Status Report

Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #2847 – 10 Apr 2001

By SpaceRef Editor

April 10, 2001

Filed under Space Telescope Science Institute, US

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

DAILY REPORT #2847

PERIOD COVERED: 0000Z (UTC) 04/09/01 – 0000Z (UTC) 04/10/01

Daily Status Report as of 100/0000Z

1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:

1.1 Completed Two 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 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.

1.3 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 8718 (Understanding the Anomalous Hot
Stellar Population in Galactic Globular Clusters)

The WF/PC-2 was used to image in mid- {F255W} and near-UV {F336W}
the globular clusters NGC5986, NGC6273, NGC6388, and NGC6441. During the
HST survey, it was found that these objects have a horizontal branch with
an anomalously extended blue tailand puzzling gaps along it. There were no
reported problems.

1.4 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.

1.5 Completed Six 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.

1.6 Completed Six Sets of STIS/CCD 8851 (Sparse Field CTE test {Cycle 9})

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to perform
CTE measurements that are made using the “sparse field test”, along both
the serial and parallel axes. The proposal completed with no reported
anomalies.

1.7 Completed Nine 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.

1.8 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.

1.9 Completed STIS/MA1 8721 (An UV Imaging Survey of IR-Bright Star-
Forming Galaxies)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA1) was used to carry
out a UV {~1, 600 Angstrom} snapshot imaging survey of all the actively
star-forming galaxies detected by ISO at Lambda>170 Mum and closer than
cz=9000 km/s. The sample covers a large region in the parameter’s space of
morphology, luminosity, metallicity, and star formation intensity. There
were no reported anomalies.

1.10 Completed Three Sets of WF/PC-2 9244 (POMS Test Proposal: WFII
Parallel Archive Proposal Continuation)

The WF/PC-2 was used to perform a generic target version of the
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 observations completed with no anomalous
activity.

1.11 Completed Two 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.

1.12 Completed WF/PC-2 8677 (Extragalactic Novae: the Maximum
Magnitude – Rate of Decline Relation in NGC 4472)

The WF/PC-2 was used to accomplish two goals: {1} to provide the
first homogeneous observational constraints on theoretical models for novae
outbursts; and {2} to assess the reliability of novae as standard candles
by using WFPC2 to collect well sampled light curves for 20-50 novae in the
supergiant elliptical galaxy NGC 4472, the brightest galaxy within 30
Mpc. Both the length of the observing window and the temporal sampling of
the observations are specifically designed to ensure that the novae peak
magnitudes and decline rates are measured accurately. These data will be
used to construct the first `Maximum Magnitude versus Rate of Decline’
{MMRD} relation for a galaxy beyond the Local Group. This relation is not
only a potentially powerful standard candle, but its shape and dispersion
are directly linked to physical parameters which govern the physics of
novae outbursts such as the white dwarf mass, temperature and mass
accretion rate. The proposal completed with no reported problems.

1.13 Completed WF/PC-2 8773 (Expansion Parallax Distances to Planetary
Nebulae)

The WF/PC-2 was used to observe planetary nebulae {PNe} for which
the lack of reliable distances is especially troubling. Acquired by
generalized statistical methods in all but a handful of cases, individual
PNe distances are often uncertain by factors of two or more. The
observations completed nominally.

1.14 Completed WF/PC-2 8598 (Snapshot Survey of Extended OIIl Lambda
5007Angstrom Emission in Seyfert Galaxies)

The WF/PC-2 was used for a snapshot survey of narrow band OIII
Lambda 5007Angstrom images for a well defined sample of 88 Seyfert galaxies
{29 Seyfert 1s and 59 Seyfert 2s}, 18 of which already have data in the
archive, selected from a mostly isotropic property, the 60Mum flux. These
data will be used: 1} to determine the origin of the misalignment between
the accretion disk axis and the host galaxy plane axis, which can be due to
mergers with other galaxies, or by the self induced radiation warping; 2}
to compare the size and shape of the Narrow Line Regions (NLR) of Seyfert
1s and Seyfert 2s, and to study the frequency of conically shaped NLR in
Seyfert galaxies, which are usually unresolved from ground-based
observations; and 3} estimate the importance of shocks to the ionization of
the NLR. The observations completed with no reported problems.

1.15 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1 8241 (A Snapshot Survey of Interstellar
Absorption Lines)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was used to
make high resolution Echelle spectrographic observations of the standard
ultraviolet star HD143807 as part of a snapshot survey of interstellar
absorption lines. A wavelength calibration image was also taken. The
observations were executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted.

1.16 Completed FGS/2 8830 (Long Term Monitoring of FGS-2R in Position Mode)

FGS-2R was used to monitor the instrument’s plate scale and
distortions to assure its continued reliably as a guiding FGS. The
observations completed with no reported anomalies.

2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:

Scheduled Acquisitions: 8

Successful: 8

Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 6

Successful: 6

2.2 FHST Updates:

Scheduled: 20

Successful: 20

2.3 Operations Notes:

Using ROP SR-1A, the SSR EDAC error counter was cleared three times.

The ephemeris table was uplinked at 100/0020Z per ROP DF-08A.