! Proposal 6836, submission 1 ! PI: Jon Bell* ! Received Thu Feb 8 22:15:04 EST 1996 ! From: pulsar@merlin.anu.edu.au ! +====================+ ! | PED OUTPUT PRODUCT | ! +====================+ ! ! /home/pulsar/tex/proposals/hubble6/6836.prop ! Generated by PREPROCESSOR, version 6.0e ! Date: Mon Feb 5 14:40:19 EST 1996 Proposal_Information Title: Light Curve of an Eclipsing Millisecond Pulsar Companion Proposal_Category: GO Scientific_Category: BINARIES AND STAR FORMATION Cycle: 6 Investigators PI_Name: Jon Bell* PI_Institution: NRAL Jodrell Bank, University of Manchester CoI_Name: Ben Stappers CoI_Institution: Mount Stromlo and Siding Spring Observatories Contact: CoI_Name: Andy Fruchter CoI_Institution: Space Telescope Science Institute Contact: CoI_Name: Shri Kulkarni CoI_Institution: California Institute of Technology Contact: CoI_Name: Marten van Kerkwijk CoI_Institution: California Institute of Technology Contact: Abstract: PSR J2051--0827 is an exciting new millisecond pulsar which is in a 2.38 hour circular orbit about a 0.03 solar mass companion which eclipses the pulsed radiation from the pulsar for 20 minutes each orbit. The companion is only the second eclipsing millisecond pulsar companion identified optically. It provides an excellent opportunity to test the evolutionary scenarios implied for eclipsing and solitary millisecond pulsar systems. An accurate measurement of the magnitude and colour temperature of the companion as it passes through minimum light will allow us to distinguish whether the companion is tidally powered, or bloated due to impinging radiation, or has a radius which is consistent with a low mass white dwarf. The nature and radius of the companion are vital discriminants in determining the source of the eclipsing material and whether the companion will eventually be ablated. The companion may also be the coldest object known providing a unique opportunity to study the emergent spectrum with a combined HST optical and ground based infrared program. Questions Observing_Description: We propose to take 5 exposures per orbit for 7 space craft orbits. We chose the photometric filters because we believe that the better calibration outweighs signal-to- noise considerations. We will spend 4 orbits in F675W and 3 orbits F814W since the companion is brighter at longer wavelengths. The pulsar orbital phases for exposures are chosen to give more exposures near minimum light, and less at orbital phases away from minimum light. We wish to have each pair of orbits with the two different filters taken at the same pulsar orbital phases and close together in time, in order to minimise the effects that any long term variations in the color. However, the pairs can be well separated in time, allowing us to constrain long term variations in luminosity. Real_Time_Justification: We wish to concentrate the observations between pulsar orbital phases 0.1 and 0.4 (ie during minimum light) in order to probe the dark side of the companion as deeply as possible. The bright side of the companion is sufficiently bright to be observed from ground based facilities. Since orbital period of the system is known to millisecond accuracy, we can provide the necessary ephemeris for planning the observations. We intend to propose for Keck observations to obtain an infrared light curve of this system, as we have already done for PSR B1957+20 (see Figure 2). By having the light curve in several widely separated bands, one obtains in effect a luminosity curve. With this, it will be possible to constrain the backside temperature even in the case that a crescent of the bright side is still visible. Calibration_Justification: Additional_Comments: Fixed_Targets Target_Number: 1 Target_Name: PSRJ2051-0827 Alternate_Names: Description: STAR,BINARY PULSAR Position: RA=20H 51M 07.5119S +/- 0.0003S,DEC=-08D 27' 37.78" +/- 0.02" Equinox: J2000.0 RV_or_Z: RA_PM: 0.0 Dec_PM: 0.0 Epoch: !J1995.0 Annual_Parallax: 0.0 Flux: R = 23.34+/-0.06 R-I = 0.7+/-0.17 E(B-V) = 0.045+/-0.015 Comments: The flux at min light will be substantially less than above Solar_System_Targets Generic_Targets Scan_Data Visits Visit_Number: 01 Visit_Requirements: GROUP 01-02 WITHIN 10D PERIOD 0.0991102667D AND ZERO-PHASE JD2449642.673030 On_Hold_Comments: Visit_Comments: Exposure_Number: 1 Target_Name: PSRJ2051-0827 Config: WFPC2 Opmode: IMAGE Aperture: PC1 Sp_Element: F675W Wavelength: Optional_Parameters: CLOCKS=YES Number_of_Iterations: 2 Time_Per_Exposure: 800S Special_Requirements: PHASE 0.07 TO 0.11 Comments: Exposure_Number: 2 Target_Name: PSRJ2051-0827 Config: WFPC2 Opmode: IMAGE Aperture: PC1 Sp_Element: F675W Wavelength: Optional_Parameters: CLOCKS=YES Number_of_Iterations: 1 Time_Per_Exposure: 500S Special_Requirements: Comments: Visit_Number: 02 Visit_Requirements: PERIOD 0.0991102667D AND ZERO-PHASE JD2449642.673030 On_Hold_Comments: Visit_Comments: Exposure_Number: 1 Target_Name: PSRJ2051-0827 Config: WFPC2 Opmode: IMAGE Aperture: PC1 Sp_Element: F814W Wavelength: Optional_Parameters: CLOCKS=YES Number_of_Iterations: 2 Time_Per_Exposure: 800S Special_Requirements: PHASE 0.07 TO 0.11 Comments: Exposure_Number: 2 Target_Name: PSRJ2051-0827 Config: WFPC2 Opmode: IMAGE Aperture: PC1 Sp_Element: F814W Wavelength: Optional_Parameters: CLOCKS=YES Number_of_Iterations: 1 Time_Per_Exposure: 500S Special_Requirements: Comments: Visit_Number: 03 Visit_Requirements: GROUP 03-04 WITHIN 10D PERIOD 0.0991102667D AND ZERO-PHASE JD2449642.673030 On_Hold_Comments: Visit_Comments: Exposure_Number: 1 Target_Name: PSRJ2051-0827 Config: WFPC2 Opmode: IMAGE Aperture: PC1 Sp_Element: F675W Wavelength: Optional_Parameters: CLOCKS=YES Number_of_Iterations: 2 Time_Per_Exposure: 800S Special_Requirements: PHASE 0.18 TO 0.22 Comments: Exposure_Number: 2 Target_Name: PSRJ2051-0827 Config: WFPC2 Opmode: IMAGE Aperture: PC1 Sp_Element: F675W Wavelength: Optional_Parameters: CLOCKS=YES Number_of_Iterations: 1 Time_Per_Exposure: 500S Special_Requirements: Comments: Visit_Number: 04 Visit_Requirements: PERIOD 0.0991102667D AND ZERO-PHASE JD2449642.673030 On_Hold_Comments: Visit_Comments: Exposure_Number: 1 Target_Name: PSRJ2051-0827 Config: WFPC2 Opmode: IMAGE Aperture: PC1 Sp_Element: F814W Wavelength: Optional_Parameters: CLOCKS=YES Number_of_Iterations: 2 Time_Per_Exposure: 800S Special_Requirements: PHASE 0.18 TO 0.22 Comments: Exposure_Number: 2 Target_Name: PSRJ2051-0827 Config: WFPC2 Opmode: IMAGE Aperture: PC1 Sp_Element: F814W Wavelength: Optional_Parameters: CLOCKS=YES Number_of_Iterations: 1 Time_Per_Exposure: 500S Special_Requirements: Comments: Visit_Number: 05 Visit_Requirements: GROUP 05-06 WITHIN 10D PERIOD 0.0991102667D AND ZERO-PHASE JD2449642.673030 On_Hold_Comments: Visit_Comments: Exposure_Number: 1 Target_Name: PSRJ2051-0827 Config: WFPC2 Opmode: IMAGE Aperture: PC1 Sp_Element: F675W Wavelength: Optional_Parameters: CLOCKS=YES Number_of_Iterations: 2 Time_Per_Exposure: 800S Special_Requirements: PHASE 0.96 TO 0.999 Comments: Exposure_Number: 2 Target_Name: PSRJ2051-0827 Config: WFPC2 Opmode: IMAGE Aperture: PC1 Sp_Element: F675W Wavelength: Optional_Parameters: CLOCKS=YES Number_of_Iterations: 1 Time_Per_Exposure: 500S Special_Requirements: Comments: Visit_Number: 06 Visit_Requirements: PERIOD 0.0991102667D AND ZERO-PHASE JD2449642.673030 On_Hold_Comments: Visit_Comments: Exposure_Number: 1 Target_Name: PSRJ2051-0827 Config: WFPC2 Opmode: IMAGE Aperture: PC1 Sp_Element: F814W Wavelength: Optional_Parameters: CLOCKS=YES Number_of_Iterations: 2 Time_Per_Exposure: 800S Special_Requirements: PHASE 0.96 TO 0.999 Comments: Exposure_Number: 2 Target_Name: PSRJ2051-0827 Config: WFPC2 Opmode: IMAGE Aperture: PC1 Sp_Element: F814W Wavelength: Optional_Parameters: CLOCKS=YES Number_of_Iterations: 1 Time_Per_Exposure: 500S Special_Requirements: Comments: Visit_Number: 07 Visit_Requirements: PERIOD 0.0991102667D AND ZERO-PHASE JD2449642.673030 On_Hold_Comments: Visit_Comments: Exposure_Number: 1 Target_Name: PSRJ2051-0827 Config: WFPC2 Opmode: IMAGE Aperture: PC1 Sp_Element: F675W Wavelength: Optional_Parameters: CLOCKS=YES Number_of_Iterations: 2 Time_Per_Exposure: 800S Special_Requirements: PHASE 0.07 TO 0.11 Comments: Exposure_Number: 2 Target_Name: PSRJ2051-0827 Config: WFPC2 Opmode: IMAGE Aperture: PC1 Sp_Element: F675W Wavelength: Optional_Parameters: CLOCKS=YES Number_of_Iterations: 1 Time_Per_Exposure: 500S Special_Requirements: Comments: Data_Distribution ! 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