14919( 4) - 21-Apr-2017 19:48:12 - [ 1] HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE OBSERVING PROGRAM 14919 Version: 4 Check-in Time: 21-Apr-2017 19:48:12 STScI Edit Number: 0 Title First UV Spectroscopy of an Incipient Stellar Merger in Its Pre-Merger Phase ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Type Cycle GO 24 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Investigators Contact? PI: Mr. Bruce McCollum American University Y CoI: Dr. Frederick C. Bruhweiler American University N CoI: Mr. Lee Rottler American University N CoI: Dr. Seppo J. Laine California Institute of Technology N ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Abstract Stellar mergers between nondegenerate stars have long been thought to have an important influence on stellar clusters, and perhaps be the origin of a number of types of peculiar stars. It is estimated that a significant fraction of stars eventually undergo a merger. No spectroscopic observations of a pre-merger system in its final interacting phase have ever been obtained. Models of the merger process are in wide disagreement. They predict a number of observable effects leading up to the merger, some of which can affect the merger process itself. Mergers, and the final common-envelope binary phase of stars, are not well understood, partly because the models have not been well tested. We propose to obtain the first UV spectroscopy of a Kepler contact binary system which will merge in about 2022. These observations will provide crucial constraints on merger models for the first time. Our observations will also determine the nature of the UV excess of this system already detected by broadband UV photometry. Whether the UV excess comes from a white dwarf companion or from some other process, knowing its nature is essential to understanding this system and its forthcoming merger. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Observations Description ------------------------ We wish to obtain a series of spectra in a single visit in order to cover a complete period of the target. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 14919( 4) - 21-Apr-2017 19:48:12 - [ 2] TARGET LIST Fixed Targets ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tar| Target | Target | Target |Coord | Radial | Flux data No | Name | Description | Position |Eqnx | Vel. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 KIC-9832227 EXT-STAR, ACCRETION RA=19H29M15.9480S +/- 0.1", J2000 V = 12.369 DISK, CIRCUMSTELLAR DEC=+46D37'19.89" +/- 0.1" MATTER, G V-IV Reference Frame: ICRS Extended: NO ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 14919( 4) - 21-Apr-2017 19:48:12 - [ 3] 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 KIC-9832227 COS/NUV ACQ/IMA PSA MIRRORB 1 81 S (81 GE S) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2 KIC-9832227 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1280 FP-POS=1, BUFFER-TIME=1150 1 1260 S G (1260 S) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3 KIC-9832227 COS/NUV TIME-TA PSA G230L 2950 FP-POS=1, BUFFER-TIME=890 1 1000 S G (1000 S) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4 KIC-9832227 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1280 BUFFER-TIME=1090, FP-POS=2 1 1200 S G (1200 S) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5 KIC-9832227 COS/NUV TIME-TA PSA G230L 3360 BUFFER-TIME=640, FP-POS=1 1 750 S (750 G S) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6 KIC-9832227 COS/NUV TIME-TA PSA G230L 3360 BUFFER-TIME=665, FP-POS=2 1 775 S (775 G S) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7 KIC-9832227 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1280 BUFFER-TIME=1090, FP-POS=3 1 1200 S G (1200 S) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8 KIC-9832227 COS/NUV TIME-TA PSA G230L 2950 BUFFER-TIME=1490, FP-POS=2 1 1600 S G (1600 S) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 9 KIC-9832227 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1280 BUFFER-TIME=490, FP-POS=4 1 600 S (600 G S) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 10 KIC-9832227 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1280 BUFFER-TIME=490, FP-POS=1 1 650 S (650 G S) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 11 KIC-9832227 COS/NUV TIME-TA PSA G230L 3360 BUFFER-TIME=510, FP-POS=3 1 620 S (620 G S) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 12 KIC-9832227 COS/NUV TIME-TA PSA G230L 3360 BUFFER-TIME=510, FP-POS=4 1 620 S (620 G S) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 13 KIC-9832227 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1280 BUFFER-TIME=1130, FP-POS=2 1 1240 S G (1240 S) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 14 KIC-9832227 COS/NUV TIME-TA PSA G230L 2950 BUFFER-TIME=1450, FP-POS=3 1 1560 S G (1560 S) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 14919( 4) - 21-Apr-2017 19:48:12 - [ 4] Exposures ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Exp | Target | Instr | Oper. | Aper |Spectral|Central| Optional |Num| Time | Special Num | Name | Config | Mode | or FOV |Element |Waveln.| Parameters |Exp| (Total) | Requirements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 15 KIC-9832227 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1280 BUFFER-TIME=1325, FP-POS=4 1 1435 S G (1435 S) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 16 KIC-9832227 COS/NUV TIME-TA PSA G230L 2950 BUFFER-TIME=1290, FP-POS=4 1 1430 S G (1430 S) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 17 KIC-9832227 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1280 BUFFER-TIME=1090, FP-POS=3 1 1200 S G (1200 S) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 18 KIC-9832227 COS/NUV TIME-TA PSA G230L 2950 BUFFER-TIME=210, FP-POS=ALL 1 320 S G (1280 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 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ KIC-9832227 1 COS/NUV ACQ/IMA PSA MIRRORB none none none none 1 N/A GE KIC-9832227 2 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1280 none none none none 1 N/A G KIC-9832227 3 COS/NUV TIME-TA PSA G230L 2950 none none none none 1 N/A G KIC-9832227 4 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1280 none none none none 2 N/A G KIC-9832227 5 COS/NUV TIME-TA PSA G230L 3360 none none none none 2 N/A G KIC-9832227 6 COS/NUV TIME-TA PSA G230L 3360 none none none none 2 N/A G KIC-9832227 7 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1280 none none none none 3 N/A G KIC-9832227 8 COS/NUV TIME-TA PSA G230L 2950 none none none none 3 N/A G KIC-9832227 9 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1280 none none none none 4 N/A G KIC-9832227 10 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1280 none none none none 4 N/A G KIC-9832227 11 COS/NUV TIME-TA PSA G230L 3360 none none none none 4 N/A G KIC-9832227 12 COS/NUV TIME-TA PSA G230L 3360 none none none none 4 N/A G KIC-9832227 13 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1280 none none none none 5 N/A G KIC-9832227 14 COS/NUV TIME-TA PSA G230L 2950 none none none none 5 N/A G 14919( 4) - 21-Apr-2017 19:48:12 - [ 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 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ KIC-9832227 15 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1280 none none none none 6 N/A G KIC-9832227 16 COS/NUV TIME-TA PSA G230L 2950 none none none none 6 N/A G KIC-9832227 17 COS/FUV TIME-TA PSA G140L 1280 none none none none 7 N/A G KIC-9832227 18 COS/NUV TIME-TA PSA G230L 2950 none none none 1 7 N/A G KIC-9832227 18 COS/NUV TIME-TA PSA G230L 2950 none none none 2 7 N/A G KIC-9832227 18 COS/NUV TIME-TA PSA G230L 2950 none none none 3 7 N/A G KIC-9832227 18 COS/NUV TIME-TA PSA G230L 2950 none none none 4 7 N/A G 14919( 4) - 21-Apr-2017 19:48:12 - [ 6] Summary Form for Proposal 14919 Item Used in this proposal ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Apertures PSA ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Configurations COS/FUV, COS/NUV ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Opmodes ACQ/IMAGE, TIME-TAG ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Optional Parameters BUFFER-TIME=1090, BUFFER-TIME=1130, BUFFER-TIME=1150, BUFFER-TIME=1290, BUFFER-TIME=1325, BUFFER-TIME=1450, BUFFER-TIME=1490, BUFFER-TIME=210, BUFFER-TIME=490, BUFFER-TIME=510, BUFFER-TIME=640, BUFFER-TIME=665, BUFFER-TIME=890, FP-POS=1, FP-POS=2, FP-POS=3, FP-POS=4, FP-POS=ALL ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Spectral Elements G140L, G230L, MIRRORB ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Target Names KIC-9832227 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------