! $Id: 5467,v 12.1 1994/07/27 18:19:48 pepsa Exp $ coverpage: title_1: UV PROPERTIES OF THE HOT POST-NOVA GQ MUSCAE sci_cat: HOT STARS sci_subcat: ERUPTIVE BINARIES proposal_for: GO pi_fname: JOHN pi_mi: S. pi_lname: GALLAGHER pi_inst: 3884 pi_country: USA pi_phone: 608 263-2456 hours_pri: 6.45 num_pri: 1 fos: Y time_crit: Y ! end of coverpage abstract: line_1: Ten years after its 1983 eruption as a classical nova, GQ Muscae is still a line_2: luminous "supersoft" x-ray source, and is also a high amplitude optical line_3: variable. This combination of features can be understood if the white dwarf line_4: is continuing to burn hydrogen on tis surface and is heating the secondary line_5: component of the nova giving rise to optical light variations. Although this line_6: model is attractive, GQ Mus then stands out as being only recent classical line_7: nova to achieve a decade-long active lifetime. Thus the behavior of GQ Mus line_8: has important consequences for our understanding of the life cycles of line_9: classical novae. We propose to use the unique HST UV capabilities to measure line_10: key physical spectroscopic properties of this remarkable star. With the FOS line_11: we will obtain vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) spectrum to measure the continuum line_12: shape of the photosphere and thereby test the hot star model. The VUV line_13: spectrum will also allow us to measure the properties and possible varia- line_14: bility of emission lines. For example, a stellar wind is expected if this line_15: star is still undergoing nuclear burning in its envelope. We will examine line_16: our data for short term time dependent effects to study the relationship line_17: between the UV line and continuum variations and the optical. The results line_18: from the HST observations will be combined with ROSAT x-ray, VUV photometry, line_19: and optical data to build an understanding of an important cataclysmic line_20: variable system. ! ! end of abstract general_form_proposers: lname: OGELMAN fname: HAKKI inst: 3884 country: USA ! lname: SHANLEY fname: LEA mi: A. inst: 3884 country: USA ! lname: ORIO fname: MARINA inst: 6438 country: ITALY esa: Y ! ! end of general_form_proposers block general_form_text: question: 3 section: 1 line_1: The objective is to obtain time-resolved UV spectra of GQ Muscae. line_2: This object is located in the CVZ and it is therefore feasible to obtain line_3: unparalled observations by working during 4 orbits which corresponds to 4 line_4: optical variability cycles of this star. (The photometric period of GQ Mus line_5: is 85.5 minutes). We are segmenting our observations into 4 line_6: exposures, but in fact will be looking at the individual 4 minute spectra. line_7: Thus, if problems with scheduling CVZ time occurred, this would then allow line_8: observations to be made with these or longer exposure segments. line_9: This project requires a series of contiguous observations, that is to line_10: say we prefer to observe over about 4 orbits continuously. line_11: Grating 160L will be used to provide the necessary sensitivity and line_12: wavelength coverage. In this mode we predict a S/N of about 10/4 min. line_13: We are requesting observations over 3-4 photometric cycles of GQ Mus line_14: as it is critical in eruptive binary studies to be able to separate line_15: short term variability from effects which are truely synchronized with line_16: orbital phase. line_17: Also note that the nova is currently brighter than it will appear in line_18: the GSS catalog. ! question: 4 section: 1 line_1: Phase resolved UV spectroscopy is necessary to make an unambiguous interpre- line_2: tation of our ongoing ROSAT observations and will give important clues to line_3: why this nova has remained bright in soft x-rays for much longer than other line_4: novae. The VUV is also an important compliment to optical observations which line_5: are known to show high amplitude variability. Optical spectra do NOT give line_6: equivalent information to VUV observations. First, the optical is more line_7: strongly influenced by re-processed radiation than the VUV. Second, optical line_8: lines in hot systems arise in high levels of high ionization potential line_9: species, such as He II or N III, and do not have the same sensitivity to line_10: winds as is found in the VUV spectral region. Detection of and character- line_11: ization of the wind from the stellar remnant will be an important step in line_12: understanding remnant evolution. line_14: HST observations are necessary because GQ Mus is too faint for IUE. line_15: As the object is in a post-nova evolutionary phase, we cannot expect line_16: the system to continue in tis present state for an indefinite time, and line_17: it is therefore important to obtain HST UV spectroscopy within the next line_18: year. ! question: 5 section: 1 line_1: THIS IS A CVZ TARGET line_2: We prefer that the observations be uninterupted so that we can cover line_3: sequential orbits. If this is not feasible, we can accept interupted line_4: data. If scheduling constraints require that the object cannot be line_5: scheduled in CVZ, we will accept data with equivalent spacecraft line_6: orbits, roughly 3, during maximum unocculted time with reaquistions line_7: at each orbit. Obviously, CVZ is our first priority. Note that the line_8: rest of the form is filled out under the assumption of CVZ line_9: observations. ! question: 6 section: 1 line_1: ! ! question: 8 section: 1 line_1: NOTE THAT THIS IS A CVZ TARGET line_2: To advance scheduling, the observations have been reworked line_3: with Director`s Office approval for non-CVZ. ! question: 9 section: 1 line_1: Gallagher is a co-I on the G02389 Cycle 1 study of young super line_2: star clusters in nearby violently star-forming galaxies. He is line_3: also a Co-I on the G03532 Cycle 2 program to observe the distri- line_4: bution and colors of star clusters in the near edge-on southern line_5: spiral galaxy NGC 5170. line_7: None of these programs is scientifically related to this project. line_9: G02389: Data analysis for NGC 1569 and NGC 1705 is nearly complete. line_10: This is VERY complex due to the small sizes of the super-star clusters line_11: and the effects of aberrations on the PSF. We are finding that young line_12: (t<30 Myr) super-clusters are indeed globular cluster-like in their line_13: compactness. The existence of such objects implies the existence of high line_14: efficiency mode of star formation in violently star-forming low mass line_15: galaxies. Later this year we will work on the more complex cases line_16: presented by the observations of NGC 1140 and M82. line_18: G03532: Observations have been obtained. Data reduction and analysis line_19: will begin this fall. ! question: 10 section: 1 line_1: MADRAF and its associated cluster of DECStation 5000 and Alpha machines line_2: will be available to support data reduction and analysis tasks. line_4: UW Astronomy graudate student Lea Shanley will be involved in this project, line_5: which we plan to become part of her PhD thesis project. line_7: We also have ROSAT observations of GQ Muscae and will be communicating line_8: with the HSP group about their photometric results for GQ Muscae. ! !end of general form text general_form_address: lname: Gallagher fname: John mi: S. category: PI inst: 3884 addr_1: Dept. of Astronomy, 5534 Sterling Hall addr_2: University of Wisconsin addr_3: 475 North Charter St city: Madison state: WI zip: 53706 country: USA phone: (608) 263-2456 telex: jsg@jayg.astro.wisc.edu ! ! end of general_form_address records fixed_targets: targnum: 1 name_1: GQ-MUS name_2: NOVA-MUSCAE1983 name_3: GQ-MUSCAE descr_1: A,150,162,161 pos_1: RA = 11H 52M 2.543S +/- 0.17S, pos_2: DEC = -67D 12' 19.97" +/- 1.0", pos_3: PLATE-ID=06AG equinox: 2000 comment_1: THIS IS A CVZ TARGET comment_2: THIS TARGET IS VARIABLE. comment_3: OBSERVING PROGRAM AND EXPOSURE comment_4: TIME ARE DESIGNED TO STUDY comment_5: VARIABILITY. fluxnum_1: 1 fluxval_1: F-CONT(1500) = 3 +/- 1.5 E-15 ! ! end of fixed targets ! No solar system records found ! No generic target records found exposure_logsheet: linenum: 1.000 targname: GQ-MUS config: FOS/BL opmode: ACQ/PEAK aperture: 4.3 sp_element: MIRROR num_exp: 1 time_per_exp: 2.0S fluxnum_1: 1 priority: 1 param_1: SCAN-STEP-Y=1.204 param_2: SEARCH-SIZE-X=1 param_3: SEARCH-SIZE-Y=3 req_1: CYCLE 4 / 1.0 - 1.2; req_2: ONBOARD ACQ FOR 1.1; comment_1: VARIABLE TARGET ! linenum: 1.100 targname: GQ-MUS config: FOS/BL opmode: ACQ/PEAK aperture: 1.0 sp_element: MIRROR num_exp: 1 time_per_exp: 6.0S fluxnum_1: 1 priority: 1 param_1: SCAN-STEP-X=.172 param_2: SCAN-STEP-Y=.172 param_3: SEARCH-SIZE-X=5 param_4: SEARCH-SIZE-Y=5 req_1: ONBOARD ACQ FOR 1.15 comment_1: VARIABLE TARGET ! linenum: 1.150 targname: GQ-MUS config: FOS/BL opmode: ACQ/PEAK aperture: 0.5 sp_element: MIRROR num_exp: 1 time_per_exp: 12S fluxnum_1: 1 priority: 1 param_1: SCAN-STEP-X=.172 param_2: SCAN-STEP-Y=.172 param_3: SEARCH-SIZE-X=5 param_4: SEARCH-SIZE-Y=5 req_1: ONBOARD ACQ FOR 1.2 comment_1: VARIABLE TARGET ! linenum: 1.200 targname: GQ-MUS config: FOS/BL opmode: ACCUM aperture: 1.0 sp_element: G160L num_exp: 4 time_per_exp: 54M fluxnum_1: 1 priority: 1 req_1: NON-INT comment_1: VARIABLE TARGET comment_2: LONGER EXP TIME OKAY comment_3: CONTIGUOUS ORBITS PREFERRED ! ! end of exposure logsheet ! No scan data records found