Page 1 PROPOSAL FOR HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE OBSERVATIONS ST ScI Use Only ID 3221c Report Date: 09-May-96:18:12 Version: ********** Check-in Date: ********** 1.Proposal Title: EVOLUTION OF LYMAN-ALPHA AND CIV ABSORPTON SYSTEMS: CYCLE 1 OBSERVATIONS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2. Scientific Category 3. Proposal For 4. Proposal Type 5. Continuation ID QUASARS & AGN GTO/OS 1025 Sub Category ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6. Principal Investigator Institution Country Telephone Dr. John N. Bahcall INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED STUDY USA (609) 734-8054 PROFESSOR ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7. Abstract The evolution of Lyman-alpha and CIV absorption line systems in quasar spectra will be investigated using 21 optically bright quasars with a wide range of redshifts; the wavelength at which the Lyman cutoff appears will also be determined. All of the prominent emission and absorption lines will be measured. ST observations are required because the spectral features of interest are in the far ultraviolet and are inaccessible from the ground. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8. Scientific Key Words: QUASAR, SPECTROSCOPY, ABSORPTION LINES, EMISSION LINES, EVOLUTION ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 9. Est obs time (hours) pri: 7.05 par: 0 10. Num targs pri: 21 par: 0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 11. Instruments requested: FOS WF/PC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Page 2 I. GENERAL FORM Proposal 3221c PI: Dr. John N. Bahcall Proposal Title: EVOLUTION OF LYMAN-ALPHA AND CIV ABSORPTON SYSTEMS: CYCLE 1 OBSERVATIONS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. Proposers: Proposers Institution Country ESA ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ John N. Bahcall INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED STUDY USA Richard Green NOAO, KITT PEAK NATIONAL USA OBSERVATORY ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3. Description of proposed observations. Twenty-one quasars will be studied spectroscopically with the FOS and the gratings G130H, G190H, G270H, G160L, and in a few cases for comparison with ground-based observations, G400H. Exposures are taken with a given grating only if the data contributes to the statistical program of analyzing absorption systems. Exposures 3, 22-24, and 34 will be used to calibrate the procedure relative to ground based observations of absorption lines. Exposures 3 and 22 should be scheduled within one week of each other. Parellel observations will be made with the WF/PC for the longer exposures to help determine the density of background objects for the proposal: "Luminosity Functions and Tidal Radii of Globular Clusters in Virgo," [J. Bahcall, P.I.]. Exposures 16-21 are parallel observations. Cycle 1 (SV: 1-6 months)=Exposures 3,5,8,10,12,22,24 Cycle 2 (7-18 months)=Exposures 1,4,7,11,13,15,23,25-35 Cycle 3+4 (19-30 months)=Exposures 2,6,9,14,36-50 Exposures 3 and 22 should be taken within a few days of each other. Exposures 16-21 are parallel exposures. Desirable but not critical. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4. Justification of need for HST observations. ST observations are required to reach the far ultraviolet wavelengths at which the relevant absorption and emission lines occur. UM 18 (target 12) has been studied extensively from the ground (Young et al. Ap. J. 252, 10, 1982), as have S4 1435+63 and UM 402, and will be used to help calibrate the ST reduction and analysis procedures relative to standard ground based observations. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5. Description of special scheduling requirements. Exposures 3 and 22 should be scheduled within one week of each other. We want to compare the spectra obtained with the two gratings with simultaneous ground- based observations and detections of absorption lines. This comparison would be complicated if the continuum emission of the quasar varied during the period between exposure 3 and exposure 22. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6. Description of special calibration exposures. Parallel observations should be as long as possible (uninterrupted if scheduling permits) and in dark time (if scheduling permits). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7. Data reduction and analysis plans. Primary data reduction and analysis will be performed at IAS for the absorption line features and at KPNO for the emission line features. Page 3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8. Additional comments or special requests. Measurements in other wavelength regions will be acquired prior to ST launch in order to make the ST observations more meaningful. Many of the program objects have already been studied extensively by R. Green and his collaborators in connection with surveys taken in other wavelength regions. R. Green will obtain spectra in the visible at KPNO that are as nearly simultaneous with ST observations as scheduling permits and will combine the ST results and the new KPNO data with the original PG survey material. One arc second positions are being measured by R. Green for all of the program objects for all cases in which they are not already known. Targets 2, 11, 12, and 15 (exposures 3, 22-24, 34-35) will be studied spectroscopically from the ground prior to the launch of ST in order that we can compare our sensitivity and reduction procedures to standard measurements from the ground. For this reason, we have requested observations of Targets 2, 11, and 12 in a wavelength region that is also accessible from the ground. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 10. Resources to be supplied by investigator's institution(s). Full computing support will be supplied by IAS. Research associates will be available. Observing assistance and computing support will be provided by KPNO for continuum and emission-line analyses. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 13. The evolution of Lyman-alpha and CIV absorption line systems in quasar spectra will be investigated using 21 optically bright quasars with a wide range of redshifts; the wavelength at which the Lyman cutoff appears will also be determined. All of the prominent emission and absorption lines will be measured. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 11. Address Information Name: JOHN N. BAHCALL Category: PI Institution: INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED STUDY Address: City: State: Zip Code: Country: Telephone: Telex (or e-mail): ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TARGET LIST a) Fixed Targets ID = 3221c [ 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| | | | | | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2 S4-1435+63 QUASAR RA = 14H 35M 37.2S+/-0.1S, 1950 Z=2.06 1 V = 15.0 +/- 0.2 DEC = +63D 49' 36"+/-1" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7 PG1634+706 QUASAR RA = 16H 34M 51.7S+/-0.1S, 1950 Z=1.334 1 V = 14.9 +/- 0.2 DEC = +70D 37' 37"+/-1" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 22 E1821+643 QUASAR RA = 18H 21M 41.7S+/-0.1S, 1950 Z=0.297 1 V = 14.2 +/- 0.2 DEC = +64D 19' 01"+/-1" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ EXPOSURE LOGSHEET ID = 3221c [ 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 S4-1435+63 FOS/RD RAPID 0.25X2. G270H 2225- READ-TIME=40 1 3600S 30 1 1 CYCLE 1 / 1-6.1 0 3300 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1.1 WAVE FOS/RD ACCUM 0.25X2. G270H 2225- 1 DEF 1 SEQ 1,1.1 NO GAP 0 3300 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2 PG1634+706 FOS/RD RAPID 0.25X2. G270H 2225- READ-TIME=40 1 3200S 30 1 1 0 3300 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2.1 WAVE FOS/RD ACCUM 0.25X2. G270H 2225- 1 DEF 1 SEQ 2,2.1 NO GAP 0 3300 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3 S4-1435+63 FOS/RD ACQ/ 4.3 MIRROR BRIGHT=330000.0 1 4S 1 ONBOARD ACQ FOR BINARY FAINT=660.0 3.1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3.1 S4-1435+63 FOS/RD ACQ/ 0.25X2. MIRROR 2225- TYPE=UP 1 2S 1 ONBOARD ACQ FOR 1 PEAK 0 3300 SPATIAL SCAN ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4 PG1634+706 FOS/RD ACQ/ 4.3 MIRROR BRIGHT=330000.0 1 4S 1 ONBOARD ACQ FOR BINARY FAINT=660.0 4.1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4.1 PG1634+706 FOS/RD ACQ/ 0.25X2. MIRROR 2225- TYPE=UP 1 2S 1 ONBOARD ACQ FOR 2 PEAK 0 3300 SPATIAL SCAN ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5 E1821+643 FOS/BL ACCUM 0.25X2. G130H 1150- 1 5000S 20 1 1 0 1608 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5.1 WAVE FOS/BL ACCUM 0.25X2. G130H 1150- 1 DEF 1 SEQ 5,5.1 NO GAP 0 1608 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6 E1821+643 FOS/BL ACQ/ 4.3 MIRROR BRIGHT=330000.0 1 3S 1 ONBOARD ACQ FOR BINARY FAINT=660.0 6.1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6.1 E1821+643 FOS/BL ACQ/ 0.25X2. MIRROR 1150- TYPE=UP 1 2S 1 ONBOARD ACQ FOR 5 PEAK 0 1608 SPATIAL SCAN ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Scan Paramters Form Proposal ID: 3221c [ 6] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Data ID: 1 Exposure Logsheet lines: 3.1,4.1,6.1 FGS Scan: DWELL Dwell Only: dwell points/line: 9 Seconds per dwell: 0.00 Scan width (arc-secs): 0.0000 Scan length (arc-secs): 0.4000 Angle between sides (degrees) 0.00 Number of lines: 1 Scan rate (arc-sec/sec): 0.0000 PA of first scan line (degrees) 90.000 Scan frame (CEL or S/C): S/C Length Offset (arc-sec): 0.2000 Width Offset (arc-sec): 0.0000 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Summary Form for Proposal 3221c [ 7] Item Used in this proposal ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Configurations FOS/RD FOS/BL ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Opmodes RAPID ACCUM ACQ/BINARY ACQ/PEAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Optional Parameters READ-TIME=40 BRIGHT=330000.0 FAINT=660.0 TYPE=UP ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Proposal for GTO/OS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ S/C Hours 7.05 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Scientific Category QUASARS & AGN ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Scientific Sub-category ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Special Requirements CYCLE 1 / 1-6.1 SEQ 1,1.1 NO GAP SEQ 2,2.1 NO GAP ONBOARD ACQ FOR 3.1 ONBOARD ACQ FOR 1 ; SPATIAL SCAN ONBOARD ACQ FOR 4.1 ONBOARD ACQ FOR 2 ; SEQ 5,5.1 NO GAP ONBOARD ACQ FOR 6.1 ONBOARD ACQ FOR 5 ; ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Spectral Elements G270H MIRROR G130H ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Target Names S4-1435+63 PG1634+706 E1821+643 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------