11536( 11) - 25-May-2010 15:29:05 - [ 1] HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE OBSERVING PROGRAM 11536 Version: 11 Check-in Time: 25-May-2010 15:29:05 STScI Edit Number: 4 Title COS-GTO: Sleuthing the Source of Distant Cometary Activity ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Type Cycle GTO/COS 17 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Investigators Contact? PI: Dr. James C. Green University of Colorado at Boulder CoI: Dr. Cynthia Froning University of Colorado at Boulder N CoI: Dr. S. Alan Stern Southwest Research Institute N CoI: Dr. John R. Spencer Southwest Research Institute Y CoI: Dr. Nathaniel J. Cunningham University of Nebraska - Lincoln N ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Abstract Distant comets and Centaurs often show cometary activity and outbursts well beyond 3 AU, the boundary of the sublimation zone of water. Super-volatiles (most likely CO, but possibly CH4, N2, or S2) are suspected to be responsible, but have never been detected in distant comets in the UV. We will obtain FUV spectra of active bodies to cover important CO emission bands. We plan two sets of observations: comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann at 6 AU, whose outbursts are too short to capture as a Target of Opportunity, but which also shows persistent cometary activity in quiescence; and Target of Opportunity observations of the Centaur 2060 Chiron (at ~15.5 AU) in outburst. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Observations Description ------------------------ TOO observations of Chiron, after continued brightening beyond 0.7 visual magnitudes. 3 consecutive orbits, with grating G160M at central wavelength 1589? and 1623?. Scheduled observations of 29P/SW-1 with the same grating configuration; three separate 1-orbit visits staggered at 15+ day intervals, in order to improve chances of catching at least one outburst. Real Time Justification ----------------------- Calibration Justification ------------------------- Additional Comments ------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 11536( 11) - 25-May-2010 15:29:05 - [ 2] TARGET LIST Solar System Targets ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TARGET NUMBER: 1 TARGET NAME: 2060-CHIRON ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TARGET DESCRIPTION: ASTEROID ASTEROID 2060 CHIRON ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TARGET POSITION LEVEL 1 TARGET POSITION LEVEL 2 TYPE=ASTEROID, A=13.70387092426883, E=.378760177032046, I=6.929747024642194, O=209.3385535947615, W=339.898328429563, M=98.72903822472631, EQUINOX=J2000, EPOCH=04-JAN-2010:00:00:00 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TARGET POSITION LEVEL 3 WINDOWS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ DATA COMMENTS V = 18.0 +/- 1 Orbital elements retreived from JPL Small-Body Database 8R at 1510A Browser, http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi#top Ephemeris Center: EARTH on 1/21/2010 Date of solution: 2009-Oct-06 16:17:00; based on 1104 observations Formal errors in sky coordinates through 2010: <= 0.18", from JPL Horizons ephemeris generator, http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/horizons.cgi ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 11536( 11) - 25-May-2010 15:29:05 - [ 3] TARGET LIST Solar System Targets ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TARGET NUMBER: 2 TARGET NAME: 29P-SW1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TARGET DESCRIPTION: COMET COMET 29P/SW1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TARGET POSITION LEVEL 1 TARGET POSITION LEVEL 2 TYPE=COMET, Q=5.7177821417888301525067, E=0.0449990221280341870513, I=9.3946369470700457071643, O=312.634502088065, W=48.16939670906947, T=30-JUN-2004:09:21:17, EQUINOX=J2000, EPOCH=10-JAN-2009:00:00:00 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TARGET POSITION LEVEL 3 WINDOWS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ DATA COMMENTS V = 16.0 +/- 3 Orbital elements retreived from JPL Small-Body Database 1.5R at 1510A Browser, http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi#top Ephemeris Center: EARTH on 1/21/2010 Date of solution: 2010-Jan-08 12:05:58; based on 12538 observations Formal errors in sky coordinates through 2010: <= 0.08", from JPL Horizons ephemeris generator, http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/horizons.cgi ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 11536( 11) - 25-May-2010 15:29:05 - [ 4] Visit: 01 Visit Requirements: SCHED 40% On Hold Comments: Additional Comments: Oh hold as Target of Opportunity waiting for outburst. Exposures ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Exp | Target | Instr | Oper. | Aper |Spectral|Central| Optional |Num| Time | Special Num | Name | Config | Mode | or FOV |Element |Waveln.| Parameters |Exp| | Requirements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 2060-CHIRON COS/NUV ACQ/IMA PSA MIRRORA 1 945 S GE Comments: Acquisition time from ETC COS.A219019, assuming 19th magnitude point source with solar spectrum and average airglow, S/N = 40. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2 2060-CHIRON COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G160M 1589 BUFFER-TIME=318, EXTENDED=YES, 1 266 S G FP-POS=1 Comments: ETC COS67398: 2" diameter (1" radius), 18th magnitude = 19.2 mags per sq arcsec, 8 R = 2.0e-16 erg/cm^2/s/sq. arcsec @ 1510? (5? wide band). Calculated buffer time is 2/3 of 93000s ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3 2060-CHIRON COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G160M 1589 BUFFER-TIME=515, FP-POS=1, 1 625 S G EXTENDED=YES ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4 2060-CHIRON COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G160M 1589 BUFFER-TIME=515, FP-POS=2, 1 625 S G EXTENDED=YES ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5 2060-CHIRON COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G160M 1589 BUFFER-TIME=515, FP-POS=3, 1 625 S G EXTENDED=YES ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6 2060-CHIRON COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G160M 1589 BUFFER-TIME=625, FP-POS=4, 1 625 S G EXTENDED=YES ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7 2060-CHIRON COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G160M 1623 BUFFER-TIME=435, FP-POS=1, 1 545 S G EXTENDED=YES ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8 2060-CHIRON COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G160M 1623 BUFFER-TIME=435, FP-POS=2, 1 545 S G EXTENDED=YES ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 9 2060-CHIRON COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G160M 1623 BUFFER-TIME=435, FP-POS=3, 1 545 S G EXTENDED=YES ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 10 2060-CHIRON COS/NUV TIME-TA PSA G230L 3000 BUFFER-TIME=545 1 545 S G ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 11536( 11) - 25-May-2010 15:29:05 - [ 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 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2060-CHIRON 1 COS/NUV ACQ/IMA PSA MIRRORA none none none none 1 N/A GE 2060-CHIRON 2 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G160M 1589 none none none none 1 N/A G 2060-CHIRON 3 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G160M 1589 none none none none 2 N/A G 2060-CHIRON 4 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G160M 1589 none none none none 2 N/A G 2060-CHIRON 5 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G160M 1589 none none none none 2 N/A G 2060-CHIRON 6 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G160M 1589 none none none none 2 N/A G 2060-CHIRON 7 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G160M 1623 none none none none 3 N/A G 2060-CHIRON 8 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G160M 1623 none none none none 3 N/A G 2060-CHIRON 9 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G160M 1623 none none none none 3 N/A G 2060-CHIRON 10 COS/NUV TIME-TA PSA G230L 3000 none none none none 3 N/A G 11536( 11) - 25-May-2010 15:29:05 - [ 6] Visit: 02 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| | Requirements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 29P-SW1 WFC3/UVI ACCUM UVIS F606W BIN=3 1 100 S S Comments: Visible context image, to check comet morphology/brightness/activity level. Use F606W filter for maximum signal; comet spectrum from 4500 - 6500 A is largely flat. use 3x3 binning to - minimize overhead time, to get most UV spectroscopy time available, while still viewing field larger than expected comet nucleus (~1+ arcmin) - reduce readout noise, thereby maximizing S/N for faint comet coma Comet nucleus (up to 50km, viewed from 5.2+ AU) is unresolved even without binning. Coma covers ~ 1+ arcmin in visible images, ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2 29P-SW1 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G160M 1589 BUFFER-TIME=709, FP-POS=3, 1 819 S G EXTENDED=YES Comments: ETC COS78955: approx. as point source, solar-type spectrum at max 13th magnitude, 2.5 R within 1" diameter: 5e-17 erg/cm^2/s @ 1510 A. Calculated buffer time is 2/3 of 93000s, even with high airglow. We will be safe even with very large outburst. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3 29P-SW1 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G160M 1589 BUFFER-TIME=819, FP-POS=4, 1 819 S G EXTENDED=YES ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 29P-SW1 1 WFC3/UVI ACCUM UVIS F606W none none none 1 1 N/A S 29P-SW1 1 WFC3/UVI ACCUM UVIS F606W none none none 2 1 N/A S 11536( 11) - 25-May-2010 15:29:05 - [ 7] 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 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 29P-SW1 2 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G160M 1589 none none none none 1 N/A G 29P-SW1 3 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G160M 1589 none none none none 1 N/A G 11536( 11) - 25-May-2010 15:29:05 - [ 8] Visit: 03 Visit Requirements: AFTER 02 BY 14.5 D TO 300 D 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| | Requirements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 29P-SW1 WFC3/UVI ACCUM UVIS F606W BIN=3 1 100 S GS ACQ SCENARIO BASE1B3 S ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2 29P-SW1 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G160M 1589 BUFFER-TIME=709, FP-POS=3, 1 819 S GS ACQ SCENARIO BASE1B3 G EXTENDED=YES Comments: ETC COS78955: approx. as point source, solar-type spectrum at max 13th magnitude, 2.5 R within 1" diameter: 5e-17 erg/cm^2/s @ 1510 A. Calculated buffer time is 2/3 of 93000s, even with high airglow. We will be safe even with very large outburst. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3 29P-SW1 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G160M 1589 BUFFER-TIME=819, FP-POS=4, 1 819 S G EXTENDED=YES ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 29P-SW1 1 WFC3/UVI ACCUM UVIS F606W none none none 1 1 N/A S 29P-SW1 1 WFC3/UVI ACCUM UVIS F606W none none none 2 1 N/A S 29P-SW1 2 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G160M 1589 none none none none 1 N/A G 29P-SW1 3 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G160M 1589 none none none none 1 N/A G 11536( 11) - 25-May-2010 15:29:05 - [ 9] Visit: 04 Visit Requirements: AFTER 03 BY 15 D TO 300 D 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| | Requirements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 29P-SW1 WFC3/UVI ACCUM UVIS F606W BIN=3 1 100 S S ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2 29P-SW1 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G160M 1589 BUFFER-TIME=709, FP-POS=3, 1 819 S G EXTENDED=YES Comments: ETC COS78955: approx. as point source, solar-type spectrum at max 13th magnitude, 2.5 R within 1" diameter: 5e-17 erg/cm^2/s @ 1510 A. Calculated buffer time is 2/3 of 93000s, even with high airglow. We will be safe even with very large outburst. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3 29P-SW1 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G160M 1589 BUFFER-TIME=819, FP-POS=4, 1 819 S G EXTENDED=YES ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 29P-SW1 1 WFC3/UVI ACCUM UVIS F606W none none none 1 1 N/A S 29P-SW1 1 WFC3/UVI ACCUM UVIS F606W none none none 2 1 N/A S 29P-SW1 2 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G160M 1589 none none none none 1 N/A G 29P-SW1 3 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G160M 1589 none none none none 1 N/A G 11536( 11) - 25-May-2010 15:29:05 - [ 10] Summary Form for Proposal 11536 Item Used in this proposal ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Apertures PSA, UVIS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Configurations COS/FUV, COS/NUV, WFC3/UVIS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Opmodes ACCUM, ACQ/IMAGE, TIME-TAG ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Optional Parameters BIN=3, BUFFER-TIME=318, BUFFER-TIME=435, BUFFER-TIME=515, BUFFER-TIME=545, BUFFER-TIME=625, BUFFER-TIME=709, BUFFER-TIME=819, EXTENDED=YES, FP-POS=1, FP-POS=2, FP-POS=3, FP-POS=4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Special Requirements AFTER 02 BY 14.5 D TO 300 D, AFTER 03 BY 15 D TO 300 D, GS ACQ SCENARIO BASE1B3, SCHED 40% ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Spectral Elements F606W, G160M, G230L, MIRRORA ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Target Names 2060-CHIRON, 29P-SW1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------