Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #2702 09/07/00
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
DAILY REPORT #2702
PERIOD COVERED: 0000Z (UTC) 09/06/00 – 0000Z (UTC) 09/07/00
Daily Status Report as of 251/0000Z
1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:
1.1 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.
1.2 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD 8837 (CCD Dark Monitor-Part 1)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to monitor the darks. The proposal completed with no reported problems.
1.3 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD 8572 (Identifying Normal Galaxies at 1.3 < z < 2.5)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to perform studies of faint, distant galaxies. It is now possible to observe hundreds of galaxies out to z=1 and in the range 3 < z < 4.5, yet the redshift range 1 < z <3 remains largely unexplored. As described in HSTAR 7839 and yesterday’s report, the acquisition for the second iteration of this proposal defaulted to fine lock backup on one FGS only, possibly affecting one observation. No other problems were noted.
1.4 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.
1.5 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 8816 (Cycle 9 UV Earthflats)
The WF/PC-2 was used to obtain sequences of earth streak flats to improve the quality of pipeline flat fields for the WFPC2 UV filter set and in order to monitor flat field stability. As described in HSTAR 7839 and yesterday’s report, the acquisition for the second iteration of this proposal defaulted to fine lock backup on one FGS only, possibly affecting two observations. There were no further reported problems.
1.6 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.
1.7 Completed STIS/CCD 8838 (Bias Monitor – Part 1)
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 nominally.
1.8 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1 8186 (The Properties of Gaseous Halos Around Disk Galaxies)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrrograph (CCD and MA1) was used to investigate the properties of gaseous halos which are key components in the structure and evolution of spiral galaxies. The observers propose to advance the understanding of these phenomena through absorption line studies of the halo gas around the LMC and the edge-on galaxy NGC 891. The observations completed with no reported anomalies.
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 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.
1.11 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.
1.12 Completed STIS/CCD 8845 (Spectroscopic Flats C9)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to obtain CCD flats in the spectroscopic mode. The observations completed with no reported problems.
1.13 Completed 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.
1.14 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.
1.15 Completed 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.
1.16 Completed STIS/CCD 8846 (Imaging Flats C9)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to investigate flat-field stability over a monthly period. The proposal completed nominally.
1.17 Completed 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.
2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:
2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:
Scheduled Acquisitions: 11
Successful: 11
Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 8
Successful: 8
2.2 FHST Updates:
Scheduled: 25
Successful: 25
2.3 Operations Notes:
Day and swing shift operations were conducted from the Science Institute yesterday and will be today.
The SSD EDAC error counter was cleared twice per ROP SR-1A.
The STIS MCE-1 reset at 251/025410Z while the low voltage was on and while outside any SAA interval. Per ROP NS-12, the STIS flight software error counter was reset at 251/0328Z. MAMA-1 was recovered at 251/0801Z, the time of the regularly scheduled high voltage commanding in the SMS.
Using ROP DF-18A, the engineering status buffer limit for SESBSLD was set at 251/0658Z.
3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:
Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.