Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #3042 – 25 Jan 2002

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

DAILY REPORT #3042

PERIOD COVERED: 0000Z (UTC) 01/24/02 – 0000Z (UTC) 01/25/02

Daily Status Report as of 025/0000Z

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 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.

1.3 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.

1.4 Completed Two Sets of 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.

1.5 Completed Three 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.

1.6 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.

1.7 Completed Two Sets of FGS/1 9407 (Astrometry of a Star Hosting an
Extrasolar Planet: The Mass of Upsilon Andromedae)

Fine Guidance Sensor #1 was used to determine the astrometric
elements {perturbation orbit semimajor axis and inclination} produced by
the outermost extra-solar planet orbiting the F8V star Upsilon
Andromedae. These observations will permit us to determine the actual mass
of the planet by providing the presently unknown sin i factor intrinsic to
the radial velocity method which discovered this object. An inclination, i
= 30degrees, within the range of one very low precision determination using
reanalyzed HIPPARCOS intermediate data products, would produce the observed
radial velocity amplitude, K = 66 ms with a companion mass of ~8 M_Jupiter.
Such a mass would induce in Upsilon Andromedae a perturbation semi-major
axis, Alpha = 0arcs0012. The proposed observations will yield a planetary
mass, rather than, as previous investigations have done, only suggest a
planetary mass companion. The proposal completed nominally.

1.8 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.

1.9 Completed STIS/CCD 8669 (Merger-Driven Evolution Of Galactic
Nuclei: Observations Of The Toomre Sequence)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to observe
galaxy mergers that are believed responsible for triggering starburst and
AGN activity in galaxies, and even perhaps transforming spiral galaxies
into ellipticals. The proposal completed nominally.

1.10 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.

1.11 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

1.12 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

1.13 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.

1.14 Completed 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.

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: 18

Successful: 18

2.3 Operations Notes:

Using ROP SR-1A, the SSR-1 EDAC error counter was cleared three times.

A TTR was written for a required re-transmit at 025/0738Z during a
486 load. The 486 engineering status buffer limit (SESBSLD=4) was adjusted
at 025/0744Z.

3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:

Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.