----- Submission 1 (Tue May 10 21:26:14 GMT 2005) ----- Assigned ID: 243 ----- Submission 1 (Fri Jan 21 17:16:39 GMT 2005) ----- Phase I Proposal 243 (wd1620) successfully submitted. Confirming Planetary Candidates in the Stellar Graveyard with NICMOS We propose to follow up planetary candidates imaged near the white dwarf WD 1620-391 with second epoch images from NICMOS. This white dwarf was imaged during Cycle 12 as part of a campaign to detect massive planetary companions to nearby white dwarfs with photospheric metal line absorption. While at a low galactic latitude, a puzzling excess of objects are present < 4", suggesting the possiblity of objects physically associated with the white dwarf. With second epoch information we can test these candidates for common proper motion, a test for physical association. If any of these candidates are confirmed, they will be consistent with 6-10 M$_{Jup}$ companions at projected orbital separations of between 25-50 AU.
In 2 Gyro mode, two orbits will be used to observe WD 1620-391. This target will be observed behind the NIC2 coronagraphic spot at one orientation in the first orbit, and then in the very next orbit will be observed at a different spacecraft roll, preferably at a difference of ~10-30 degrees. ISM AND CIRCUMSTELLAR MATTER 12 false 0.0 false false false false false SUPPORTED STAR DA H=11.708 J2000 16 23 33.8367 -39 13 46.16 J2000 NIC2 Imaging Yes No F160W /var/tmp/OPVisit47935.xml First coronagraphic observations, with acquisition and direct observing behind the spot. To be used if 2 Gyro mode is active. Orientation restrictions are in place to ensure that two candidate planetary companions with separations of ~3.6 and 3.9 arcseconds at pointing angles (East of North) of 27 degrees and 279 degrees are still in the FOV. (Tic-Visit :proposal-id 10560 :visit-id "01" :proposal-version -1 :trans-version "20051205" :date "10-Feb-2006 10:44:00.0" :trans-errors '(:WARNINGS 0 :ERRORS 0 :HEALTH-AND-SAFETY 0 :FATAL-ERRORS 0 :CONTINUABLE-FATALS 0) :number-of-orbits 1 :saa-model "23" :si-bright-earth-limb-angle 20.0 :data-volume 64048 :tdrss-contact-duration 0 :coron NIL ) (Tic-Obset :proposal-id 10560 :visit-id "01" :obset-id "01" :pcs-mode "FGS" ) (Tic-Orbit :proposal-id 10560 :visit-id "01" :orbit-number 1 :pcs-time 339 :si-vis-utilization 2271 :al-overhead-at-end 0 :internal-dur-at-end 110 :dark-offset NIL :dark-utilization 0 :max-dark-utilization 1920 :low-sky "N" :pcs-visibility 3310 :pcs-gap 0 ) true 1 0 /hera/data1/royle/work/OP-cache/10560-v01.xml /var/tmp/OPVisit47936.xml This visit follows visit 1 with a spacecraft orientation change of between 10 and 30 degrees (Tic-Visit :proposal-id 10560 :visit-id "02" :proposal-version -1 :trans-version "20051205" :date "10-Feb-2006 10:44:07.0" :trans-errors '(:WARNINGS 0 :ERRORS 0 :HEALTH-AND-SAFETY 0 :FATAL-ERRORS 0 :CONTINUABLE-FATALS 0) :number-of-orbits 1 :saa-model "23" :si-bright-earth-limb-angle 20.0 :data-volume 64048 :tdrss-contact-duration 0 :coron NIL ) (Tic-Obset :proposal-id 10560 :visit-id "02" :obset-id "02" :pcs-mode "FGS" ) (Tic-Orbit :proposal-id 10560 :visit-id "02" :orbit-number 1 :pcs-time 339 :si-vis-utilization 2271 :al-overhead-at-end 0 :internal-dur-at-end 110 :dark-offset NIL :dark-utilization 0 :max-dark-utilization 1920 :low-sky "N" :pcs-visibility 3310 :pcs-gap 0 ) true 1 0