HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

       DAILY REPORT #3037

PERIOD COVERED:  0000Z (UTC) 01/17/02 - 0000Z (UTC) 01/18/02

Daily Status Report as of 018/0000Z

1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:

    1.1 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1 8103 (A Global Picture of White Dwarfs in 
Cataclysmic Variables)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was used to 
make ultraviolet spectrographic observations of the white dwarf star that 
is located in the cataclysmic variable star system known as 
GW-LIB-COP.  The observations were executed as scheduled, and no problems 
were reported.

    1.2 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.

    1.3 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.  The proposal had no problems.

    1.4 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.

    1.5 Completed STIS/CCD 9148 (Light Echos and the Nature of Type Ia 
Supernovae)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to take 
STIS snapshot images of a subset of 43 well observed Type Ia supernovae 
{SNIa}, most of which have been discovered in late type galaxies over the 
last 40 years to make a systematic search for light echos around SN 
Ia.  STIS will also observe a sample of 10 SN II and SN Ib/c, which are 
believed to be the result of massive star core collapse and, therefore, to 
be thin-disk population objects, in order to make an empirical calibration 
of the accuracy of our method for determining scale heights.  The SN Ia 
sample will provide a direct as well as accurate estimate of the scale 
height of SN Ia which is an important clue to the progenitors of these 
events.  The proposal completed nominally.

    1.6 Completed Two Sets of 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 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.

    1.8 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.

    1.9 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.

    1.10 Completed WF/PC-2 9118 (Tracing the Cosmic Expansion to z>1 with 
Type Ia Supernovae)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to observe type Ia supernovae in order to 
provide evidence for an accelerating universe.  The case for cosmic 
acceleration rests almost entirely on the observation that the observed SN 
Ia at z~0.5 are 0.25 magnitudes fainter than expected for a 
non-accelerating Universe.  It is proposed to follow five SN Ia in the 
range 0.95<z<1.2 using the 850LP filter.  When combined with a ground-based 
J-band follow-up campaign, the proposers can expect to measure the mean 
luminosity distance of the sample at z~ 1.05 to better than 5.  At these 
redshifts, the effect of Omega_Lambda has all but vanished and the Universe 
was decelerating due to its known matter content.  Because any simple 
systematic error will deviate substantially from the non-monotonic effect 
of a Omega_Lambda > 0 cosmology, this experiment is a powerful and 
straightforward way to assess the reliability of the SN Ia 
measurements.  In addition, if SN Ia are reliable standard candles, the 
proposed observations will significantly increase the precision with which 
Omega_Lambda and Omega_M are measured.  There was no reported anomalous 
activity.

    1.11 Completed Four Sets of STIS/CCD 9285 (POMS Test Proposal: STIS 
Non-scripted Parallel Proposal Continuation III)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to make low 
galactic latitude, non-scripted parallel observations as part of a POMS 
test proposal.  The observations were completed as planned, and no 
anomalies were reported.

    1.12 Completed STIS/CCD 8901 (Dark Monitor-Part 1)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to monitor 
the darks.  There was no anomalous activity.

    1.13 Completed STIS/CCD 8903 (Bias Monitor - Part 1)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to monitor 
the bias in the 1x1, 1x2, 2x1, and 2x2 bin settings at gain=1, and 1x1 at 
gain = 4 to build up high-S/N superbiases and track the evolution of hot 
columns.  There were no problems.

    1.14 Completed WF/PC-2 9227 (Observations of Astrophysically Important 
Visual Binaries)

        The WF/PC-2 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.

    1.15 Completed 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.

2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

    2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:
       Scheduled Acquisitions:  5
    Successful:  5

  Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 11
    Successful: 11

        As documented in HSTAR, the re-acquisition at 018/035211Z first had 
the scan step limit exceeded on FGS-2, but the second attempt to re-acquire 
was successful.  No science observations were affected.

    2.2 FHST Updates:
    Scheduled: 12
    Successful: 12

    2.3 Operations Notes:

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

        Per an operations request, the RF transfer switch #1 and #2 scrub 
was performed at 017/1501Z.

        Real-time operations transferred to CCS "G" string at 017/1545Z.

3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:

        Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.

/CAW