11171( 2) - 05/09/07 08:07 - [ 1] HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE OBSERVING PROGRAM 11171 Version: 2 Check-in Time: 09-May-2007 12:06:07 STScI Edit Number: 0 Title Confirming Light Echoes from SN 2006X in M100 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Type Cycle Parallel Pointing Tolerance GO 16 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Investigators Contact? PI: Dr. Arlin Crotts Columbia University in the City of New York ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Abstract We propose a minimal investment of spacecraft time to discover and confirm a light echo from Supernova 2006X in M100, the closest Type Ia in many years. Our spectroscopic and photometric data indicate that this SN sits behind a large amount of interstellar dust likely to produce a strong echo signal. This is one of very few cases where we will be able to study the three-dimensional environment of a SN Ia in full detail, and begin to understand how environmental effects play into the evolutionary and observational factors which influence the utility of SN Ia as standard candles for probing cosmology. We propose an efficient program to definitively detect (or not) a light echo of reasonable signal strength, to confirm that it is an echo by demonstrating apparent superluminal motion if it exists, to map the three-dimensional geometry of the reflecting interstellar structures, and to detail the reflectance properties of the dust which can be used to constrain its grain size and composition distribution. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Observations Description ------------------------ These observations recreate as closely as possible those of GO 10991 in 2006, consisting of short ACS exposures in three filters F435W, F555W and F775W. These are recreated by one orbit of F555W, one orbit of F380W and F439W, and one orbit of F702W and F791W. Real Time Justification ----------------------- Calibration Justification ------------------------- Additional Comments ------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 11171( 2) - 05/09/07 08:07 - [ 2] TARGET LIST Fixed Targets ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tar| Target | Target | Target |Coord | Radial | Flux data No | Name | Description | Position |Eqnx | Vel. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 SN2006X STAR, SUPERNOVA TYPE IA RA=12H22M53.9600S +/- 0.1", J2000 V = 20.0+/-2.0 DEC=+15D48'32.20" +/- 0.1" Reference Frame: ICRS 11171( 2) - 05/09/07 08:07 - [ 3] Visit: 01 Visit Priority: Visit Requirements: On Hold Comments: Additional Comments: These observations take place with the same setup and filters as Visit 1, but occur 4-8 months later when the supernova is fainter, hence can be longer exposure times. Exposures ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Exp | Target | Instr | Oper. | Aper |Spectral|Central| Optional |Num| Time | Special Num | Name | Config | Mode | or FOV |Element |Waveln.| Parameters |Exp| | Requirements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 SN2006X WFPC2 IMAGE PC1 F555W CR-SPLIT=DEF 1 1000 S ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2 SN2006X WFPC2 IMAGE PC1 F555W CR-SPLIT=DEF 1 1000 S ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3 SN2006X WFPC2 IMAGE PC1 F439W CR-SPLIT=DEF 1 1000 S ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4 SN2006X WFPC2 IMAGE PC1 F380W CR-SPLIT=DEF 1 1000 S ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5 SN2006X WFPC2 IMAGE PC1 F702W CR-SPLIT=DEF 1 1000 S ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6 SN2006X WFPC2 IMAGE PC1 F791W CR-SPLIT=DEF 1 1000 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 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SN2006X 1 WFPC2 IMAGE PC1 F555W none none none 1 1 N/A SN2006X 1 WFPC2 IMAGE PC1 F555W none none none 2 1 N/A SN2006X 2 WFPC2 IMAGE PC1 F555W none none none 1 1 N/A SN2006X 2 WFPC2 IMAGE PC1 F555W none none none 2 1 N/A SN2006X 3 WFPC2 IMAGE PC1 F439W none none none 1 2 N/A SN2006X 3 WFPC2 IMAGE PC1 F439W none none none 2 2 N/A SN2006X 4 WFPC2 IMAGE PC1 F380W none none none 1 2 N/A SN2006X 4 WFPC2 IMAGE PC1 F380W none none none 2 2 N/A SN2006X 5 WFPC2 IMAGE PC1 F702W none none none 1 3 N/A SN2006X 5 WFPC2 IMAGE PC1 F702W none none none 2 3 N/A SN2006X 6 WFPC2 IMAGE PC1 F791W none none none 1 3 N/A SN2006X 6 WFPC2 IMAGE PC1 F791W none none none 2 3 N/A 11171( 2) - 05/09/07 08:07 - [ 4] Summary Form for Proposal 11171 Item Used in this proposal ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Apertures PC1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Configurations WFPC2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Opmodes IMAGE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Optional Parameters CR-SPLIT=DEF ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Spectral Elements F555W F439W F380W F702W F791W ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Target Names SN2006X ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------