13460( 3) - 30-Sep-2013 15:30:48 - [ 1] HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE OBSERVING PROGRAM 13460 Version: 3 Check-in Time: 30-Sep-2013 15:30:48 STScI Edit Number: 1 Title The Remarkable Ultraviolet Spectrum of Mrk 231 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Type Cycle GO 21 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Investigators Contact? PI: Prof. Sylvain Veilleux University of Maryland Y CoI: Prof. Frederick Hamann University of Florida N CoI: Prof. Todd Tripp University of Massachusetts - Amherst N CoI: Prof. David Rupke Rhodes College N CoI: Dr. Stacy Teng NASA Goddard Space Flight Center N ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Abstract In recent years, Mrk 231, the nearest quasar, has become the archetype of quasar feedback in action. A powerful galactic-scale wind with outflow velocity > 1000 km/sec and mass outflow rate > 400 Msun/yr has been discovered by members of our team in the optical as well as in the far-infrared (Herschel) and mm-wave (IRAM). This object was recently observed by our team with COS. The FUV spectrum of Mrk 231 is truly remarkable: Ly-alpha is in emission, faint, very broad (>10000 km/s), and highly blueshifted (-3500 km/sec). Equally remarkable are the absence of broad absorption line (BAL) features and the slowly declining FUV continuum at shorter wavelengths. Both of these results are unexpected because Mrk 231 is a well-known FeLoBAL QSO and is very dusty. This suggests that the observed Ly-alpha emission is produced in the outflowing BAL cloud system, while the Balmer lines arise primarily from the standard broad emission line region (BELR) seen through the dusty (A_V ~ 7 mag.) broad absorption line region (BALR). At present, two simple geometries - spherical and disk - may explain these data. Better measurements over the full suite of BALs in the UV are needed to better constrain these geometric models and allow us to do a quantitative analysis of the ionization, total column density, and ultimately kinetic energy of the outflow seen in the visible. We request 7 orbits to observe Mrk 231 in the FUV with COS and in the NUV with STIS. This modest investment will help us understand arguably one of the most important objects in the local universe, and shed light on the long-standing issues of the BELR geometry (disk vs wind) and outflowing BALR structure and energetics. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Observations Description ------------------------ We requested and were allocated 7 orbits to observe one target, Mrk 231. This program is thus relatively straightforward. This target was observed by our group in Cycle 19 using COS/G130M. We now wish to revisit this object using COS/G140L (5 + 1 orbits) and STIS/G230L (1 orbit). The first 5 orbits of COS/G140L are centered at 1280 A, while the other COS orbit is centered at 1105 A to get redshifted Ly-alpha region (which is in the gap at 1280 A). The STIS orbit will cover the NUV range. In the first COS orbit, we use ACQ/IMAGE to obtain a NUV image of this target. Next we use ACQ/PEAKXD and ACQ/PEAKD to center the target within the COS 13460( 3) - 30-Sep-2013 15:30:48 - [ 2] aperture. For STIS, we use Config = STIS/CCD, Mode = ACQ, Spectral Element = MIRROR to do the centering on the 0.2 x 50" slit. We use F28X50OII to center on the blue part of the spectrum, rather than the green or red, and thus minimize possible (but unlikely for this QSO) centroid shifts between the NUV and optical positions. The exposure time for the STIS target acquisition is based on f_lambda (3900 A) = 1e-14 erg/s/cm/cm/cm/A measured from our own ground-based spectrum (Veilleux et al. 2013, ApJ, 764, 15) All of the COS observations are done in TIME-TAG mode. This temporal sampling will allow us to exclude poor quality data and get improved thermal correction and background removal. Our target exposures are split into four segments of 415 seconds (first orbit) or 665 seconds using FP_POS = ALL. This observing strategy is adopted to reduce the fixed pattern noise. In all cases, the requested exposure time of these four segments / orbit is shorter than 2/3 of the real buffer time derived from ETC, so we set buffer-time = 415 or 665 seconds. The STIS exposures are also split into four segments of equal length (473 seconds to take maximum use of the visility). Real Time Justification ----------------------- Calibration Justification ------------------------- Additional Comments ------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 13460( 3) - 30-Sep-2013 15:30:48 - [ 3] TARGET LIST Fixed Targets ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tar| Target | Target | Target |Coord | Radial | Flux data No | Name | Description | Position |Eqnx | Vel. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 MRK-231 GALAXY, QSO, RA=12H56M14.1110S +/- 0.2", J2000 Z = V = 13.84 1.5E-15 erg/s/cm/cm at 1310 A ULTRALUMINOUS IR GAL DEC=+56D52'24.70" +/- 0.2" 0.0422 (measured from our Cycle 19 COS data) Reference Frame: ICRS Comments: This object was generated by the targetselector and retrieved from the SIMBAD database. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 13460( 3) - 30-Sep-2013 15:30:48 - [ 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 MRK-231 COS/NUV ACQ/IMA PSA MIRRORB 1 150 S (150 GE S) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2 MRK-231 COS/FUV ACQ/PEA PSA G140L 1280 SEGMENT=BOTH 1 39 S (39 KXD S) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3 MRK-231 COS/FUV ACQ/PEA PSA G140L 1280 CENTER=DEF, NUM-POS=5, 1 39 S (39 KD STEP-SIZE=0.9 S) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4 MRK-231 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1280 BUFFER-TIME=415, FLASH=YES, 1 415 S (415 G FP-POS=1 S) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5 MRK-231 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1280 BUFFER-TIME=415, FLASH=YES, 1 415 S (415 G FP-POS=2 S) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6 MRK-231 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1280 BUFFER-TIME=415, FLASH=YES, 1 415 S (415 G FP-POS=3 S) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7 MRK-231 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1280 BUFFER-TIME=415, FLASH=YES, 1 415 S (415 G FP-POS=4 S) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8 MRK-231 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1280 BUFFER-TIME=665, FLASH=YES, 1 665 S G FP-POS=ALL (2660 S) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 9 MRK-231 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1280 BUFFER-TIME=665, FLASH=YES, 1 665 S G FP-POS=ALL (2660 S) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 10 MRK-231 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1280 BUFFER-TIME=665, FLASH=YES, 1 665 S G FP-POS=ALL (2660 S) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 11 MRK-231 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1280 BUFFER-TIME=665, FLASH=YES, 1 665 S G FP-POS=ALL (2660 S) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 12 MRK-231 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1105 BUFFER-TIME=665, FLASH=YES, 1 665 S G FP-POS=ALL (2660 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 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 13460( 3) - 30-Sep-2013 15:30:48 - [ 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 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ MRK-231 1 COS/NUV ACQ/IMA PSA MIRRORB none none none none 1 N/A GE MRK-231 2 COS/FUV ACQ/PEA PSA G140L 1280 none none none none 1 N/A KXD MRK-231 3 COS/FUV ACQ/PEA PSA G140L 1280 none none none none 1 N/A KD MRK-231 4 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1280 none none none none 1 N/A G MRK-231 5 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1280 none none none none 1 N/A G MRK-231 6 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1280 none none none none 1 N/A G MRK-231 7 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1280 none none none none 1 N/A G MRK-231 8 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1280 none none none 1 2 N/A G MRK-231 8 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1280 none none none 2 2 N/A G MRK-231 8 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1280 none none none 3 2 N/A G MRK-231 8 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1280 none none none 4 2 N/A G MRK-231 9 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1280 none none none 1 3 N/A G MRK-231 9 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1280 none none none 2 3 N/A G MRK-231 9 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1280 none none none 3 3 N/A G MRK-231 9 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1280 none none none 4 3 N/A G MRK-231 10 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1280 none none none 1 4 N/A G MRK-231 10 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1280 none none none 2 4 N/A G MRK-231 10 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1280 none none none 3 4 N/A G MRK-231 10 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1280 none none none 4 4 N/A G MRK-231 11 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1280 none none none 1 5 N/A G MRK-231 11 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1280 none none none 2 5 N/A G MRK-231 11 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1280 none none none 3 5 N/A G MRK-231 11 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1280 none none none 4 5 N/A G MRK-231 12 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1105 none none none 1 6 N/A G 13460( 3) - 30-Sep-2013 15:30:48 - [ 6] 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 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ MRK-231 12 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1105 none none none 2 6 N/A G MRK-231 12 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1105 none none none 3 6 N/A G MRK-231 12 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1105 none none none 4 6 N/A G 13460( 3) - 30-Sep-2013 15:30:48 - [ 7] 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| (Total) | Requirements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 MRK-231 STIS/CCD ACQ F28X50OII MIRROR ACQTYPE=POINT 1 22 S (22 S) Comments: Exposure time was estimated using f_lambda(3900 A) =1e-14 erg/s/cm/cm/A measured from our own ground-based spectrum (Veilleux et al. 2013, ApJ, 764, 15) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2 MRK-231 STIS/NUV TIME-TA 52X0.2 G230L 2376 BUFFER-TIME=473 1 473 S (473 -MAMA G S) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3 MRK-231 STIS/NUV TIME-TA 52X0.2 G230L 2376 BUFFER-TIME=473 1 473 S (473 -MAMA G S) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4 MRK-231 STIS/NUV TIME-TA 52X0.2 G230L 2376 BUFFER-TIME=473 1 473 S (473 -MAMA G S) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5 MRK-231 STIS/NUV TIME-TA 52X0.2 G230L 2376 BUFFER-TIME=473 1 473 S (473 -MAMA G 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 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ MRK-231 1 STIS/CCD ACQ F28X50OI MIRROR none none none none 1 N/A I MRK-231 2 STIS/NUV TIME-TA 52X0.2 G230L 2376 none none none none 1 N/A -MAMA G MRK-231 3 STIS/NUV TIME-TA 52X0.2 G230L 2376 none none none none 1 N/A -MAMA G MRK-231 4 STIS/NUV TIME-TA 52X0.2 G230L 2376 none none none none 1 N/A -MAMA G MRK-231 5 STIS/NUV TIME-TA 52X0.2 G230L 2376 none none none none 1 N/A -MAMA G 13460( 3) - 30-Sep-2013 15:30:48 - [ 8] Summary Form for Proposal 13460 Item Used in this proposal ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Apertures 52X0.2, F28X50OII, PSA ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Configurations COS/FUV, COS/NUV, STIS/CCD, STIS/NUV-MAMA ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Opmodes ACQ, ACQ/IMAGE, ACQ/PEAKD, ACQ/PEAKXD, TIME-TAG ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Optional Parameters ACQTYPE=POINT, BUFFER-TIME=415, BUFFER-TIME=473, BUFFER-TIME=665, CENTER=DEF, FLASH=YES, FP-POS=1, FP-POS=2, FP-POS=3, FP-POS=4, FP-POS=ALL, NUM-POS=5, SEGMENT=BOTH, STEP-SIZE=0.9 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Spectral Elements G140L, G230L, MIRROR, MIRRORB ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Target Names MRK-231 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------