HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

       DAILY REPORT #2962

PERIOD COVERED:  0000Z (UTC) 09/21/01 - 0000Z (UTC) 09/24/01

Daily Status Report as of 267/0000Z

1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:


    1.1 Completed Eleven Sets of STIS/CCD 9285 (POMS Test Proposal: STIS 
Non-scripted Parallel Proposal Continuation III)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to make low 
galactic latitude, non-scripted parallel observations as part of a POMS 
test proposal.  The observations were completed as planned, and no 
anomalies were reported.

    1.2 Completed Five Sets of STIS/CCD 8901 (Dark Monitor-Part 1)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to monitor 
the darks.  As described in 2.1 and HSTAR 8349, the acquisition for the 
third iteration of this proposal defaulted to fine lock backup on one FGS 
only, possibly affecting the observations.  Otherwise, there was no further 
anomalous activity.

    1.3 Completed Two 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.

    1.4 Completed Eight Sets of WF/PC-2 8936 (Cycle 10 Supplemental Darks 
Pt1/3)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to perform a dark calibration program that 
obtains three dark frames every day to provide data for monitoring and 
characterizing the evolution of hot pixels.  The proposal completed with no 
reported problems.

    1.5 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 9160 (Disks and Envelopes of Nearby 
Nebulous Young Stellar Objects: A Snapshot Survey)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to perform a snapshot survey of nearby 
nebulous young stellar objects to study the detailed morphology of the 
their disks and envelopes and probe the effect of inclination on the 
infrared spectral energy distribution of disk/envelope systems.  The 
proposal completed as planned.

    1.6 Completed STIS/CCD 9136 (T Tauri Star Coronagraphic Survey: A PMS 
Protoplanetary Disk Census)

      The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to observe 
pre-main sequence solar-mass stars, the T Tauri stars that Millimeter and 
IR studies suggest at least 50 percent have circumstellar disks similar to 
the disk from which our planetary system formed.  High spatial resolution, 
high dynamic range imaging of such systems will map the spatial 
distribution of material around the star, constraining the disk sizes and 
inclinations, and provide a first assessment of when structure in the disk, 
such as cleared central zones and annuli, which has been linked to planet 
formation, develops.  All observations completed without incident.

    1.7 Completed Seven Sets of WF/PC-2 8941 (Cycle 10 UV Earthflats)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to monitor flat field stability by obtaining 
sequences of earth streak flats to improve the quality of pipeline flat 
fields for the WFPC2 UV filter set.  The proposal had no problems.

    1.8 Completed Five 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.  As described in 2.1 and HSTAR 8349, the 
acquisition for the fourth iteration of this proposal defaulted to fine 
lock backup on one FGS only, possibly affecting the 
observations.  Otherwise, the observations completed with no further 
anomalous activity.

    1.9 Completed Three Sets of STIS/CCD 8903 (Bias Monitor - Part 1)

        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.  There were no problems.

    1.10 Completed Three Sets of WF/PC-2 9138 (Host Galaxies of 
Gravitationally Lensed Quasars)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to perform imaging studies of quasar host 
galaxies at high redshift that are biased toward detecting luminous 
hosts.  Gravitational lensing combined with optical and near-IR imaging 
enhances their detectivity and has nearly doubled the number of known hosts 
at z>1.  Lens studies have successfully imaged hosts with lower 
luminosities at farther distances beneath a larger fraction of quasars than 
imaging of non- lensed quasars.  We propose deep WFPC2 follow-up imaging of 
five lensed systems in the F555W and F814W filters, which offer unique 
opportunities for detailed studies of faint, high-redshift, quasar 
hosts.  The proposal completed as planned.

    1.11 Completed STIS/CCD 9284 (POMS Test Proposal: STIS Non-Scripted 
Parallel Proposal Continuation IV)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used in the 
parallel mode to make some low galactic latitude archive observations.  The 
observations were executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted.

    1.12 Completed FGS/1 9034 (The Masses and Luminosities of Population II 
Stars)

        Fine Guidance Sensor #1 was used to observe the mass-luminosity 
relation {MLR} of Population II stars of which very little is currently 
known.  With the advent of the Hipparcos Catalogue, improved distances to 
many spectroscopic binaries known to be Pop II systems are now 
available.  After surveying the literature and making reasonable estimates 
of the secondary masses, we find 13 systems whose minimum separation should 
be larger than the resolution limit of FGS #1.  The observations completed 
nominally.

    1.13 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD 9088 (Next Generation Spectral 
Library of Stars)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to produce 
a "Next Generation'' Spectral Library of 600 stars for use in modeling the 
integrated light of galaxies and clusters by using the low dispersion UV 
and optical gratings of STIS.  The library will be roughly equally divided 
among four metallicities, very low {Fe/H < -1.5}, low {-1.5 < Fe/H < -0.5}, 
near-solar {-0.5 < Fe/H < 0.1}, and super-solar {Fe/H > 0.1}, well-sampling 
the entire HR-diagram in each bin.  Such a library will surpass all extant 
compilations and have lasting archival value, well into the Next Generation 
Space Telescope era.  No problems occurred.

    1.14 Completed Three Sets of WF/PC-2 9145 (A Snapshot Survey of the 
Optically Selected Type-2 Quasars)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to observe an identified population of 
emission-line objects in DPOSS, which can be plausibly interpreted as the 
long-sought type-2 quasars.  They have high-ionization Seyfert-2 like 
spectra, but with narrow-line luminosities comparable to those of the 
luminous type-1 quasars in the same redshift range.  This population may be 
a major contributor to the cosmic hard x-ray background.  It is proposed to 
obtain multi-color images of a representative sample of these objects, in 
order to examine their morphology.  We may be able to detect point-like 
nuclei which are not detectable in ground-based images, the dust lanes 
hiding them from our view, possible evidence for tidal interactions and the 
overall morphology of their hosts, etc.  The proposal completed with no 
reported problems.

    1.15 Completed Three Sets of STIS/CCD 8906 (Hot Pixel Annealing)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to measure 
the effectiveness of the CCD hot pixel annealing process by measuring the 
dark current behavior before and after annealing and by searching for any 
window contamination effects.  In addition, CTE performance is examined by 
looking for traps in a low signal level flat.  There were no reported problems.

    1.16 Completed Three Sets of WF/PC-2 9042 (An Archive To Detect The 
Progenitors Of Massive, Core-Collapse Supernovae)

         The WF/PC-2 was used to search for supernovae which have massive 
star progenitors.  The already extensive HST archive and high-resolution 
ground-based images of galaxies within ~20 Mpc enables us to resolve and 
quantify their individual bright stellar content.  As massive, evolved 
stars are the most luminous single objects in a galaxy, the progenitors of 
core-collapse supernovae should be directly detectable on pre-explosion 
images.  One Type II progenitor has been observed this year, and the 
investigators have proposed a short, companion WFPC2 proposal to confirm 
this candidate and identify a second.  The observations completed nominally.

    1.17 Completed STIS/MA2 8710 (Timing And Proper Motion Measurement Of 
The Proposed Optical Counterpart Of The Nearby Pulsar PSR1929+10)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA2) was used to observe 
PSR1932+10, an old, nearby isolated neutron star detected as an X-ray 
pulsar.  Optical observations of neutron stars include both young and 
middle-aged objects for which different emission models {e.g. 
magnetospheric and thermal} have been proposed.  However, the general 
picture is far from being clear.  A firm optical identification of 
PSR1929+10 would thus be crucial to understand the long term evolution of 
the optical luminosity of pulsars and to investigate possible turnovers in 
the emission physics.  No anomalous activity occurred.

    1.18 Completed Five Sets of STIS/CCD/MA1/MA2 9062 (Observations of 
Comet Borrelly to Support the New Millennium/DS1 Flyby Occurring 23 
September 2001)

      The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD, MA1 and MA2) was used 
to support tthe New Millenium Program {NMP} Deep Space 1 asteroid-comet 
flyby mission that is now en route to comet 19P/Borrelly for a late 
September 2001 flyby.  The observations completed without incident.

    1.19 Completed WF/PC-2 9133 (Imaging of Gravitational Lenses)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to observe gravitational lenses that offer 
unique opportunities to study cosmology, galactic structure, galaxy 
evolution, quasar hosts and extinction.  They are also the only sample of 
galaxies selected on the basis of their mass rather than their luminosity 
or surface brightness.  While gravitational lenses can be discovered with 
ground-based optical and radio observatories, converting them from 
curiosities into scientific tools requires HST.  There were no reported 
anomalies.

    1.20 Completed WF/PC-2 9162 (Local Galaxy Flows and the Local Mass Density)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to investigate dark matter which is the main 
constituent of the universe.  It is not know how much there is, how it is 
distributed, or its composition.  Galaxies contain dark matter that extends 
many tens of kiloparsecs from their centers, but we do not know the 
limits.  The distribution of total mass in the universe can be determined 
by modelling the orbits galaxies have followed.  The proposal completed 
with no reported problems.

    1.21 Completed WF/PC-2 8191 (The Faintest Radio Galaxies: Interacting 
Starbursts at z<1)

        Deep WF/PC-2 imaging slitless spectroscopy of two of our ultra-deep 
VLA fields was performed.  There were no reported problems.

    1.22 Completed STIS/CCD 8895 (Far-UV Spectroscopy Of The Disk Around HD 
100546)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to perform 
a one-orbit program to do long-slit spectroscopy of HD 100546.  Lyman-alpha 
has been seen in emission in IUE/SWP spectra.  This
spectra would map the spatial extent of Lyman-alpha emission and give the 
spatial orientation of the disk {i.e. which side is the approaching 
side}.  The proposal completed with no reported problems.

    1.23 Completed STIS/CCD 8591 (The Smallest Nuclear Black Holes)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to observe 
small nuclear black holes which are the last major unexplored part of BH 
parameter space, searching for the smallest BHs that HST can possibly 
find.  As described in 2.1 and HSTAR 8349, the acquisition for this 
proposal defaulted to fine lock backup on one FGS only, possibly affecting 
the observations.  Otherwise, the proposal completed with no other reported 
anomalies.

    1.24 Completed WF/PC-2 9050 (Outflow Collimation in Bipolar Symbiotic 
Nebulae)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to observe flow collimation in evolved stars 
that is neither expected nor understood.  Classical theories of stellar 
evolution do not predict and cannot explain this bipolarity.  More exotic 
concepts {binary interactions, spun-up atmospheres, poloidal or toroidal 
magnetized winds} have been proposed, but observations are yet to verify or 
falsify any of their predictions.  This proposal will probe the 
near-nuclear morphology and kinematics of four bright, low-extinction 
targets whose large-scale structure is highly bipolar.  The goal is to 
provide a detailed description of the circumnuclear outflows, to uncover 
the physical structure and nature of the collimator, and to evaluate the 
speculative collimation mechanisms.  The bright nucleus has hampered 
efforts to explore the nebular collimators that lie close to the star, so 
we'll use STIS to disperse the nuclear light and, thus, to avoid its 
glare.  A secondary goal is to obtain second-epoch WFPC2 images of all 
targets.  There were no reported problems.

    1.25 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 9045 (The Relationship Between Radio 
Luminosity and Radio-Loud AGN Host Galaxy Properties)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to determine the relationship between the 
properties of the host galaxies of radio-loud AGN and their radio 
luminosities.  Previous studies in this area with the HST have concentrated 
on the 3C sample which shows a tight correlation between luminosity and 
redshift, such that evolutionary effects cannot be distinguished from those 
depending upon radio luminosity.  Our sample of 46 radio galaxies at z ~ 
0.5 comes from four complete, low-frequency-selected samples of radio 
sources with differing flux limits.  Thus the total sample spans an 
unprecedented three orders of magnitude in radio luminosity at a fixed 
redshift interval.  The proposal completed with no reported problems.

    1.26 Completed STIS/CCD 9066 (Closing in on the Hydrogen Reionization 
Edge of the Universe)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used in parallel 
constrain the Hydrogen reionization edge in emission that marks the 
transition from a neutral to a fully ionized IGM at a predicted 
redshifts.  The proposal completed uneventfully.

    1.27 Completed WF/PC-2 9155 (The Cepheid Distance to NGC 1637: A Direct 
Comparison with the EPM Distance to SN 1999em)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to directly compare distances estimated by two 
primary extragalactic distance indicators. T he appearance of supernova 
1999em, a bright, extremely well- observed type II plateau event in the 
nearby SBc galaxy NGC 1637 offers the best chance to test the consistency 
of the Expanding Photosphere Method {EPM} of supernova distance 
determination with that derived from Cepheid variable stars.  Although EPM 
distances have been measured to 18 type II supernovae out to 180 Mpc and 
used to determine Hubble's constant independent of the Cepheid distance, 
there have never been any measurements of Cepheids in a galaxy that has 
hosted a normal type II-P supernova, the classic variety of core-collapse 
event to which EPM-derived distances are most robust.  The proposal 
completed nominally.

    1.28 Completed WF/PC-2 9142 (The Structure and Physics of Extragalactic 
Jets)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to perform an ongoing investigation into the 
physics of jets.  It is proposed to obtain polarimetry of the jets of 3C 
264 and 3C 78.  No problems were reported.

    1.29 Completed STIS/CCD 9148 (Light Echos and the Nature of Type Ia 
Supernovae)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to take 
STIS snapshot images of a subset of 43 well observed Type Ia supernovae 
{SNIa}, most of which have been discovered in late type galaxies over the 
last 40 years to make a systematic search for light echos around SN 
Ia.  STIS will also observe a sample of 10 SN II and SN Ib/c, which are 
believed to be the result of massive star core collapse and, therefore, to 
be thin-disk population objects, in order to make an empirical calibration 
of the accuracy of our method for determining scale heights.  The SN Ia 
sample will provide a direct as well as accurate estimate of the scale 
height of SN Ia which is an important clue to the progenitors of these 
events. As described in 2.1 and HSTAR 8350, the acquisition for this 
proposal defaulted to fine lock backup on one FGS only, possibly affecting 
the observations.  Otherwise, he proposal completed nominally.

2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

    2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:
       Scheduled Acquisitions: 34
Successful: 34

        HSTAR 8349 documents that the acquisition at 265/182932Z defaulted 
to fine lock backup on FGS-1 only when the scan step limit was exceeded on 
FGS-3.  The proposals described in 1.2, 1.8 and 1.23 may have been affected.

        Per HSTAR 8350, the acquisition at 266/182757Z defaulted to fine 
lock backup on FGS-3 only when the scan step limit was exceeded on 
FGS-1.  The proposal detailed in 1.29 may have been affected.
  Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 11
Successful: 11

    2.2 FHST Updates:
Scheduled: 75
Successful: 75

    2.3 Operations Notes:

        The SSR EDAC error counter was cleared eight times as directed by 
ROP SR-1A.

        Using ROP DF-18A, the engineering status buffer limits were 
adjusted twice.

        The NSSC-1 status buffer was dumped and reset at 266/1219Z per ROP 
NS-3.

        The SSR was re-dumped at 266/1937Z in order to recover a STIS 
observation.  ROP SR-1A was utilized.

        The TRI module was reconfigured at 266/1938Z per ROP SR-2A.

3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:

        Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.

/CAW