Status Report

Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #2988 – 31 Oct 2001

By SpaceRef Editor

October 31, 2001

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

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

DAILY REPORT #2988

PERIOD COVERED: 0000Z (UTC) 10/30/01 – 0000Z (UTC) 10/31/01

Daily Status Report as of 304/0000Z

1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:

1.1 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.

1.2 Completed STIS/CCD 9110 (A Search for Kuiper Belt Object Satellites)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to
investigate whether the large number of collisions thought to have taken
place in the primordial Kuiper belt suggest that many Kuiper belt objects
{KBOs} could have suffered binary-forming collisions similar to that which
formed the Pluto — Charon binary. Detection of such KBO satellites would
allow measurement of KBO masses, would help to understand the past
collisional environment of the Kuiper belt, and would give a context to the
otherwise unique-seeming formation of the Pluto — Charon binary. The
proposal completed with no reported problems.

1.3 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.

1.4 Completed FGS/1 9089 (Parallaxes of Cataclysmic Variables:
Understanding Their Peculiar Secondary Stars)

Fine Guidance Sensor #1 was used to measure precise parallaxes for
three additional CVs {WZ Sge, RU Peg, and YZ Cnc}, whose orbital periods
span a much larger range than explored in previous observations, allowing
examination of how the accretion luminosity and secondary star change with
orbital period. There were no problems.

1.5 Completed Four Sets of STIS/CCD 9284 (POMS Test Proposal: STIS
Non-Scripted Parallel Proposal Continuation IV)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used in the
parallel mode to make some low galactic latitude archive observations. The
observations were executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted.

1.6 Completed Three 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.

1.7 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.

1.8 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 8905 (Read Noise Monitor)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to measure
the read noise of all the amplifiers {A, B, C, D} on the STIS CCD using
pairs of bias frames. Full frame and binned observations are made in both
Gain 1 and Gain 4, with binning factors of 1×1, 1×2, 2×1 and 2×2. All
exposures are internals. The proposal completed with no reported anomalies.

1.10 Completed Three Sets of STIS/CCD 8907 (Spectroscopic Flats C10)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to obtain
CCD flats in the spectrographic mode. There were no reported problems.

1.11 Completed WF/PC-2/STIS/CCD 9267 (Supernova Search)

The WF/PC-2 and the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) were
used to search for high-redshift supernovae in GO-observed fields, taking
advantage of good first-epoch observations and of the scheduling
opportunities available because STIS is not currently observing. No
anomalous activity was reported.

1.12 Completed STIS/CCD/MA2 9048 (Boron Constraints on Slow Mixing in
Low Mass Stars)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA2) was used to
observe the atomic and nuclear characteristics of the light elements Li, Be
and B, that make their photospheric abundances ideal tracers of internal
physical processes in stars. Both Li and Be have been heavily utilized to
this end since their diminished abundances are a direct result of the
extent of internal slow mixing between surface and interior layers, as has
been shown with ground-based data. Boron provides a fresh and special
probe because it survives to greater depths inside stars than does Li or
Be, and can thus uniquely reveal the depth of mixing. It is proposed to
observe B in stars with very large depletions of Li and Be, i.e. stars
which have been the most seriously affected by mixing. No problems
occurred.

1.13 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1 9064 (HI Detection of an Extra-Solar
Planetary Atmosphere)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was used to
observe the extra-solar planet discovered around HD 209458 that is the
unique one also detected through occultation. During its transit, we will
obtain spectra of the HI and DI Lyman-Alpha line at 1215 Angstrom. No
problems occurred.

1.14 Completed 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.

1.15 Completed WF/PC-2 9249 (POMS Test Proposal: WFII Backup Parallel
Archive Proposal II)

The WF/PC-2 was used to execute a POMS test proposal designed to
simulate scientific plans. The proposal completed with no reported
problems.

1.16 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.

1.17 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.

2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:

Scheduled Acquisitions: 9

Successful: 9

Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 6

Successful: 6

2.2 FHST Updates:

Scheduled: 19

Successful: 19

2.3 Operations Notes:

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

The engineering status buffer limits were adjusted at 304/0956Z per
ROP DF-18A.