Status Report

Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #2775 12/22/00

By SpaceRef Editor
December 22, 2000
Filed under ,

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
 
  DAILY REPORT #2775
 
PERIOD COVERED:  0000Z (UTC) 12/21/00 – 0000Z (UTC) 12/22/00
 
Daily Status Report as of 357/0000Z
 
1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:
 
    1.1 Completed STIS/CCD 8664 (Structural Measurement of Globular Clusters in M31 and NGC 5128: Stalking the Fundamental Plane)
 
        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to observe in the snapshot mode to image a wide selection of individual globular clusters in two other large galaxies {M31 and NGC 5128} for measurement of their structural parameters {r_c, c, central surface brightness}.  We will use these to compute their binding energies and define the FP in these two galaxies. Comparison with the Milky Way will then give us powerful new information on just how “universal” the cluster formation process was in the early protogalaxies.  The observations completed with no reported problems.
 
    1.2 Completed Three Sets of WF/PC-2 8827 (Cycle 9 Supplemental Darks pt2/3)
 
        The WF/PC-2 was used to obtain three dark frames every day to provide data for monitoring and characterizing the evolution of hot pixels.  The proposal completed nominally.
 
    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 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.
 
    1.5 Completed Three Sets of WF/PC-2 8815 (Cycle 9 Earth Flats)
 
        The WF/PC-2 was used to monitor flatfield stability.  This proposal obtains sequences of Earth streak flats to construct high quality flat fields for the WF/PC-2 filter set.  These flat fields will allow mapping of the OTA illumination pattern and will be used in conjunction with previous internal and external flats to generate new pipeline superflats.  The proposal completed nominally.
 
    1.6 Completed Six Sets of STIS/CCD 8836 (Performance Monitor {Cycle 9})
 
        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to measure the baseline performance and commandability of the CCD subsystem.  Only primary amplifier D was used.  Bias and Flat Field
exposures were taken in order to measure read noise, CTE, and
gain.  Numerous bias frames were taken to permit construction of "superbias" frames in which the effects of read noise have been rendered negligible.  Full frame and binned observations were made, with binning factors of 2 x 1, 1 x 2, 2 x 2, 4 x 1, and 4 x 2.  Dark images were taken in 2×2 binning mode; 1×1 binning darks are being taken in the nominal CCD Dark Monitor.  The exercise completed nominally.
 
    1.7 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.
 
    1.8 Completed FGS/1R 8469 (Calibrating FGS1R’s Optical Field Angle Distortion {OFAD})
 
        Fine Guidance Sensor 1R was used to gather the data needed to calibrate the optical field angle distortions in FGS1R to the level of accuracy required for astrometry science.  Selected stars from the galactic cluster M35 are repeatedly observed in POSITION mode by FGS1R with the F583W filter at a variety of spacecraft pointings and telescope roll angles.  There were no problems.
 
    1.9 Completed Seven 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 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 Two Sets of FGS/1R 8834 (Calibrating Interferometric Response as a Function of Spectral Color)
 
        Fine Guidance Sensor 1R was used to obtain reference point source Transfer Functions {S-Curves} through the F583W filter at the center position of the FOV for a variety of spectral colors.  The proposal completed with no reported problems.
 
    1.12 Completed Three Sets of STIS/MA1/MA2 8843 (Cycle 9 MAMA Dark Measurements)
 
        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA1 and MA2) was used to perform the routine monitoring of the MAMA detector dark noise.  The proposal completed nominally.
 
    1.13 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1 8691 (Calibrating the Cosmic Meter Stick: The Distance to the LMC Using Eclipsing Binaries)
 
        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was used to measure the LMC distance which is crucial for the calibration of the Cosmic Distance Scale.  The observations completed with no reported problems.
 
    1.14 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 8815 (Cycle 9 Earth Flats)
 
        The WF/PC-2 was used to monitor flatfield stability.  This proposal obtains sequences of Earth streak flats to construct high quality flat fields for the WF/PC-2 filter set.  These flat fields will allow mapping of the OTA illumination pattern and will be used in conjunction with previous internal and external flats to generate new pipeline superflats.  The proposal completed nominally.
 
    1.15 Completed Three Sets of WF/PC-2 8883 (POMS Test Proposal: WFII Backup Parallel Archive Proposal II)
 
        The WF/PC-2 was used to complete a POMS test proposal designed to simulate scientific plans.  There were no reported problems.
 
    1.16 Completed WF/PC-2 8599 (A Census of Nuclear Star Clusters in Late-Type Spiral Galaxies)
 
        The WF/PC-2 was used to conduct an I-band snapshot survey of a well-defined sample of nearby, face-on spiral galaxies of type Scd or later.  The proposal completed nominally.
 
    1.17 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.
 
    1.18 Completed FGS 8729 (Speedy Gonzales Mass Determinations: Fast Orbiting Red Dwarf Systems)
 
        The FGSs were used to observe five fast-orbiting red dwarf systems to determine masses for objects near the end of the stellar main sequence.  All five systems have periods of two years or less, hence the moniker "Speedy Gonzales” systems.  In addition, all have parallaxes placing them within 10 parsecs, so high quality masses with errors less than 5% can be derived.  The observation completed as planned.
 
    1.19 Completed WF/PC-2 8326 (Colliding Stellar Winds and
Proto-Planetary Dynamics)
 
        The WF/PC-2 was used to investigate the interaction between a fast post-AGB collimated wind and a slowly expanding, dense AGB wind which is believed to be the dominant dynamical effect in the evolution of protoplanetary nebulae {PPNe} and the shaping of planetary nebula QX-PUP.  The proposal completed with no reported problems.
 
2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:
 
    2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:
      Scheduled Acquisitions: 11
Successful: 11
 
        Per HSTAR 8016, the acquisition at 357/093354Z defaulted to fine lock backup on FGS-2 only when a walkdown failure occurred on FGS-1.  Two proposals, each occurring during the period of the next report, may have been affected: STIS 8691 and WF/PC-2 8059.
    Scheduled Re-acquisitions:  6
Successful:  6
 
    2.2 FHST Updates:
                  Scheduled: 26
Successful: 26
 
    2.3 Operations Notes:
 
        Using ROP SR-1A, the SSR EDAC error counter was cleared three times.
 
        The next Daily Report will be issued on Wednesday morning, December 27, 2000.
 
3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:
 
        Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.

SpaceRef staff editor.