Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #3036 – 17 Jan 2002

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

DAILY REPORT #3036

PERIOD COVERED: 0000Z (UTC) 01/16/02 – 0000Z (UTC) 01/17/02

Daily Status Report as of 017/0000Z

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 Three 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.

1.3 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.

1.4 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 STIS/CCD/MA2 9076 (The z = 0.93 DLA in the
Gravitationally Lensed QSO HE 0512-3329: a Test of Dust Bias in DLA Samples)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA2) was used to
observe the bright QSO HE 0512-3329 that has recently been discovered as
being gravitationally lensed into two closely separated images and that the
lensing galaxy is in all probability a damped LyAlpha system at z_ abs =
0.9313. This observation will make it possible to measure, for the first
time, the abundances of several elements—including Zn, Cr, Fe, Si, and
Mn—close {2-3 kpc} to the nucleus of a galaxy at z ~eq 1. There is a
suspicion that DLAs at such close impact parameters may be missing from
current samples due to dust obscuration, but this obstacle is overcome in
this case by the boost provided by gravitational lensing. The proposal
completed with no reported problems.

1.6 Completed Five Sets of WF/PC-2 9318 (POMS Test Proposal: WFII
Parallel Archive Proposal Continuation)

The WF/PC-2 was used to perform the generic target version of the
WFPC2 Archival Pure Parallel program. The program was used to take
parallel images of random areas of the sky, following the recommendations
of the Parallels Working Group. There were no reported problems.

1.7 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 8937 (Cycle 9 Supplemental Darks pt2/3)

The WF/PC-2 was used obtain three dark frames every day to provide
data for monitoring and characterizing the evolution of hot pixels. No
problems were encountered.

1.8 Completed STIS/MA2 9573 (NUV-MAMA Daily Dark Monitor)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA2) was used to perform
daily monitoring of the NUV MAMA detector dark noise in order to monitor
the effects of thermal changes on the NUV dark rate. No problems occurred.

1.9 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.

1.10 Completed Two Sets of FGS/1 9171 (High Speed Photometry of the
Transiting Planet HD 209458b)

Fine Guidance Sensor #1 was used to observe HD 209458b, the only
extrasolar giant planet {EGP} detected that has an orbit inclined enough
toward the Sun for the transits to be detected. Differential photometry
with respect to comparison stars showed a transit depth of 1.5 a transit
time of 3.2 hours. Transit ingress and egress are ~25 minutes in duration
suggesting the planet transits along a short chord instead of the full
stellar disk. It is proposed to observe the transit ingress {1-orbit} and
egress {1-orbit} with a FGS used as a high- speed photometer. The proposal
completed with no reported problems.

1.11 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.

1.12 Completed STIS/MA2 8590 (UV Imaging and Spectroscopy of Luminous
Blue Compact Galaxies from z=0 to z=1)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA2) was used to observe
two well-defined samples of low-mass starburst galaxies, one in the local
universe {z<0.1} and another at intermediate redshifts {0.2 < z < 0.7}. Both samples show optical sizes, morphologies, emission line widths, and luminosities comparable to those of LBGs at z=3, and are therefore probably the best local analogs and testbeds for further study of LBGs. Our main goals are to: {1} explore the morphologies, surface brightness distributions, and half-light radii of nearby starforming galaxies in the FUV, near Ly-alpha; {2} search for systematic differences among UV, optical, and near-IR morphologies and structural parameters; {3} investigate the intrinsic emission and absorption spectra near Ly-alpha of starbursting dwarf galaxies, with special attention to Ly- alpha profiles and interstellar and stellar photospheric absorption from Si II, O I, C II, Si IV, and C IV; {4} measure their FUV-optical colors and dust extinction properties; and {5} test the hypothesis that low-mass starbursts are the local counterparts of LBGs. The observation completed normally.

1.13 Completed Two Sets of 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.

1.14 Completed WF/PC-2 9238 (The Spatial and Ionization Structure of
Cas A’s Metal-Rich Ejecta)

The WF/PC-2 was used to survey the small-scale spatial and
ionization structures in the metal-rich ejecta of Cassiopeia A {Cas A},
then use these results to test reverse shock and CSM-interaction
hydrodynamic and line emission models. Cas A is the prototype for the
class of young, oxygen-rich SNRs containing material moving at several
thousand km s^-1 and exhibiting extreme O and Si-group {Si, S, Ar, and Ca}
abundances due to nuclear processing in a massive star. All observations
completed nominally.

1.15 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.

1.16 Completed STIS/CCD 9122 (The Physics of X-Ray/Optical Jets)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to perform
an important new probe of the physics of large-scale radio jets that is
possible with the discovery of resolved X-ray/optical jets. The optical
emission comes from high energy electrons, which have short radiative
lifetimes and so pinpoint particle acceleration sites. Spectral energy
distributions of knots in two jets suggest the X-rays come from lower
energy electrons inverse-Compton scattering the {beamed} cosmic microwave
background. This requires the jet to be still relativistic on kiloparsec
scales {out to ~1 Mpc for the high-redshift jets.}. This model robustly
constrains both the bulk relativistic speed and the minimum electron energy
in the jet, which together determine the total jet power. To probe jet
energetics and physics generally, and to test the “Compton/CMB”
interpretation specifically, it is proposed to execute deep HST imaging of
three X-ray/optical jets {PKS 1127–145, PKS 0637–752, 3C 371} and one
optical jet {PKS 2201+044}, plus Chandra observations of the latter
two. The proposal completed with no reported problems.

2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:

Scheduled Acquisitions: 7

Successful: 7

Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 8

Successful: 8

2.2 FHST Updates:

Scheduled: 12

Successful: 12

2.3 Operations Notes:

There was a STIS EMC re-try at 016/134528Z. The STIS flight
software error counter was reset at 016/1407Z per ROP NS-12.

A TTR was written for a command dropout at 017/035001Z during a
NSSC-1 load. Accordingly, SI C&DH errors were reset at 017/0359Z as
directed by ROP NS-05.

Using ROP SR-9A, the SSR-3 EDAC error counter was cleared at 017/0404Z.

3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:

Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.