Page 1 PROPOSAL FOR HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE OBSERVATIONS ST ScI Use Only ID 3253c Report Date: 09-May-96:18:17 Version: ********** Check-in Date: ********** 1.Proposal Title: OPTICAL AND ULTRAVIOLET OBSERVATIONS OF RADIO PULSARS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2. Scientific Category 3. Proposal For 4. Proposal Type 5. Continuation ID STELLAR ASTROPHYSICS GTO/HSP 1101 Sub Category ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6. Principal Investigator Institution Country Telephone Robert C. Bless WISCONSIN, UNIVERSITY OF USA 608-262-1715 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7. Abstract In spite of extensive efforts only two definite (Crab and Vela) and one probable (in SNR 0540-693) radio pulsars have been detected at optical wavelengths. Only the Crab Pulsar has been observed in the ultraviolet. Most efforts at modeling the optical emission mechanism are constrained only by the Crab Pulsar observations. To provide better model constraints, visual and ultraviolet observations of the Crab, Vela, and LMC pulsars will be obtained. Likely candidates will also be observed to attempt detection of pulses from pulsars previously undetected in the optical (millisecond pulsars and two binary pulsars). Revision History: Prepared for future cycles submission--BJW 4/24/92; Cycle 3 to cycle 2; Filter revisions--BJW 8/27/92; Update coordinates for OFF-LMC--BJW 10/27/92; Minor change to exposure time--BJW 11/19/92; Change in detector and aperture--BJW 12/1/92; Update STScI version with changes made since 8/27/92--BJW 12/7/92; ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8. Scientific Key Words: PULSARS, NEUTRON STARS, SUPERNOVAE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 9. Est obs time (hours) pri: 18.65 par: 0 10. Num targs pri: 7 par: 0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Page 2 I. GENERAL FORM Proposal 3253c PI: Robert C. Bless Proposal Title: OPTICAL AND ULTRAVIOLET OBSERVATIONS OF RADIO PULSARS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. Proposers: Proposers Institution Country ESA ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ G. W. Van Citters NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION USA Robert C. Bless WISCONSIN, UNIVERSITY OF USA Joseph F. Dolan NASA, GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT USA CENTER James L. Elliot MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF USA TECHNOLOGY Edward L. Robinson TEXAS, UNIVERSITY OF USA ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3. Description of proposed observations. CYCLE 0: Crab Pulsar - Observe through UV and V filter each orbit to use V filter as phase reference. Total time 20 minutes each UV filter and 60 minutes in V--total 3H 2M. CYCLE 2: Vela Pulsar - WFC image(10M) 2 months before to identify field. One hour in each filter (3 filters) in rotation. Repeat until 4 hours of integration per filter are obtained. 12H 11M total. Vela may be in CVZ-- needs dark time. LMC Pulsar - Same as Vela. Needs dark time. Millisecond Pulsars - WFC image 2 months before to explore field. Integrate for 5-1/3 hours in split mode (filters 750W & 320N) for each of two pulsar fields. Other Candidates Needs dark time. 16 hours total. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4. Justification of need for HST observations. The Space Telescope, besides the obvious access to the UV, provides an opportunity to examine pulse shape, phase as a function of frequency, and polarization with lower sky background levels, better discrimination against nebular contamination and lack of scintillation noise. Significant improvement over ground-based data is expected. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6. Description of special calibration exposures. Relating Space Telescope observations of pulsars to previous ground-based data will, in some cases, require calibration of the Space Telescope clock to +/- 10 msec to enable phase comparisons. This can be done after the observations. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 13. To provide better model constraints, visual and ultraviolet observations of the Crab, Vela, and LMC pulsars will be obtained. Likely candidates will also be observed to attempt detection of pulses from pulsars previously undetected in the optical (millisecond pulsars and two binary pulsars). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 11. Address Information Name: ROBERT C. BLESS Category: PI Institution: UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN Address: WASHBURN OBSERVATORY 475 N. CHARTER STREET City: MADISON State: WI Zip Code: 53706 Country: USA Telephone: 608-262-1715 Telex (or e-mail): 265452-UOFWISC-MDS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Page 3 Name: G. W. VAN CITTERS Category: CON Institution: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION Address: DIV. OF ASTRONOMICAL SCI. 1800 G STREET, N.W. City: WASHINGTON State: DC Zip Code: 20550 Country: USA Telephone: 202-357-9793 Telex (or e-mail): 982-438 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TARGET LIST a) Fixed Targets ID = 3253c [ 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 LMC-PULSAR PULSAR IN LMC RA = 5H 40M 11.32S +/- 1993 BKG 1 V=21 0.01S, DEC = -69D 19' 55.76" +/- 0.01" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2 OFF-LMC OFFSET TARGET FOR LMC- RA = 5H 40M 07.83S +/- 1993 1 V=12.3 PULSAR 0.01", DEC = -69D 20' 05.25" +/- 0.07" Comments: GS 9163 462 POSREF = GSC. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3 PSR0833-45 PULSAR RA = 08H 33M 39.27S +/- 1950 1 B=23.6 VELA PULSAR 0.02S, DEC = -45D 00' 10.2" +/- 0.3" Comments: EXACT OFFSET FROM OFF0833-45 TO BE DETERMINED IN WFC EARLY ACQUISITION. POSREF = VANCITTERS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4 OFF0833-45 OFFSET TARGET FOR RA = 08H 35M 19.82S +/- 2000 1 V=18.0 PSR0833-45 0.5", DEC = -45D 10' 27.9" +/- 0.5" Comments: STAR K FROM LASKER ET AL. (1972) AP.J.(LETT) 176, L65. POSREF = VANCITTERS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ EXPOSURE LOGSHEET ID = 3253c [ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 0.3 DEFINE # HSP/ ACQ 1 1S 1 # CTR2 UV2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 13 LMC-PULSAR WFC IMAGE ALL F555W 2 10M 10 1 1 CYCLE 2 / 13-21 DARK TIME / 13- 14.1 EARLY ACQ FOR 14.1 -15.8 PCS MODE FINE / 13 Comments: USED TO DETERMINE PRECISE -21 OFFSETS OF STARS FROM PULSARS. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 14.1 OFF-LMC HSP/ ACQ SIZE=15 1 3M 1 1 ONBOARD ACQ FOR VIS 14.25 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 14.25 LMC-PULSAR HSP/ SINGLE 1.0 F160LP SAMPLE- 1 1H 1 1 RT-ANALYSIS VIS TIME=0.0003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 15 USE LMC-PULSAR X800 1 ONBOARD ACQ FOR CTR2 15.25 SEQ 15 - 15.8 NO GAP ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 15.25 LMC-PULSAR HSP/ SINGLE 10.0 F140LP SAMPLE- 1 1H 1 1 RT-ANALYSIS UV2 TIME=0.0003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 15.4 LMC-PULSAR HSP/ SINGLE 10.0 F140LP SAMPLE- 1 1H 1 1 RT-ANALYSIS UV2 TIME=0.0003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 15.6 LMC-PULSAR HSP/ SINGLE 10.0 F140LP SAMPLE- 1 1H 1 1 RT-ANALYSIS UV2 TIME=0.0003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 15.8 LMC-PULSAR HSP/ SINGLE 10.0 F140LP SAMPLE- 1 1H 1 1 RT-ANALYSIS UV2 TIME=0.0003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 16 PSR0833-45 WFC IMAGE ALL F555W 2 15M 10 1 1 DARK TIME / 16-21 EARLY ACQ FOR 16.1 -21 Comments: USED TO DETERMINE PRECISE OFFSET OF STAR FROM PULSAR. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 16.1 OFF0833-45 HSP/ ACQ SIZE=15 1 3M 1 1 ONBOARD ACQ FOR 17 VIS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 17 PSR0833-45 HSP/ SINGLE 1.0 F160LP SAMPLE- 1 1H 1 1 RT-ANALYSIS VIS TIME=0.0003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 17.5 USE PSR0833-45 X800 1 ONBOARD ACQ FOR 18 CTR2 SEQ 17.5 - 21 NO GAP ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ EXPOSURE LOGSHEET ID = 3253c [ 6] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 18 PSR0833-45 HSP/ SINGLE 10.0 F140LP SAMPLE- 1 1H 1 1 RT-ANALYSIS UV2 TIME=0.0003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 19 PSR0833-45 HSP/ SINGLE 10.0 F140LP SAMPLE- 1 1H 1 1 RT-ANALYSIS UV2 TIME=0.0003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 20 PSR0833-45 HSP/ SINGLE 10.0 F140LP SAMPLE- 1 1H 1 1 RT-ANALYSIS UV2 TIME=0.0003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 21 PSR0833-45 HSP/ SINGLE 10.0 F140LP SAMPLE- 1 1H 1 1 RT-ANALYSIS UV2 TIME=0.0003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Summary Form for Proposal 3253c [ 7] Item Used in this proposal ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Configurations HSP/UV2 WFC HSP/VIS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Opmodes ACQ IMAGE SINGLE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Optional Parameters SIZE=15 SAMPLE-TIME=0.0003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Proposal for GTO/HSP ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ S/C Hours 18.65 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Scientific Category STELLAR ASTROPHYSICS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Scientific Sub-category ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Special Requirements CYCLE 2 / 13-21; DARK TIME / 13-14.1; EARLY ACQ FOR 14.1-15.8; PCS MODE FINE / 13-21; ONBOARD ACQ FOR 14.25; RT-ANALYSIS; ONBOARD ACQ FOR 15.25; SEQ 15 - 15.8 NO GAP; DARK TIME / 16-21; EARLY ACQ FOR 16.1-21; ONBOARD ACQ FOR 17; ONBOARD ACQ FOR 18; SEQ 17.5 - 21 NO GAP; ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Spectral Elements F555W F160LP F140LP ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Target Names LMC-PULSAR OFF-LMC PSR0833-45 VELA PULSAR OFF0833-45 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------