Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #3087 – 4 Apr 2002

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

DAILY REPORT #3087

PERIOD COVERED: 0000Z (UTC) 04/03/02 – 0000Z (UTC) 04/04/02

Daily Status Report as of 094/0000Z

1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:

1.1 Completed ACS 9014 (Fine Corrector Alignment)

The Advanced Camera for Surveys was used to optimize the ACS image
quality over the by adjusting the IM1 and M1 corrector mechanisms in both
tip/tilt {cylinder rotation} and focus. This activity uses the same target
field and exposures as proposal 9013 {ACS Coarse Corrector Alignment}, but
performs fine focus and tip/tilt scans to refine the alignment resulting
from that activity. The proposal completed with no reported problems.

1.2 Completed Three Sets of STIS/CCD 8902 (Dark Monitor-Part 2)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to monitor
the darks. No problems were reported.

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 WF/PC-2/ACS/HRC/WFC/STIS/CCD 9574 (Focus Monitor)

The WF/PC-2, the Advanced Camera for Surveys (HRC and WFC) and the
Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) were used to monitor HST
focus. In principle ACS/HRC should provide superior capability for
monitoring the HST focus, bur since most of the HST science will shift to
ACS in Cycle 11 trending observations are initiated with this program to
establish the focus of WFPC2/PC1 {and hence HST} and ACS/HRC {and WFC to a
lessor degree} using exposures over full orbits that are taken in
parallel. No problems were reported.

1.5 Completed WF/PC-2 8952 (SM3B Flat Field Calibration)

The WF/PC-2 was used to check for changes in flat field using
external earth flat fields. No problems were encountered.

1.6 Completed STIS/CCD 8904 (Bias Monitor-Part 2)

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 in order to build up high-S/N superbiases and track the evolution
of hot columns. The proposal completed with no anomalous activity.

1.7 Completed ACS/HRC/WFC 9011 (ACS to FGS Alignment)

The Advanced Camera for Surveys (HRC and WFC) was used to map the
ACS detector coordinate frame to the FGS frame that will be determined from
observations of an astrometric field with the ACS HRC and WFC
channels. Image quality over the field will also be assessed to verify the
final adjustments to the corrector mechanisms from program 9014 (See
1.1). There were no reported problems.

1.8 Completed FGS/1-2 9227 (Observations of Astrophysically Important
Visual Binaries)

The Fine Guidance Sensor #1 was used to perform observations of
three visual binary 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.

1.9 Completed Five Sets of ACS/WFC/HRC 8947 (Weekly Test)

The Advanced Camera for Surveys (WFC and HRC) was used to perform
basic tests to monitor, the read noise, the development of hot pixels and
test for any source of noise in ACS CCD detectors. This program will be
executed at least once a day for the entire lifetime of ACS. There were no
problems reported.

1.10 Completed FGS/1 8898 (Calibrating FGS1r’s Interferometric Response
as a Function of Spectral Color)

Fine Guidance Sensor #1 was used to obtain reference point source
Transfer Functions {S-Curves} through the F583W filter and the F5ND
attenuator at the center position of the FGS1r FOV for a variety of stellar
spectral colors. The data will be added to the library of point source
interferograms that was assembled from the Cycles 8 and 9 calibration
program. These Transfer Functions are needed to support the analysis of GO
science data for the study of close and wide binary star systems and for
determining the angular diameter of extended sources. The proposal
completed with no reported problems.

1.11 Completed Two Sets of FGS/1 8999 (SM3B Jitter Test)

Fine Guidance Sensor 1R was used in both Position Mode {finelock}
and Transfer Mode to observe selected targets in order to gain insight into
the vehicle jitter characteristics after the alterations made to HST during
SM3B. No problems were encountered.

1.12 Completed STIS/CCD 9147 (Probing The Structure Of The Shocks In
The Narrow Line Region Of M 51)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to
determine whether nuclear or shock-induced photoionization dominates the
gaseous ionization in the narrow-line region {NLR} of LINERs and Seyfert
galaxies. A critical issue is the determination of the input of mechanical
energy in the NLR through jet/ISM interactions. Previous studies suggest
that the latter could actually suffice to power the NLR in most Seyfert
galaxies. Previous approaches to this problem have obtained integrated
UV/visible line flux ratios, which are sensitive to uncertain
reddening. It is now proposed to map several spectral lines across the
shock/precursor complex in the spatially extended, jet-driven NLR of the
nearby Seyfert 2 galaxy M 51, measuring the spatial distribution of
kinematic subsystems, the ionization structure, and the gaseous density,
across this structure. All observations completed nominally.

1.13 Completed STIS/CCD 8914 (Sensitivity Monitor C10)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to monitor
the sensitivity of each CCD grating mode to detect any change due to
contamination or other causes. The STIS focus is also monitored in an
imaging mode. There was no anomalous activity.

1.14 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.

2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:

Scheduled Acquisitions: 10

Successful: 10

Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 6

Successful: 6

2.2 FHST Updates:

Scheduled: 14

Successful: 14

2.3 Operations Notes:

The NICMOS Cryo Cooler cool-down continues nominally.

The STIS MCE-2 reset at 093/1912Z while the low voltage was on and
while outside any SAA interval. MAMA-2 will be recovered during next
week’s SMS commanding at the time of the next high voltage on
commanding. The STIS flight software error counter was cleared at
093/1951Z per ROP NS-12.

Per an operations note, the MAMA threshold voltage limits were changed.

Using ROP SR-3A, the SSR pointer was set at 093/2106Z.

The 486 engineering status buffer limits were adjusted at 094/0407Z
as directed by ROP DF-18A.

3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:

Continuation of Servicing Mission Orbital Verification and the
gradual resumption of normal science observations and calibrations.