Status Report

Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #2843 — 4 Apr 2001

By SpaceRef Editor
April 4, 2001
Filed under ,

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

DAILY REPORT #2843

PERIOD COVERED: 0000Z (UTC) 04/03/01 – 0000Z (UTC) 04/04/01

Daily Status Report as of 094/0000Z

1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:

1.1 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.

1.2 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD 8864 (CCD Dark Monitor-Part 2)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to monitor
the darks for the CCD. The proposal completed nominally.

1.3 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.

1.4 Completed 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.

1.5 Completed STIS/CCD/MA2 8623 (HST, Chandra, and FUSE Studies of
Interstellar Material toward HD 24534 {aka X Persei})

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA2) was used to
make high-resolution UV spectroscopic observations of the reddened star HD
24534 {aka X Persei}, in order to: {1} establish accurate gas-phase column
densities for elements other than carbon and oxygen {for which high-
quality data already exist}, for the purpose of deriving {in conjunction
with FUSE and Chandra observations} absolute depletions of several key
elements; and {2} further pursue molecular abundances toward this star, to
supplement HST/GHRS data obtained earlier which showed that this line of
sight supports a rich chemistry. The observations completed nominally.

1.6 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1/MA2 8670 (The Role of Polycyclic Aromatic
Hydrocarbons in Ultraviolet Extinction)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD, MA1 and MA2) was
used to search for structure in the ultraviolet interstellar extinction
curve, with particular emphasis on a search for
absorption features produced by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The
existence of these molecules in the interstellar medium has been postulated
to explain the infrared emission features seen in the 3-13 micron spectra
of numerous sources. However, these features have stubbornly resisted
satisfactory identification. There were no reported problems.

1.7 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.

1.8 Completed WF/PC-2 8656 (The Hydrogen-Burning Limit in the Globular
Cluster NGC 6397)

The WF/PC-2 was used to perform a major enhancement of an earlier
study of the bottom of the main sequence (MS) of NGC 6397, the globular
cluster with the smallest distance modulus. In the earlier work the lowest
part of the MS had been lost among the numerically dominant field stars;
but accurate astrometry, over a baseline of a few years, now allows an
excellent proper-motion separation of faint cluster stars from the
field. The proposal completed with no reported problems.

1.9 Completed Four Sets of STIS/CCD 9248 (Probing the Large Scale
Structure: Cosmic Shear Observations)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to measure
the distortion of light bundles from distant galaxies that probe the
statistical properties of the intervening inhomogeneous {dark} matter
distribution. Its tidal gravitational field distorts the observable image
shapes thereby causing a coherent ellipticity pattern {Cosmic Shear}. The
observations completed nominally.

1.10 Completed STIS/CCD 8865 (Bias Monitor-Part 2)

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 with no anomalous activity.

1.11 Completed WF/PC-2/STIS/CCD 8679 (Constraining the Age of the
Oldest Stars from the White Dwarf Cooling Sequence in M4)

The WF/PC-2 and the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) were
used to search for the oldest and hence coolest white dwarfs {WDs} in M4,
the nearest Galactic globular cluster to the Sun. New models for cooling
hydrogen white dwarfs predict that their colors should become bluer, rather
than redder, with increasing age. The goal is to test these models and at
the same time constrain the age of M4. The proposal completed with no
problems.

2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:

Scheduled Acquisitions: 7

Successful: 7

Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 8

Successful: 8

2.2 FHST Updates:

Scheduled: 13

Successful: 13

2.3 Operations Notes:

The SSR EDAC error counter was cleared three times, using ROP DR-1A.

An SI delayed error nulling maneuver was computed and executed at
094/0114Z as directed by ROP NS-08.

3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:

Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.

SpaceRef staff editor.