HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

       DAILY REPORT #2989

PERIOD COVERED:  0000Z (UTC) 10/31/01 - 0000Z (UTC) 11/01/01

Daily Status Report as of 305/0000Z

1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:

    1.1 Completed Two 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.

    1.2 Completed STIS/CCD 8905 (Read Noise Monitor)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to measure 
the read noise of all the amplifiers {A, B, C, D} on the STIS CCD using 
pairs of bias frames.  Full frame and binned observations are made in both 
Gain 1 and Gain 4, with binning factors of 1x1, 1x2, 2x1 and 2x2.  All 
exposures are internals.  The proposal completed with no reported anomalies.

    1.3 Completed Two 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.

    1.4 Completed WF/PC-2 9107 (The Fundamental Plane for Nuclear Black Holes)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to conduct more in-depth searches for 
supermassive black holes in galaxy centers.  Previous work has led to the 
discoveries that {1} most or all hot galaxies contain massive dark objects 
at their centers, presumably black holes; {2} there is a remarkably tight 
correlation between the black-hole mass and the luminosity-weighted 
velocity dispersion of the hot component of the galaxy. This mbh-Sigma 
relation has a scatter which is <0.3 dex in mbh and consistent with 
zero.  This 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.  The 
goal of this proposal is to investigate the scatter in the mbh-Sigma 
relation and the role of possible second parameters, by examining a sample 
of galaxies at fixed velocity dispersion Sigma=200+/- 20 kms.  This 
approach decouples the effects of a second parameter from uncertainties in 
the shape of the mbh-Sigma relation, and minimizes spurious correlations 
because all of the galaxies will be studied using the same well-tested 
observational and modeling techniques.  No anomalous activity occurred.

    1.5 Completed Two 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.

    1.6 Completed 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.

    1.7 Completed STIS/CCD 8901 (Dark Monitor-Part 1)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to monitor 
the darks.  There was no anomalous activity.

    1.8 Completed WF/PC-2/STIS/CCD 9267 (Supernova Search)

        The WF/PC-2 and the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) were 
used to search for high-redshift supernovae in GO-observed fields, taking 
advantage of good first-epoch observations and of the scheduling 
opportunities available because STIS is not currently observing.  No 
anomalous activity was reported.

    1.9 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.

    1.10 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. The 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.

    1.11 Completed WF/PC-2 9118 (Tracing the Cosmic Expansion to z>1 with 
Type Ia Supernovae)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to observe type Ia supernovae in order to 
provide evidence for an accelerating universe.  The case for cosmic 
acceleration rests almost entirely on the observation that the observed SN 
Ia at z~0.5 are 0.25 magnitudes fainter than expected for a 
non-accelerating Universe.  It is proposed to follow five SN Ia in the 
range 0.95<z<1.2 using the 850LP filter.  When combined with a ground-based 
J-band follow-up campaign, the proposers can expect to measure the mean 
luminosity distance of the sample at z~ 1.05 to better than 5.  At these 
redshifts, the effect of Omega_Lambda has all but vanished and the Universe 
was decelerating due to its known matter content.  Because any simple 
systematic error will deviate substantially from the non-monotonic effect 
of a Omega_Lambda > 0 cosmology, this experiment is a powerful and 
straightforward way to assess the reliability of the SN Ia 
measurements.  In addition, if SN Ia are reliable standard candles, the 
proposed observations will significantly increase the precision with which 
Omega_Lambda and Omega_M are measured.  There was no reported anomalous 
activity.

    1.12 Completed STIS/CCD 9070 (A Census of Nuclear Star Clusters in 
Late-Type Spiral Galaxies: II. Spectroscopy and Stellar Populations)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to 
investigate spiral galaxies that have a prominent star cluster in their 
dynamical center.  Statistics for cluster frequency, size, and luminosity 
remain incomplete.  The proposal completed as planned.

    1.13 Completed WF/PC-2 9060 (Photometry of a Statistically Significant 
Sample of Kuiper Belt Objects)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to propel the physical study of KBOs forward 
by performing accurate photometry at V, R, and I on a sample of up to 150 
KBOs.  The sample is made up of objects that will be observed at thermal 
infrared wavelengths by SIRTF and will be used with those data to derive 
the first accurate diameters and albedos for a large sample of KBOs.  The 
observations completed nominally.

    1.14 Completed WF/PC-2/STIS/CCD/MA2 9127 (The UV interstellar 
Extinction in Nearby Galaxies: M33)

        The WF/PC-2 and the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and 
MA2) were used to investigate further the dust properties that vary in 
different environments and from galaxy to galaxy.  The proposers had 
previously used HST to determine the UV extinction curve in M31.  That 
result, together with other studies of the Magellanic Clouds and Milky Way, 
suggested that the dust particles vary and the proposers plan to enlarge 
the sample by studying the UV extinction properties of dust in M33, 
sampling different galactocentric distances and levels of star formation 
activity.  There were no reported problems.

2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

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

  Scheduled Re-acquisitions:  6
Successful:  6

    2.2 FHST Updates:
Scheduled: 25
Successful: 24

        Per HSTAR 8389, the roll delay update at 304/224749Z failed due to 
tracker #2.  The following acquisition was successful.

    2.3 Operations Notes:

        The engineering status buffer limits were updated twice per ROP DF-18A.

        Using ROP SR-1A, the SSR EDAC error counter was cleared at 304/1451Z.

        A TTR was written when there was a required re-transmit during a 
NSSC-1 uplink.  The SI C&DH error counter was reset at 304/2021Z as 
directed by ROP NS-5.

3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:

        Joint Integrated Simulation #2 (EVA-1/Planning/EVA-2) will begin 
this morning at 09:00 a.m. and continue until 08:00 p.m. tomorrow evening.

        Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.

/CAW