Status Report

Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #2968 – 2 Oct 2001

By SpaceRef Editor

October 2, 2001

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

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

DAILY REPORT #2968

PERIOD COVERED: 0000Z (UTC) 10/01/01 – 0000Z (UTC) 10/02/01

Daily Status Report as of 275/0000Z

1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:

1.1 Completed Two Sets of 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.

1.2 Completed Five Sets of 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.

1.3 Completed STIS/CCD 9083 (Critical Spectroscopic Variations In Eta
Carinae)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to observe
the very massive, unstable, persistently enigmatic star Eta Carinae that
has implications for several branches of astrophysics. Despite a series of
remarkable discoveries in previous HST data, the nature of the central
object remains elusive. Fortunately, recent developments offer, for the
first time, an approach that can settle a number of long-standing questions
which have been obstacles to understanding this unique object. A 5.5-year
spectroscopic and X-ray cycle is now well established. STIS provides the
most promising and very likely the only way to test whether Eta Car is a
5.5-year binary system. The proposal completed nominally.

1.4 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.

1.5 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.

1.6 Completed Four 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.

1.7 Completed STIS/CCD 9242 (Critical Spectroscopic Variations In Eta
Carinae)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to measure
the foreground interstellar absorption lines in the spectrum of Eta Carinae
while it is near spectroscopic maximum. The proposer also will be able to
measure velocity variations from the star above and below in the
nebulosity. The observations completed with no reported problems.

1.8 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1 8103 (A Global Picture of White Dwarfs in
Cataclysmic Variables)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was used to
make ultraviolet spectrographic observations of the white dwarf star that
is located in the cataclysmic variable star system known as TY-PSC. The
observations were executed as scheduled, and no problems were reported.

1.9 Completed S/C 5582 (FOC/48 Monthly Activation (Camera Section
Only): Cycle 4)

This proposal was executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted.

1.10 Completed Three Sets of 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.

1.11 Completed FOC/96 7923 (FOC F/96 Turn-on)

The Faint Object Camera (f/96) was used to take an internal flat
and a dark to ensure that the 30-day limit for the FOC is not
exceeded. The observations were executed as scheduled, and no anomalies
were noted.

1.12 Completed WF/PC-2 9087 (Black Hole X-ray Transients and X-ray
Binaries in M31)

The WF/PC-2 was used to search for M31 for x-ray transients which
had previously been seen as part of the Chandra Guaranteed Time
Observations {GTO} program. The x-ray properties of these transient
sources {spectra, variability} allow us to determine whether the accreting
object is a black hole or a neutron star. It is proposed to determine the
nature of the mass-losing star. Massive stars will show little {less than 2 mag}
change in their UV luminosities during outbursts, while low-mass stars will
show large { greater than 5 mag} changes in their UV luminosities. By determining the
nature of the primary {accreting} and secondary stars in these x-ray
transients, we will have the first dataset that will allow the evolution of
black hole and neutron star binaries to be studied in an external
galaxy. The proposal completed nominally.

1.13 Completed STIS/CCD 9136 (T Tauri Star Coronagraphic Survey: A PMS
Protoplanetary Disk Census)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to observe
pre-main sequence solar-mass stars, the T Tauri stars that Millimeter and
IR studies suggest at least 50 percent have circumstellar disks similar to
the disk from which our planetary system formed. High spatial resolution,
high dynamic range imaging of such systems will map the spatial
distribution of material around the star, constraining the disk sizes and
inclinations, and provide a first assessment of when structure in the disk,
such as cleared central zones and annuli, which has been linked to planet
formation, develops. All observations completed without incident.

1.14 Completed WF/PC-2 9125 (Are there Large Dust Grains in Orion’s
Proto-Planetary Disks?)

The WF/PC-2 was used to acquire dithered PC images of six of the
largest circumstellar disks in the Orion nebula to study the unique
properties of dust within these systems. No anomalous activity occurred.

1.15 Completed WF/PC-2 9232 (Confirmation of Black Hole, Planetary, and
Binary Microlensing Events)

The WF/PC-2 was used to collect images of five MACHO Project
microlensing events in order to confirm our microlensing models which
indicate that these events were caused by black holes and stars with
extra-solar planets. No problems were reported.

2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:

Scheduled Acquisitions: 8

Successful: 8

Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 5

Successful: 5

2.2 FHST Updates:

Scheduled: 21

Successful: 21

2.3 Operations Notes:

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

The engineering status buffer was dumped and cleared at 274/1248Z
per ROP DF-18A.