Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #3131 – 5 Jun 2002

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

DAILY REPORT # 3131

PERIOD COVERED: DOY 156: 0000Z (UTC) 06/04/02 – 0000Z (UTC) 06/05/02

OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:

NICMOS 8790

NICMOS Post-SAA calibration – CR Persistence Part 1.

A new procedure proposed to alleviate the CR-persistence problem of NICMOS.
Dark
frames will be obtained immediately upon exiting the SAA contour 23, and every
time a NICMOS exposure is scheduled within 50 minutes of coming out of the SAA.
The darks will be obtained in parallel in all three NICMOS Cameras. The
POST-SAA
darks will be non-standard reference files available to users with a USEAFTER
date/time mark.

STIS/CCD 8902

Dark Monitor-Part 2.

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to monitor the darks.

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.

STIS/CCD/MA1 8919

MAMA Sensitivity and Focus Monitor C10.

grating mode to detect any change due to contamination or other causes, and
also
to monitor the STIS focus in a spectroscopic and an imaging mode.

WFPC2 8938

WFPC2 CYCLE 9 SUPPLEMENTAL DARKS pt3/3.

This dark calibration program obtains 3 dark frames every day to provide data
for monitoring and characterizing the evolution of hot pixels.

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.

NICMOS 8980

NICMOS Focus Monitor

The purpose of this activity is to determine if the best focus determined
in the
NICMOS FINE ALIGNMENT program is stable. This program must execute 2-3 weeks
after the NICMOS FINE ALIGNMENT program

STIS/CCD 9074

The Origin and Physics of Gamma-Ray Bursts.

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to make observations
that will provide the most stringent tests yet performed of the hypothesis that
GRBs are powered by the collapse of massive stars. STIS CCD spectroscopy
will be
used to detect broad atomic features of supernovae underlying GRB optical
transients, at flux levels more than a factor of three fainter than SN 1998bw.

FGS/1 9089

Parallaxes of Cataclysmic Variables: Understanding Their Peculiar Secondary
Stars.

Fine Guidance Sensor #1 was used to measure precise parallaxes for three
additional CVs {WZ Sge, RU Peg, and YZ Cnc}, whose orbital periods span a much
larger range than explored in previous observations, allowing examination
of how
the accretion luminosity and secondary star change with orbital period.

NICMOS 9269

NICMOS Parallel Thermal Background

NICMOS Camera 3 pure parallel exposures in the F222M filter will be
obtained for
the entire duration of SMOV to establish the stability of the
HST+NCS+Instrument
thermal emission.

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.

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.

STIS/CCD/MA1 9459

The Response of the White Dwarf in WZ Sge to the Unexpected July 2001
Superoutburst.

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was used to observe WZ
Sge, the most extreme dwarf nova and one of the closest known cataclysmic
variables, that has undergone a superoutburst in July 2001 after 22 years in
quiescence. Because of the uniqueness of this event, two DD proposals were
approved, one to observe the outburst itself, and another for us to observe the
early decline phase. Here it is proposed to complete our fundamental study of
the response of a dwarf nova system to an outburst by continuing our UV
coverage
of this most extreme outbursting system during its decline to quiescence. This
decline is expected to take more than 3 yrs, with the most dramatic changes
occurring in the first 2 years. This once-in-a-lifetime chance to obtain high
quality, high time {and spectral} resolution FUV data as the decline progresses
into the critical transition from the disk- dominated phase to the bare white
dwarf, provides an unique opportunity to study the response of the emerging
white dwarf, whose chemical abundances, rotation and temperature variation with
time bear the imprint of this extraordinary gigantic accretion event.

ACS/HRC 9473

Masses and IMF Variations in Super Star Clusters

We are proposing to obtain high spatial resolution images of a set of super
star
clusters for which we have been granted observing time to measure velocity
dispersions via high- resolution ground-based optical echelle and K-band
spectroscopy. The images will allow us to fit the light profiles and
measure the
radii of the clusters, and when combined with the velocity dispersions, will
enable us to estimate the cluster masses. By comparing the mass-to-light ratios
with those predicted from spectral synthesis models, we will investigate
possible variations in the slope and lower mass cut-offs of the initial mass
functions in these clusters. Correlations of the variations of these parameters
with cluster environment may provide insight into the formation mechanisms for
super star clusters. By comparing the light profiles obtained in a blue and red
filter, we will also search for evidence of mass segregation in the clusters.
Since these clusters are too young to have experienced dynamical mass
segregation, differences in the light profiles of the clusters in the two
filters could be due to processes that differentiate between high and low mass
stars during the birth of the clusters and would provide further constraints on
theoretical models of cluster formation. Since these clusters are far too
compact to be resolved by any ground-based observations, the ACS/HRC on board
HST is the only instrument capable of carrying out these observations.

ACS/CAL 9558

ACS weekly Test

This program consists of basic tests to monitor, the read noise, the
development
of hot pixels and test for any source of noise in ACS CCD detectors. This
programme will be executed once a day for the entire lifetime of ACS.

ACS 9564

ACS Cycle 11: UV Earth Flats

This proposal will obtain sequences of UV flats by observing the bright Earth.
The HRC UV filters were chosen for modes which were not obtained in the lab.
Since the UV transmission is likely to vary as a function of position on the
Pol_UV filters and on the coronograph, and since this behavior is currently
unconstrained by measurement, a good estimate for the missing UV flats
cannot be
made. Although POL_UV and CORON transmissions change little at long
wavelengths,
the UV transmission may change by amounts larger than can be estimated in the
absence of actual UV transmission measurements

ACS/WFC 9575

Default {Archival} Pure Parallel Program.

The Advanced Camera for Surveys (WFC) was used to test ACS pure parallels in
POMS.

ACS/WFC 9584

ACS Default {Archival} Pure Parallel Program II.

The Advanced Camera for Surveys (WFC) was used to test ACS pure parallels.
FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

HSTARs:

• 8674 Flat Line @ 156/14:00:00z
  
• 8675 GSacq (2,3,3) results in Fine Lock Backup (2,0,0) @ 156/15:40:58z. The GSacq (2,3,3) of 156/15:40:58 showed Scan Step Limit Exceeded
  flags on FGS2, then resulted to Fine Lock Backup using FGS# 2 (2,0,0).
  FGS#3 started the walkdown process but was stopped after Crtrk and did not continue after that. No flags remained after the Acquisition completed and no error message was sent to the 486 STB events record.
  
• 8676 JHAS2P5(Hrc ceb ASpc 2 +5v) OOL @ 156/20:53:56z
  
• 8677 OPSSCV2 out of limit for one sample @ 157/04:53:33z
  
• 8678 Battery 2 Pressure Out-of-limit Low @ 157/01:41:25z
  
• 8679 CCS-C Incomplete Handover and REQACC Messages @ 157/01:56:57z
  

COMPLETED OPS REQs: None

OPS NOTES EXECUTED:

945-2 Update to EPS Key Monitors Post SM3B

                       SCHEDULED     SUCCESSFUL    FAILURE TIMES

FGS GSacq                  8               8

FGS REacq                  6               6

FHST Update                20             20

LOSS of LOCK              None

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: None