HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science

 

DAILY REPORT       #4865

 

PERIOD COVERED: 5am June 11 - 5am June 12, 2009 (DOY 162/0900z-163/0900z)

 

OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED

 

ACS/WFC 11371

 

CCD Cross Talk

 

The goal of this program is to verify the amount of cross talk in the

ACS WFC detectors in the post SM4 era. Before the failure of ACS the

cross talk was very low at gain=1 e-/DN and almost not existent at

gain=2 e-/DN. We plan to verify if the cross talk with the new

electronics is still at levels that do not represent concerns for

science. Both gain=1 and gain=2 will be tested. A bright extended source

and several bright (likely saturated) stars will be used for the test.

The sources will be positioned in different quadrants to verify if any

specific amplifier is more affected to cross talks than others.

 

The program consists of four visits two orbits each. Only three visits

are supposed to be executed for a total of 6 orbits. The structure of

each visit is identical, the only difference is the correlated double

sapling technique.

 

Visit 01 and 02 should be executed program between programs 11814

(iteration #6 of the CEB-R optimization campaign) and program 11815

(iteration #7 of the CEB-R optimization campaign). The aim of these

visits is to confirm with external observations the impact of the new

electronics on the cross talk while we are still optimizing the CEB-R.

 

Visit 03 or visit 04 should be executed anytime after the end of the

CEB-R optimization campaign depending on which of the dual slope

integrator or correlated double sampling is adopted.

 

ACS/SBC 11372

 

SBC UV Contamination Check

 

ACS/SBC throughput in the far-UV will be monitored during the bright

earth avoidance period through use of two non-BEA visits, each of one

orbit separated by one week allowing observations of NGC 6681. A waiver

for two non-BEA orbits during BEA was previously granted. Exposures will

be taken in PR110L, F115LP, F125LP, F140LP, F150LP and F165LP as in

recent UV Monitor program observations. These results will be one of the

activities determining if the BEA can be ended. A third visit just after

BEA ends will repeat the above monitoring and include one orbit with

F122M. ON HOLD visits 4 and 5 would substitute for 1 and 2 if SM4 is

delayed.

 

COS/NUV 11468

 

COS to FGS Alignment (NUV)

 

DESCRIPTION: In order to determine the location of the COS reference

frame with respect to the FGS reference frames, NUV MIRRORA images will

be obtained of an astrometric target and field. Astrometric guide stars

and targets must be employed for this activity in order to facilitate

the alignment with the FGS. Images will be obtained at the initial

pointing and at positions offset in V2 and in V3. Starting with the

original blind pointing, obtain MIRRORA image exposures in a 5x5

POS-TARG grid centered on initial pointing; repeat the image sequence at

two bracketing focus positions in same visit. Following completion of

third pattern, return to nominal focus and perform 5x5 ACQ/SEARCH target

acquisition and obtain one TIME-TAG MIRRORA image and one ACCUM

verification exposure. Next perform an ACQ/IMAGE target acquisition

followed by an ACCUM verification exposure. Also obtain ACCUM

verification exposure for each of the two alternate focus positions used

previously. Using MIRRORB obtain ACCUM confirmation image at nominal

focus and ACCUM images at alternate focus positions and then perform an

ACQ/IMAGE and confirming image at nominal focus. Analyze imagery, uplink

pointing offset as offset 11469A and adjust nominal focus via patchable

constant uplinked with subsequent visit of this program; update aperture

locations via modified SIAF file uplinked with subsequent SMS. Use

updated focus and offset pointing as input for COS 09 (program 11469 -

NUV Optics Alignment and Focus) (note the SIAF update is not a

prerequisite for COS 09 to proceed, but the pointing offset and focus

update are).

 

STIS07/CCD 11404

 

CCD Dark and Bias Monitor for SMOV4/Cycle 17 Activity STIS-07

 

Monitor the darks for the STIS CCD. 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.

 

STIS18/MA2/S/C 11351

 

NUV MAMA HV Recovery

 

This proposal addresses the concerns over Cesium migration from the

NUV-MAMA photocathode into the pores of the microchannel plate and lays

out the procedures necessary to permit a safe and controlled recovery of

the NUV-MAMA detector to science. This procedure should only be used

during the SMOV4 high voltage recommissioning phase for the NUV-MAMA.

After, the normal ramping procedure should be used. This proposal is

loosely based on proposal 10036, STIS MAMA Anomalous Recovery, with the

differences summarized below: (1) additional plateaus during voltage

commanding, (2) longer dwells after each 50 V step, (3) intermediate

ramp re-structured into 2 parts, (4) change in yellow and red limits and

the MCP Hi limit, setting new values for the next plateau, and (5)

adding a fold test at 300V below the nominal MCP voltage. The recovery

consists of four separate procedures (visits) and they must be completed

successfully and in order. They are: (1) a signal processing electronics

check, (2) 1st high voltage ramp-up to an intermediate MCP voltage of

-1500 V with limits modifications and voltage plateaus, (3) 2nd high

voltage ramp-up to an intermediate MCP voltage of -1750 V (300 V below

the nominal MCP voltage) with limits modifications and voltage plateaus

followed by a fold distribution test, and (4) a final high voltage

ramp-up to the full operating voltage, again with limits modifications

and voltage plateaus, followed by a fold distribution test. During the

1st high voltage ramp-up, diagnostics are performed followed by a dark

exposure. During the 2nd and 3rd high voltage ramp-ups, diagnostics are

performed followed by a dark, flat field ACCUMs, and a fold analysis

test. All required parameters are defined in 07-248 FUV and NUV SMOV

Ramp-up Parameters Excel workbook. Supports Activity STIS-18

 

WFC3/UVI 11422

 

SOFA Test

 

This proposal will verify the operation of all SOFA filter wheels using

the default calsystem tungsten lamp. Internal flatfields will be

obtained in one filter from each of the twelve filter wheels,

establishing an initial baseline over a broad wavelength range.

Subsequent proposals (e.g., WF19, proposal 11432) will obtain full

internal flatfield coverage in all UVIS filters. Filters for this

proposal were chosen based upon a balance of multiple factors:

reasonable countrate with calsystem tungsten lamp (no long exposure

times), science priority of the filter, overall coverage of UVIS

wavelength regime, and slot location in the wheel. Exposures will be

taken in the default full-frame, four-amp, unbinned readout mode.

 

This proposal corresponds to SMOV activity id WFC3-09.

 

WFC3/S/C 11454

 

Activation Test

 

This program (WFC3 SMOV program WFC3-01) verifies that WFC3 is in the

same condition after release from the Shuttle as during the Functional

Test (FT), which was conducted with HST in the Shuttle’s payload bay.

This analog test will be implemented in stored commanding that will be

generated from a Phase II proposal, whereas the in-bay FT was run with

real-time CCLs.

 

The purpose of the FT was to demonstrate that WFC3 is viable for

scientific research. This was accomplished by demonstrating that WFC3

can be commanded to the nominal scientific operating state and can carry

out nominal scientific operations of the UVIS and IR channels, including

operation of the thermoelectric coolers (TECs), corrector and focus

mechanisms, UVIS shutter, SOFA and FSM filter wheels, detectors, and

Control Section (CS). Only one Side of the CS is verified.

 

This test is compatible with execution during the post-FT, Safe-Protect

period. Operability of the TECs is not demonstrated in this test, but is

demonstrated in the SMOV Detector & TEC activation programs, WFC3-04 and

WFC3-05.

 

WFC3/UVI 11808

 

WFC3 UVIS Bowtie Monitor

 

The UVIS detector was observed during ground testing to occasionally

exhibit flat field and dark variations with a bowtie pattern. These

variations are most significant as ~1% flat field (gain) variations

across the field of view. It is believed that this represents a state or

condition into which the detector can transition for reasons and under

circumstances which are not currently understood. It is also very

unlikely that most science observations will determine the state (bowtie

or no-bowtie) of the detector. Ground test data indicates that this

state is long lived (many hours to ~one day). Hysteresis or memory of

past light exposure is also associated with this state.

 

Recent evidence suggests that exposing the detector to ~200k to 500k

electrons may quench this state. This proposal obtains an internal flat

field sequence of three exposures: one at 10x full well with two at 0.5x

full well immediately before and after. Each exposure is 3x3 binned to

reduce the data volume required.

 

These visits should be scheduled 2x per day until further direction is

provided.

 

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: (None)

 

COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)

 

                      SCHEDULED      SUCCESSFUL

FGS GSAcq               4                    4               

FGS REAcq               3                    3                

OBAD with Maneuver 4                    4            

 

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS:

 

Flash Report:

At 162/2020 both WFC3 detectors had achieved their final operational setpoints,

UVIS -83 C and IR -128 C.