Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #3059 – 19 Feb 2002
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
DAILY REPORT #3059
PERIOD COVERED: 0000Z (UTC) 02/18/02 – 0000Z (UTC) 02/19/02
Daily Status Report as of 050/0000Z
1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:
1.1 Completed Three 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.
1.2 Completed Three Sets of WF/PC-2 8933 (Decontaminations and
Associated Observations Pt. 2/3)
The WF/PC-2 was used for the monthly decons. Also included were
instrument monitors tied to decons: photometric stability check, focus
monitor, pre- and post-decon internals {bias, intflats, kspots, & darks},
UV throughput check, VISFLAT sweep, and internal UV flat check. There were
no reported 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/CCD 8901 (Dark Monitor-Part 1)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to monitor
the darks. There was no anomalous activity.
1.5 Completed STIS/CCD 8926 (Filter Throughput Monitor)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to take
slitless spectra through a number of filters to look for throughput
changes. This is done by comparing slitless spectra taken through each
filter to unfiltered slitless spectra of the same target. The proposal
completed with reported incident.
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 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.
1.8 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.
1.9 Completed STIS/CCD 9180 (Gamma-ray Burst Progenitors: Probing Their
Environment)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to perform
a target of opportunity observation of gamma ray burster (GRB),
GRB-020124. GRB astronomy is a field maturing at a phenomenal
rate. Three important new observational and theoretical discoveries,
formulated over the last twelve months, allow the proposer to address new,
and in many cases, more sophisticated questions than could have been posed
previously. These developments: the discovery of X-ray lines in GRB
991216; the observation that N_H as deduced from X-ray afterglow are one to
two orders of magnitude larger than the dust extinction inferred from
optical afterglow; and the growing realization that the afterglow emission
may exhibit features of dust echoes, appear to offer unexpected and new
diagnostics that will directly inform us about the progenitor, the
circum-progenitor material and the immediate interstellar environs. There
were no reported problems.
1.10 Completed WF/PC-2 9319 (POMS Test Proposal: WFII Backup Parallel
Archive Proposal II)
The WF/PC-2 was used to execute a POMS test proposal, designed to
simulate future scientific plans. The proposal completed without incident.
1.11 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.
1.12 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD/MA1/MA2 9036 (An Ultraviolet
Spectroscopic Survey of Star-Forming Galaxies in the Local Universe)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD, MA1 and MA2) was
used to perform a comprehensive STIS ultraviolet spectroscopic survey of
star-forming galaxies in the local universe. The sample covers a broad
range of morphologies, chemical composition, and luminosity. The
observations will provide spectral coverage between 1200 and 3100 Angstrom,
at a resolution of 100 to 200 kms and S/N of about 30. The data set will
allow the proposers to document and quantify the effects of massive stars
on the interstellar medium and to infer implications for the evolution of
the host galaxies. The proposal completed with no anomalous activity.
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 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.
1.15 Completed S/C 5582 (FOC/48 Monthly Activation (Camera Section
Only): Cycle 4)
This proposal was executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted.
1.16 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.
1.17 Completed WF/PC-2 9046 (Black Holes and Bars: A Recipe for Making
Bulges?)
The WF/PC-2 was used to obtain multi-color images and (eventually)
STIS emission line spectroscopy of the nuclear regions of 6 edge-on barred
spiral galaxies spanning a range of bulge morphologies and bar
strengths. The goal is to quantify the amount of vertical heating in the
nuclei, and to test whether or not bars are indeed destroyed and create a
bulge if enough mass is accumulated in their centers. There were no
reported problems.
1.18 Completed STIS/CCD 9128 (A Snapshot Survey of Absorption Lines
from High Velocity Clouds in the Milky Way)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to search
for Mg II and Mg I absorption from Galactic High Velocity Clouds {HVCs}
along the sightlines of 51 of the brightest QSOs, BL Lacs and Seyfert 2
galaxies in the sky. The observations completed with no reported problems.
1.19 Completed 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.
2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:
2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:
Scheduled Acquisitions: 10
Successful: 10
Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 5
Successful: 5
2.2 FHST Updates:
Scheduled: 23
Successful: 23
2.3 Operations Notes:
Over the weekend, over the course of three telemetry samples
between 047/2351Z and 047/2353Z, the STIS heater zone profile
changed. Thermal Zone 3A, which has been running up to 9 degrees above
setpoint since November 2001, reduced its power output to zero. Over the
next four hours, the heater zones shifted to a profile that strongly
resembles what was seen from July 2001 through November 2001. (A proposed
on-orbit re-cycle of the Zone A heaters had not been performed.) At the
time of this occurrence, STIS was taking a CCD exposure as part of Proposal
9088. Further analysis of STIS telemetry and environmental conditions is
in progress. Preliminary data gathered from the time surrounding the event
has been forwarded to members of the STIS Anomaly Review Board that
originally investigated the thermal profile shift that occurred in November
2001.
Using an operations note, various WF/PC-2 limits were managed
during periods of decontamination (see 2.1).
The ephemeris table was uplinked at 050/0014Z, per ROP DF-07A.
3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:
Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.
