HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

   DAILY REPORT #2864

PERIOD COVERED:  0000Z (UTC) 05/02/01 - 0000Z (UTC) 05/03/01

Daily Status Report as of 123/0000Z

1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:

    1.1 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.

    1.2 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.

    1.3 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.

    1.4 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.

    1.5 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 8599 (A Census of Nuclear Star 
Clusters in Late-Type Spiral Galaxies)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to conduct an I-band snapshot survey of a 
well-defined sample of nearby, face-on spiral galaxies of type Scd or 
later.  The proposal completed nominally.

    1.6 Completed STIS/CCD 8607 (Completing the Local AGN Inventory: The 
AGN Content of Composite Nuclei)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to increase 
the knowledge of the local space density of AGNs which is of fundamental 
importance to a number of astrophysical problems.  A significant fraction 
of nearby galaxies have nuclei whose spectra are intermediate between those 
of LINERs and nuclear starbursts.  These ``transition objects'' may be 
composite systems that contain both a central AGN and circumnuclear star 
formation.  We will test this hypothesis by obtaining spatially-resolved 
optical spectra of a well-defined sample of 15 nearby transition nuclei 
selected from the extensive ground-based survey of Ho, Filippenko, and 
Sargent.  The observations completed with no reported problems.

    1.7 Completed Four 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.

    1.8 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.

    1.9 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1 8712 (The Wind Accretion Wake In A Detached 
Binary System)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was used to 
observe RW Hya {= HD 117970}, the only known detached binary system, where 
direct observational evidence for wind accretion onto a white dwarf is 
found.  UV
observations will enable the investigator to advance knowledge in a field 
which has for long had to remain a theoretical subject.  RW Hya is an 
eclipsing system containing a mass-losing M-giant and a hot white dwarf on 
circular orbits {370 days}.  The observation completed with no reported 
problems.

    1.10 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.

    1.11 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1/MA2 8849 (Faint Standard Extension)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD, MA1 and MA2) was 
used to observe fainter standard stars that are needed for the flux 
calibration of COS, while re-observations are required to check for 
variability and to improve S/N.  The observations completed nominally.

    1.12 Completed Three Sets of STIS/CCD 8845 (Spectroscopic Flats C9)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to obtain 
CCD flats in the spectroscopic mode.  The observations completed with no 
reported problems.

    1.13 UV Completed STIS/CCD 8611 (Observations of Nearby Type Ia Supernovae)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to obtain 
UV spectra of five nearby {0.02 < z < 0.08} SNe Ia in the Hubble Flow.  The 
spectra will be taken at weekly intervals over a range in time starting 
slightly before maximum light and extending to +30 days.  These 
observations will accomplish the following three goals: {1} calibration of 
the rest frame UV light curves of SNe Ia and an assessment of their 
potential use as distance indicators through UV light curve shape analyses. 
{2} improvement in our understanding of the physics of SNe Ia, 
metallicity/evolutionary effects and correlations between peak brightness 
and UV spectral features. {3} calibration of the SNe Ia previously observed 
by HST at high-redshift.  This data is crucial for proper cross-filter 
k-corrections and calibration of the supernova photometry.  The 
observations completed with no reported anomalous activity.

    1.14 Completed 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.

    1.15 Completed STIS/CCD 9106 (The Biggest Black Holes)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to perform 
searches for supermassive black holes in galaxy centers that have led to 
the discoveries that {1} most or all hot galaxies contain massive dark 
objects at their centers, presumably black holes; and {2} there is a tight 
correlation between the black-hole mass and the luminosity-weighted 
velocity dispersion of the hot component of the galaxy.  This remarkable 
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.  There were no reported 
problems.

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: 10
Successful: 10

    2.3 Operations Notes:

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

        A TTR was generated when a telemetry hit at WSGT while operating on 
TDRS-E caused a real-time data loss from 123/022738Z until 123/022818Z.

        As documented in HSTAR 8201, NICMOS suspended at approximately 
123/071928Z.  The resulting status buffer message stated that "while in 
boot mode, a control section reset was detected"; however, the instrument 
was in SAA operate.  These events occurred during a level one SAA 
passage.  A NICMOS memory dump was commanded at 123/0946Z, using ROP NS-9.

        A real-time map was completed at 123/0819Z using FHSTs 1 and 2.

3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:

        Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.

/CAW