.6 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.
 
    1.7 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.
 
    1.8 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.
 
    1.9 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.
 
    1.10 Completed WF/PC-2 8683 (Imaging Of Brightest Cluster Galaxies: The High End Of The Black Hole Mass Distribution)
 
        The WF/PC-2 was used to make kinematic black hole detections in galaxies to decide whether they indicate that the mass correlates with both optical luminosity and radio power.  The observation completed with no reported problems.
 
    1.11 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1/2 8114 (Fundamental Problems in Plasma Astrophysics)
 
        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD, MA1 and MA2) 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.
 
    1.12 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.
 
    1.13 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.
 
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: 13
Successful: 13
 
    2.3 Operations Notes:
 
        Real-time operations on CCS string "B returned to the GSFC MOR at 228/2136Z, and then returned to the Science Institute at 229/0930Z on the same string.
 
        Using ROP SR-1A, the SSR EDAC error counter was cleared four times.
 
        The SSA transmitter was turned on and off at 228/1318Z, per ROP IC-2.
 
        SI C&DH errors were reset at 228/1943Z, per ROP NS-5.
 
3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:
 
        Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.

SpaceRef staff editor.