Status Report

Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #2958 – 18 Sep 2001

By SpaceRef Editor

September 18, 2001

Filed under Hubble Space Telescope, Space Telescope Science Institute, US

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

DAILY REPORT #2958

PERIOD COVERED: 0000Z (UTC) 09/17/01 – 0000Z (UTC) 09/18/01

Daily Status Report as of 261/0000Z

1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:

1.1 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD 8901 (Dark Monitor-Part 1)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to monitor
the darks. There was no anomalous activity.

1.2 Completed Four Sets of WF/PC-2 8936 (Cycle 10 Supplemental Darks Pt1/3)

The WF/PC-2 was used to perform a dark calibration program that
obtains 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 9121 (Evolution of the Host Galaxies in Low-
Power AGN)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to study
the evolution of low-power AGN host galaxies to z~1.3, allowing the direct
study of how the formation and life cycles of radio-loud AGN depend on
intrinsic power. There were no reported problems.

1.4 Completed Six 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.

1.5 Completed STIS/CCD 9285 (POMS Test Proposal: STIS Non-scripted
Parallel Proposal Continuation III)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to make low
galactic latitude, non-scripted parallel observations as part of a POMS
test proposal. The observations were completed as planned, and no
anomalies were reported.

1.6 Completed Five 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.

1.7 Completed STIS/CCD 9143 (Spectrophotometry of Nearby Seyfert 2
Nuclei: Can We Eliminate the Seyfert 2 Class?)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to
investigate Seyfert 2s that are distinguished by the absence of the broad
emission lines characteristic of Seyfert 1s and more luminous QSOs. Are
Seyfert 2s fundamentally different from Seyfert 1s and their brighter
cousins? Or is the broad emission line region in Seyfert 2s simply
suppressed by obscuring material as postulated by the unification
model? If the latter model is correct, the weak broad emission lines in
the Seyfert 2s may simply be overwhelmed by starlight from the
circumnuclear region, particularly in the case of recent star
formation. It is proposed to determine if all Seyfert 2s have {weak} broad
emission line regions by obtaining long-slit STIS spectroscopy for a
well-defined sample of 20 Seyfert 2s {3 archival, 17 new}. The
observations completed with no anomalous activity.

1.8 Completed Four Sets of WF/PC-2 8815 (Cycle 9 Earth Flats)

The WF/PC-2 was used to monitor flatfield stability. This proposal
obtains sequences of Earth streak flats to construct high quality flat
fields for the WF/PC-2 filter set. These flat fields will allow mapping of
the OTA illumination pattern and will be used in conjunction with previous
internal and external flats to generate new pipeline superflats. The
proposal completed nominally.

1.9 Completed Four Sets of WF/PC-2 8941 (Cycle 10 UV Earthflats)

The WF/PC-2 was used to monitor flat field stability by obtaining
sequences of earth streak flats to improve the quality of pipeline flat
fields for the WFPC2 UV filter set. The proposal had no problems.

1.10 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.

1.11 Completed STIS/CCD 8903 (Bias Monitor – Part 1)

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. There were no problems.

1.12 Completed WF/PC-2 9057 (Host Galaxies of Obscured QSOs Identified
by 2MASS)

The WF/PC-2 was used to perform a snapshot survey of red QSOs
discovered in The Two Micron All Sky Survey {2MASS} to investigate the
detailed properties of their host galaxies. This large, possibly dominant,
population of QSOs in the local universe has been previously overlooked
because reddening by {intrinsic} obscuration along our line of sight causes
their colors to be too red for identification by traditional “UV- excess”
techniques. Their near-IR colors are similar to PG- type {UV-excess} QSOs,
but it is far from certain whether they are indeed from the same parent
population or represent a completely new class of QSO. There were no
reported problems.

1.13 Completed STIS/CCD/MA2 8915 (Echelle Sensitivity)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA2) was used to
observe the flux standard G191B2B, obtaining echelle spectra in all primary
and intermediate wavelength settings. There was no reported anomalous
activity.

1.14 Completed STIS/CCD 9128 (A Snapshot Survey of Absorption Lines
from High Velocity Clouds in the Milky Way)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to search
for Mg II and Mg I absorption from Galactic High Velocity Clouds {HVCs}
along the sightlines of 51 of the brightest QSOs, BL Lacs and Seyfert 2
galaxies in the sky. The observations completed with no reported problems.

1.15 Completed STIS/MA1 8843 (Cycle 9 MAMA Dark Measurements)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA1) was used to perform
the routine monitoring of the MAMA detector dark noise. The proposal
completed nominally.

1.16 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1/MA2 9113 (Solar UV Radiation and the Origin
of Life on Earth)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD, MA1 and MA2) was
used to observe chromospheric models that will enable the proposers to
predict the extreme-UV emission of the early Sun and its consequences for
the erosion of the early Earth’s atmosphere and the altered oxidation state
of the planet, and investigate the effect of metallicity on the UV emission
and its consequences for the photochemistry of Earth-like planets. There
was no anomalous activity.

2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:

Scheduled Acquisitions: 6

Successful: 6

Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 10

Successful: 10

2.2 FHST Updates:

Scheduled: 11

Successful: 11

2.3 Operations Notes:

The SSR EDAC error counter was cleared three times per ROP SR-1A.

Using ROP RD-7A, the ESTR was re-conditioned from 260/2215Z until
260/2304Z.