Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #3102 – 25 Apr 2002

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

DAILY REPORT #3102

PERIOD COVERED: 0000Z (UTC) 04/24/02 – 0000Z (UTC) 04/25/02

Daily Status Report as of 115/0000Z

1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:

1.1 Completed STIS/CCD 8927 (CTE Effect on EWs of Absorbtion Lines in
Spectra of Galaxies)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to measure
CTI in the spectroscopic image of an extended source with absorption lines
for application to science observations of galaxies. The effects of CTI on
absorption line profiles will be determined. There were no reported problems.

1.2 Completed Three Sets of ACS/WFC 9575 (Default {Archival} Pure
Parallel Program)

The Advanced Camera for Surveys (WFC) was used to test ACS pure
parallels in POMS. There were no reported problems.

1.3 Completed Fifteen Sets of NICMOS/1/2/3 8945 (Cooling System Monitoring)

The Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Camera (NIC1, NIC2 and
NIC3) was used 1) to measure NICMOS detector performance during the
cool-down and steady state operation of the NCS. 2}. to demonstrate
stability {+/-0.1K} of the NICMOS detector temperature at the optimal
science operating temperature. and 3}.to demonstrate repeatability {+/-0.1
K} of NICMOS detector temperature following changes from the optimal
scT?e operating temperature. As described in yesterday’s report and
HSTAR 8626, the acquisition for the sixth iteration of this proposal
defaulted to fine lock backup on one FGS only, possibly affecting four
observations. No other problems were encountered.

1.4 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. As described in yesterday’s report and
HSTAR 8626, the acquisition for the fifth iteration of this proposal
defaulted to fine lock backup on one FGS only, possibly affecting three
observations. The proposal had no problems.

1.5 Completed Four 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.

1.6 Completed 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 Two 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.

1.8 Completed Four 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.

1.9 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1 9241 (The Disk and Wind of HD 104237)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was used to
perform GTO studies of intermediate-mass stars that have revealed
circumstellar disks and associated nebulosities in 44% of our sample. The
largest-scale nebulosity is seen in those systems with emission in the
unidentified infrared bands, which have been interpreted as being
associated with C-H stretch and bend modes in small organic grains. This
hypothesis will be tested with coronagraphic observations of the nearby
Herbig Ae star, HD 104237. All observations completed normally.

1.10 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.

1.11 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 9180 (Gamma-ray Burst Progenitors:
Probing Their Environment)

The WF/PC-2 was used to perform a target of opportunity observation
of gamma ray bursters (GRBs), GRB-020405 and GRB-020331. 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.

1.12 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.

1.13 Completed Two Sets of STIS/MA1/MA2 8965 (MAMA Darks)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA1 and MA2) was used to
obtain the twice-weekly dark frames, as in the corresponding calibration
program {program 8843 in Cycle 9}. Standard calibration reference files
are constructed for use in pipeline reduction of SMOV3B data. Transition
to analogous calibration program begins when normal science operation with
the MAMA detectors begins.

1.14 Completed STIS/MA1/MA2 9051 (Identifying Damped Lyman-alpha
Galaxies at z~1)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA1 and MA2) was used to
look for damped Lyman-alpha absorption systems that contain the bulk of the
neutral gas in the Universe in the redshift range z = 0.5 – 5, yet the
nature of the galaxies responsible for the absorption is not well
understood. Only recently have observers found more than a handful of
damped absorbers at redshifts z < 1.5. Using the FIRST Bright Quasar Survey {FBQS}, with over a 1000 quasars, the proposers have undertaken a survey to build a complete picture of he nature of the galaxies responsible for damped Lyman-alpha absorption systems at z~1 and to double the sample size at this redshift. As described in yesterday's report and HSTAR 8626, the acquisition for this proposal defaulted to fine lock backup on one FGS only, possibly affecting four observations. No other problems were encountered.

1.15 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.

1.16 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
to 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.

1.17 Completed ACS/WFC 9020 (Preliminary ACS Sensitivity)

The Advanced Camera for Surveys (HrC) was used to observe a
spectrophotometric standard star through each filter of each camera to
assess the sensitivity of the instrument. The star is placed at the center
of the aperture, and two images are taken through each filter. There were
no reported problems.

1.18 Completed Five Sets of NICMOS/1/2/3 8944 (Filter Wheel/Mechanisms
Mini-Functional Test)

The Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Camera (NIC1, NIC2 and
NIC3) was used to perform an early engineering test to verify the
aliveness, functionality, operability, and electro-mechanical calibration
of the NICMOS filter wheel motors and assembly. This was the first use of
the NICMOS filter wheel mechanisms since they were disabled by ground
command in January, 1999. This test was designed to obviate concerns over
possible deformation or breakage of the fitter wheel “soda-straw” shafts
due to excess rotational drag torque and/or bending moments which may be
imparted due to changes in the dewar metrology from warm-up/cool-down. No
anomalous incident occurred.

1.19 Completed WF/PC-2 9058 (Trigonometric Parallax of the Globular
Cluster 47 Tucanae)

The WF/PC-2 was used measure the trigonometric parallax of 47 Tuc,
which is about 1/4 milliarcsec, to an accuracy of 10%. By repeating a
field that was observed in 1995, we will measure the secular motion of the
cluster stars with respect to the SMC background with sufficient accuracy
that the parallax can be measured directly from the displacements within
Cycle 10. Constraints of orientation, and the shape of the WFPC2
footprint, require that we take images at 3-month intervals, rotating 90
degrees each time. The proposal completed with no reported problems.

2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:

Scheduled Acquisitions: 5

Successful: 5

Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 10

Successful: 10

2.2 FHST Updates:

Scheduled: 15

Successful: 15

2.3 Operations Notes:

Per an operations note, a post-SM3B cleanup of 486 loads was performed.

An operations request was used to direct another NICMOS filter
wheel move. At 114/1553Z a flag was flight software flag was set to allow
filter wheel moves. Between 114/1717Z and 114/1737Z, the filter wheels
were moved and data was collected. During the moves the data for mechanism
voltages and currents was largely as expected — very close to what was
seen during a similar 1997 test. Voltage dropped by approximately 0.3
volts on all three wheels and the current spiked by 0.75 amps during the
first move. For the second move, wheels 1 and 2 were nominal, but there
was a spike of 0.455 amps at the end of the move.

The Science and Data Handling tasking orders were configured at
114/1921Z, using an operations request.

A TTR was written when, at 114/2323Z, a telemetry drop-out of 33
seconds occurred. The real-time data is recoverable.

3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:

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