Page 1 PROPOSAL FOR HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE OBSERVATIONS ST ScI Use Only ID 2123c Report Date: 09-May-96:16:53 Version: ********** Check-in Date: ********** 1.Proposal Title: POLARIZATION AND BROAD ABSORPTION LINES IN QUASARS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2. Scientific Category 3. Proposal For 4. Proposal Type 5. Continuation ID QUASARS & AGN GO Sub Category QUASAR EMISSION ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6. Principal Investigator Institution Country Telephone Robert Antonucci UCSB USA 805-893-4350 PROF. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7. Abstract OI 287 is a unique extragalactic source. It appears to take one property from each class of object. It is either some kind of missing link, or a new type of activity. Because of the high optical polarization, OI 287 has been classified with the blazars. However, every other blazar is variable in optical flux, polarization, and polarization angle., while OI 287 is constant at V=17, P=8%, and theta=145 degrees. Also, every other blazar has a radio source dominated by an intense flat-spectrum core, while OI 287 has an upper limit of 2% of the total 20cm flux in the core. The only group of quasars which ever shows even moderate (2-5%) constant optical polarization is the broad absorption line (BAL) objects, e.g. PHL 5200 and H1413+113. Among the BAL quasars, PHL 5200 and H1413+113 have exceptionally smooth deep, attached absorption lines, and also the highest polarization. We want to know whether OI 287 is a BAL quasar. It would be the first definite radio loud example. If it is a BAL quasar then the high polarization is really related to (and perhaps the key to) the BAL phenomenon, and we can use the techniques of spectropolarimetry to help unlock the BAL geometry. The UV spectral shape would also provide help determining the cause of polarization. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8. Scientific Key Words: QUASAR ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 9. Est obs time (hours) pri: 1.40 par: 0 10. Num targs pri: 1 par: 0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 11. Instruments requested: FOS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Page 2 I. GENERAL FORM Proposal 2123c PI: Robert Antonucci Proposal Title: POLARIZATION AND BROAD ABSORPTION LINES IN QUASARS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. Proposers: Proposers Institution Country ESA ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ J. S. Ulvestad JET PROPULSION LABORATORY USA Prof. Robert Antonucci UCSB USA A. L. Kinney STSCI USA ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3. Description of proposed observations. Our observing plan is very simple. We would like 69 min. with the FOS, Red Tube G190H Grating. Our target, OI 287, has Fnu(1.5mu) = 0.22 m Jy (V = 18) and Fnu is proportional to nu**(-1.5). Our main goal is to search for broad absorption blueward of the Si IV lambda 1397 and CIV lambda 1549 emission lines, which actually appear at 2020 Angstroms and 2240 Angstroms, respectively. Our other goal is to measure the spectrum slope to help determine the cause of the high polarization. The FOS simulator program shows that we can expect SNR 12/diode, which is good for our purpose. This is our simulation of a featureless power law of appropriate amplitude and slope: FIGURE IS SHOWN ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4. Justification of need for HST observations. The resonance lines normally seen in absorption in BAL quasars appear in the UV, and this target (V=18, F proportional to nu**(-1.5)) is much too faint for IUE. Broad absorption rarely appears at MgII lambda 2800, and existing ground based spectra rule this out for OI 287. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7. Data reduction and analysis plans. SDAS and IRAF programs. We have all the necessary programs for measuring the data, e.g. determining spectral slopes, line flux and equivalent widths, etc. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 9. Description of previous HST work. a. We've worked for the FOS IDT. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 10. Resources to be supplied by investigator's institution(s). STScI will provide the data analysis packages and computer hardware that we need. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 11. Address Information Name: ROBERT ANTONUCCI Category: PI Institution: U. C., SANTA BARBARA Address: PHYSICS DEPARTMENT City: SANTA BARBARA State: CA Zip Code: 93106 Country: USA Telephone: Telex (or e-mail): ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TARGET LIST a) Fixed Targets ID = 2123c [ 3] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 OI-287 GALAXY; QUASAR PLATE-ID=02UF, 2000 Z=0.446 1 F(2100) = 3.8 +/- 1.0E-16 RA=7H 52M 37.051S +/- 0.5", DEC=25D 42' 38.59" +/- 0.5" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ EXPOSURE LOGSHEET ID = 2123c [ 4] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 OI-287 FOS/RD ACQ/ 4.3 MIRROR 20S 1 1 CYCLE 1 BINARY ONBOARD ACQ FOR 2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2 OI-287 FOS/RD ACCUM 4.3 G190H 1900 1 3700S 12 1 1 CYCLE 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Summary Form for Proposal 2123c [ 5] Item Used in this proposal ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Configurations FOS/RD ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Opmodes ACQ/BINARY ACCUM ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Optional Parameters ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Proposal for GO ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ S/C Hours 1.40 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Scientific Category QUASARS & AGN ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Scientific Sub-category QUASAR EMISSION ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Special Requirements CYCLE 1; ONBOARD ACQ FOR 2 CYCLE 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Spectral Elements MIRROR G190H ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Target Names OI-287 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------