Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #2690 08/21/00
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
DAILY REPORT #2690
PERIOD COVERED: 0000Z (UTC) 08/18/00 – 0000Z (UTC) 08/21/00
Daily Status Report as of 234/0000Z
1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:
1.1 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.
1.2 Completed Three Sets of WF/PC-2 8563 (Determining the Duplicity of Nearby T Dwarfs {Methane Brown Dwarfs})
The WF/PC-2 was used to investigate the binary fraction of T-type dwarfs {methane brown dwarfs} which is crucial to accurate determinations of the T-dwarf space density and mass function, especially since equal- magnitude binaries can introduce significant biases in photometric distance estimates. The proposal completed nominally.
1.3 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.
1.4 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.
1.5 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.
1.6 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.
1.7 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.
1.8 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.
1.9 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD 8700 (A STIS Spectroscopic Snapshot Survey of 3CR Radio Galaxies : The Nature of the Unresolved Nuclei)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to perform STIS snapshot long-slit spectroscopy of these nuclei over 2900- 10300 AA to classify them {QSO, NLRG, BLRG, BL Lac, ldots} and establish their AGN characteristics down to the lowest nuclear luminosities, while still within powerful 3C radio galaxies. The primary goals are : {1} to test unification schemes by identifying previously undetected signatures of low-level AGN/QSO activity in their spectra in the form of weak, broad emission lines, featureless continua, and UV excess, {2} to constrain the FR I/BL Lac connection by measuring the relative contribution of thermal {starburst}, non-thermal {optical synchrotron}, and line emission, and {3} to perform line and continuum diagnostics to determine the dominant ionization mechanisms in the circumnuclear regions {tenths of arcseconds} and the role of dust extinction in the NLRGs and BLRGs in the form of geometrically thick or thin tori and foreground dust. The proposal completed as planned, with no reported anomalies.
1.10 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD 8663 (Survey of SMC Planetary Nebulae: Nebular and Stellar Evolution in a Low- Metallicity Environment)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to survey of SMC planetary nebulae {PNe} in order to study the co-evolution of the nebulae and their central stars, in an environment that is chemically very metal poor. We will obtain STIS imaging and medium-resolution slitless spectroscopy that will yield line fluxes and nebular morphologies in important emission lines, plus magnitudes of the central stars. From these data we will gather a harvest of information: the nebular size, morphology, ionization structure, density, and mass; and the central star temperature, luminosity, and mass. The proposal completed with no reported anomalies.
1.11 Completed Six 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.
1.12 Completed WF/PC-2 7407 (Continuation of Temporal Monitoring of the Crab Synchrotron Nebula)
The WF/PC-2 was used to observe the synchrotron nebula surrounding the Crab pulsar that has been the subject of intensive study for decades. It is generally accepted that the structure and activity in this region are due to wave phenomena near the termination shock of the pulsar wind, observations of which hold unique promise of leading to more complete models of the pulsar and its magnetosphere. Unfortunately, this promise has not been fulfilled, largely because of the low spatial resolution and uneven temporal coverage of existing studies. Recent WF/PC-2 observations of the Crab synchrotron nebula offer new hope in this quest. These data, which reach the natural size scale defined by the Larmor radius of energetic electrons, resolve the majority of the the known features in the Crab. For the first time it is possible to reliably establish the physical conditions {e.g., emissivities, equipartition fields, and pressures} of features associated with the wind and its termination shock. The observation completed with as planned.
1.13 Completed 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.
1.14 Completed Three Sets of STIS/MA1/MA2 8426 (Cycle 8 MAMA Dark Measurements)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA1 and 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.
1.15 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.
1.16 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. There were no reported anomalies.
1.17 Completed STIS/CCD/MA2 8569 (A New Survey for Low-Redshift Damped Lyman-Alpha Lines in QSO MgII Systems)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA2) was used to support studies which have shown that most of the observable neutral gas mass in the Universe resides in QSO damped LyAlpha {DLA} systems. However, at low redshift , DLA can only be found by searching in the UV with HST. By boot-strapping from the MgII statistics, we will be able to further improve the determination of the low- redshift statistical properties of DLA {their incidence and cosmological mass density} and open up new opportunities for studies at low redshift. The observations completed nominally.
1.18 Completed Two Sets of 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.
1.19 Completed WF/PC-2 8598 (Snapshot Survey of Extended OIIl Lambda 5007Angstrom Emission in Seyfert Galaxies)
The WF/PC-2 was used for a snapshot survey of narrow band OIII Lambda 5007Angstrom images for a well defined sample of 88 Seyfert galaxies {29 Seyfert 1s and 59 Seyfert 2s}, 18 of which already have data in the archive, selected from a mostly isotropic property, the 60Mum flux. These data will be used: 1} to determine the origin of the misalignment between the accretion disk axis and the host galaxy plane axis, which can be due to mergers with other galaxies, or by the self induced radiation warping; 2} to compare the size and shape of the Narrow Line Regions (NLR) of Seyfert 1s and Seyfert 2s, and to study the frequency of conically shaped NLR in Seyfert galaxies, which are usually unresolved from ground-based observations; and 3} estimate the importance of shocks to the ionization of the NLR. The observations completed with no reported problems.
1.20 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD/MA1 8671 (Observations of a Magellanic Cloud Nova in Outburst)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was used for target-of-opportunity observations of a classical nova in the Magellanic Clouds in the early stages of its outburst. Nova outbursts are thermonuclear runaways triggered by accretion onto a white dwarf within a close binary system. The proposal completed with no reported problems.
1.21 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.
1.22 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1 8279 (Cataclysmic Variable Disk Winds: A High Time and Spectral Resolution Study of Flow Inhomogeneity)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was used to observe disks and disk winds that are found in many astrophysical settings. The proposal completed nominally.
1.23 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.
1.24 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD 8640 (A Public STIS Survey of the Host Galaxies of Gamma-Ray Bursts)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to obtain high-resolution images of the fields containing gamma-ray burst with well-localized coordinates; i.e. the burst has been localized to within approximately one arcsecond. The goal of this survey is to obtain a uniform sample of images of the host galaxies of these bursts. There were no reported problems.
1.25 Completed Three Sets of WF/PC-2 8544 (POMS Test Proposal: WFII Backup Parallel Archive Proposal II)
The WF/PC-2 was used to execute a POMS test proposal that was designed to simulate scientific plans. No problems were encountered.
1.26 Completed FGS/1R 8728 (The Low-Mass Multiple System GL 831 {Wolf 922}: Definitive Orbit and the Mass-Luminosity Relation)
Fine Guidance Sensor (FGS) 1R was used to observe GL 831 = Wolf that belongs to the select group of about one dozen nearby multiple systems suitable for calibrating the empirical mass-luminosity relation for masses below 0.2 Msun. This has been observed 13 times with FGS3 through Cycle 7. However, use of FGS 1R should clarify the location and nature of a fainter third component, possibly of 0.1 Msun, detected in two observations with the less capable FGS3. The observations completed nominally.
1.27 Completed FGS 8335 (Calibrating Stellar Models with the Pleiades: Resolving the Distance Discrepancy)
The Fine Guidance Sensors were used to make astrometric observations of the star H923, that is located in the Pleiades
cluster. This is the first phase of a multi-year effort to measure true masses for low-mass dwarfs in the Pleiades and to determine an accurate distance to this fundamental cluster. The observations were completed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted.
2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:
2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:
Scheduled Acquisitions: 28
Successful: 28
Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 21
Successful: 21
2.2 FHST Updates:
Scheduled: 61
Successful: 61
2.3 Operations Notes:
The SSR EDAC error counter was cleared six times, per ROP SR-1A.
Using ROP IC-2, the SSA transmitter was turned on and off on four occasions.
A TTR was written for a 10-second data loss at 231/2121Z, caused by concentrator work at IONET.
At 233/172704Z, the NICMOS 28-volt bus voltage (N28VIN1) flagged out-of-limits for one telemetry sample with a value of 31.608.
3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:
Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.
