Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #2712 09/21/00
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
DAILY REPORT #2712
PERIOD COVERED: 0000Z (UTC) 09/20/00 – 0000Z (UTC) 09/21/00
Daily Status Report as of 265/0000Z
1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:
1.1 Completed Three 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.
1.2 Completed Two 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.
1.3 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 STIS/CCD/MA2 8225 (Absorption and Obscuration in Radio-Loud Quasars)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was used to make observations of the radio-loud quasar MRC0327-24. The role of associated absorption systems and dust obscuration close to the central engines of AGN is not understood. A wavelength calibration image was also taken. The observations were completed as planned, and no anomalies were reported.
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. There were no reported problems.
1.6 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1/MA2 8317 (Mass Accretion Rates for Pre-Main Sequence Intermediate Mass Stars)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD, MA1 and MA2) was used to obtain the first direct, accurate measurements of mass accretion rates for intermediate mass {1.5M{sun} to 3.5M{sun}} T Tauri stars}, precursors of the Beta Pic- type stars. The observations completed nominally.
1.7 Completed STIS/CCD/MA2 8681 (Snapshot Survey of Variability of Narrow and Broad Associated Absorption Lines in Quasars)
The Space telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA2) was used to investigate the variability in the strength of absorption lines in quasar spectra which is definitive proof that we are observing material that is physically associated with the quasars. This proposal will conduct a STIS snapshot survey to provide second epoch observations of 37 quasars with narrow associated or broad absorption lines {NALs and BALs}, previously observed with the FOS. At high redshift several intrinsic NALs and about two thirds of BALs are known to vary, often in accord with continuum variability. The amplitudes increase and the timescales decrease with decreasing quasar luminosity. The proposal completed nominally.
1.8 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.
1.9 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.
1.10 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.
1.11 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.
1.12 Completed WF/PC-2 8570 (HS 1543+5921: A Bright Quasar Seen Through A Nearby Star-Forming Dwarf Galaxy)
The WF/PC-2 was used to observe the nearby star-forming dwarf galaxy SBS 1543+593 that was discovered to be superimposed upon the bright quasar HS 1543+5921. Very few such alignments are known, making HS 1543+5921/SBS 1543+593 a unique system for absorption-line studies with HST. The observations completed with no reported anomalies.
1.13 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.
1.14 Completed 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 considered 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 candidates 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.
2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:
2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:
Scheduled Acquisitions: 11
Successful: 11
Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 7
Successful: 7
2.2 FHST Updates:
Scheduled: 17
Successful: 17
2.3 Operations Notes:
The operations team performed their duties from the Science Institute for the day and swing shifts yesterday, and will do the same today.
The SSR EDAC error counter was cleared once, per ROP SR-1A.
The STIS MCE-1 reset at 264/223016Z while the low voltage was on and while outside any SAA interval. The STIS flight software error counter was reset at 264/1334Z, per ROP NS-12. MAMA-1 was recovered via normal SMS commanding at 265/0507Z.
Using ROP IC-2, SSA transmitter #1 was turned on and off at 265/0326Z.
3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:
Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.
