Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #2932 9 Aug 2001
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
DAILY REPORT #2932
PERIOD COVERED: 0000Z (UTC) 08/08/01 – 0000Z (UTC) 08/09/01
Daily Status Report as of 221/0000Z
1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:
1.1 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.
1.2 Completed Three 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 STIS/CCD 9106 (The Biggest Black Holes)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to perform
searches for supermassive black holes in galaxy centers that have led to
the discoveries that {1} most or all hot galaxies contain massive dark
objects at their centers, presumably black holes; and {2} there is a tight
correlation between the black-hole mass and the luminosity-weighted
velocity dispersion of the hot component of the galaxy. This remarkable
relationship suggests a strong link between black-hole formation, AGN
activity, and galaxy formation, and once it is understood this link should
advance our understanding of all three processes. There were no reported
problems.
1.4 Completed 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.
1.5 Completed STIS/CCD 9231 (VV Cephei: The Egress from Chromospheric
Eclipse)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to obtain
observations of the long- period {20.3 yrs} eclipsing binary VV Cephei {M2
Iab + B0} as it continues to emerge from chromospheric eclipse. There were
no reported problems.
1.6 Completed STIS/CCD 8845 (Spectroscopic Flats C9)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to obtain
CCD flats in the spectroscopic mode. The observations completed with no
reported problems.
1.7 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1/MA2 9287 (Ultraviolet Observations of the
Death Star in Outburst)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD, MA1 and MA2) was
used to observe WZ Sge, a “death star”. A few days ago, amateur
astronomers have established that this cataclysmic variable star has gone
into outburst, 23 years after the last outburst event and about 10 years
earlier than expected. The system rose from V=15 to V=8 in the course of a
day and is expected to remain in outburst for about 1-2 months. WZ Sge is
arguably the most extreme and interesting cataclysmic variable {CV} in the
sky. Whereas other dwarf-nova-type CVs undergo 3-5 magnitude eruptions
every few weeks or months, WZ Sge’s outbursts have an amplitude of 7-8
magnitudes and recur on a time-scale of roughly 33 years. In addition, WZ
Sge’s 82 minute orbital period is one of the shortest of any CV, its mass
ratio of M2/M1 is one of the lowest and its time-averaged absolute
magnitude one of the faintest. All of these facts imply that WZ Sge is a
“death star” i.e. a highly evolved cataclysmic binary in which gigayears of
mass transfer have converted an initially main sequence secondary star to a
0.02 solar mass brown dwarf. The observation completed with no reported
problems.
1.8 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.
1.9 Completed WF/PC-2 9042 (An Archive To Detect The Progenitors Of
Massive, Core-Collapse Supernovae)
The WF/PC-s was used to search for supernovae which have massive
star progenitors. The already extensive HST archive and high-resolution
ground-based images of galaxies within ~20 Mpc enables us to resolve and
quantify their individual bright stellar content. As massive, evolved
stars are the most luminous single objects in a galaxy, the progenitors of
core-collapse supernovae should be directly detectable on pre-explosion
images. One Type II progenitor has been observed this year, and the
investigators have proposed a short, companion WFPC2 proposal to confirm
this candidate and identify a second. The observations completed nominally.
1.10 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.
1.11 Completed 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.
2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:
2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:
Scheduled Acquisitions: 7
Successful: 7
Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 5
Successful: 5
2.2 FHST Updates:
Scheduled: 16
Successful: 16
2.3 Operations Notes:
The SSR EDAC error counter was cleared five times, using ROP SR-1A.
The 486 engineering status buffer limits were adjusted twice per
ROP DF-18A.
The STIS MCE-1 reset at 220/130545Z while the low voltage was on
and while outside any SAA interval. The STIS flight software error counter
was cleared at 220/1325Z as directed by ROP NS-12. MAMA-1 was recovered,
via normal SMS commanding, at 220/1441Z.
A TTR was written when there was a required re-transmit at
221/083336Z during a 486 uplink.
3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:
GSFC SM3B Internal Simulation #10 (EVA-4/ACS) will be conducted
today in the STOCC area, beginning at 8:00 a.m. and continuing to
approximately 5:00 p.m.
Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.
