HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

   DAILY REPORT #2807

PERIOD COVERED:  0000Z (UTC) 02/12/01 - 0000Z (UTC) 02/13/01

Daily Status Report as of 044/0000Z

1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:

    1.1 Completed STIS/CCD/MA2 8681 (Snapshot Survey of Variability of 
Narrow and Broad Associated Absorption Lines in Quasars)

        The Space telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA2) was used to 
investigate the variability in the strength of absorption lines in quasar 
spectra which is definitive proof that we are observing material that is 
physically associated with the quasars.  This proposal will conduct a STIS 
snapshot survey to provide second epoch observations of 37 quasars with 
narrow associated or broad absorption lines {NALs and BALs}, previously 
observed with the FOS.  At high redshift several intrinsic NALs and about 
two thirds of BALs are known to vary, often in accord with continuum 
variability.  The amplitudes increase and the timescales decrease with 
decreasing quasar luminosity.  The proposal completed nominally.

    1.2 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 8827 (Cycle 9 Supplemental Darks pt2/3)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to obtain three dark frames every day to 
provide data for monitoring and characterizing the evolution of hot 
pixels.  The proposal completed nominally.

    1.3 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1 8665 (The Starburst - AGN Connection: The 
Nature of the UV-bright Core in NGC 4303)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was used to 
observe NGC-4303, to date the best example of the claimed starburst- AGN 
connection in active galaxies.  The observations completed with no reported 
problems.

    1.4 Completed Six Sets of WF/PC-2 8811 (Cycle 9 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.  As detailed in HSTAR 8076 and 2.1, the acquisition for the fourth 
iteration of this proposal failed, and the take data flag remained 
down.  Otherwise, the proposal completed with no other reported problems.

    1.5 Completed Four Sets of WF/PC-2 8815 (Cycle 9 Earth Flats)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to monitor flatfield stability.  This proposal 
obtains 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 nominally.

    1.6 Completed Five Sets of WF/PC-2 8805 (POMS Test Proposal: WFII 
Parallel Archive Proposal Continuation)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to perform a generic target version of the 
WFPC2 Archival Pure Parallel program.  The program will be used to take 
parallel images of random areas of the sky, following the recommendations 
of the Parallels Working Group.  The proposal completed with no reported 
problems.

    1.7 Completed STIS/MA1 8843 (Cycle 9 MAMA Dark Measurements)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA1) was used to perform 
the routine monitoring of the MAMA detector dark noise.  The proposal 
completed nominally.

    1.8 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1 8638 (Temperature Scale And Metal Abundances 
Of Hot Hydrogen-Rich Central Stars Of Planetary Nebulae)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was used to 
perform UV spectroscopy on a sample of hot hydrogen-rich central stars of 
PNe, covering the hottest phase of post-AGB evolution. The spectra will 
then be analyzed with fully metal line blanketed NLTE model atmospheres in 
order to determine T_eff, surface gravity, and chemical composition.  The 
proposal completed with no reported problems.

    1.9 Completed WF/PC-2 8598 (Snapshot Survey of Extended OIIl Lambda 
5007Angstrom Emission in Seyfert Galaxies)

        The WF/PC-2 was to be used for a snapshot survey of narrow band 
OIII Lambda 5007Angstrom images for a well defined sample of 88 Seyfert 
galaxies.  However, as detailed in HSTAR 8076 and 2.1, the acquisition for 
this proposal failed, and the take data flag remained down.

    1.10 Completed Five Sets of STIS/CCD 8562 (Probing the Large Scale 
Structure: Cosmic Shear Observations)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to probe 
the distortion of light bundles from distant galaxies, looking at the 
statistical properties of the intervening inhomogeneous {dark} matter 
distribution.  As detailed in HSTAR 8076 and 2.1, the acquisition for the 
first iteration of this proposal failed, and the take data flag remained 
down.  Otherwise, the proposal completed nominally.

    1.11 Completed STIS/CCD 8838 (Bias Monitor - Part 1)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was to be 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.  However, as detailed in HSTAR 8076 and 2.1, the 
acquisition for this proposal failed, and the take data flag remained down.

    1.12 Completed WF/PC-2 8716 (Search For Sub-Stellar Companions To Young 
Brown Dwarfs In The Chamaeleon I Dark Cloud)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to observe twelve very low-mass dwarfs in the 
Chamaeleon I dark cloud, a site of on-going star formation, all showing 
H-alpha emission with spectral types from M6 to M8.  We propose to observe 
these young, very low-mass dwarfs in order to search for close, faint 
companions.  There were no reported problems.

    1.13 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD 8837 (CCD Dark Monitor-Part 1)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to monitor 
the darks.  The proposal completed with no reported problems.

    1.14 Completed STIS/CCD 8664 (Structural Measurement of Globular 
Clusters in M31 and NGC 5128: Stalking the Fundamental Plane)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to observe 
in the snapshot mode to image a wide selection of individual globular 
clusters in two other large galaxies {M31 and NGC 5128} for measurement of 
their structural parameters {r_c, c, central surface brightness}.  We will 
use these to compute their binding energies and define the FP in these two 
galaxies. Comparison with the Milky Way will then give us powerful new 
information on just how ``universal'' the cluster formation process was in 
the early protogalaxies.  The observations completed with no reported problems.

    1.15 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 8632 (A UV Atlas of Nearby Galaxies)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to perform a snapshot survey of local galaxies 
at UV wavelengths with the F300W filter.  The aim of the project is to 
build a reference UV Atlas of normal galaxies, whose optical images are 
well known, with the highest possible degree of information, covering all 
the morphological types and luminosity classes.  The proposal completed 
normally.

    1.16 Completed WF/PC-2 8597 (The Fueling of Active Nuclei: Why are 
Active Galaxies Active?)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to investigate the accretion onto massive 
black holes that are believed to be the energy source for AGN.  However, 
evidence for black holes in quiescent galaxies has also been reported.  Why 
are these galaxies inactive?  One possibility is that active galaxies are 
better at providing fuel to the nuclear region than quiescent 
galaxies.  Other possible fueling mechanisms such as ``bars-within-bars'' 
or nuclear spirals cannot be investigated from the ground because they are 
relatively small features in the ISM.  The observations were completed as 
planned.

    1.17 Completed WF/PC-2/STIS/CCD 8679 (Constraining the Age of the 
Oldest Stars from the White Dwarf Cooling Sequence in M4)

        The WF/PC-2 and the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) were 
used to search for the oldest and hence coolest white dwarfs {WDs} in M4, 
the nearest Galactic globular cluster to the Sun.  New models for cooling 
hydrogen white dwarfs predict that their colors should become bluer, rather 
than redder, with increasing age. The goal is to test these models and at 
the same time constrain the age of M4.  The proposal completed with no 
problems.

2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

    2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:
       Scheduled Acquisitions: 12
Successful: 11

        Per HSTAR 8076, the acquisition at 043/115858Z failed to RGA 
control when the scan step limit was exceeded on FGS-2.  An FHST map taken 
at 043/121244 showed relatively small errors.  The subsequent 
re-acquisition was successful.  The proposals described in 1.4, 1.9, 1.10, 
and 1.11 were affected.
  Scheduled Re-acquisitions:  6
Successful:  6

    2.2 FHST Updates:
Scheduled: 22
Successful: 22

    2.3 Operations Notes:

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

        The ephemeris table was uplinked at 044/0054Z, per ROP DF-07A.

        The NSSC-1 status buffer was dumped and reset at 044/0554Z as 
directed by ROP NS-3.

3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:

        Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.

/CAW