Page 1 PROPOSAL FOR HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE OBSERVATIONS ST ScI Use Only ID 2797c Report Date: 09-May-96:17:22 Version: ********** Check-in Date: ********** 1.Proposal Title: SEARCH FOR OORT COMET CLOUD UV EMISSION, SUITABLE NOVA OF OPPORTUNITY -- EPOCH 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2. Scientific Category 3. Proposal For 4. Proposal Type 5. Continuation ID INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM GO/AM 2797 Sub Category ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6. Principal Investigator Institution Country Telephone Mr. T. J. Hewitt AMATEUR ASTRONOMERS WORKING USA 415-525-5096 MR. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7. Abstract The aim of this proposal is to search for evidence of an Oort Cloud of comets surrounding the system of a bright galactic nova (target of opportunity), using the nova's light pulse as a "probe." Oort Cloud objects are believed to be rich in frozen volatiles (chiefly water) and organic molecules. The energetic flux of a bright nova may trigger significant activity from a large fraction of an Oort Cloud's population. The HST's unique ability to obtain high-resolution filtered images in the ultraviolet is critical to this proposal, since the OH (3085 A and 2820 A bands) products of water evaporation and dissociation processes in a remote Oort Cloud are potentially observable using the Wide Field Camera. Detection of an Oort Cloud would be a substantial result. Images obtained at two epochs (20 and 120 days from maximum luminosity) will be used to search for evidence of an Oort Cloud and may reveal information about the composition, total mass, and spatial distribution of material in the cloud. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8. Scientific Key Words: COMET, NOVA, UV, EMISSION ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 9. Est obs time (hours) pri: 10.58 par: 0 10. Num targs pri: 3 par: 0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 11. Instruments requested: WF/PC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Page 2 I. GENERAL FORM Proposal 2797c PI: Mr. T. J. Hewitt Proposal Title: SEARCH FOR OORT COMET CLOUD UV EMISSION, SUITABLE NOVA OF OPPORTUNITY -- EPOCH 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. Proposers: Proposers Institution Country ESA ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Mr. T. J. Hewitt AMATEUR ASTRONOMERS WORKING USA GROUP ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3. Description of proposed observations. Approximately 55 days after the nova's maximum luminosity, an Epoch 1 image (Exposure 1) will be obtained. In a separate proposal, two later epoch observations will also be made. All exposures will be made with filter F284W, to take advantage of the OH bands at 3085 A and 2820 A. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5. Description of special scheduling requirements. Exposure times are our best estimate. A CR-SPLIT of 0.33 is requested to optimize our ability to discern features over a wider dynamic range. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6. Description of special calibration exposures. This Observation SHOULD BE SCHEDULED WITHIN 55 DAYS OF NOVA'S PEAK BRILLIANCY IN ORDER TO PROBE THE REGION WITHIN 3500 AU OF THE SYSTEM AND FOR COMPARISON WITH EMISSION FEATURES DETECTED IN epochs 2 and 3. Epochs 2 and 3 should be SCHEDULED APPROXIMETLY 120 DAYS and 200 days FROM MAXIMUM LIGHT AND PROBE THE REGION OUT TO 20,000 AU and 35,000 AU FOR EVIDENCE OF AN OORT CLOUD. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7. Data reduction and analysis plans. Data reduction and analysis will make use of the facilities offered by STScI and available at UC, Berekely. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 11. Address Information Name: T. J. HEWITT Category: PI Institution: AMATEUR ASTRONOMERS WORKING GROUP Address: 418 BOYNTON AVE. City: BERKELEY State: CA Zip Code: 94707 Country: USA Telephone: (415) 525-5096 Telex (or e-mail): ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TARGET LIST a) Fixed Targets ID = 2797c [ 3] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 NOVA-CYGNI- A,150, G,512 RA = 20H 30M 31.626S +/- 1", J2000 1 V=17 1992 DEC = 52D 37' 51.88" +/- 1", PLATE-ID=003I Comments: V=17 IS OF PROGENITOR STAR. ANTISIPATE NOVA TO BE AT V=9 OR FAINTER AT TIME OF OBSERVATION. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ EXPOSURE LOGSHEET ID = 2797c [ 4] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 NOVA-CYGNI- PC IMAGE PC6 F284W PRE-FLASH=YES 1 35M 10 1 CYCLE 1 1992 CR-SPLIT=0.33 AT 19-APR-92 +/- 20D ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Summary Form for Proposal 2797c [ 5] Item Used in this proposal ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Configurations PC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Opmodes IMAGE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Optional Parameters PRE-FLASH=YES CR-SPLIT=0.33 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Proposal for GO/AM ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ S/C Hours 10.58 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Scientific Category INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Scientific Sub-category ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Special Requirements CYCLE 1; AT 19-APR-92 +/- 20D; ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Spectral Elements F284W ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Target Names NOVA-CYGNI-1992 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------