Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #2920 24 Jul 2001

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

DAILY REPORT #2920

PERIOD COVERED: 0000Z (UTC) 07/23/01 – 0000Z (UTC) 07/24/01

Daily Status Report as of 205/0000Z

1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:

1.1 Completed Five 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.

1.2 Completed Three 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 Ten Sets of STIS/CCD 8808 (POMS Test Proposal: STIS
Non-Scripted Parallel Proposal Continuation III)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to make
non-scripted, parallel observations as part of a POMS test proposal. The
observations completed with no anomalous activity.

1.5 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 9252 (Cycle 10 Clocks On Check)

The WF/PC-2 was used to perform closure calibration for clocks ‘on’
mode, which obtains dark frames in order to provide data to create a clocks
‘on’ super dark calibration reference file, to monitor and characterize the
evolution of hot pixels, and to obtain standard star observations for
photometric calibration. The proposal completed with no reported anomalous
activity.

1.6 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.

1.7 Completed WF/PC-2 9046 (Black Holes and Bars: A Recipe for Making
Bulges?)

The WF/PC-2 was used to obtain multi-color images and (eventually)
STIS emission line spectroscopy of the nuclear regions of 6 edge-on barred
spiral galaxies spanning a range of bulge morphologies and bar
strengths. The goal is to quantify the amount of vertical heating in the
nuclei, and to test whether or not bars are indeed destroyed and create a
bulge if enough mass is accumulated in their centers. There were no
reported problems.

1.8 Completed STIS/CCD 9066 (Closing in on the Hydrogen Reionization
Edge of the Universe)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used in parallel
constrain the Hydrogen reionization edge in emission that marks the
transition from a neutral to a fully ionized IGM at a predicted
redshifts. The proposal completed uneventfully.

1.9 Completed WF/PC-2 8939 (Cycle 10 Internal Monitor)

The WF/PC-2 was used to calibrate the internal monitor, to be run
weekly to monitor the health of the cameras. No problems were encountered.

1.10 Completed FGS/1 9169 (An Interferometric Harvest of Double
Degenerates)

Fine Guidance Sensor #1 was used to observe the white dwarf mass
and age distributions that hold clues to the star formation history of our
Galaxy and the age of the disk. No problems were reported.

1.11 Completed Four 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.

1.12 Completed FGS/1 9234 (Calibrating the Mass-Luminosity Relation at
the End of the Main Sequence)

Fine Guidance Sensor #1 was used to calibrate the mass-luminosity
relation for stars less massive than 0.2 Msun, with special emphasis on
objects near the stellar/brown dwarf border. The proposal completed with
no reported errors.

1.13 Completed Six Sets of WF/PC-2 8935 (Cycle 10 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.

1.14 Completed WF/PC-2 9072 (Dynamical Masses of White Dwarfs from
Resolved Sirius-Like Binaries)

The WF/PC-2 was used to observe resolved “Sirius-like” systems
containing hot white-dwarf companions of cooler main-sequence stars. It is
proposed to image them annually in the UV. No anomalous activity was reported.

1.15 Completed WF/PC-2 8581 (A Search For Low-Mass Companions To
Ultracool Dwarfs)

The WF/PC-2 was used to search for very low-mass {VLM} companions
to a complete sample of 120 late-M and L dwarfs, drawn mainly from the
2MASS and SDSS surveys. The primary goal is to determine the multiplicity
of M < 0.1 M_odot dwarfs. In particular, we aim to identify binary systems suitable for long-term astrometric monitoring and mass measurement, and systems with cool, sub-1000K companions. The proposal completed with no reported problems.

1.16 Completed WF/PC-2 9236 (Development And Evolution Of YSO Outflows
And Jets)

The WF/PC-2 was used to observe XZ Tauri, HL Tauri, and HH 30,
three young stars which can be observed simultaneously in a single
pointing. Broad-band HST imaging has revealed that the XZ Tauri binary is
the source of an elongated bubble of emission nebulosity nearly 5″
long. In new images of these objects obtained in March 1998, it was
discovered that the XZ Tau bubble had expanded significantly and had become
markedly limb-brightened since 1995. This behavior suggests that we are
witnessing, for the first time, the earliest stages of development of a
Herbig-Haro bowshock, perhaps the initial formation of its post-shock
cooling zone. It is proposed to test this hypothesis with emission line
imaging and temporal monitoring of the bubble’s size and
brightness. Simultaneously with the XZ Tau study, we will observe the jets
and reflection nebulosities of HH 30 and HL Tauri. Monitoring of HH 30 is
particularly important, as our 1998 imaging also revealed that a very large
reflected light asymmetry has developed in this prototype young stellar
object accretion disk system. There was no anomalous activity.

1.17 Completed WF/PC-2 9160 (Disks and Envelopes of Nearby Nebulous
Young Stellar Objects: A Snapshot Survey)

The WF/PC-2 was used to perform a snapshot survey of nearby
nebulous young stellar objects to study the detailed morphology of the
their disks and envelopes and probe the effect of inclination on the
infrared spectral energy distribution of disk/envelope systems. The
proposal completed as planned.

1.18 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.

1.19 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1 8956 (Pre-SM Calibration)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was used in
an exercise to prepare for the SMOV-3B program. Prior to SMOV3B, one
iteration of proposal 8960 {Jitter Test} for WD 2126+734 will be
performed. Also one iteration of 8961 {End of BEA Test} for each new flux
standard {WD 2126+734, WD 0320-539, WD 0710+741, and WD 0214+568} needed to
completely cover all possible Bright Earth Avoidance {BEA} dates will be
exercised. Finally, one extra standard is added {WD 1407-475} to fill the
gap around June when WD 0214+568 is too close to the Sun. This iteration
of the proposal completed with no reported problems.

1.20 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.

2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:

Scheduled Acquisitions: 12

Successful: 12

Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 6

Successful: 6

2.2 FHST Updates:

Scheduled: 28

Successful: 26

As documented in HSTAR 8280, the full maneuver updates at
204/162439Z and at 204/162724Z failed due to tracker 3. However, the
subsequent acquisition was successful.

2.3 Operations Notes:

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

The 486 engineering status buffer limits were adjusted at 205/0415Z
per ROP DF-18A.

3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:

Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.