Page 1 PROPOSAL FOR HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE OBSERVATIONS ST ScI Use Only ID 3183c Report Date: 09-May-96:18:09 Version: ********** Check-in Date: ********** 1.Proposal Title: OBSERVATIONS OF SS 433 - CYCLE 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2. Scientific Category 3. Proposal For 4. Proposal Type 5. Continuation ID STELLAR ASTROPHYSICS GTO/FOC 1261 Sub Category ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6. Principal Investigator Institution Country Telephone Alec Boksenberg ROYAL GREENWICH OBSERVATORY UNITED KIN 44 223 374000 PROFESSOR ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7. Abstract Jet formation is a widespread phenomenon in the universe. Jets have been identified is such widely disparate sites as AGNs, neutron stars and black holes, accreting hot subwards or white dwarfs and young stars embedded in cocoons of gas and dust. We propose here to study the structure and dynamics of jets in SS 433. This object affords us the best means of directly testing the physics of accretion disk formation and jet activity. Specifically, high spatial resolution images of SS 433 will reveal the presumed jets of material giving rise to the moving spectral features, definitely resolving fundamental questions on the overall geometry encompassing the ballistically flowing material. Sequential images taken at intervals of a few days will record the time development of the bursts of ejection relating to the short-lived spectral structure observed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8. Scientific Key Words: SS 433; JETS. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 9. Est obs time (hours) pri: 6.00 par: 0 10. Num targs pri: 1 par: 0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Page 2 I. GENERAL FORM Proposal 3183c PI: Alec Boksenberg Proposal Title: OBSERVATIONS OF SS 433 - CYCLE 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. Proposers: Proposers Institution Country ESA ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Alec Boksenberg ROYAL GREENWICH OBSERVATORY UNITED KING X Francesco Paresce ESA, SPACE TELESCOPE SCIENCE USA X INSTITUTE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3. Description of proposed observations. Direct imaging using the f/288 mode using the objective prism or appropriate filters to accept the moving H Beta and Ly alpha features will be followed in a sequence taken over 10-20 days, complemented by some contiguous objective prism spectroscopy. Roll deconvolution will be used for Ly alpha imaging. Typical photometric data for SS 433 are V = 14.2, B-V=2.1, U-B=0.6. Interstellar extinction is severe, with AV possibly in the range 5-8 mag. The flux in a typical H Beta moving feature is 3.7x10 dex-13 erg per sq. cm. per sec. Assuming the flux ratio Ly alpha/H Beta is intrinsically about 30 the flux in a Ly alpha (red component) moving feature given the above extinction range is 3 x 10 dex-15 to 3 x 10 dex-19 erg per sq. cm. per sec. Using the geocoronal Ly alpha blocking filter, with filters or objective prism to separate the Ly alpha and H Beta images, only very short exposures are needed at H Beta (in fact, neutral density filters must be used to avoid saturation), but at Ly alpha exposures would range from 10 sec to 10 hours at the rest wavelength in the worst case because of the uncertainty in reddening. But when the red moving component is near its longest wavelength position (about 150nm) the sharp decrease in worst case reddening will decrease the exposure time by at least a factor 10, to 1 hour or less. We estimate a total observing time of 6 hours for a sequence of H Beta images with selected Ly alpha images chosen in the most effective combination to identify the time development and geometry of the moving structure. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4. Justification of need for HST observations. The full resolution of the FOC is needed to reveal the material exhibiting the moving spectral features and to delineate the system structure. Adequate resolution to identify ballistic jet structure can be obtained even at the wavelengths of the moving H Beta line emission and quite clear images cn be obtained at Ly alpha emission. Although reddenting is severe for this object Ly alpha still may be detectable in reasonable exposure times. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7. Data reduction and analysis plans. Full data reduction facilities are available to us. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 10. Resources to be supplied by investigator's institution(s). Data reduction facilities. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 13. High spatial resolution imaging and spectroscopy of the ejection phenomenon in SS 433. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 11. Address Information Page 3 Name: ALEC BOKSENBERG Category: PI Institution: ROYAL GREENWICH OBSERVATORY Address: MADINGLEY ROAD CB3 0EZ City: CAMBRIDGE State: Zip Code: Country: UNITED KINGDOM Telephone: 44 223 374000 Telex (or e-mail): ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TARGET LIST a) Fixed Targets ID = 3183c [ 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 SS433 HIGHLY EVOLVED STAR RA=19H09M21.3S+/-0.2S, 1950 1 V=14.2 DEC=+4D53'53.1"+/-0.5" Comments: GASP POSITION ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ EXPOSURE LOGSHEET ID = 3183c [ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8 DEFINE SS433 FOC/ IMAGE 512X512 F502M 4950 1 600S 1 GROUP 8-11 NO GAP CYCLE-1 288 CYCLE 1 / 8-12.5 Comments: IN EXP. 8-11 THE SPECTRAL ELEMENT DEPENDS ON THE PRECISE EPOCH, DUE TO THE HIGH VARIABILITY OF THE SOURCE. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 9 DEFINE SS433 FOC/ IMAGE 512X512 F502M 4950 1 600S 1 CYCLE-1 288 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 10 DEFINE SS433 FOC/ IMAGE 512X512 PRISM1 4950 1 1000S 1 CYCLE-1 288 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 11 DEFINE SS433 FOC/ IMAGE 512X512 PRISM2 4950 1 1000S 1 DARK TIME CYCLE-1 288 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 12 USE CYCLE-1 Comments: AFTER 7 IN PROPOSAL 1261 BY 80D +/- 2D ***** ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 12.5 USE AFTER 12 BY 3D+/- CYCLE-1 0.5D ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Summary Form for Proposal 3183c [ 6] Item Used in this proposal ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Configurations FOC/288 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Opmodes IMAGE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Optional Parameters ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Proposal for GTO/FOC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ S/C Hours 6.00 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Scientific Category STELLAR ASTROPHYSICS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Scientific Sub-category ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Special Requirements GROUP 8-11 NO GAP; CYCLE 1 / 8-12.5 DARK TIME AFTER 12 BY 3D+/-0.5D ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Spectral Elements F502M PRISM1 PRISM2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Target Names SS433 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------