Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #2787 01/16/01
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
DAILY REPORT #2787
PERIOD COVERED: 0000Z (UTC) 01/15/01 – 0000Z (UTC) 01/16/01
Daily Status Report as of 016/0000Z
1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:
1.1 Completed Five 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.
1.2 Completed Three 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.
1.3 Completed WF/PC-2 8586 (Observations of Astrophysically Important Visual Binaries)
The WF/PC-2 was used to continue the Cycle 7-8 Long-Term project. The program consists of annual or biannual WFPC2 or FGS observations of three visual binary stars that will ultimately yield fundamental astrophysical results, once their orbits and masses are determined. Our targets are the following: {1} Procyon {P=41 yr}, for which our first WFPC2 images yielded an extremely accurate angular separation of the bright F star and its very faint white-dwarf
companion. There were no reported problems.
1.4 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.
1.5 Completed WF/PC-2 Two Sets of 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 Four 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.
1.7 Completed WF/PC-2/STIS/CCD 8573 (Newborn Planets and Brown Dwarf Companions in IC 348)
The WF/PC-2 and the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) were used to search for young giant planets and brown dwarfs around ~100 low-mass stars and brown dwarfs in the nearby cluster IC 348. The observations completed with no reported problems.
1.8 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.
1.9 Completed WF/PC-2/STIS/CCD 8559 (The Role of Dark Matter in Cluster Formation and Galaxy Evolution)
The WF/PC-2 and the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) were used to observe the outer regions of massive clusters that represent transitional areas of great cosmological importance where field galaxies encounter the steep potential wells of dark matter and baryonic hot gas. Little is known about either the dark matter profile at large radii or the morphological properties of infalling galaxies at those redshifts where strong evolution is observed in the cluster cores. The proposal completed normally, with 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 8302 (Lyman-alpha emission in Starburst Galaxies)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was used to perform a deep study of Ly-alpha emission and destruction in 3 star-forming galaxies. These objects have been already observed with the GHRS and exhibit a variety of situations, with Ly-alpha showing P Cyg profiles, secondary emissions or even a deep damped absorption line with no emission. They also span a range of intrinsic properties: IZW18 is a gas-rich, metal deficient dust free dwarf galaxy, Haro 2 has a simple morphology while IRAS 08339+6517 is a luminous IRAS starburst galaxy with more dust and complex Ly- alpha profile. The proposal completed with no reported problems
1.12 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.
1.13 Completed WF/PC-2 8632 (A UV Atlas of Nearby Galaxies)
The WF/PC-2 was used to perform a snapshot survey of local galaxies at UV wavelengths with the F300W filter. The aim of the project is to build a reference UV Atlas of normal galaxies, whose optical images are well known, with the highest possible degree of information, covering all the morphological types and luminosity classes. The proposal completed normally.
1.14 Completed STIS/MA1 8843 (Cycle 9 MAMA Dark Measurements)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA1) was used to perform the routine monitoring of the MAMA detector dark noise. The proposal completed nominally.
1.15 Completed WF/PC-2 8131 (HST Imaging of Moderate Redshift X-ray Emitting Groups of Galaxies)
The WF/PC-2 was used to make observations of the infrared and x-ray emitting galactic cluster Gal-Clus-1. Most galaxies in the universe, including our own Milky Way, are members of poor groups of
galaxies. Recent optical and X- ray observations of nearby groups have revealed considerable new insight into these important systems. The observations were completed as scheduled, and no problems were reported.
1.16 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.
2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:
2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:
Scheduled Acquisitions: 6
Successful: 6
Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 10
Successful: 10
2.2 FHST Updates:
Scheduled: 15
Successful: 15
2.3 Operations Notes:
The Gyro #6 On-Orbit Low Mode Test continues. On three occasions, PN and HN telemetry formats were commanded in order to obtain additional data on system performance.
Utilizing ROP SR-1A, the SSR EDAC error counter was cleared on three occasions.
3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:
Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.
