14885( 2) - 14-Dec-2016 16:56:55 - [ 1] HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE OBSERVING PROGRAM 14885 Version: 2 Check-in Time: 14-Dec-2016 16:56:55 STScI Edit Number: 0 Title Monitoring the Extraordinary Transient Outflow in the Quasar PG1411+442 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Type Cycle GO 24 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Investigators Contact? PI: Prof. Fred Hamann University of California - Riverside Y CoI: Prof. David Rupke Rhodes College N CoI: Prof. Todd M. Tripp University of Massachusetts - Amherst N CoI: Prof. Sylvain Veilleux University of Maryland N ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Abstract Quasar outflows are fundamental components of quasar environments and they might play an important role in feedback to host galaxy evolution. We obtained HST-COS spectra of a known outflow "mini-BAL" quasar, PG1411+442 (redshift = 0.089) in February 2015 that revealed the remarkable emergence of a unique new transient outflow that produces hundreds of weak absorption lines across rest-frame UV. This include FeII* transitions from excited states up to 3.9eV above ground, unusual lines of NiII*, OI*, CI*, and NI*, plus absorption in HeI* 5876, NaI D, and the HI* Balmer lines in the visible, at velocity shifts v ~ 1900 km/s and widths of only FWHM ~ 100-150 km/s. These features identify a very dense (n_H > 10^7 cm-3) and small outflow structure (covering ~20% of the quasar continuum source) with an enormous column density N_H > 10^23 cm-2. Followup HST-COS observations in April 2016 show that the outflow is evolving rapidly, probably due to the outflow structure crossing our lines of sight at high speeds (>1000 km/s). This unique extreme transient absorber represents a new phenomenon in quasar research that might offer important clues to the general nature of quasar outflows and their interactions with the host galaxies. We request 3 orbits with COS/FUV to monitor the evolution of the remarkable transient outflow in PG1411+442. These observations are urgent because rapid changes are occuring and measurements of the variability on short timescales are important to determine its location, energetics and physical nature of this outflow. We did not submit a normal cycle 24 proposal because the April 2016 data, needed to inform this request, came after the submission deadline. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Observations Description ------------------------ We will use 3 orbits with COS FUV to observe PG1411+442 in a way that duplicates our successful Cycle 21 and 23 observations of this source (in February 2015 and April 2016). This includes 1 orbit with G130M-1096 to cover rest-frame wavelengths 1000-1236A, 1 orbit with G130M- 1309 to cover 1153-1449A, and 1 orbit with G160M-1589 to cover 1398-1761A. We note that our Cycle 21 program used 2 orbits with G130M-1096 for a total of 4 orbits to measure broad lines in the BAL-like outflow in an observed wavelength range 940-1060A with very low sensitivity. The ripples are not detectable at those wavelengths even with 2 orbits because of low signal-to-noise. Thus we 14885( 2) - 14-Dec-2016 16:56:55 - [ 2] requested only 1 orbit with G130M-1096 here and in cycle 23 because it is more economical and sufficient to measure the ripples and BAL-like features both at wavelengths 1000-1236A. We performed extensive ETC calculations using these setting for our original Cycle 21 proposal. Here we note simply that the feasibility of the observations now proposed is demonstrated by the high-quality spectra we already obtained. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 14885( 2) - 14-Dec-2016 16:56:55 - [ 3] TARGET LIST Fixed Targets ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tar| Target | Target | Target |Coord | Radial | Flux data No | Name | Description | Position |Eqnx | Vel. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 2XMM-J141348 GALAXY, QUASAR RA=14H13M48.3291S +/- 0.05", J2000 V = 14.99 .3+440014 DEC=+44D00'14.09" +/- 0.2" Reference Frame: ICRS Extended: NO Comments: This object was generated by the targetselector and retrieved from the SIMBAD database. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 14885( 2) - 14-Dec-2016 16:56:55 - [ 4] Visit: 01 Visit Requirements: On Hold Comments: Additional Comments: Exposures ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Exp | Target | Instr | Oper. | Aper |Spectral|Central| Optional |Num| Time | Special Num | Name | Config | Mode | or FOV |Element |Waveln.| Parameters |Exp| (Total) | Requirements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 2XMM-J14134 COS/NUV ACQ/IMA PSA MIRRORB 1 16 S (16 8.3+440014 GE S) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2 2XMM-J14134 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G130M 1309 BUFFER-TIME=2611, FP-POS=ALL 1 570 S 8.3+440014 G (2280 S) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3 2XMM-J14134 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G130M 1096 BUFFER-TIME=6205, FP-POS=ALL 1 676 S 8.3+440014 G (2704 S) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4 2XMM-J14134 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G160M 1589 BUFFER-TIME=6037, FP-POS=ALL 1 670 S 8.3+440014 G (2680 S) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sub Exposures ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Target | Exp |Instr | Oper. | Aper |Spectral|Cent.|Primary |Secondary |Iteration |CR-SPLIT |Orbit |Duration Name | Num |Config | Mode | or FOV |Element |Wave.|Pattern Pos |Pattern Pos |Num |Num |Number | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2XMM-J141348.3+4400 1 COS/NUV ACQ/IMA PSA MIRRORB none none none none 1 N/A 14 GE 2XMM-J141348.3+4400 2 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G130M 1309 none none none 1 1 N/A 14 G 2XMM-J141348.3+4400 2 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G130M 1309 none none none 2 1 N/A 14 G 2XMM-J141348.3+4400 2 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G130M 1309 none none none 3 1 N/A 14 G 2XMM-J141348.3+4400 2 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G130M 1309 none none none 4 1 N/A 14 G 2XMM-J141348.3+4400 3 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G130M 1096 none none none 1 2 N/A 14 G 2XMM-J141348.3+4400 3 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G130M 1096 none none none 2 2 N/A 14 G 2XMM-J141348.3+4400 3 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G130M 1096 none none none 3 2 N/A 14 G 2XMM-J141348.3+4400 3 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G130M 1096 none none none 4 2 N/A 14 G 2XMM-J141348.3+4400 4 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G160M 1589 none none none 1 3 N/A 14 G 2XMM-J141348.3+4400 4 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G160M 1589 none none none 2 3 N/A 14 G 2XMM-J141348.3+4400 4 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G160M 1589 none none none 3 3 N/A 14 G 14885( 2) - 14-Dec-2016 16:56:55 - [ 5] Sub Exposures ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Target | Exp |Instr | Oper. | Aper |Spectral|Cent.|Primary |Secondary |Iteration |CR-SPLIT |Orbit |Duration Name | Num |Config | Mode | or FOV |Element |Wave.|Pattern Pos |Pattern Pos |Num |Num |Number | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2XMM-J141348.3+4400 4 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G160M 1589 none none none 4 3 N/A 14 G 14885( 2) - 14-Dec-2016 16:56:55 - [ 6] Summary Form for Proposal 14885 Item Used in this proposal ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Apertures PSA ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Configurations COS/FUV, COS/NUV ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Opmodes ACQ/IMAGE, TIME-TAG ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Optional Parameters BUFFER-TIME=2611, BUFFER-TIME=6037, BUFFER-TIME=6205, FP-POS=ALL ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Spectral Elements G130M, G160M, MIRRORB ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Target Names 2XMM-J141348.3+440014 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------