Status Report

Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #2911 11 Jul 2001

By SpaceRef Editor
July 11, 2001
Filed under , ,

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

DAILY REPORT #2911

PERIOD COVERED: 0000Z (UTC) 07/10/01 – 0000Z (UTC) 07/11/01

Daily Status Report as of 192/0000Z

1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:

1.1 Completed Three Sets of 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.

1.2 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 8828 (Cycle 9 Supplemental Darks pt3/3)

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 with no reported problems.

1.3 Completed Four Sets of WF/PC-2 8602 (A Snapshot Survey of the Sites
of Recent, Nearby Supernovae)

The WF/PC-2 was used to conduct a snapshot survey in V and I of the
sites of the nearby SNe, which have precisely known positions, to obtain
high-resolution information on their local environment. The proposal
completed with no reported problems.

1.4 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.

1.5 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.

1.6 Completed Three Sets of WF/PC-2 8601 (A Snapshot Survey of Probable
Nearby Galaxies)

The WF/PC-2 was used to continue the very successful snapshot
survey in order to use the high spatial resolution of HST to determine
whether selected galaxies are nearby on the basis of resolution into stars,
and the magnitudes and colors of the brightest stars. There were no
reported problems.

1.7 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.

1.8 Completed Four Sets of WF/PC-2 8701 (Multiplicity among Very-Low
Mass Stars and Brown Dwarfs in Alpha Persei and the Pleiades)

The WF/PC-2 was used to observe open clusters which provide
excellent hunting grounds for brown dwarf {BD} searches. The AlphaPer and
Pleiades clusters are young, nearby and have low extinction. They are
considered to be the best-suited places to study the Substellar Mass. A
dozen of cool faint AlphaPer and Pleiades members have been confirmed as
“bona-fide” BDs with the lithium test. By comparison with those, about
60 very good cluster BD candidates are currently known. The Pleiades SMF
obtained using the most recent deep large CCD surveys indicates that BDs
are quite numerous but do not make a significant contribution to the total
cluster mass. The observations completed with no reported problems.

2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:

Scheduled Acquisitions: 13

Successful: 13

Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 4

Successful: 4

2.2 FHST Updates:

Scheduled: 21

Successful: 21

2.3 Operations Notes:

At 191/132013Z, the Science Mission Specification (SMS) began
commanding the STIS instrument from safe to hold, then to boot, to TEC
turn-on with a lower current setting, and finally to operate at
approximately 191/1330Z. All transitions appeared to be nominal. The
staged CCD (TEC) cool down began at 191/1650Z. The CCD det housing
temperature appears to be stabilizing at approximately 13.5 degC. The MAMA
low voltage was successfully enabled at 191/1855Z. A slight concern
occurred when the STIS total current draw observed reached 9.44 amps, only
0.23 amps below its safing limit. This happened when the spacecraft bus
voltage was at its lowest point in the orbit. At this time the STIS
internal voltage monitor was reading 26.1, meaning that STIS was drawing
246 amps. Since activation of the MAMA low voltage, the heater power has
begun to rapidly decrease, alleviating concerns of an over current condition.

A TTR was written for a period of no UPD/GCMR capability from
191/0121Z until 191/1325Z due to a While Sands Ground Terminal problem.

Using ROP SR-1A, the SSR EDAC error counter was cleared at 191/2013Z.

3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:

At 191/2350Z, the STIS CCD pre-anneal images will begin. Then, at
192/0200Z, the CCD anneal will start and continue for 12 hours. At
192/1401Z, the TEC will be turned back on at the higher current
setting. CCD observations will start at 192/1721Z. At 193/0017Z, the MAMA
high voltage turn on will commence.

Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.

SpaceRef staff editor.