Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #3037 – 18 Jan 2002
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
DAILY REPORT #3037
PERIOD COVERED: 0000Z (UTC) 01/17/02 – 0000Z (UTC) 01/18/02
Daily Status Report as of 018/0000Z
1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:
1.1 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1 8103 (A Global Picture of White Dwarfs in
Cataclysmic Variables)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was used to
make ultraviolet spectrographic observations of the white dwarf star that
is located in the cataclysmic variable star system known as
GW-LIB-COP. The observations were executed as scheduled, and no problems
were reported.
1.2 Completed Four 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.
1.3 Completed Eight 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.
1.4 Completed Three 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.
1.5 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.
1.6 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 8059 (POMS Test Proposal: Targeted
Parallel Archive Proposal)
The WF/PC-2 was used to observe the parallel opportunities
available in the neighborhood of bright galaxies are treated in a slightly
different way from the normal pure parallels. Local Group galaxies offer
the opportunity for a closer look at young stellar
populations. Narrow-band images in F656N can be used both to identify
young stars via their emission lines, and to map the gas distribution in
star-forming regions. The observations completed nominally.
1.7 Completed STIS/MA1/MA2 9120 (Planetary Nebulae In The LMC: A Study
On Stellar Evolution And Populations)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA1 and MA2) was used to
investigate the final phase of the evolution of low- and intermediate-mass
stars, the Planetary Nebula {PN} ejection that is thought to provide the
main source of carbon and nitrogen enrichment in galaxies. The
observations completed nominally with no reported problems.
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/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.
1.10 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 1.11 Completed Four Sets of STIS/CCD 9285 (POMS Test Proposal: STIS The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to make low 1.12 Completed STIS/CCD 8901 (Dark Monitor-Part 1) The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to monitor 1.13 Completed STIS/CCD 8903 (Bias Monitor – Part 1) The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to monitor 1.14 Completed WF/PC-2 9227 (Observations of Astrophysically Important The WF/PC-2 was used to perform observations of three visual binary 1.15 Completed STIS/CCD 9088 (Next Generation Spectral Library of Stars) The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to produce 2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY: 2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions: Scheduled Acquisitions: 5 Successful: 5 Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 11 Successful: 11 As documented in HSTAR, the re-acquisition at 018/035211Z first had 2.2 FHST Updates: Scheduled: 12 Successful: 12 2.3 Operations Notes: Using ROP SR-1A, the SSR-1 EDAC error counter was cleared twice. Per an operations request, the RF transfer switch #1 and #2 scrub Real-time operations transferred to CCS “G” string at 017/1545Z. 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. There was no reported anomalous
activity.
Non-scripted Parallel Proposal Continuation III)
galactic latitude, non-scripted parallel observations as part of a POMS
test proposal. The observations were completed as planned, and no
anomalies were reported.
the darks. There was no anomalous activity.
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.
Visual Binaries)
stars that will ultimately yield fundamental astrophysical results, once
their orbits and masses are determined. The targets are the following: {1}
Procyon {P=41 yr}, for which our first WF/PC-2 images yielded an extremely
accurate angular separation of the bright F star and its very faint
white-dwarf companion. Combined with ground-based astrometry of the bright
star, our observation significantly revised downward the derived masses,
and brought Procyon A into excellent agreement with theoretical
evolutionary tracks for the first time. The mass of Procyon B, however,
implies a completely unexpected chemical composition for the white dwarf,
and now poses a sharp evolutionary puzzle. With the continued monitoring
proposed here, we will obtain masses to an accuracy of better than one
percent, providing a test bed for theories of Sun-like stars and white
dwarfs. {2} G 107-70, a close double white dwarf {P=19 yr} that promises to
add two accurate masses to the tiny handful of white-dwarf masses that are
directly known from dynamical measurements. {3} Mu Cas {P=21 yr}, a famous
metal-deficient G dwarf for which accurate masses will lead to the stars’
helium contents, with cosmological implications. No problems were
encountered for these observations.
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.
the scan step limit exceeded on FGS-2, but the second attempt to re-acquire
was successful. No science observations were affected.
was performed at 017/1501Z.
