Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #2757 11/28/00

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
 
  DAILY REPORT #2757
 
PERIOD COVERED:  0000Z (UTC) 11/27/00 – 0000Z (UTC) 11/28/00
 
Daily Status Report as of 333/0000Z
 
1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:
 
    1.1 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.
 
    1.2 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1 8103 (A Global Picture of White Dwarfs in Cataclysmic Variables)
 
        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was used to make ultraviolet spectrographic observations of the white dwarf star that is located in the cataclysmic variable star system known as AL-COM.  The observations were executed as scheduled, and no problems were reported.
 
    1.3 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 Group.  The proposal completed with no reported problems.
 
    1.4 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.
 
    1.5 Completed 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.
 
    1.6 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 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.
 
    1.8 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 Three Sets of STIS/CCD 8562 (Probing the Large Scale Structure: Cosmic Shear Observations)
 
        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to probe the distortion of light bundles from distant galaxies, looking at the statistical properties of the intervening inhomogeneous {dark} matter distribution.  The proposal completed nominally.
 
    1.10 Completed WF/PC-2/STIS/CCD 8641 (Testing the Accelerating Universe)
 
        The WF/PC-2 and the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) were used to observe Type Ia supernovae which provide evidence for an accelerating universe: an extraordinary result that needs to be rigorously tested.  The observations completed with no reported problems.
 
    1.11 Completed S/C 5582 (FOC/48 Monthly Activation (Camera Section Only): Cycle 4)
 
        This proposal was executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted. anomalies were noted.
 
    1.12 Completed FOC/96 7923 (FOC F/96 Turn-on)
 
        The Faint Object Camera (f/96) was used to take an internal flat and a dark to ensure that the 30-day limit for the FOC is not
exceeded.  The observations were executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted.
 
    1.13 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.
 
    1.14 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
 
    1.15 Completed STIS/CCD/MA2 8661 (UV Spectroscopy of the Giant Planet Atmospheres)
 
        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA2) was used to observe the atmosphere of Uranus in the ~1600-3100 Angstrom spectral region.  Later, the remaining giant planets, Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune will be observed.  Analyses of these observations will be used to determine the abundance and altitude profiles of gaseous absorbers and aerosols from the millibar region to hundreds of millibars.  The proposal completed with no reported problems.
 
    1.16 Completed WF/PC-2 8823 (Decontaminations and Associated Observations Pt. 2/4)
 
        The WF/PC-2 was used for the monthly WFPC2 decons.  Also included were 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.
 
    1.17 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.
 
2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:
 
    2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:
      Scheduled Acquisitions:  7
                  Successful: 7
 
    Scheduled Re-acquisitions:  9
                Successful:  9
 
    2.2 FHST Updates:
                  Scheduled: 20
                Successful: 20
 
    2.3 Operations Notes:
 
        The SSR EDAC error counter was cleared at 332/1852Z per ROP SR-1A.
 
        Using ROP DF-07A, the ephemeris table was uplinked at 333/0009Z.
 
        Per an operations request, the on-board gyro bias routine was enabled at 333/0703Z.  Using another operations request, at 333/0703Z, a contingency gyro bias back-out was performed when some discrepancies were observed — differences between the on-orbit correction and the updated new bias values as well as differences between the on-board bias and SAC generated biases.  These event caused on operational problems.
 
3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:
 
        The Battery #1 on-orbit capacity test is scheduled to start at approximately 333/2040Z.
 
        Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.