Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #2815 23 Feb 2001

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

DAILY REPORT #2815

PERIOD COVERED: 0000Z (UTC) 02/22/01 – 0000Z (UTC) 02/23/01

Daily Status Report as of 054/0000Z

1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:

1.1 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.

1.2 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 STIS/MA2 8843 (Cycle 9 MAMA Dark Measurements)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA2) was used to perform
the routine monitoring of the MAMA detector dark noise. The proposal
completed nominally.

1.4 Completed WF/PC-2 8597 (The Fueling of Active Nuclei: Why are
Active Galaxies Active?)

The WF/PC-2 was used to investigate the accretion onto massive
black holes that are believed to be the energy source for AGN. However,
evidence for black holes in quiescent galaxies has also been reported. Why
are these galaxies inactive? One possibility is that active galaxies are
better at providing fuel to the nuclear region than quiescent
galaxies. Other possible fueling mechanisms such as “bars-within-bars”
or nuclear spirals cannot be investigated from the ground because they are
relatively small features in the ISM. The observations were completed as
planned.

1.5 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1/MA2 8779 (VV Cephei: The Egress from
Chromospheric Eclipse)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD, MA1 and MA2) was
used to obtain STIS (and later FGS1R) observations of the long- period
{20.3 yrs} eclipsing binary VV as it continues to emerge from chromospheric
eclipse. The observations completed with no problems.

1.6 Completed Six Sets of 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.

1.7 Completed Two 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.

1.8 Completed STIS/CCD 8849 (Faint Standard Extension)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to observe
fainter standard stars that are needed for the flux calibration of COS,
while re-observations are required to check for variability and to improve
S/N. The observations completed nominally.

1.9 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD 8881 (An Unbiased Survey of X-Ray
and Optical Emission From Extended Radio Jets in AGN)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to an X-ray
bright jet in the distant quasar PKS 0637-752 that shows that X-rays can be
energetically dominant in relativistic jets. The observations completed
nominally.

1.10 Completed WF/PC-2 8683 (Imaging Of Brightest Cluster Galaxies: The
High End Of The Black Hole Mass Distribution)

The WF/PC-2 was used to make kinematic black hole detections in
galaxies to decide whether they indicate that the mass correlates with both
optical luminosity and radio power. The observation completed with no
reported problems.

1.11 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.

1.12 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.

1.13 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.

1.14 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.

1.15 Completed WF/PC-2 8059 (POMS Test Proposal: Targeted Parallel
Archive Proposal)

The WF/PC-2 was used to observe the parallel opportunities
available in the neighborhood of bright galaxies are treated in a slightly
different way from the normal pure parallels. Local Group galaxies offer
the opportunity for a closer look at young stellar
populations. Narrow-band images in F656N can be used both to identify
young stars via their emission lines, and to map the gas distribution in
star-forming regions. The observations completed nominally.

1.16 Completed STIS/CCD/MA2 8627 (Testing Theories Of Wind/Jet
Production In YSOs)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA2) was used to
test theories of jet/wind production from the accretion disks of low-mass
young stellar objects, providing new insight into disk physics, accretion
energy balance, and jet collimation. Observations of the Fe II ultraviolet
lines in absorption will probe lower-density and lower-temperature material
than optical forbidden and permitted emission lines, and thus provide
unique information on jet/wind launching and
acceleration. Velocity-resolved spectra will distinguish between X-wind
models, in which all the mass ejection occurs from the inner disk edge, and
disk wind models, where the flow originates from a much larger area of the
disk. The proposal completed nominally.

1.17 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.

2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:

Scheduled Acquisitions: 10

Successful: 10

Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 6

Successful: 6

2.2 FHST Updates:

Scheduled: 20

Successful: 17

Per HSTAR 8084, the full maneuver updates scheduled for 053/122944Z
and at 053/123229Z failed with error box results for FHST #3. However, the
following guide star acquisition was successful.

The roll delay update scheduled for 053/140850Z failed due to FHST
#3. The subsequent guide star acquisition was successful. HSTAR 8085 was
written.

2.3 Operations Notes:

ROP DR-18A was used to update the engineering status buffer limits
on four occasions.

The SSR EDAC error counter was cleared at 053/1452Z per ROP SR-1A.

3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:

Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.