HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

       DAILY REPORT #3049

PERIOD COVERED:  0000Z (UTC) 02/04/02 - 0000Z (UTC) 02/05/02

Daily Status Report as of 036/0000Z

1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:

    1.1 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.

    1.2 Completed Three Sets of STIS/CCD 8906 (Hot Pixel Annealing)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to measure 
the effectiveness of the CCD hot pixel annealing process by measuring the 
dark current behavior before and after annealing and by searching for any 
window contamination effects.  In addition, CTE performance is examined by 
looking for traps in a low signal level flat.  The acquisition failure 
detailed in HSTAR 8490 and 2.1 occurred for the third iteration of this 
proposal and two observations were lost.  There were no other reported 
problems in the other iterations.

    1.3 Completed Six Sets of FGS/1 9167 (Astrometry of the Extrasolar 
Planet of Epsilon Eridani)

        Fine Guidance Sensor #1 was used in position mode to determine the 
astrometric elements {perturbation orbit semimajor axis and inclination} of 
the candidate extra-solar planet around the K2 V star Epsilon Eridani that 
has been detected by Dopler spectroscopy.  These observations will also 
permit determination of  the actual mass of the planet by providing the 
sin{i} factor which can not be determined with the radial velocity 
method.  There was no anomalous activity.

    1.4 Completed Six Sets of WF/PC-2 8935 (Cycle 10 Standard Darks)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to obtain dark frames every week in order to 
provide data for the ongoing calibration of the CCD dark current rate, and 
to monitor and characterize the evolution of hot pixels.  Over an extended 
period these data will also provide a monitor of radiation damage to the 
CCDs.  The proposal completed with no reported problems.

    1.5 Completed Eight 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.

    1.6 Completed WF/PC-2 8939 (Cycle 10 Internal Monitor)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to calibrate the internal monitor, to be run 
weekly to monitor the health of the cameras.  No problems were encountered.

    1.7 Completed WF/PC-2 9087 (Black Hole X-ray Transients and X-ray 
Binaries in M31)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to search for M31 for x-ray transients which 
had previously been seen as part of the Chandra Guaranteed Time 
Observations {GTO} program.  The x-ray properties of these transient 
sources {spectra, variability} allow us to determine whether the accreting 
object is a black hole or a neutron star.  It is proposed to determine the 
nature of the mass-losing star.  Massive stars will show little {<2 mag} 
change in their UV luminosities during outbursts, while low-mass stars will 
show large {>5 mag} changes in their UV luminosities.  By determining the 
nature of the primary {accreting} and secondary stars in these x-ray 
transients, we will have the first dataset that will allow the evolution of 
black hole and neutron star binaries to be studied in an external 
galaxy.  The proposal completed nominally.

    1.8 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.

    1.9 Completed Two Sets of 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 
acquisition failure detailed in HSTAR 8490 and 2.1 occurred for the second 
iteration of this proposal and four observations were lost.  Otherwise. the 
other iteration completed nominally.

    1.10 Completed WF/PC-2 9101 (Toward Understanding the Bipolar 
Geometries of Preplanetary Nebulae with High-Velocity Polar Flows)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to image 17 preplanetary nebula for comparison 
with high-resolution spectral-line images {being obtained with 
VLA/MERLIN/ATCA}, enabling us to understand the fast outflow and how its 
hydrodynamical interaction with the AGB wind produces a bipolar nebula.  No 
problems were reported.

    1.11 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1 8571 (Metallicity and D/H Abundance in 
Low-Z LyAlpha Absorbers towards PG 1211+143)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was used to 
continue previous observations along the sightline toward PG 1211+143 that 
reveal numerous LyAlpha absorption lines including two very strong LyAlpha 
absorbers {cz = 15, 300 and 19, 550 km s^- 1} with associated Si III 
absorption.  These are the first definite detections of metals in a low-z 
LyAlpha forest cloud.  Simple photoionization models suggest metallicities 
in the range 1--10 sim10^17 cm^-2 in each system.  The proposers should be 
able to detect deuterium LyAlpha at 10--20 mAngstrom equivalent width, 
thereby testing models of D/H astration as a function of IGM metallicity, 
an issue of cosmological significance.  There were no problems.

    1.12 Completed 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.

    1.13 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.

2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

    2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:
             Scheduled Acquisitions:  7
    Successful:  6

        The acquisition scheduled at 035/192933Z failed to gyro control 
when the search radius limit was exceeded on FGS-3.  The take data flag 
remained down and the proposals described in 1.3 and 1.9 were 
affected.  HSTAR 8490 was written.
        Scheduled Re-acquisitions:  7
    Successful:  7

    2.2 FHST Updates:
    Scheduled: 21
    Successful: 21

    2.3 Operations Notes:

        The engineering status buffer limits were adjusted (HGA torque 
limit =7) at 035/1933Z, using ROP DF-18A.

        Several CCL quick updates were made at 035.2030Z and the new TCL 
BATCAPAJ was executed, all as directed by an operations request.

        Per an operations request, the pressure-based battery equation was 
updated at 035/2031Z.

        The ephemeris table was loaded at 036/0124Z per ROP DF-07A.

3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:

        Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.

/CAW