Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #2710 09/19/00
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
DAILY REPORT #2710
PERIOD COVERED: 0000Z (UTC) 09/18/00 – 0000Z (UTC) 09/19/00
Daily Status Report as of 263/0000Z
1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:
1.1 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 8701 (Multiplicity among Very-Low Mass Stars and Brown Dwarfs in Alpha Persei and the Pleiades)
The WF/PC-2 was used to observe open clusters which provide excellent hunting grounds for brown dwarf {BD} searches. The AlphaPer and Pleiades clusters are young, nearby and have low extinction. They are cosidered to be the best-suited places to study the Substellar Mass. A dozen of cool faint AlphaPer and Pleiades members have been confirmed as “bona-fide” BDs with the lithium test. By comparison with those, about 60 very good cluster BD candiates are currently known. The Pleiades SMF obtained using the most recent deep large CCD surveys indicates that BDs are quite numerous but do not make a significant contribution to the total cluster mass. The observations completed with no reported problems.
1.2 Completed Seven 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. As detailed in HSTAR 7857 and 2.1, the acquisition and re-acquisition for the sixth iteration of this proposal failed, and all observations in that iteration were lost. Otherwise, the observations completed with no other reported anomalous activity.
1.3 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.
1.4 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. There were no reported problems.
1.5 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.
1.6 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.
1.7 Completed Five Sets of 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.
1.8 Completed STIS/MA2 8858 (MAMA Full Field Sensitivity Monitor & PSF Check)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA2) was used to monitor the sensitivity of the MAMA detectors over the full field. This was achieved by observing globular cluster NGC6681 twice during Cycle 9. The observations completed nominally.
1.9 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. There were no reported problems.
1.10 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.
1.11 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1/MA2 8198 (Understanding the Starburst-like Dust in the Small Magellanic Cloud)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD, MA1 and MA2) was used to investigate the similarities between the ultraviolet extinction found in the star forming bar of the Small Magellanic Cloud {SMC} and starburst galaxies has highlighted the importance of understanding the dust extinction in the SMC. The proposal completed with no reported problems.
1.12 Completed Two 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.
1.13 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.
1.14 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1/MA2 8485 (HS1543+5921 – A Bright QSO Behind Sbs1543+593)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD, MA1 and MA2) was used to determine its flux in the NUV and FUV, by observing the QSO HS1543+5921 in the G140L and G230L modes. This QSO is potentially very interesting since it is directly behind the extended spiral galaxy SBS1543+593. However, its ultraviolet flux is currently unknown, and it could be severely depressed by an intervening absorption system between the redshift of the galaxy and the redshift of the QSO. The observation completed nominally, with no reported problems.
1.15 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.
1.16 Completed WF/PC-2 8804 (A Survey of Gravitational Lenses as Cosmological Tools III)
The WF/PC-2 was used to observe 60 known gravitational lenses that are a unique, mass-selected sample of galaxies, and their properties encode an enormous range of astrophysical information. The numbers of lenses and their distribution in separation, lens and source redshift determine both the cosmological model and the mass function of galaxies and its evolution. There were no reported problems.
1.17 Completed WF/PC-2 8601 (A Snapshot Survey of Probable Nearby Galaxies)
The WF/PC-2 was used to continue the very successful snapshot survey in order to use the high spatial resolution of HST to determine whether selected galaxies are nearby on the basis of resolution into stars, and the magnitudes and colors of the brightest stars. There were no reported problems.
1.18 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 8874 (Heritage Observations of the Horsehead Nebula)
The WF/PC-2 was used to observe the Horsehead Nebula {Barnard 33} as part of the Hubble Heritage Project. As detailed in HSTAR 7857 and 2.1, the acquisition and re-acquisition for the first iteration of this proposal failed, and all observations were lost.
2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:
2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:
Scheduled Acquisitions: 8
Successful: 7
Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 6
Successful: 5
Per HSTAR 7857, the acquisition at 262/182114Z failed when the search radius limit was exceeded. A real time map at 262/194402Z showed errors of -6.635, 7.523, and 19.095. The following re-acquisition also failed. The proposals described in 1.2 and 1.18 were affected.
2.2 FHST Updates:
Scheduled: 20
Successful: 20
2.3 Operations Notes:
The SSR EDAC error counter was cleared five times per ROP SR-1A.
As directed by ROP DF-18A, the engineering status buffer was maintained at 262/1913Z and at 262/2003Z.
The ephemeris load was uplinked at 263/0009Z, using ROP DF-07A.
SSA transmitter #1 was turned on and off at 263/0728Z, using ROP IC-2.
3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:
Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.
