HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

   DAILY REPORT #2829

PERIOD COVERED:  0000Z (UTC) 03/14/01 - 0000Z (UTC) 03/15/01

Daily Status Report as of 074/0000Z

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 Ten 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 8604 (Stellar Populations Across the 
Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) : History and Structure)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to investigate the structure and evolutionary 
history of the SMC by obtaining a series of 50 three-color snapshots of 
selected SMC regions.  With this polling of SMC field star properties, we 
will produce color-magnitude diagrams in the U, V and I bands which will 
reach V~23.5 in regions too crowded to be observed accurately from the 
ground.  The observations completed nominally.

    1.4 Completed WF/PC-2 8720 (Masses and Multiplicity of Nearby Free- 
floating Methane and L Dwarfs)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to observe 50 very-low-mass objects in the 
solar neighborhood with spectral types of L0 and later {including several 
dwarfs with Methane absorption bands in their atmospheres}.  These objects 
will be observed in two filter bands with the aim to identify close 
companions, measure their colors, and to obtain first epoch data of the 
newly discovered binaries.  The observations completed nominally.

    1.5 Completed WF/PC-2 8682 (A Snapshot Study of 0bservational Cosmology)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to examine the observational constraints on 
the cosmic star formation history that is currently among the most active 
fields in observational cosmology.  The most widely used tracer of the 
co-moving volume-averaged star formation rate {SFR} is the UV luminosity 
density, which early results found to peak at z~1- 2.  The apparent 
identification of the primary epoch of metal production and star formation 
in the Universe led to intense theoretical and observational 
interest.  Nevertheless, and remarkably for such a fundamental observation, 
little is known about the history of star formation in the Universe beyond 
its global average.  There were no reported anomalies.

    1.6 Completed Nine 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 Five 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.

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

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph 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.

    1.9 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.

    1.10 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.

    1.11 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.

    1.12 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1 8595 (Does the D/H Ratio Vary in Local 
Interstellar Gas?)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was used to 
take measurements of the D/H ratio in the Local Interstellar Cloud {LIC} 
that are consistent with 1.5 +/- 0.1 X 10^-5, while for other clouds within 
~ 100 pc, the measurement uncertainties are larger.  Two target white 
dwarfs {WDs}, HZ 43 and GD 153, are chosen because EUVE data show low HI 
column densities, thereby reducing the probabilities of multiple velocity 
components and saturation of the DI line.  The WDs have pure-H atmospheres, 
so contamination of the interstellar lines by photospheric metal lines is 
not an issue.  The measurements completed with no reported problems.

    1.13 Completed Six 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.

    1.14 Completed WF/PC-2 8883 (POMS Test Proposal: WFII Backup Parallel 
Archive Proposal II)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to complete a POMS test proposal designed to 
simulate scientific plans.  There were no reported problems.

2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

    2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:
       Scheduled Acquisitions: 10
Successful: 10

  Scheduled Re-acquisitions:  7
Successful:  7

    2.2 FHST Updates:
Scheduled: 14
Successful: 14

    2.3 Operations Notes:

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

        The NSSC-1 status buffer was dumped at 074/0436Z per ROP NS-03.

3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:

        Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.

/CAW