Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #3004 – 26 Nov 2001
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
DAILY REPORT #3004
PERIOD COVERED: 0000Z (UTC) 11/23/01 – 0000Z (UTC) 11/26/01
Daily Status Report as of 330/0000Z
1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:
1.1 Completed Seven 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 9148 (Light Echos and the Nature of Type Ia
Supernovae)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to take
STIS snapshot images of a subset of 43 well observed Type Ia supernovae
{SNIa}, most of which have been discovered in late type galaxies over the
last 40 years to make a systematic search for light echos around SN
Ia. STIS will also observe a sample of 10 SN II and SN Ib/c, which are
believed to be the result of massive star core collapse and, therefore, to
be thin-disk population objects, in order to make an empirical calibration
of the accuracy of our method for determining scale heights. The SN Ia
sample will provide a direct as well as accurate estimate of the scale
height of SN Ia which is an important clue to the progenitors of these
events. The proposal completed nominally.
1.3 Completed STIS/MA2 8920 (Cycle 10 MAMA Dark Measurements)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA2) 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.
1.4 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 Ten 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.
1.6 Completed Nine 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 Two Sets of STIS/CCD 9128 (A Snapshot Survey of
Absorption Lines from High Velocity Clouds in the Milky Way)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to search
for Mg II and Mg I absorption from Galactic High Velocity Clouds {HVCs}
along the sightlines of 51 of the brightest QSOs, BL Lacs and Seyfert 2
galaxies in the sky. The observations completed with no reported problems.
1.8 Completed Three Sets of STIS/CCD/MA2 8471 (D/H In Quasar Absorption
Line Systems)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA2) was used to
record the high Lyman series lines of two damped Lymand-alpha systems in
the coverage of the near-UV band, where the interference from randomly
situated Lyman-alpha forest lines is much lower than at visible
wavelengths. A secondary objective of this program is to observe various
atomic lines shortward of Lyman-alpha in these systems {such as absorption
from the O VI doublet arising from very hot gas}, and to register
absorption features from the Lyman and Werner bands of molecular hydrogen
if the molecular abundances are high enough to make them detectable. The
proposal completed with no reported problems.
1.9 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.
1.10 Completed WF/PC-2 9103 (Resolving New Examples of Edge-on Young
Stellar Object Disks)
The WF/PC-2 was used to perform edge-on, optically thick
circumstellar disks observations have been previously imaged by the Hubble
Space Telescope in association with several nearby young stars. In these
systems, the central star is occulted from direct view, large PSF artifacts
are absent, and the disk reflected light is clearly seen. It is for these
objects in nearby star-forming regions that HST has provided the best,
highest resolution {7-10 AU} views to date of disks which may form
planetary systems like our own. Comparison of edge-on disk images with
scattered light models has allowed key structural parameters such as the
disk outer radius, vertical scale height, radial density profile, total
mass, and dust grain properties to be determined. No problems were reported.
1.11 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.
1.12 Completed Five 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.
1.13 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
1.14 Completed WF/PC-2 9091 (Evolution of Star Forming Environments in
H II Regions)
The WF/PC-2 was used to look for evaporating gaseous globules and
silhouette disks in two young clusters and along one molecular cloud
wall. The proposal completed nominally.
1.15 Completed Two 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.
1.16 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD 9066 (Closing in on the Hydrogen
Reionization Edge of the Universe)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used in parallel
constrain the Hydrogen reionization edge in emission that marks the
transition from a neutral to a fully ionized IGM at a predicted
redshifts. The proposal completed uneventfully.
1.17 Completed STIS/CCD 9178 (NGC 2610: A Benchmark for Photoionization
Physics)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to perform
observations with a wide slit to observe lines of H I, He II, C III, C IV,
N IV, N V, O III, O IV, Ne III, Ne IV, and Ne V from 1240Angstrom to
6563Angstrom. He II Lambda1640/Lambda4686 will determine the {small}
reddening accurately. These observations will provide a benchmark against
which it can test the understanding of high T_e nebulae, which are
ubiquitous in low abundance environments, but which have proved difficult
to model. No problems were encountered.
1.18 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 8867 (Gamma-Ray Bursts: Discovering
The Progenitors And Understanding The Explosion – Visits A0-R0)
The WF/PC-2 was used to observe a gamma-ray burster,
GRB010921. Gamma-ray burst astronomy, one of the most active and exciting
frontiers in astrophysics, is now entering a critical stage — with
dramatic leaps in understanding of these events, as well as new
discoveries. Improvements in triggering and positioning accuracy provided
by the SAX and HETE-2 gamma-ray satellites will allow entirely new classes
of events to be studied. Given the recent progress in this field, the
proposers are now in a position to design precision, broadband measurements
that can provide quantitative information on the as-yet unknown energy
sources, the explosion geometry, and the surrounding medium. In
particular, the growing evidence of an intimate connection between SNe and
GRBs can be definitively tested. The proposal completed with no reported
problems.
1.19 Completed STIS/CCD 9312 (POMS Test Proposal: STIS Non-scripted
Parallel Proposal Continuation IV)
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.
1.20 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.
1.21 Completed WF/PC-2/STIS/CCD 7514 (Observations of Orion — Probing
the Origin of Abundance Anomalies in H II Regions)
The WF/PC-2 and the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) were
used to perform a set of observations of emission-line diagnostics of the
Orion Nebula, the brightest and best-resolved H II region. The major goal
is to provide reliable elemental abundances in this benchmark of the
ISM. The observations completed with no reported anomalous activity.
1.22 Completed STIS/CCD 9131 (Imaging the Host Galaxies of High
Redshift Type Ia Supernovae)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to complete
the snapshot survey of distant galaxies of known redshift which hosted
supernovae {SNe} of Type Ia found via the Supernova Cosmology Project
{SCP}. No problems were seen.
1.23 Completed FGS/1 9034 (The Masses and Luminosities of Population II
Stars)
Fine Guidance Sensor #1 was used to observe the mass-luminosity
relation {MLR} of Population II stars of which very little is currently
known. With the advent of the Hipparcos Catalogue, improved distances to
many spectroscopic binaries known to be Pop II systems are now
available. After surveying the literature and making reasonable estimates
of the secondary masses, we find 13 systems whose minimum separation should
be larger than the resolution limit of FGS #1. The observations completed
nominally.
2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:
2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:
Scheduled Acquisitions: 20
Successful: 20
Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 27
Successful: 27
2.2 FHST Updates:
Scheduled: 40
Successful: 40
2.3 Operations Notes:
Using ROP SR-1A, the SSR EDAC error counter was cleared six times.
The STIS MCE-1 reset at 327/132923Z while the low voltage was on
and while outside any SAA Boundary. The STIS flight software error counter
was reset at 327/1344Z per ROP NS-2. MAMA-1 was recovered via normal SMS
commanding at 330/0608Z.
A TTR was written for a mode change problem that occurred at
328/213517Z. The problems resulted in a loss of 32k engineering data for
the interval 328/213517Z to 328/220734Z.
Another TTR was generated for a generic command dropout at 330/080557Z.
3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:
Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.
