HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

       DAILY REPORT #3053

PERIOD COVERED:  0000Z (UTC) 02/08/02 - 0000Z (UTC) 02/11/02

Daily Status Report as of 042/0000Z

1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:

    1.1 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.

    1.2 Completed Nine 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 Three 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 
observations completed nominally.

    1.4 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.

    1.5 Completed Five Sets of 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.

    1.6 Completed Ten 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.

    1.7 Completed Twenty 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.  As described in 2.1 and HSTAR 8494, a 
re-acquisition for the fifteenth iteration of this proposal succeeded on 
the second attempt, possibly affecting the observations in that 
iteration.  Then in the nineteenth iteration, per HSTAR 8495, the 
acquisition and re-acquisitions all defaulted to fine lock backup on one 
FGS only.  There were no other reported problems.

    1.8 Completed Two Sets of 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.

    1.9 Completed Three Sets of WF/PC-2 8940 (Cycle 10 Earth Flats)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to monitor flatfield stability by obtaining 
sequences of Earth streak flats to construct high quality flat fields for 
the WF/PC-2 filter set.  These flat fields will allow mapping of the OTA 
illumination pattern and will be used in conjunction with previous internal 
and external flats to generate new pipeline superflats.  The proposal 
completed without incident.

    1.10 Completed Three 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.

    1.11 Completed STIS/CCD 8867 (Gamma-Ray Bursts: Discovering The 
Progenitors And Understanding The Explosion - Visits A0-R0)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to observe 
a gamma-ray burster, GRB011211.  Gamma-ray burst astronomy, one of the most 
active and exciting frontiers in astrophysics, is now entering a critical 
stage -- with dramatic leaps in understanding of these events, as well as 
new discoveries.  Improvements in triggering and positioning accuracy 
provided by the SAX and HETE-2 gamma-ray satellites will allow entirely new 
classes of events to be studied.  Given the recent progress in this field, 
the proposers are now in a position to design precision, broadband 
measurements that can provide quantitative information on the as-yet 
unknown energy sources, the explosion geometry, and the surrounding 
medium.  In particular, the growing evidence of an intimate connection 
between SNe and GRBs can be definitively tested.  The proposal completed 
with no reported problems.

    1.12 Completed Two Sets of 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.

    1.13 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 9319 (POMS Test Proposal: WFII 
Backup Parallel Archive Proposal II)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to execute a POMS test proposal, designed to 
simulate future scientific plans.  The proposal completed without incident.

    1.14 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD/MA1 9054 (Star Formation Triggers 
and Chemical Reprocessing in I Zw 18)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was used to 
observe I Zw 18, a blue compact galaxy {BCD} with the smallest known 
abundance of heavy elements yet observed.  As described in 2.1 and HSTAR 
8494, a re-acquisition for the first iteration of this proposal succeeded 
on the second attempt, possibly affecting the observations in that 
iteration.  Then in the second iteration, per HSTAR 8495, the acquisition 
and re-acquisitions all defaulted to fine lock backup on one FGS only.  No 
other anomalies were reported.

    1.15 Completed STIS/CCD 9576 (Establishing an Observational Baseline 
for the Newly-Discovered Peculiar Variable in Monoceros)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was used to 
perform target-of-opportunity UV spectroscopy of a newly-discovered {Jan 
6th} peculiar variable in Monoceros in order to determine its spectral 
class and the physical parameters of the star.  This will establish a 
baseline for monitoring the future evolution of this object.  Low 
resolution spectra of this possible nova of 10th mag were obtained on Jan 
8th and 9th and exhibit a reddened continuum plus a wealth of absorption 
features and four prominent emission lines exhibiting P-Cyg 
profiles.  Evidently the spectrum is highly unusual for a nova.  The mere 
existence of Ba emission lines tells us that this is a very special but 
highly evolved star and the object has been suggested to be a peculiar slow 
nova or a post-AGB star which has just suffered a final helium 
flash.  Thus, it might be similar to Sakurai's object.  It would then offer 
the unique opportunity to observe the very early phases of a final helium 
flash, something which could not be achieved in the case of Sakurai's object.

    1.16 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.

    1.17 Completed STIS/MA2 8920 (Cycle 10 MAMA Dark Measurements)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA2) was used to perform 
the routine monitoring of the MAMA detector dark noise, and is the primary 
means of checking on health of the MAMA detectors systems through frequent 
monitoring of the background count rate.  The proposal completed with no 
reported anomalous activity.

2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

    2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:
       Scheduled Acquisitions: 18
    Successful: 18
  Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 31
    Successful: 31

        Per HSTAR 8494, the re-acquisition at 040/174503Z was successful 
after the scan step limit was exceeded on FGS-2 on the first attempt.  The 
proposals detailed in 1.7 and 1.14 may have been affected.

        Per HSTAR 8495, the guide star acquisition at 041/143621Z defaulted 
to fine lock backup on FGS-1 only when the scan step limit was exceeded on 
FGS-2.  The following re-acquisitions at 041/160740Z, at 041/174344Z and at 
041/191947Z also resulted in fine lock backup.  The proposals detailed in 
1.7 and 1.14 may have been affected.

        The acquisition at 042/005214Z defaulted to fine lock backup on 
FGS-3 only when the scan step limit was exceeded on FGS-2.  Two proposals 
(STIS 9088 and WF/PC-2 9318), each occurring during the period of the next 
report may have been affected.

    2.2 FHST Updates:
    Scheduled: 44
    Successful: 44

    2.3 Operations Notes:

        The proposal described in 1.15 is a target-of-opportunity.

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

        There were STIS EMC re-tries at 039/044718Z and at 039/180509Z.  On 
each occasion, the STIS flight software error counter was cleared per ROP 
NS-12.

        A TTR was written for a required re-transmit at 040/085237Z during 
a 486 uplink.

        The STIS MCE-2 reset at 040/223726Z while the low voltage was on 
and while outside any SAA interval.  The STIS flight software error counter 
was cleared at 040/2339Z as directed by ROP NS-12.  MAMA-2 will be 
recovered via normal SMS commanding at 041/1249Z.

3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:

        Joint Integrated Simulation #6 (Rendezvous) will be conducted 
today, starting at 9:00 a.m. and continuing until approximately 8:30 p.m.

        Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.

/CAW