13759( 8) - 29-Apr-2015 12:46:54 - [ 1] HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE OBSERVING PROGRAM 13759 Version: 8 Check-in Time: 29-Apr-2015 12:46:54 STScI Edit Number: 5 Title Extreme Variability in the M87 Jet ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Type Cycle GO 22 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Investigators Contact? PI: Dr. Juan P. Madrid Gemini Observatory, Southern Operations Y CoI: Dr. Daniel E. Harris Smithsonian Institution Astrophysical N Observatory CoI: Dr. Chi C. Cheung Naval Research Laboratory N CoI: Prof. Eric S. Perlman Florida Institute of Technology N ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Abstract The M87 jet is experiencing extreme optical/UV variability and very high energy emission that were never anticipated. HST-1, a knot along the M87 jet located at ~0.85" from the nucleus, has experienced unusual and repeated flaring at all wavelengths during the last decade: exceptional brightness variability for an individual component of an AGN jet. Hubble Space Telescope observations revealed that the NUV intensity of HST-1 increased by a factor of 100 between 1999 and 2005. Equivalent variability was recorded by Chandra, and the VLA. This is an unprecedented event that has only been observed in the M87 jet and has serious implications for models of jet variability and unified schemes of AGNs. Similarly, all three major Cherenkov observatories studying very high energy gamma-rays reported flaring of M87 in the very high energy regime in 2005, 2008, and 2010. This proposal aims at obtaining a single orbit image of the M87 jet with STIS to determine the evolution of the rapidly changing M87 jet during Cycle 22. This new image will be an important addition to the dataset of HST observations of M87 in the optical and near ultraviolet spaning more than 20 years. A single observation of the M87 jet in 2015 will also make a substantial contribution to the interpretation of M87 observations built by Chandra. With these observations we aim to: study the physical origin of the flare, find new and longer periodicities for this event, and measure the impact of such an energetic burst on the outflow of an AGN jet. We will also follow the emergence of new knot along the M87 jet, unrelated to HST-1, and present during the last years of STIS observations. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Observations Description ------------------------ We will obtain near ultraviolet imaging of the M87 jet with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph. We will use the NUV/MAMA with the F25QTZ longpass filter. The observations we propose have the same configuration as STIS archival data in order to build a homogenous database. 13759( 8) - 29-Apr-2015 12:46:54 - [ 2] We made no formal coordination request but on a best effort basis HST and Chandra observations can be scheduled within a few days of each other. We have a recently approved Chandra program with one observation scheduled in December 2014; another in March 2015. The observation window for December 2014 (13 DEC 2014 to 18 DEC 2014) is the preferred one. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 13759( 8) - 29-Apr-2015 12:46:54 - [ 3] TARGET LIST Fixed Targets ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tar| Target | Target | Target |Coord | Radial | Flux data No | Name | Description | Position |Eqnx | Vel. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 M-87 GALAXY, JET RA=12H30M49.4234S, J2000 V = 8.63 DEC=+12D23'28.04" Reference Frame: ICRS Comments: This object was generated by the targetselector and retrieved from the SIMBAD database. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 13759( 8) - 29-Apr-2015 12:46:54 - [ 4] Visit: 01 Visit Requirements: ORIENT 280D TO 280 D; BETWEEN 07-JAN-2015 AND 18-JAN-2015 On Hold Comments: Additional Comments: Exposure times based on archival data. 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 M-87 STIS/NUV ACCUM F25QTZ MIRROR 1 630 S (630 POS TARG -7, 7; GS ACQ -MAMA S) SCENARIO BASE1B3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2 M-87 STIS/NUV ACCUM F25QTZ MIRROR 1 630 S (630 POS TARG -6.496, 6.748 -MAMA S) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3 M-87 STIS/NUV ACCUM F25QTZ MIRROR 1 630 S (630 POS TARG -6.244, 6.244 -MAMA S) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4 M-87 STIS/NUV ACCUM F25QTZ MIRROR 1 630 S (630 POS TARG -6.748, 6.496 -MAMA 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 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ M-87 1 STIS/NUV ACCUM F25QTZ MIRROR none none none none 1 N/A -MAMA M-87 2 STIS/NUV ACCUM F25QTZ MIRROR none none none none 1 N/A -MAMA M-87 3 STIS/NUV ACCUM F25QTZ MIRROR none none none none 1 N/A -MAMA M-87 4 STIS/NUV ACCUM F25QTZ MIRROR none none none none 1 N/A -MAMA 13759( 8) - 29-Apr-2015 12:46:54 - [ 5] Visit: 51 Visit Requirements: ORIENT 100D TO 110 D On Hold Comments: Additional Comments: Exposure times based on archival data. 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 M-87 STIS/NUV ACCUM F25QTZ MIRROR 1 640 S (640 POS TARG -7, 7; GS ACQ -MAMA S) SCENARIO BASE1B3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2 M-87 STIS/NUV ACCUM F25QTZ MIRROR 1 640 S (640 POS TARG -6.496, 6.748 -MAMA S) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3 M-87 STIS/NUV ACCUM F25QTZ MIRROR 1 640 S (640 POS TARG -6.244, 6.244 -MAMA S) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4 M-87 STIS/NUV ACCUM F25QTZ MIRROR 1 640 S (640 POS TARG -6.748, 6.496 -MAMA 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 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ M-87 1 STIS/NUV ACCUM F25QTZ MIRROR none none none none 1 N/A -MAMA M-87 2 STIS/NUV ACCUM F25QTZ MIRROR none none none none 1 N/A -MAMA M-87 3 STIS/NUV ACCUM F25QTZ MIRROR none none none none 1 N/A -MAMA M-87 4 STIS/NUV ACCUM F25QTZ MIRROR none none none none 1 N/A -MAMA 13759( 8) - 29-Apr-2015 12:46:54 - [ 6] Summary Form for Proposal 13759 Item Used in this proposal ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Apertures F25QTZ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Configurations STIS/NUV-MAMA ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Opmodes ACCUM ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Optional Parameters ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Special Requirements BETWEEN 07-JAN-2015 AND 18-JAN-2015, GS ACQ SCENARIO BASE1B3, ORIENT 100D TO 110 D, ORIENT 280D TO 280 D, POS TARG -6.244, 6.244, POS TARG -6.496, 6.748, POS TARG -6.748, 6.496, POS TARG -7, 7 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Spectral Elements MIRROR ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Target Names M-87 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------