HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

   DAILY REPORT #2838

PERIOD COVERED:  0000Z (UTC) 03/27/01 - 0000Z (UTC) 03/28/01

Daily Status Report as of 087/0000Z

1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:

    1.1 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.

    1.2 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.

    1.3 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.

    1.4 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.

    1.5 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.

    1.6 Completed Four Sets of STIS/CCD 9248 (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 that probe the 
statistical properties of the intervening inhomogeneous {dark} matter 
distribution.  Its tidal gravitational field distorts the observable image 
shapes thereby causing a coherent ellipticity pattern {Cosmic Shear}.  The 
observations completed nominally.

    1.7 Completed WF/PC-2 8812 (Cycle 9 Internal Monitor)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to obtain routine internal monitors for WFPC2 
in order to monitor the health of the cameras.  A variety of internal 
exposures are obtained in order to provide a monitor of the integrity of 
the CCD camera electronics in both bays {gain 7 and gain 15}, a test for 
quantum efficiency in the CCDs, and a monitor for possible buildup of 
contaminants on the CCD windows.  There were no reported problems.

    1.8 Completed STIS/CCD/MA2 8628 (High Density {~ 10^9 Cm^-3} Gas In The 
Jet Formation Region Of T Tauri Stars)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA2) was used to 
investigate the ubiquitous outflow that occurs during star formation for 
which the driving mechanism is still unknown.  The proposal intends to 
compare the kinematics of the UV line formation region with that of the 
optical forbidden lines and to determine the physical characteristics of 
the jet formation region.   There were no reported problems.

    1.9 Completed Three Sets of WF/PC-2 9244 (POMS Test Proposal: WFII 
Parallel Archive Proposal Continuation)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to perform a generic target version of the 
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 observations completed with no anomalous 
activity.

    1.10 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1 8606 (Determining the Nature of the 
Variable Absorption in AGN: Monitoring NGC 3783 with HST And Chandra)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was used to 
investigate Seyfert 1 galaxies, many of which show intrinsic UV absorption 
lines, characterized by high moderate widths, significant outflow 
velocities, and variability on time scales as small as days.  Seyferts with 
UV absorption also show variable X-ray ``warm absorbers'', characterized by 
O VII and O VIII absorption edges, which suggests a common 
origin.  Variability monitoring is the key to understanding the absorbers, 
by providing their radial locations, densities, and evolution in 
ionization, column density, velocity, and coverage of the inner active 
nucleus.  The proposal completed with no problems.

    1.11 Completed STIS/CCD 8666 (Outflows from the Disk Fueling the 
Massive Black Hole in M87)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to observe 
the disk in M87 that is a prototype for gas orbiting a massive central 
object.  Although the disk is rotating, its morphology and kinematics are 
far from simple.  A deep Halpha+N II HST image shows a trailing, three arm 
spiral superposed on the underlying disk, and an extended system of 
filaments.  The NW filaments appear to connect directly to the 
disk.  Ground-based and HST observations suggest that some of the filaments 
originate in a bi-directional wind emanating from the disk.  Such a wind 
can carry away angular momentum, enabling gas to flow through the resolved 
disk into the accretion disk around the black hole.  We propose high 
spatial resolution spectroscopy aimed at achieving the following scientific 
goals: 1} Determine if winds are carrying angular momentum away from the 
disk, thereby enabling inflow and fueling of the massive black hole, 2} 
Estimation of the rate of mass loss and angular momentum loss from the 
disk, and 3} Use changes in the velocities and line strengths at the 
positions of the spiral- like features in the disk to determine if these 
are shocks where gas is flowing through a density wave.  The proposal 
completed with no reported problems.

    1.12 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.

    1.13 Completed WF/PC-2 8583 (Imaging Snapshots of Asteroids)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to obtain images of the fifty largest main 
belt asteroids that have favorable apparitions during cycle 9.  The images 
will be searched for companion bodies, as well as mineralogical variegation 
on the resolved main bodies.  There were no reported problems.

    1.14 Completed 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.

    1.15 Completed 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.

2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

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

  Scheduled Re-acquisitions:  7
Successful:  7

    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.

        Using ROP IC-2, SSA transmitter #2 was turned on and off for the 
interval 086/1528Z to 086/1543.

        At 186/2100Z, the Magnetic Torquer Subsystem (MTS) command echo 
error count registered 19 during a T2 slew in the South Atlantic Anomaly 
(SAA) region.  Later, at 086/2239Z, the MTS command echo error count read 
5, again during a T2 slew in the SAA.  The previous such event was on day 064.

3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:

        Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.

/CAW