HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class
Science
DAILY REPORT #4723
PERIOD COVERED: 5am October 23 - 5am October 24, 2008 (DOY
297/0900z-298/0900z)
OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED
FGS 11901
Filling the Period Gap for Massive Binaries
The current census of binaries among the massive O-type
stars is
seriously incomplete for systems in the period range from
years to
millennia because the radial velocity variations are too
small and the
angular separations too close for easy detection. Here we
propose to
discover binaries in this observational gap through a
Faint Guidance
Sensor SNAP survey of relatively bright targets listed in
the Galactic O
Star Catalog. Our primary goal is to determine the binary
frequency
among those in the cluster/association, field, and runaway
groups. The
results will help us assess the role of binaries in
massive star
formation and in the processes that lead to the ejection
of massive
stars from their natal clusters. The program will also
lead to the
identification of new, close binaries that will be targets
of long term
spectroscopic and high angular resolution observations to
determine
their masses and distances. The results will also be
important for the
interpretation of the spectra of suspected and newly
identified binary
and multiple systems.
FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:
Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are
preliminary reports
of potential non-nominal performance that will be
investigated.)
HSTARS: (None)
COMPLETED OPS REQUEST:
18338-0 - Recovery of SIC&DH-B to Normal
Mode @ 297/1720z
COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)
SCHEDULED
SUCCESSFUL
FGS GSacq
11
11
FGS REacq
00
00
OBAD with Maneuver
22
22
SIGNIFICANT EVENTS:
Flash Report: SIC&DH B-Side Recovery
At 297/17:19:43 UTC, Ops Request 18338-0 was successfully
completed,
returning the SIC&DH to Normal
mode.
Regulator B was powered on at approximately 297/17:14:05,
followed by
the Normal mode
transition and initialization of the NSSC-1 at
297/17:18:03 UTC.