We are proposing to use HST/STIS over a single orbit to make Lyman-alpha observations of the interplanetary hydrogen (IPH) during the March-April period of this year (2013). This special request is driven by the need to resolve the current controvery between Ulysses and IBEX results, to better characterize the trend of the IPH velocity with the solar cycle, and to provide new constraints on the state of the local interstellar medium. Monitoring the IPH velocity is a keystone to understand the dynamics of the heliosphere and the local interstellar medium. Results can be applied to the study of astrospheres. We propose to obtain 1 high-resolution profile of the background emission at Ly-alpha, in the upwind direction (lambda = 252.7, beta = -15.43 in celestial coordinates), with the echelle E140H grating associated with the long slit 52" x 0.5" and the FUV MAMA detectors. These observations will be the second one in a multi-cycle series to explore IPH properties, going from solar maximum toward the next minimum, tracking both long and short-term variations with a single-instrument as a baseline. This is an unsupported mode that blends spectral features from different orders of the echelle grating but greatly increases the signal-to-noise ratio in the resulting spectrum. We have already made a detailed analysis of STIS observations made in 2001 with similar conditions, so we have a pipeline to process the data : it performs dark subtraction and flat field correction, then corrects a geometric distortion which affects the vertical alignment of spectral features by using the procedure developed by Malamuth (1997, 1998) and Welsh et al. (2001). Moreover we have identified contaminations by geocoronal oxygen and their locations in the orders of interest. Malamuth, E., 1997, HST Proposal ID # 7788 Malamuth, E., et al. 1998, AAS, 193, 0815 Walsh, J.R., Goudfrooij, P., Malamuth, E. 2001, Instrument Science Report STIS 2001-02 We desire to obtain the maximum Doppler shift between the interplanetary and geocoronal emissions in order to maximize the separation between the IPH emission and the geocoronal background Ly-alpha contribution. This requires that the Earth moves toward the upwind direction, so the observation should occur in a window of 2 months centred around 1st April 2013. We are also planning to make coordinated observations with SOHO/SWAN for cross-calibration with the intensity maps provided by SWAN. Because of antenna problems which significantly degrades the quality of SWAN data, the period between 26 March and 3 April should be avoided if possible. We need the time-tag mode in order to monitor the time-evolution of the signal, particularly the signal from the geocorona. SOLAR SYSTEM Default false false false false false AVAILABLE ISM WIND Upwind direction of the interplanetary hydrogen. To be observed with no stars brighter than V-Magnitude=18 in the aperture. The coordinates have been slightly modified since the phase 1, to make sure that there will be no star in the field of view, whatever is the orientation of the slit. These new coordinates are reletively close but slightly different from the coordinates used for the phase 2 of observations made in 2012 (program 12800). J2000 J2000 SURF-LINE(1216)=2.+/-1.e-12, W-LINE(1216)=0.15+/-0.1 ISM WIND Upwind direction of the interplanetary hydrogen. To be observed with no stars brighter than V-Magnitude=18 in the aperture. The coordinates have been slightly modified since the phase 1, to make sure that there will be no star in the field of view, whatever is the orientation of the slit. These new coordinates are reletively close but slightly different from the coordinates used for the phase 2 of observations made in 2012 (program 12800). J2000 J2000 SURF-LINE(1216)=2.+/-1.e-12, W-LINE(1216)=0.15+/-0.1 STIS/FUV-MAMA Spectroscopic No No E140H 1234 The scheduling data was generated by CASM 21.0. CASM was run in Phase II mode. Please schedule as close as possible to 1 April 2013. We desire to obtain the maximum Doppler shift between the interplanetary and geocoronal emissions in order to maximize the separation between the IPH emission and the geocoronal background Ly-alpha contribution. This requires that the Earth moves toward the upwind direction, so the observation should occur in a window of 2 months centred around 1st April 2013. We are also planning to make coordinated observations with SOHO/SWAN for cross-calibration with the intensity maps provided by SWAN. Because of antenna problems which significantly degrades the quality of SWAN data, the period between 26 March and 3 April should be avoided if possible. This has not been set as a timing requirement because we do not want to lose the opportunity of an observation around 1 April. 1365266576000 291.9016233853745 (Tic-Visit :proposal-id 13183 :visit-id "01" :proposal-version -1 :trans-version "20121031" :date "15-Feb-2013 17:18:19.0" :trans-errors '(:WARNINGS 0 :ERRORS 0 :HEALTH-AND-SAFETY 0 :FATAL-ERRORS 0 :CONTINUABLE-FATALS 0) :number-of-orbits 1 :saa-model "24" :si-bright-earth-limb-angle 20.0 :data-volume 173968 :tdrss-contact-duration 0 :coron NIL ) (Tic-Obset :proposal-id 13183 :visit-id "01" :obset-id "01" :pcs-mode "FGS" ) (Tic-Orbit :proposal-id 13183 :visit-id "01" :orbit-number 1 :pcs-time 333 :si-vis-utilization 2597 :al-overhead-at-end 0 :internal-dur-at-end 626 :dark-offset NIL :dark-utilization 0 :max-dark-utilization 1920 :low-sky "N" :pcs-visibility 3244 :pcs-gap 0 ) false 1 0 ETC can not be run because we are using an unsupported mode: E140H grating with the 52" x 0.5" slit. With a signal-to-noise of about 10, the background noise is a significant issue for the data analysis. This is why it is really important and necessary to start the FUV-MAMA detectors just before the exposure, in order to reduce the background noise, especially the intermittent glow due to the dark current. (http://www.stsci.edu/hst/stis/documents/handbooks/currentIHB/c07_performance6.html#310668) This is a repeat of visit 01 which failed. Please schedule as close as possible to 1 April 2013. We desire to obtain the maximum Doppler shift between the interplanetary and geocoronal emissions in order to maximize the separation between the IPH emission and the geocoronal background Ly-alpha contribution. This requires that the Earth moves toward the upwind direction, so the observation should occur in a window of 2 months centred around 1st April 2013. We are also planning to make coordinated observations with SOHO/SWAN for cross-calibration with the intensity maps provided by SWAN. Because of antenna problems which significantly degrades the quality of SWAN data, the period between 26 March and 3 April should be avoided if possible. This has not been set as a timing requirement because we do not want to lose the opportunity of an observation around 1 April. (Tic-Visit :proposal-id 13183 :visit-id "01" :proposal-version -1 :trans-version "20121031" :date "15-Feb-2013 17:18:19.0" :trans-errors '(:WARNINGS 0 :ERRORS 0 :HEALTH-AND-SAFETY 0 :FATAL-ERRORS 0 :CONTINUABLE-FATALS 0) :number-of-orbits 1 :saa-model "24" :si-bright-earth-limb-angle 20.0 :data-volume 173968 :tdrss-contact-duration 0 :coron NIL ) (Tic-Obset :proposal-id 13183 :visit-id "01" :obset-id "01" :pcs-mode "FGS" ) (Tic-Orbit :proposal-id 13183 :visit-id "01" :orbit-number 1 :pcs-time 333 :si-vis-utilization 2597 :al-overhead-at-end 0 :internal-dur-at-end 626 :dark-offset NIL :dark-utilization 0 :max-dark-utilization 1920 :low-sky "N" :pcs-visibility 3244 :pcs-gap 0 ) false 1 0 ETC can not be run because we are using an unsupported mode: E140H grating with the 52" x 0.5" slit. With a signal-to-noise of about 10, the background noise is a significant issue for the data analysis. This is why it is really important and necessary to start the FUV-MAMA detectors just before the exposure, in order to reduce the background noise, especially the intermittent glow due to the dark current. (http://www.stsci.edu/hst/stis/documents/handbooks/currentIHB/c07_performance6.html#310668)