Status Report

Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #2987 – 30 Oct 2001

By SpaceRef Editor

October 30, 2001

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

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

DAILY REPORT #2987

PERIOD COVERED: 0000Z (UTC) 10/29/01 – 0000Z (UTC) 10/30/01

Daily Status Report as of 303/0000Z

1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:

1.1 Completed STIS/MA1 8920 (Cycle 10 MAMA Dark Measurements)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA1) was used to perform
the routine monitoring of the MAMA detector dark noise, and is the primary
means of checking on health of the MAMA detectors systems through frequent
monitoring of the background count rate. The proposal completed with no
reported anomalous activity.

1.2 Completed STIS/CCD 9055 (Direct Detection of an Extrasolar Planet
in Reflected Light)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to observe
HD 209458B that is the first extrasolar planet known to transit the disk of
its parent star. It is proposed to detect directly the gas giant planet
orbiting HD 209458 in reflected light by observing the secondary eclipse,
i.e. when the planet is occulted by the star. There were no reported
anomalies.

1.3 Completed Five 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.

1.4 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

1.5 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.

1.6 Completed STIS/CCD 9088 (Next Generation Spectral Library of Stars)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to produce
a “Next Generation” Spectral Library of 600 stars for use in modeling the
integrated light of galaxies and clusters by using the low dispersion UV
and optical gratings of STIS. The library will be roughly equally divided
among four metallicities, very low {Fe/H < -1.5}, low {-1.5 < Fe/H < -0.5}, near-solar {-0.5 < Fe/H < 0.1}, and super-solar {Fe/H > 0.1}, well-sampling
the entire HR-diagram in each bin. Such a library will surpass all extant
compilations and have lasting archival value, well into the Next Generation
Space Telescope era. No problems occurred.

1.7 Completed STIS/CCD 8901 (Dark Monitor-Part 1)

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

1.8 Completed WF/PC-2 9045 (The Relationship Between Radio Luminosity
and Radio-Loud AGN Host Galaxy Properties)

The WF/PC-2 was used to determine the relationship between the
properties of the host galaxies of radio-loud AGN and their radio
luminosities. Previous studies in this area with the HST have concentrated
on the 3C sample which shows a tight correlation between luminosity and
redshift, such that evolutionary effects cannot be distinguished from those
depending upon radio luminosity. Our sample of 46 radio galaxies at z ~
0.5 comes from four complete, low-frequency-selected samples of radio
sources with differing flux limits. Thus the total sample spans an
unprecedented three orders of magnitude in radio luminosity at a fixed
redshift interval. The proposal completed with no reported problems.

1.9 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.

1.10 Completed Two Sets of 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 Two Sets of STIS/CCD 8611 (Observations of Nearby Type
Ia Supernovae)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to obtain
UV spectra of five nearby {0.02 < z < 0.08} SNe Ia in the Hubble Flow. The spectra will be taken at weekly intervals over a range in time starting slightly before maximum light and extending to +30 days. These observations will accomplish the following three goals: {1} calibration of the rest frame UV light curves of SNe Ia and an assessment of their potential use as distance indicators through UV light curve shape analyses. {2} improvement in our understanding of the physics of SNe Ia, metallicity/evolutionary effects and correlations between peak brightness and UV spectral features. {3} calibration of the SNe Ia previously observed by HST at high-redshift. This data is crucial for proper cross-filter k-corrections and calibration of the supernova photometry. The observations completed with no reported anomalous activity.

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

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

1.13 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.

1.14 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1 8596 (Environmental Pollution: The Outflow
in the Archetypal Galaxy-Quasar Pair NGC3067/3C232)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was used to
observe galactic-scale outflows that are now known to be a common
occurrence in star-forming galaxies, in the nearby universe and at high
redshift. These superwinds have fundamental astrophysical implications for
regulating star formation, determining the evolution of the host galaxies,
disseminating the products of stellar nucleosynthesis over large volumes,
and are probably responsible for many of the metal absorption lines seen in
QSO spectra. The observations completed with no reported problems.

1.15 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1 9067 (UV Detectability of Bright Quasars in
the Sloan Fields)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was used to
take MAMA spectra of approximately 30 new, bright, high-redshift quasars in
each of the next three cycles. The observations completed with no reported
problems.

1.16 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1 8287 (A Search For Transparent Lines of
Sight With Intergalactic He-II Absorption Towards 26 Bright z > 2.9 Quasars)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was used to
make He-II absorption line observations of quasar CSO0118. The aim is to
identify more suitable bright objects for detailed studies of intergalactic
He-II absorption at a redshift of Z <2.9 and >3.2 . A wavelength
calibration observation was also taken. The observations were executed as
scheduled, and no anomalies were noted.

2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:

Scheduled Acquisitions: 10

Successful: 10

Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 5

Successful: 5

2.2 FHST Updates:

Scheduled: 18

Successful: 18

2.3 Operations Notes:

The engineering status buffer limits were adjusted twice per ROP
DF-18A.

Using ROP SR-1A, the SSR EDAC error counter was cleared at
302/1136Z.