HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE DAILY REPORT #3018 PERIOD COVERED: 0000Z (UTC) 12/13/01 - 0000Z (UTC) 12/14/01 Daily Status Report as of 348/0000Z 1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED: 1.1 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD 8901 (Dark Monitor-Part 1) The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to monitor the darks. There was no anomalous activity. 1.2 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. 1.3 Completed Four Sets of WF/PC-2 8937 (Cycle 9 Supplemental Darks pt2/3) The WF/PC-2 was used obtain three dark frames every day to provide data for monitoring and characterizing the evolution of hot pixels. No problems were encountered. 1.4 Completed 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. 1.5 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD 9110 (A Search for Kuiper Belt Object Satellites) The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to investigate whether the large number of collisions thought to have taken place in the primordial Kuiper belt suggest that many Kuiper belt objects {KBOs} could have suffered binary-forming collisions similar to that which formed the Pluto -- Charon binary. Detection of such KBO satellites would allow measurement of KBO masses, would help to understand the past collisional environment of the Kuiper belt, and would give a context to the otherwise unique-seeming formation of the Pluto -- Charon binary. The proposal completed with no reported problems. 1.6 Completed FGS/1 9089 (Parallaxes of Cataclysmic Variables: Understanding Their Peculiar Secondary Stars) Fine Guidance Sensor #1 was used to measure precise parallaxes for three additional CVs {WZ Sge, RU Peg, and YZ Cnc}, whose orbital periods span a much larger range than explored in previous observations, allowing examination of how the accretion luminosity and secondary star change with orbital period. There were no problems. 1.7 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. 1.8 Completed 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. 1.9 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. 1.10 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. 1.11 Completed WF/PC-2 9134 (Giant H II Regions and the Connection with Starbursts and Diffuse Ionized Gas) The WF/PC-2 was used to study the connection between massive star formation regions, ionized supershells, and the diffuse ionized gas that pervades many star-forming galaxies. The proposal completed with no reported problems. 1.12 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. 1.13 Completed WF/PC-2 8942 (Cycle 10 Intflat Sweeps and Linearity Test) The WF/PC-2 was used to monitor the pixel-to-pixel flatfield response and provide a linearity check. These intflat sequences are done once during the year and the images will provide a backup database in the event of complete failure of the visflat lamp as well as allow monitoring of the gain ratios. There were no reported problems. 1.14 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1 9119 (Io's Prometheus Plume, and the Composition and Spatial Distribution of Io's Atmosphere) The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was used to obtain the most detailed view yet of Io's dynamic SO_2 / S_2 atmosphere, and the first spectroscopic observations of a Prometheus-type plume, to test models of plume and atmospheric chemistry and dynamics. The proposal completed as planned. 1.15 Completed WF/PC-2 8940 (Cycle 10 Earth Flats) The WF/PC-2 was used to monitor flatfield stability by obtaining 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 without incident. 1.16 Completed Two Sets of STIS/MA1/MA2 8920 (Cycle 10 MAMA Dark Measurements) The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA1 and MA2) was used to perform the routine monitoring of the MAMA detector dark noise, and is the primary means of checking on health of the MAMA detectors systems through frequent monitoring of the background count rate. The proposal completed with no reported anomalous activity. 1.17 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1 9067 (UV Detectability of Bright Quasars in the Sloan Fields) The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was used to take MAMA spectra of approximately 30 new, bright, high-redshift quasars in each of the next three cycles. The observations completed with no reported problems. 1.18 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1/MA2 9114 (SINS: The Supernova Intensive Study-- Cycle 10) The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD, MA1 and MA2) was used to perform observations of supernova SN2002, a target-of-opportunity observation. No problems were encountered. 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: 21 Successful: 21 2.3 Operations Notes: Using ROP SR-1A, the SSR-1 EDAC errors were cleared four times. There were numerous telemetry format changes (to PN and HN formats) as directed by ROP DF-09A. There was A STIS EMC re-try at 347/170437Z. Per ROP NS-12, the STIS flight software error counter was reset at 347/1711Z. ROP IC-2 was used to turn SSA-2 transmitter on and off for the interval 348/0113Z to 348/0142Z. The same ROP was utilized to turn SSA-1 transmitter on and off for the interval 348/0346Z to 348/0417Z. 3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS: Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations. /CAW