Status Report

Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #3000 – 19 Nov 2001

By SpaceRef Editor

November 19, 2001

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

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

DAILY REPORT #3000

PERIOD COVERED: 0000Z (UTC) 11/16/01 – 0000Z (UTC) 11/19/01

Daily Status Report as of 323/0000Z

1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:

1.1 Completed Nine 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. As described in the previous report
and HSTAR 8400, the acquisition for the first iteration of this proposal
defaulted to fine lock backup on one FGS only, possibly affecting the
observation in this iteration. Otherwise, the observations completed
nominally.

1.2 Completed Fourteen 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. As described in the previous report and HSTAR 8400, the
acquisition for the first iteration of this proposal defaulted to fine lock
backup on one FGS only, possibly affecting the observation in this
iteration. Otherwise, the observations were completed as planned, and no
further anomalies were reported.

1.3 Completed Nine 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. As described in the previous
report and HSTAR 8400, the acquisition for the first iteration of this
proposal defaulted to fine lock backup on one FGS only, possibly affecting
the observation in this iteration. Otherwise, the proposal completed with
no other reported problems.

1.4 Completed Five 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 STIS/CCD 9066 (Closing in on the Hydrogen Re-ionization
Edge of the Universe)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used in parallel
constrain the Hydrogen re-ionization edge in emission that marks the
transition from a neutral to a fully ionized IGM at a predicted
redshifts. The proposal completed uneventfully.

1.6 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.

1.7 Completed Six Sets of STIS/CCD 8910 (Sparse Field CTE Test-Internal
{Cycle 10})

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to perform
CTE measurements that are made using the “sparse field test”, along both
the serial and parallel axes. This program needs special commanding to
provide {a} off-center MSM positionings of some slits, and {b} the ability
to read out with any amplifier {A, B, C, or D}. No problems were encountered.

1.8 Completed FGS/1 9233 (Astrometry of the Extrasolar Planet of GL876)

Fine Guidance Sensor #1 was used to continue the astrometric
observations of GL876 with in order to confirm the radial velocity
detection of an extra-solar planet around the M4 dwarf star. The objective
is to determine the actual mass of the planet without the unknown 1/sini
factor of the radial velocity methods. This will be the first extra-solar
planet whose mass is actually determined from first principles. The
proposal completed with no reported anomalies.

1.9 Completed Fourteen 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.

1.10 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 8942 (Cycle 10 Intflat Sweeps and
Linearity Test)

The WF/PC-2 was used to monitor the pixel-to-pixel flatfield
response and provide a linearity check. These intflat sequences are done
once during the year and the images will provide a backup database in the
event of complete failure of the visflat lamp as well as allow monitoring
of the gain ratios. There were no reported problems.

1.11 Completed STIS/CCD/MA2 9156 (Spectrum And Pulse Profile Of PSR
0656+14 In The Near-UV)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA2) was used to
perform prism observations of the middle-aged pulsar PSR B0656+14. This
would allow the proposers to make for the first time phase- resolved
spectroscopy of a middle-aged pulsar as a function of wavelength in the UV,
and to study how the pulse profile of such a pulsar at these wavelengths
differs from the only similar data available so far, namely those of the
much younger Crab pulsar. This is important for the understanding of how
the spectral evolution evolves with pulsar age. There were no reported
problems.

1.12 Completed Twenty 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.

1.13 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.

1.14 Completed WF/PC-2 9173 (The Pattern of Heavy Element Abundances in
a Damped LyAlpha Galaxy)

The WF/PC-2 was used to observe the quasar PKS 1127-143. X-ray
absorption associated with an intervening 21-cm and damped LyAlpha$
absorber at z=0.312 in its spectrum has been detected with Chandra. The
advantage of the X- ray measurement is that the derived metallicity is
insensitive to ionization, inclusion of an atom in a molecule, or depletion
onto grains. The X-ray absorption is mostly due to oxygen, and the
abundance agrees with the oxygen abundance of 16-40 lines in a galaxy at
the redshift of the absorber. The STIS spectrum will allow measurement
of Zn II, an undepleted iron peak element. Comparison of the oxygen group
measured in the X-rays with the iron peak nuclei measured will reveal
whether the absorber has a Pop II, halo-type abundance pattern or a Pop I,
disk-like abundance pattern. The proposal completed with no reported
anomalous activity.

1.15 Completed WF/PC-2 8048 (Secular Changes in the Jet of M87)

The WF/PC-2 was used to continue the investigation of the M87 jet
bystudying proper motions and structural changes of the jet. The proposal
will track secular changes and motions in the jet and nucleus. The
observations completed and no anomalies were reported.

1.16 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.

1.17 Completed WF/PC-2 9060 (Photometry of a Statistically Significant
Sample of Kuiper Belt Objects)

The WF/PC-2 was used to propel the physical study of KBOs forward
by performing accurate photometry at V, R, and I on a sample of up to 150
KBOs. The sample is made up of objects that will be observed at thermal
infrared wavelengths by SIRTF and will be used with those data to derive
the first accurate diameters and albedos for a large sample of KBOs. The
observations completed nominally.

1.18 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.

1.19 Completed STIS/CCD 9164 (Helical Flows and Rotation in
Protostellar Jets)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to study
the velocity structure of protostellar jets transverse to the jet flow
axis. HST resolution would allow the search for rotation, e.g. a helical
flow pattern, around the axis of an optical jet. Such a detection would
provide strong evidence that jets act as outflowing channels for angular
momentum, thus allowing infalling material to fully accrete onto the
protostar. There were no problems.

1.20 Completed Three Sets of WF/PC-2 9309 (Supernova Search)

The WF/PC-2 was used to search for high-redshift supernovae in
GO-observed fields, taking advantage of good first-epoch observations. All
observations completed nominally.

1.21 Completed STIS/CCD 8906 (Hot Pixel Annealing)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to measure
the effectiveness of the CCD hot pixel annealing process by measuring the
dark current behavior before and after annealing and by searching for any
window contamination effects. In addition, CTE performance is examined by
looking for traps in a low signal level flat. There were no reported problems.

2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:

Scheduled Acquisitions: 21

Successful: 21

Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 21

Successful: 21

2.2 FHST Updates:

Scheduled: 48

Successful: 48

2.3 Operations Notes:

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

Two 486 memory dumps were commanded at 320/2148Z and at 321/0123Z
per ROP DF-01A.