Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #3007 – 29 Nov 2001
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
DAILY REPORT #3007
PERIOD COVERED: 0000Z (UTC) 11/28/01 – 0000Z (UTC) 11/29/01
Daily Status Report as of 333/0000Z
1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:
1.1 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.
1.2 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.
1.3 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. As described in 2.1 and HSTAR 8407, the acquisition
for the final three iterations of this proposal defaulted to fine lock
backup on one FGS only thereby possibly affecting the observations in these
iterations. Otherwise, there were no further reported problems.
1.4 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.
1.5 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 8932 (Decontaminations and Associated
Observations Pt. 1/3)
The WF/PC-2 was used for the monthly WFPC2 decons. Also included
are instrument monitors tied to decons: photometric stability check, focus
monitor, pre- and post-decon internals {bias, intflats, kspots, &and
darks}, UV throughput check, VISFLAT sweep, and internal UV flat check. No
problems were reported.
1.6 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.
1.7 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1/MA2 8919 (MAMA Sensitivity and Focus Monitor
C10)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD, MA1 and MA2) was
used to monitor the sensitivity of each MAMA grating mode to detect any
change due to contamination or other causes, and also to monitor the STIS
focus in a spectroscopic and an imaging mode. All observations were
successful.
1.8 Completed 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.
1.9 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.
1.10 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.
1.11 Completed WF/PC-2/STIS/CCD/MA1/MA2 9127 (The UV interstellar
Extinction in Nearby Galaxies: M33)
The WF/PC-2 and the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD, MA1
and MA2) were used to investigate further the dust properties that vary in
different environments and from galaxy to galaxy. The proposers had
previously used HST to determine the UV extinction curve in M31. That
result, together with other studies of the Magellanic Clouds and Milky Way,
suggested that the dust particles vary and the proposers plan to enlarge
the sample by studying the UV extinction properties of dust in M33,
sampling different galactocentric distances and levels of star formation
activity. There were no reported problems.
1.12 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.
1.13 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. As described in 2.1 and HSTAR 8407, the acquisition for the
final iteration of this proposal defaulted to fine lock backup on one FGS
only thereby possibly affecting the observations in this
iteration. Otherwise, the observations were completed as planned, and no
other anomalies were reported.
1.14 Completed 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.
1.15 Completed WF/PC-2 9118 (Tracing the Cosmic Expansion to z>1 with
Type Ia Supernovae)
The WF/PC-2 was used to observe type Ia supernovae in order to 2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY: 2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions: Scheduled Acquisitions: 10 Successful: 10 Per HSTAR 8704, the acquisition at 332/161840Z defaulted to fine HSTAR 8408 documents another acquisition default to fine lock Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 3 Successful: 3 2.2 FHST Updates: Scheduled: 22 Successful: 22 2.3 Operations Notes: Using ROP SR-1A, the SSR EDAC error counter was cleared four times. Per an operations request, a pre-software installation dump of A TTR was written for a required re-transmit at 332/1927Z during a As directed by an operations note, WF/PC-2 limits were managed at 3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS: Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.
provide evidence for an accelerating universe. The case for cosmic
acceleration rests almost entirely on the observation that the observed SN
Ia at z~0.5 are 0.25 magnitudes fainter than expected for a
non-accelerating Universe. It is proposed to follow five SN Ia in the
range 0.95
straightforward way to assess the reliability of the SN Ia
measurements. In addition, if SN Ia are reliable standard candles, the
proposed observations will significantly increase the precision with which
Omega_Lambda and Omega_M are measured. As described in 2.1 and HSTAR 8407,
the acquisition for this proposal defaulted to fine lock backup on one FGS
only thereby possibly affecting the observations. Otherwise, there was no
other reported anomalous activity.
lock backup on FGS-1 when the scan step limit was exceeded on FGS-3. The
observations detailed in 1.3, 1.13 and 1.15 may have been affected.
backup on one FGS only. This occurred at 333/090631Z when the acquisition
happened on FGS-3 only as the scan step limit was exceeded on FGS-2. A
proposal, STIS 9109 that occurs during the period of the next report, may
have been affected.
NSSC-1 memory was performed at 332/1732Z.
NSSC-1 load. Accordingly, the SI C&DH error was reset at 332/1932Z per ROP
NS-5 and, per ROP DF-18A, the engineering status buffer limit was adjusted
at 333/0046Z as directed by ROP DF-18A.
333/0350Z during a WF/PC-2 decontamination.
