HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

   DAILY REPORT #2825

PERIOD COVERED:  0000Z (UTC) 03/08/01 - 0000Z (UTC) 03/09/01

Daily Status Report as of 068/0000Z

1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:

    1.1 Completed Three 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.

    1.2 Completed Seven 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.  The proposal completed nominally.

    1.3 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 8683 (Imaging Of Brightest Cluster 
Galaxies: The High End Of The Black Hole Mass Distribution)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to make kinematic black hole detections in 
galaxies to decide whether they indicate that the mass correlates with both 
optical luminosity and radio power.  The observation completed with no 
reported problems.

    1.4 Completed Seven 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.

    1.5 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD 8776 (Absolute Proper Motions of 
Nearby Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to measure 
precise absolute proper motions for four dwarf spheroidal satellites of the 
Milky Way using spectroscopically-confirmed background QSOs to define a 
zero- velocity reference frame.  No anomalous activity was reported.

    1.6 Completed Two Sets of 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.

    1.7 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 8581 (A Search For Low-Mass 
Companions To Ultracool Dwarfs)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to search for very low-mass {VLM} companions 
to a complete sample of 120 late-M and L dwarfs, drawn mainly from the 
2MASS and SDSS surveys.  The primary goal is to determine the multiplicity 
of M < 0.1 M_odot dwarfs.  In particular, we aim to identify binary systems 
suitable for long-term astrometric monitoring and mass measurement, and 
systems with cool, sub-1000K companions.  The proposal completed with no 
reported problems.

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

        The WF/PC-2 was used for a snapshot survey of narrow band OIII 
Lambda 5007Angstrom images for a well defined sample of 88 Seyfert galaxies 
{29 Seyfert 1s and 59 Seyfert 2s}, 18 of which already have data in the 
archive, selected from a mostly isotropic property, the 60Mum flux.  These 
data will be used: 1} to determine the origin of the misalignment between 
the accretion disk axis and the host galaxy plane axis, which can be due to 
mergers with other galaxies, or by the self induced radiation warping; 2} 
to compare the size and shape of the Narrow Line Regions (NLR) of Seyfert 
1s and Seyfert 2s, and to study the frequency of conically shaped NLR in 
Seyfert galaxies, which are usually unresolved from ground-based 
observations; and 3} estimate the importance of shocks to the ionization of 
the NLR.  The observations completed with no reported problems.

    1.9 Completed STIS/CCD 8865 (Bias Monitor-Part 2)

        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.  The proposal completed with no anomalous activity.

    1.10 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD 8864 (CCD Dark Monitor-Part 2)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to monitor 
the darks for the CCD.  The proposal completed nominally.

    1.11 Completed STIS/CCD 9245 (Probing the Large Scale Structure: Cosmic 
Shear Observations)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to measure 
the distortion of light bundles from distant galaxies to probe the 
statistical properties of the intervening inhomogeneous {dark} matter 
distribution.  The proposal completed with no reported problems.

    1.12 Completed 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.  The proposal completed with no reported problems.

    1.13 Completed STIS/CCD/MA2 8621 (The Galactic Abundance Gradients of 
Boron and Iron)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA2) was used to 
provide the first measurement of the Galactic abundance gradients for Boron 
and Iron.  Boron abundances were obtained for 5 B-type stars {with 
Galactocentric distances between 4-15 kpc} from the BIII 2066 Angstrom 
line.  Optical spectroscopy of these {and other B-type} stars has yielded 
abundance gradients of -0.07 dex/kpc for N & the Alpha-elements {O, Mg, 
Si}.  Determination of Boron abundances require UV spectra.  The proposal 
completed nominally.

    1.14 Completed Five Sets of WF/PC-2 8816 (Cycle 9 UV Earthflats)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to obtain sequences of Earth streak flats to 
improve the quality of pipeline flat fields for the WFPC2 UV filter set and 
in order to monitor flat field stability.  There were no reported problems.

    1.15 Completed STIS/CCD/MA2 8569 (A New Survey for Low-Redshift Damped 
Lyman-Alpha Lines in QSO MgII Systems)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA2) was used to 
support studies which have shown that most of the observable neutral gas 
mass in the Universe resides in QSO damped LyAlpha {DLA} systems.  However, 
at low redshift , DLA can only be found by searching in the UV with 
HST.  By boot-strapping from the MgII statistics, we will be able to 
further improve the determination of the low- redshift statistical 
properties of DLA {their incidence and cosmological mass density} and open 
up new opportunities for studies at low redshift.  The observations 
completed nominally.

    1.16 Completed WF/PC-2 8817 (Cycle 9 INTFLAT Sweeps and Linearity Test)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to obtain INTFLAT observations in order to 
monitor the pixel to pixel flatfield response and provide a linearity 
check.  The INTFLAT sequences, to be done once during the year, are similar 
to those from the Cycle 8 program 8448.  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.  The sweep is a complete set of 
internal flats, cycling through both shutter blades and both gains.  The 
linearity test consists of a series of INTFLATs in F555W, in each gain and 
each shutter.  There was no anomalous activity.

2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

    2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:
       Scheduled Acquisitions:  8
Successful:  8

  Scheduled Re-acquisitions:  9
Successful:  9

    2.2 FHST Updates:
Scheduled: 18
Successful: 18

    2.3 Operations Notes:

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

        Telemetry formats "H" and "P" were activated ten times to cover SAA 
passages.

        Telemetry diagnostics at 067/2200Z were created to obtain detailed 
MSS-1 and MSS-1 magnetic field data.

3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:

        Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.

/CAW