HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

       DAILY REPORT #3043

PERIOD COVERED:  0000Z (UTC) 01/25/02 - 0000Z (UTC) 01/28/02

Daily Status Report as of 028/0000Z

1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:

    1.1 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1 9283 (Probing the Gas in the V471 Tau System 
with Absorption Spectroscopy)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was used to 
observe the eclipsing dA+K2V binary V471 Tau in order to probe the spatial 
extent of the chromosphere/corona of an active dwarf star.  Previous HST 
observations have shown chromospheric and transition region species {O I 
through N V} in absorption at radial extents of up to 2 K star radii on one 
side of the star, but not on the other.  X-ray observations have revealed 
large absorption dips, primarily but not exclusively from gas near the 
inner Lagrangian points of the system.  Chandra will probe the neutral gas, 
by observing the time-variability of the neutral Hydrogen absorption 
column, and by observing the variations of the depths of absorption 
edges.  The white dwarf photosphere provides a bright, soft continuous 
spectrum against which to observe these changes.  All observations 
completed nominally.

    1.2 Completed Seven 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.

    1.3 Completed Four 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 Six 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 Two Sets of 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.

    1.6 Completed Eight 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.

    1.7 Completed Three Sets of 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.

    1.8 Completed STIS/CCD 9143 (Spectrophotometry of Nearby Seyfert 2 
Nuclei: Can We Eliminate the Seyfert 2 Class?)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to 
investigate Seyfert 2s that are distinguished by the absence of the broad 
emission lines characteristic of Seyfert 1s and more luminous QSOs.  Are 
Seyfert 2s fundamentally different from Seyfert 1s and their brighter 
cousins?  Or is the broad emission line region in Seyfert 2s simply 
suppressed by obscuring material as postulated by the unification 
model?  If the latter model is correct, the weak broad emission lines in 
the Seyfert 2s may simply be overwhelmed by starlight from the 
circumnuclear region, particularly in the case of recent star 
formation.  It is proposed to determine if all Seyfert 2s have {weak} broad 
emission line regions by obtaining long-slit STIS spectroscopy for a 
well-defined sample of 20 Seyfert 2s {3 archival, 17 new}.  The 
observations completed with no anomalous activity.

    1.9 Completed Fifteen 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.

    1.10 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.

    1.11 Completed STIS/CCD/MA2 9161 (The Ultraviolet Properties of 
Obscured QSOs)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA2) was used to 
observe a subset of The Two Micron All-Sky Survey {2MASS} -discovered QSOs 
to: 1} determine if UV absorption- line features are present as seen in 
several other highly polarized AGN populations; 2} test relationships 
between X-ray and UV/optical attenuation, AGN spectral type, optical 
polarization, and detected UV absorption-line features; and 3} characterize 
the spectral energy distributions and UV properties of obscured 
QSOs.  There were no problems.

    1.12 Completed STIS/CCD/MA2 9048 (Boron Constraints on Slow Mixing in 
Low Mass Stars)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA2) was used to 
observe the atomic and nuclear characteristics of the light elements Li, Be 
and B, that make their photospheric abundances ideal tracers of internal 
physical processes in stars.  Both Li and Be have been heavily utilized to 
this end since their diminished abundances are a direct result of the 
extent of internal slow mixing between surface and interior layers, as has 
been shown with ground-based data.  Boron provides a fresh and special 
probe because it survives to greater depths inside stars than does Li or 
Be, and can thus uniquely reveal the depth of mixing.  It is proposed to 
observe B in stars with very large depletions of Li and Be, i.e. stars 
which have been the most seriously affected by mixing.  No problems occurred.

    1.13 Completed Two Sets of 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.

    1.14 Completed Five Sets of STIS/CCD 9037 (Imaging the Dust Disk around 
Epsilon Eridani)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to observe 
Epsilon Eridani, the closest star to the Sun, around which a planet has 
been discovered.  An asymmetric dust disk around the star has been detected 
in sub-millimeter observations.  The observations completed with no 
reported problems.

    1.15 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 
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.

    1.16 Completed WF/PC-2 9141 (Fine Scale Temperature Fluctuations in 
Gaseous Nebulae)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to image the Orion and Eskimo nebulae in 
filter sets that will allow determination of O III 5007 and 4363 Angstrom 
flux ratios, which is a well calibrated electron temperature 
determinant.  All observations were completed without incident.

    1.17 Completed WF/PC-2 8932 (Decontaminations and Associated 
Observations Pt. 1/3)

        The WF/PC-2 was used for the monthly WFPC2 decons.  Also included 
are instrument monitors tied to decons: photometric stability check, focus 
monitor, pre- and post-decon internals {bias, intflats, kspots, &and 
darks}, UV throughput check, VISFLAT sweep, and internal UV flat check.  No 
problems were reported.

    1.18 Completed Two 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.

    1.19 Completed FGS/1 9168 (The Distances to AM CVn Stars)

        Fine Guidance Sensor (FGS) #1 was used to determine the parallaxes 
and proper motions of the five brightest of the seven known AM CVn 
systems.  AM CVn systems are binaries where mass is transferred from a 
completely hydrogen-deficient, degenerate mass donor to a white dwarf 
primary through a helium accretion disk.  A better understanding of these 
systems is crucial for a number of reasons: (1) to study the late stages of 
binary evolution, (2) to study the effect of chemical composition on the 
physics of accretion discs, (3) to estimate their contribution to the 
Supernovae Ia rate, and (4) to estimate their contribution to the 
gravitational radiation background.  All observations completed with no 
reported problems.

    1.20 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.

    1.21 Completed STIS/CCD 9107 (The Fundamental Plane for Nuclear Black 
Holes)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to conduct 
more in-depth searches for supermassive black holes in galaxy 
centers.  Previous work has led to the discoveries that {1} most or all hot 
galaxies contain massive dark objects at their centers, presumably black 
holes; {2} there is a remarkably tight correlation between the black-hole 
mass and the luminosity-weighted velocity dispersion of the hot component 
of the galaxy. This mbh-Sigma relation has a scatter which is <0.3 dex in 
mbh and consistent with zero.  This relationship suggests a strong link 
between black-hole formation, AGN activity, and galaxy formation, and once 
it is understood this link should advance our understanding of all three 
processes.  The goal of this proposal is to investigate the scatter in the 
mbh-Sigma relation and the role of possible second parameters, by examining 
a sample of galaxies at fixed velocity dispersion Sigma=200+/- 20 
kms.  This approach decouples the effects of a second parameter from 
uncertainties in the shape of the mbh-Sigma relation, and minimizes 
spurious correlations because all of the galaxies will be studied using the 
same well-tested observational and modeling techniques.  No anomalous 
activity occurred.

    1.22 Completed FGS/1 9183 (Completing the Astrometric Orbit for a Pair 
of Pre-Main Sequence Low-Mass Stars)

        Fine Guidance Sensor #1 was used to resolve a visual binary that is 
part of the closest system of pre-main sequence stars, HD 98800.  This 
system is 50 pc away and this binary has a period just under a year, 
meaning the separation is about 20 milliarcsec.  The two stars have similar 
brightnesses.  The goal is to determine an astrometric orbit which, when 
combined with radial velocity observations, leads to the first 
dynamically-determined masses for low-mass pre-main sequence stars.  All 
observations completed normally.

    1.23 Completed WF/PC-2 8942 (Cycle 10 Intflat Sweeps and Linearity Test)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to monitor the pixel-to-pixel flatfield 
response and provide a linearity check.  These intflat sequences are done 
once during the year and the images will provide a backup database in the 
event of complete failure of the visflat lamp as well as allow monitoring 
of the gain ratios.  There were no reported problems.

    1.24 Completed FGS/1 9034 (The Masses and Luminosities of Population II 
Stars)

        Fine Guidance Sensor #1 was used to observe the mass-luminosity 
relation {MLR} of Population II stars of which very little is currently 
known.  With the advent of the Hipparcos Catalogue, improved distances to 
many spectroscopic binaries known to be Pop II systems are now 
available.  After surveying the literature and making reasonable estimates 
of the secondary masses, we find 13 systems whose minimum separation should 
be larger than the resolution limit of FGS #1.  The observations completed 
nominally.

2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

    2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:
           Scheduled Acquisitions: 25
    Successful: 25

       Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 17
    Successful: 17

    2.2 FHST Updates:
    Scheduled: 37
    Successful: 37

    2.3 Operations Notes:

        The SSR-1 EDAC error counter was cleared five times per ROP SR-1A.

        There was a STIS EMC re-try at 025/110808Z.  Using ROP NS-12, the 
STIS flight software error counter was cleared at 025/1117Z.

        An engineering status buffer limit (SESBSLD=5) was updated at 
025/1934Z, using ROP DF-18A.

        Real-time operations transferred to the GSFC Building 23 backup 
facility at 026/1015Z in preparation for the 'HST Backup Control Center 
Test'.  CCS string "C" was configured as the prime string at 
026/1240Z.  Operations returned to CCS string "A" at 026/1814Z.  Operations 
personnel returned to the STScI SIMOR at 026/2230Z.

        As directed by ROP IC-1, SSA transmitter #2 was turned on and off 
for the interval 026/2213Z to 026/2242Z.

        The STIS MCE-2 reset at 027/004326Z while the low voltage was on 
and while outside any SAA interval.  The STIS flight software error counter 
was cleared at 027/0053Z per ROP NS-12.  MAMA-2 was recovered via normal 
SMS command at 027/020204Z.

        The engineering status buffer was dumped and cleared at 027/0328Z 
per ROP DF-18A.

3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:

        Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.

/CAW