Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #3039 – 22 Jan 2002
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
DAILY REPORT #3039
PERIOD COVERED: 0000Z (UTC) 01/21/02 – 0000Z (UTC) 01/22/02
Daily Status Report as of 022/0000Z
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 Five 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.
1.3 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD/MA1/MA2 9153 (The Black Hole {?} in
BG Gem)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD, MA1 and MA2) was
used to acquire low resolution ultraviolet spectra of the long period black
hole binary candidate BG Geminorum. These spectra allow an unambiguous
test of the nature of the 4.5 M{sun} primary star, which makes no
measurable contribution to the optical spectrum. Detection of a strong
ultraviolet continuum or ultraviolet absorption lines from Si II and Si III
{among others} would indicate a B-type primary; failure to detect these
features or detection of high ionization emission lines would favor a black
hole primary. If it contains a black hole, BG Gem would be the longest
period black hole binary known {by a factor of ten}, challenging current
theories of black hole formation. It would also be the only eclipsing
binary known to contain a black hole, which would provide a unique
laboratory for testing accretion disk models for black hole binary
systems. The proposal completed as planned.
1.4 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 8939 (Cycle 10 Internal Monitor)
The WF/PC-2 was used to calibrate the internal monitor, to be run
weekly to monitor the health of the cameras. No problems were encountered.
1.5 Completed 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.
1.6 Completed Two 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 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.
1.8 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1 9137 (Quasar Absorbers and Large Scale
Structure)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was used to
perform spectroscopy of 15 bright quasars in a 22 square degree region that
has well-sampled galaxy redshifts. No problems were encountered.
1.9 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.
1.10 Completed WF/PC-2 9141 (Fine Scale Temperature Fluctuations in
Gaseous Nebulae)
The WF/PC-2 was used to image the Orion and Eskimo nebulae in
filter sets that will allow determination of O III 5007 and 4363 Angstrom
flux ratios, which is a well calibrated electron temperature
determinant. All observations were completed without incident.
1.11 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD 9317 (Pure Parallel Imaging
Program: Cycle 10)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to perform
the default archival pure parallel program for STIS during cycle 10. There
were no reported problems.
1.12 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.
1.13 Completed FOC/96 7923 (FOC F/96 Turn-on)
The Faint Object Camera (f/96) was used to take an internal flat
and a dark to ensure that the 30-day limit for the FOC is not
exceeded. The observations were executed as scheduled, and no anomalies
were noted.
1.14 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD 8905 (Read Noise Monitor)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to measure
the read noise of all the amplifiers {A, B, C, D} on the STIS CCD using
pairs of bias frames. Full frame and binned observations are made in both
Gain 1 and Gain 4, with binning factors of 1×1, 1×2, 2×1 and 2×2. All
exposures are internals. The proposal completed with no reported anomalies.
1.15 Completed WF/PC-2 9157 (Fundamental Properties Of L-Type Dwarfs In
Binaries)
The WF/PC-2 was used to characterize the physical properties of
eight L-dwarfs in four binary systems. The goal is to obtain astrometric,
photometric and spectroscopic measurements of each component that will
yield basic information on atmospheric and dynamical properties. The
proposal completed nominally.
1.16 Completed STIS/CCD 8907 (Spectroscopic Flats C10)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to obtain
CCD flats in the spectrographic mode. There were no reported problems.
1.17 Completed S/C 5582 (FOC/48 Monthly Activation (Camera Section
Only): Cycle 4)
This proposal was executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted.
1.18 Completed STIS/CCD 9070 (A Census of Nuclear Star Clusters in
Late-Type Spiral Galaxies: II. Spectroscopy and Stellar Populations)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to
investigate spiral galaxies that have a prominent star cluster in their
dynamical center. Statistics for cluster frequency, size, and luminosity
remain incomplete. The proposal completed as planned.
1.19 Completed STIS/CCD 9110 (A Search for Kuiper Belt Object Satellites)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to
investigate whether the large number of collisions thought to have taken
place in the primordial Kuiper belt suggest that many Kuiper belt objects
{KBOs} could have suffered binary-forming collisions similar to that which
formed the Pluto — Charon binary. Detection of such KBO satellites would
allow measurement of KBO masses, would help to understand the past
collisional environment of the Kuiper belt, and would give a context to the
otherwise unique-seeming formation of the Pluto — Charon binary. The
proposal completed with no reported problems.
1.20 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.
2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:
2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:
Scheduled Acquisitions: 6
Successful: 6
Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 8
Successful: 8
Per HSTAR 8478, the re-acquisition at 022/013417Z had the scan step
limit exceeded on FGS-3. The second attempt to re-acquire was
successful. The series of events occurred with the next re-acquisitions at
022/031025Z, at 022/044632Z and at 022/062240Z. No science was
affected. The same guide star pair will occur four times on day 23.
2.2 FHST Updates:
Scheduled: 16
Successful: 16
2.3 Operations Notes:
Using ROP SR-1A, the SSR-1 EDAC error counter was cleared three times.
The ephemeris table was uplinked at 023/0126Z per ROP DF-07A.
3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:
Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.
