Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #2745 11/08/00
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
DAILY REPORT #2745
PERIOD COVERED: 0000Z (UTC) 11/07/00 – 0000Z (UTC) 11/08/00
Daily Status Report as of 313/0000Z
1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:
1.1 Completed 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.
1.2 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.
1.3 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1 8566 (High Resolution UV/X-Ray Spectroscopy of SMC X-1)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was used to perform simultaneous observations of the X-ray pulsar SMC X-1 and its B0 companion SK160 with Chandra and ground-based optical telescopes. The proposer will search for correlation between orbital phase and "bleaching” of important P Cygni lines by X-ray photoionization, and will model the simultaneous X-ray, ultraviolet, and optical continuum emission at different phases of the superorbital period to measure changes in mass accretion rate, disk structure, and disk size. The proposal completed with no reported problems.
1.4 Completed Two 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.
1.5 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1/MA2 8857 (MAMA Sensitivity and Focus Monitor C9)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD, MA1 and MA2) was used to monitor the sensitivity of each MAMA grating mode to detect any change due to contamination or other causes. There were no problems.
1.6 Completed Three Sets of STIS/MA1 8721 (An UV Imaging Survey of IR-Bright Star- Forming Galaxies)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA1) was used to carry out a UV {~1, 600 Angstrom} snapshot imaging survey of all the actively star-forming galaxies detected by ISO at Lambda>170 Mum and closer than cz=9000 km/s. The sample covers a large region in the parameter’s space of morphology, luminosity, metallicity, and star formation intensity. There were no reported anomalies.
1.7 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.
1.8 Completed FGS 8731 (A High Angular Resolution Survey of the Most Massive Stars in the SMC)
The Fine Guidance Sensors were used to conduct high angular resolution observations of some of the SMC’s hottest and most luminous objects by conducting a comprehensive survey of nearly every spectral type in the upper portion of the HR diagram. Binary or multiple star systems will be detected down to an unprecedented level, more than one order of magnitude better than possible with WFPC2. The targets selected include a representative list of normal Main Sequence O-stars and their evolved descendents, namely supergiants, hypergiants, LBVs, and WRs, many of which have been previously observed by HST’s spectrometers for purposes of cosmological calibrations. The observations completed, and no problems were reported.
1.9 Completed STIS/CCD 8603 (Secular Changes In The Temperatures And Radii Of Extreme Helium Stars)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to make observations of 15 extreme helium stars (EHEs_ which, together with IUE data, will give a 20-year baseline of ultraviolet spectrophotometry. EHEs are luminous stellar remnants evolving rapidly to become white
dwarfs. They represent an important stage in the evolution of at least some low-mass stars, and are closely related to the R Coronae Borealis variables. Models do not agree about their origin, nor about what fraction of normal stars pass through this phase, in which the stars have been completely stripped of their outer layers. The models do predict that EHEs are contracting and provide rate predictions and evolutionary
lifetimes. The observations completed with no reported problems.
2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:
2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:
Scheduled Acquisitions: 10
Successful: 10
Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 3
Successful: 3
2.2 FHST Updates:
Scheduled: 21
Successful: 21
2.3 Operations Notes:
WF/PC-2 remains in safe. Recovery procedures begin this morning with decontamination activities. Later in the day, test exposures will be taken both before and after the installation of a RAM patch.
The SSR EDAC error counter was cleared twice per ROP SR-1A.
Using NS-5, SI C&DH errors were reset at 312/1351Z.
A TTR was written for a required re-transmit at 313/0243Z during a NSSC-1 uplink.
3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:
Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.
