! Proposal 6521, submission 1 ! PI: Alan Fitzsimmons ! Received Mon Feb 5 15:25:05 EST 1996 ! From: A.Fitzsimmons@Queens-Belfast.AC.UK ! Hubble Space Telescope Cycle 6 (1996) Phase II Proposal Template ! $Id: 6521,v 3.1 1996/03/04 15:41:57 pepsa Exp $ ! Hubble Space Telescope Cycle 6 (1996) Phase II Proposal Template ! $Id: 6521,v 3.1 1996/03/04 15:41:57 pepsa Exp $ ! ! Refer to the HST Phase II Proposal Instructions to fill this out ! ! Anything after a "!" is ignored, and may be deleted ! ! All keywords with multiple entries are comma delimited except the ! Visit_Requirements and Special_Requirements keywords which can be ! delimited with carriage returns or semi-colons, but not commas ! ! For help call your Program Coordinator: Lubenow ! Phone: 410-338-4928 , E-mail: lubenow@stsci.edu ! ! This partially completed template was generated from a Phase I proposal. ! Name of Phase I Proposal: archive-0352.fitzsimmons.prop ! Date generated: Fri Dec 22 16:13:53 EST 1995 ! Proposal_Information ! Section 4 Title: A search for outgassing from Kuiper Belt Objects Proposal_Category: GO Scientific_Category: SOLAR SYSTEM Cycle: 6 Investigators PI_name: Alan Fitzsimmons PI_Institution: Queen's University of Belfast CoI_Name: D'o nal 'O Ceallaigh CoI_Institution: Queen's University of Belfast Contact: ! Y or N (designate at most one contact) CoI_Name: Iwan Williams CoI_Institution: Queen Mary & Westfield College Contact: ! Y or N (designate at most one contact) CoI_Name: Mike Irwin CoI_Institution: APM Unit, Royal Greenwich Observatory Contact: ! Y or N (designate at most one contact) CoI_Name: Wing Ip CoI_Institution: Max Planck Institut fuer aeronomie Contact: ! Y or N (designate at most one contact) CoI_Name: Nicolas Thomas CoI_Institution: Max Planck Institut fuer aeronomie Contact: ! Y or N (designate at most one contact) Abstract: ! Free format text (please update) In the past 3 years almost 30 small bodies lying on the inner edge of the proposed Kuiper-Belt have been discovered using ground-based facilities. Their observed magnitudes of V >~ 22.4 imply diameters of <~ 400 km. From observations of comae around distant objects (Chiron, P/Halley, P/Bowell) it is now known that comets may continue outgassing to at least 13-19 AU, probably driven by CO sublimation. Therefore it is possible and indeed likely that Kuiper-Belt Objects also possess active surfaces. The Planetary Camera will be used to image 4 bright Kuiper-Belt Objects in order to search for comae around these bodies, thereby providing constraints on the present rate of mass-loss from their surfaces. The observations proposed here would be able to detect a mass-loss rate of 100 g s^-1 from the surface. Due to their large distance, the HST is the only telescope with the required sensitivity and spatial resolution to carry out this investigation. Questions ! Free format text (please update) Observing_Description: We will image each of the 4 target KBO's (1992 QB1, 1993 SB, 1993 SC, 1994 TB) using the Planetary Camera plus F555W filter. The decision to obtain imaging though one filter alone was made as it is not known a-priori which objects exhibit outgassing, and thus multi-wavelength imaging could not be considered an efficient use of spacecraft time. The F555W was chosen for two reasons. First, it is not possible to predict the size distribution of dust particles surrounding a KBO, but given that it may be dominated by particles of size <~ a few microns, then observations at V should ensure the best chance of detection of reflected solar flux. Secondly, the on-going calibration of the WFPC2 will regularly measure the psf through this filter throughout cycle 6 (S. Casertano, STScI, priv. comm.). These calibration exposures will ensure accurate knowledge of the WFPC2+F555W psf near the time of observation. Use of the RPS2 scheduling software has revealed that the most efficient use of time would involve two exposures per orbit, of length 1100 seconds and 1000 seconds. We calculate that a total integration time of 8400 seconds will allow a 3-sigma detection of the coma at 0.2 arcseconds radius when azimuthaly averaged. We require a 1-orbit visit to a star, with repeated imaging to allow us to observe the effect of OTA breathing on the psf (see below). For the Kuiper-belt objects we are requesting one visit to each of the four primary targets. 1992 QB1 will be observed for 3 orbits (2 images obtained per orbit), while 4 orbits will be used for 1993 SB, 1993 SC, and 1994 TB. Real_Time_Justification: As stated above, the primary contraints in the SNR for detection of comae will arise from both the wings of the psf from the KBO and the zodiacal light. As nothing can be done to minimise the former, we therefore request LOW-SKY for these observations. Calibration_Justification: The technical review of our phase I proposal suggested that some of the allocated time might be used for measurement of the psfs during our observations. Given that our severest constraint will be the breathing of the OTA, we have therefore decided to spend 1 orbit repeatedly observing the photometric standard F823-76 in order to study this effect. This observation will take place shortly after the observations of 1993 SC, for which it will be directly applicable. By comparing these observations with the on-going WFPC2 calibration observations taken routinely, we should be able to account for the effect of breathing in all of our other observations. Additional_Comments: Fixed_Targets ! Section 5.1 Target_Number: 1 Target_Name: F823-76-CALIB Alternate_Names: Description: CALIBRATION,POINT SPREAD FUNCTION Position: RA=00H 06M 23.80S +/- 0.1S,DEC=-00D 27' 06.0" +/- 0.3", PLATE-ID=012J Equinox: J2000 RV_or_Z: RA_PM: 0.0 Dec_PM: 0.0 Epoch: 1982.569 Annual_Parallax: 0.0 Flux: V = 17.39+/-0.01 B-V = 0.56 +/-0.01 Comments: Photometric standard, coords obtained from GASP Solar_System_Targets ! Section 5.2 Target_Number: 2 Target_Name: 1994TB Description: ASTEROID Level_1: TYPE=ASTEROID, ! Satellite of Sun A=39.2481967, E=0.3042266, I=12.11788, O=317.32134, W=97.13693, M=327.24746, EPOCH=27-APR-96, EQUINOX=J2000 Ephem_Uncert: ! Needed for REQ EPHEM CORR sp req Acq_Uncert: ! Needed for SAVE and USE OFFSET sp reqs Window: Flux: V = 22.1+/-0.2 ! Include at least V and B-V Comments: Kuiper-belt object. Latest elements are provided (3-Feb-96). Target_Number: 3 Target_Name: 1993SC Description: ASTEROID Level_1: TYPE=ASTEROID, ! Satellite of Sun A=39.7302529, E=0.1906946, I=5.15053, O=354.63040, W=317.10923, M=36.28235, EPOCH=27-APR-96, EQUINOX=J2000 Ephem_Uncert: ! Needed for REQ EPHEM CORR sp req Acq_Uncert: ! Needed for SAVE and USE OFFSET sp reqs Window: Flux: V = 22.5+/-0.2 ! Include at least V and B-V Comments: Kuiper-belt object. Latest elements are provided (3-Feb-96). Target_Number: 4 Target_Name: 1993SB Description: ASTEROID Level_1: TYPE=ASTEROID, ! Satellite of Sun A=39.3203433, E=0.3162029, I=1.93207, O=354.81337, W=78.40501, M=321.35135, EPOCH=27-APR-96, EQUINOX=J2000 Ephem_Uncert: ! Needed for REQ EPHEM CORR sp req Acq_Uncert: ! Needed for SAVE and USE OFFSET sp reqs Window: Flux: V = 23.3+/-0.2 ! Include at least V and B-V Comments: Kuiper-belt object. Latest elements are provided (3-Feb-96). Target_Number: 5 Target_Name: 1992QB1 Description: ASTEROID Level_1: TYPE=ASTEROID, ! Satellite of Sun A=44.0765083, E=0.0725545, I=2.18167, O=359.39220, W=1.01946, M=3.95094, EPOCH=27-APR-96, EQUINOX=J2000, Ephem_Uncert: ! Needed for REQ EPHEM CORR sp req Acq_Uncert: ! Needed for SAVE and USE OFFSET sp reqs Window: Flux: V = 23.3+/-0.2 ! Include at least V and B-V Comments: Kuiper-belt object. Latest elements are provided (3-Feb-96). Generic_Targets ! Section 5.3 Scan_Data ! Appendix B ! This is a template for a single visit containing a single exposure ! Repeat exposure and visit blocks as needed Visits ! Section 6 Visit_Number: 01 Visit_Requirements: ! Section 7.1 On_Hold_Comments: Visit_Comments: Exposure_Number: 01 ! Section 6.5 Target_Name: 1994TB Config: WFPC2 Opmode: IMAGE Aperture: PC1 Sp_Element: F555W Wavelength: Optional_Parameters: Number_of_Iterations: 4 Time_Per_Exposure: 2100S Special_Requirements: LOW-SKY ! Section 7.2 Comments: Visit_Number: 02 Visit_Requirements: ! Section 7.1 On_Hold_Comments: Visit_Comments: Exposure_Number: 01 ! Section 6.5 Target_Name: 1993SC Config: WFPC2 Opmode: IMAGE Aperture: PC1 Sp_Element: F555W Wavelength: Optional_Parameters: Number_of_Iterations: 4 Time_Per_Exposure: 2100S Special_Requirements: LOW-SKY ! Section 7.2 Comments: Visit_Number: 03 Visit_Requirements: SEQ 2-3 WITHIN 24H ! Section 7.1 On_Hold_Comments: Visit_Comments: Exposure_Number: 01 ! Section 6.5 Target_Name: F823-76-CALIB Config: WFPC2 Opmode: IMAGE Aperture: PC1 Sp_Element: F555W Wavelength: Optional_Parameters: Number_of_Iterations: 11 Time_Per_Exposure: 140S Special_Requirements: ! Section 7.2 Comments: Visit_Number: 04 Visit_Requirements: ! Section 7.1 On_Hold_Comments: Visit_Comments: Exposure_Number: 01 ! Section 6.5 Target_Name: 1993SB Config: WFPC2 Opmode: IMAGE Aperture: PC1 Sp_Element: F555W Wavelength: Optional_Parameters: Number_of_Iterations: 4 Time_Per_Exposure: 2100S Special_Requirements: LOW-SKY ! Section 7.2 Comments: Visit_Number: 05 Visit_Requirements: ! Section 7.1 On_Hold_Comments: Visit_Comments: Exposure_Number: 01 ! Section 6.5 Target_Name: 1992QB1 Config: WFPC2 Opmode: IMAGE Aperture: PC1 Sp_Element: F555W Wavelength: Optional_Parameters: Number_of_Iterations: 3 Time_Per_Exposure: 2100S Special_Requirements: LOW-SKY ! Section 7.2 Comments: Data_Distribution ! Defaults indicated; change if desired Medium: 8MM ! 8MM or 6250BPI or 1600BPI Blocking_Factor: 10 ! 10 or 1 ! Only astronomers with very old 9- ! track tape drives should consider ! a blocking factor of 1 Ship_To: PI_Address ! STSCI or PI_Address or ! PI Address from Phase I is: ! ! Department of Pure & ! Applied Physics ! Queen's UNiversity ! Belfast ! BT7 1NN ! ! Ship_Via: UPS ! UPS (2-day) or OVERNIGHT ! Overnight shipping done at PI expense Recipient_Email: ! Needed if Ship_To: is not PI_Address ! ! Let us know what you think of this template and software! ! Please send a list of your likes and dislikes to your Program Coordinator