Page 1 PROPOSAL FOR HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE OBSERVATIONS ST ScI Use Only ID 1172c Report Date: 09-May-96:16:16 Version: ********** Check-in Date: ********** 1.Proposal Title: SPECTROSCOPY OF BL LAC OBJECTS -- CYCLE 0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2. Scientific Category 3. Proposal For 4. Proposal Type 5. Continuation ID QUASARS & AGN GTO/HRS Sub Category BL LAC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6. Principal Investigator Institution Country Telephone Dr. Albert Boggess NASA, GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT C USA (301) 344-5975 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7. Abstract Two of the brightest X-ray emitting BL Lac objects, PKS 2155-304 and MK 421, will be observed for dual scientific purposes. The first objective is to look for the possible shortward shifted absorption in strong UV lines (e.g. C IV, Si IV and N V) to follow up on the report of shortward-shifted absorption in the X-ray by Canizares and Kruper (Ap.J., 278, l99 - 1984). A detection of such absorption would provide additional support to the relativistic jet model, in which a gas jet from BL Lac nucleus is moving toward us. The second objective is to probe the galactic halo gas using those bright BL Lac objects as continuum background source. The lines to be probed include N V, C IV, Si IV, Mg II, Mg I, C I and H I. Based on the X-ray absorption, the absorption lines occurring in the putative jet are expected to be significantly broader than the absorption lines occurring in the halo. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8. Scientific Key Words: (1) ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI - BL LAC OBJECTS; (2) INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM - GALACTIC HALO ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 9. Est obs time (hours) pri: 3.60 par: 0 10. Num targs pri: 2 par: 0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Page 2 I. GENERAL FORM Proposal 1172c PI: Dr. Albert Boggess Proposal Title: SPECTROSCOPY OF BL LAC OBJECTS -- CYCLE 0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. Proposers: Proposers Institution Country ESA ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Yoji Kondo NASA, GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT USA CENTER Fred C. Bruhweiler CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA USA Albert Boggess NASA, GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT USA CENTER C. Megan Urry MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF USA TECHNOLOGY ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3. Description of proposed observations. A set of two low resolution exposures, which will cover the entire far-UV region, will be obtained for MK 421, in cycle 1. Medium resolution spectra in several selected regions will be obtained to observe the absorption occurring in the galactic halo. The work on PKS 2155-304 will be conducted in collaboration with B.D. Savage, in cycle 0. COMMENT FROM NO#13 EXPOSURE LOGSHEET OF PAGE 10: Lines 12 and 13 assume enhanced g140m sensitivity < 1300 A. Those esposure times may be changed to reflect improved calibration data. the same holds true for lines 2-4. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4. Justification of need for HST observations. Data needed for this investigation are high-resolution ultraviolet spectra that cannot be obtained from ground or with the IUE. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7. Data reduction and analysis plans. All data reduction and analysis are expected to be performed at NASA/GSFC or, in part, at Space Telescope Insititute. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 10. Resources to be supplied by investigator's institution(s). Necessary resourses will be supplied by the host institution, partially supported by the NASA funds provided through the HRS PI. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 13. Two bright BL Lac objects will be observed for dual scientific purposes. The first objective is to look for the possible shortward-shifted broad absorption occurring in the relativistic jet, which was reported in the X-ray spectrum. The second objective is to probe the galctic halo gas against the continuum spectrum of those BL Lac objects. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 11. Address Information Name: YOJI KONDO Category: Institution: NASA, GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER Address: CODE 684 City: GREENBELT State: MD Zip Code: 20771 Country: USA Telephone: (301) 344-6247 Telex (or e-mail): ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Page 3 Name: C. MEGAN URRY Category: Institution: MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNO Address: 37-607 City: CAMBRIDGE State: MA Zip Code: 02139 Country: USA Telephone: (617) 253-3130 Telex (or e-mail): ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Name: ALBERT BOGGESS Category: PI Institution: NASA, GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER Address: CODE 600 City: GREENBELT State: MD Zip Code: 20771 Country: USA Telephone: (301) 344-5975 Telex (or e-mail): ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Name: FRED C. BRUHWEILER Category: Institution: CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA Address: DEPT. OF PHYSICS City: WASHINGTON State: DC Zip Code: 20064 Country: USA Telephone: (202) 861-3721 Telex (or e-mail): ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TARGET LIST a) Fixed Targets ID = 1172c [ 4] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tar| Target | Target | Target |Coord | Radial |Acqui|FLX| Flux data No | Name | Description | Position |Eqnx | Vel. |Prblm|REF| | | | | | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 PKS2155-304 VARIABLE BL LACERTAE RA = 21H 58M 52.000S +/-1", 2000.0 1 V = 13.0 +/- 1.0 OBJECT DEC = -30D 13' 32.23" +/-1" 2 F-CONT(1500) = 8.3 +/- 2.0 E-14 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ EXPOSURE LOGSHEET ID = 1172c [ 5] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |10 | 11 | 12 |13 |14| 15 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Line | Seq | Target |Instr | Oper. | Aper |Spectral|Central| Optional |Num| Time | S/N |Flx|Pr| Special Number | Name | Name |Config| Mode |or FOV |Element |Waveln.| Parameters |Exp| |Rel. Time|Ref| | Requirements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 PKS2155-304 HRS ACQ 2.0 MIRROR-N2 SEARCH-SIZE=5 1 57.8S 1 2 ONBOARD ACQ FOR BRIGHT=DEF 1.2 FAINT=70 CYCLE 0 / 1-3 LOCATE=NO PEAKUP=DEF MAP=END-POINT Comments: STEP-TIME=0.2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1.2 PKS2155-304 HRS ACQ/ 2.0 MIRROR-N2 1 73.6S 1 2 ONBOARD ACQ FOR PEAKUP 1.3 Comments: STEP-TIME=1.6 SEC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1.3 PKS2155-304 HRS ACQ 2.0 MIRROR-N2 SEARCH-SIZE=1 53.0S 1 2 ONBOARD ACQ FOR FAINT=0 2.0-3.0 LOCATE=NO MAP=END-POINT Comments: TAKE MAP AFTER CENTERING STEP- TIME=0.2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2 PKS2155-304 HRS ACCUM 2.0 G140L 1315 FP-SPLIT=STD 14 5M 40 2 2 GROUP 2-3 NO GAP ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3 PKS2155-304 HRS ACCUM 2.0 G140L 1585 FP-SPLIT=STD 14 5M 25 2 2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Summary Form for Proposal 1172c [ 6] Item Used in this proposal ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Configurations HRS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Opmodes ACQ ACQ/PEAKUP ACCUM ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Optional Parameters SEARCH-SIZE=5 BRIGHT=DEF FAINT=70 LOCATE=NO PEAKUP=DEF MAP=END-POINT SEARCH-SIZE=1 FAINT=0 FP-SPLIT=STD ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Proposal for GTO/HRS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ S/C Hours 3.60 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Scientific Category QUASARS & AGN ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Scientific Sub-category BL LAC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Special Requirements ONBOARD ACQ FOR 1.2; CYCLE 0 / 1-3 ONBOARD ACQ FOR 1.3 ONBOARD ACQ FOR 2.0-3.0 GROUP 2-3 NO GAP ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Spectral Elements MIRROR-N2 G140L ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Target Names PKS2155-304 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------