Status Report

Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #2960 – 20 Sep 2001

By SpaceRef Editor
September 20, 2001
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HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

DAILY REPORT #2960

PERIOD COVERED: 0000Z (UTC) 09/19/01 – 0000Z (UTC) 09/20/01

Daily Status Report as of 263/0000Z

1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:

1.1 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2/STIS/CCD 9174 (Using Optically Faint
Radio Sources to Pinpoint Dusty Proto-Galaxies)

The WF/PC-2 and the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) were
used to observe a number of high redshift, dusty starburst galaxies that
remain invisible in ground based in the Hubble Deep Field. These galaxies
appear as faint radio sources with bright submillimeter counterparts,
demonstrating they are very dusty systems. The luminosities of these
galaxies suggest they are in the process of converting the bulk of their
gas mass into stars, and will likely evolve into present day massive
ellipticals. The observations completed normally, with no reported problems.

1.2 Completed Three 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.

1.3 Completed Three 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.

1.4 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.

1.5 Completed WF/PC-2 9042 (An Archive To Detect The Progenitors Of
Massive, Core-Collapse Supernovae)

The WF/PC-2 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.

1.6 Completed STIS/CCD/MA2 8770 (The Nucleosynthesis of Boron –
Benchmarks for the Galactic Disk)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA2) was used to
determine boron (B) abundance. In spite of several HST cycles of B
abundance determinations, we do not know the true, ambient, present-day
abundance of B. Only two stars {with undepleted Li and Be} have been
observed to derive the Population I true B abundance. Past cycles have
focused on {1} halo stars with low metallicity and {2} solar-type stars
with Li and/or Be deficiencies. In this proposal, the stellar abundances
of B will be determined, measured from the B I 2497 Angstrom line from STIS
echelle spectra, of main sequence F-G stars that have retained their full
initial abundances of boron. Our target stars are those for which
ground-based observations show that beryllium is undepleted. These new
abundances will map evolution of the B abundance in the Galactic disk in
the metallicity range from one-third solar up to solar. Then the B, and
previously determined Li and Be abundances, will be used to improve
understanding of the nucleosynthesis of B. There were no reported anomalies.

1.7 Completed Two 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 loss-of-lock mentioned in 2.1 and described
in HSTAR 8348 occurred during the final iteration of this proposal,
probably affecting some of the observations. Otherwise, the observations
completed with further no anomalous activity.

1.8 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.

1.9 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. The loss-of-lock mentioned in 2.1
and described in HSTAR 8348 occurred during this proposal, probably
affecting some of the observations. There was no other reported anomalous
activity.

1.10 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.

1.11 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.

2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:

Scheduled Acquisitions: 5

Successful: 5

Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 11

Successful: 11

There was a loss-of-lock at 262/184756Z following a successful
re-acquisition at 262/181009Z. HSTAR 8348 was written. The proposals
detailed in 1.7 and 1.9 were affected.

2.2 FHST Updates:

Scheduled: 11

Successful: 11

2.3 Operations Notes:

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

Per HSTAR 8347, at 242/122441Z, for one telemetry sample, the
coarse sun sensor #3 temperature (GCSS3T) flagged out-of-limits low with a
value of -45.0897.

3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:

Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.

SpaceRef staff editor.