Page 1 PROPOSAL FOR HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE OBSERVATIONS ST ScI Use Only ID 5506 Report Date: 18-Jul-95:17:33 Version: ********** Check-in Date: ********** 1.Proposal Title: THE DEUTERIUM ABUNDANCE IN MODERATE REDSHIFT QSO SYSTEMS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2. Scientific Category 3. Proposal For 4. Proposal Type 5. Continuation ID QUASARS & AGN GO Sub Category QUASAR ABSORPTION ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6. Principal Investigator Institution Country Telephone John Webb 5436 FRANCE 33-1-43-20 14 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7. Abstract Observations of the light element abundances play a fundamental role in our undertanding of the standard homogenous big bang model. Of all the light elements, deuterium is of particular importance as the predicted abundance depends most sensitively on the universal density parameter. Since deuterium is readlily destroyed in stellar cycles, but manufactured only in the big bang, any deuterium detected is generally interpreted as being of primordial origin. Whilst important progress has been made with Galactic observations, extragalactic observations of highly redshifted QSO absorption systems are imperative as the offer the chance of measuring D/H in gaseous systems at a much earlier epoch with a range of metal abundances. These have been attempted, but so far no successful measurements have been made, partly due to difficulties associated with making the measurement at high redshift. For the first time we now have the possibility of measuring D/H moderate redshift (z=0.5 - 1) QSO absorption systems using GHRS on HST. We have selected 1 bright QSO with a foreground absorber which is an excellent candidate for making this fundamental measurement. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 9. Est obs time (hours) pri: 19.94 par: 0 10. Num targs pri: 1 par: 0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 11. Instruments requested: HRS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Page 2 I. GENERAL FORM Proposal 5506 PI: John Webb Proposal Title: THE DEUTERIUM ABUNDANCE IN MODERATE REDSHIFT QSO SYSTEMS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. Proposers: Proposers Institution Country ESA ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ John Webb 5436 FRANCE X Jacqueline Bergeron 5436 FRANCE X Bob Carswell 8014 ENGLAND X Roger Ferlet 5436 FRANCE X Martin Lemoine 5436 FRANCE X Alfred Vidal-Madjar 5436 FRANCE X David Bowen STSCI USA ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3. Description of proposed observations. Quasar 0454-220 has V=16 and may need to be ACQuired in dark time. 9 sec exposure time with a SEARCH-SIZE=3 is adopted from previous observations, and should be adequate for a post-COSTAR ACQ. We have asked for three grating positions, two of which use the G160M, the other the G200M. Individual wavelength positions are calculated to cover several lines of interest, assuming that a grating will cover a minimum of 33A or more. ACCUM exposures have COMB and FP- SPLIT chosen to optimize the quality of the data for a faint target. STEP-PATT is chosen to obtain 2 pixels/diode, again because the count rate will be low. Exposure times are set at 20 mins, which for FP-SPLIT of 4 gives 5 mins individual exposures, as suggested in the GHRS handbook. Each exposure is preceded by a WAVE calibration, since the wavelength positions of lines relative to each other is very important. This means SEQ 1.1-1.2, 2.1-2.2 and 3.1-3.2 should be NO GAP. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4. Justification of need for HST observations. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5. Description of special scheduling requirements. Previous GHRS observations of 16th mag QSOs have been executed with ACQ in dark time. We ask that this QSO also be acquired in dark time unless it becomes clear that COSTAR changes ACQs significantly. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6. Description of special calibration exposures. An important part of the data analysis will to be fit all three lines simultaneously. Since all three lines are observed serparately it is important to provide as accurate a wavelength calibration as possible. We therefore request that WAVEs be taken before each observation. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8. Additional comments or special requests. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 9. Description of previous HST work. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 10. Resources to be supplied by investigator's institution(s). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 11. Address Information Page 3 Name: John WEBB Category: PI Institution: 5436 Address: Institut d'Astrophysique 98 bis Boulevard Arago City: Paris State: Zip Code: 75014 Country: FRANCE Telephone: 33-1-43-20 14 25 Telex (or e-mail): 205671 IAUF, E-mail webb@iap.fr ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TARGET LIST a) Fixed Targets ID = 5506 [ 4] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tar| Target | Target | Target |Coord | Radial |Acqui|FLX| Flux data No | Name | Description | Position |Eqnx | Vel. |Prblm|REF| | | | | | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 0454-220 E, 313 RA = 04H 56M 08.90S +/- 2000.0 Z = 1 V = 15.51 0.5", 0.534 2 B-V=0.06 DEC = -21D 59' 09.4" +/- 3 F-CONT(1400)=1.4E-14 0.5" 4 F-CONT(1800)=1.2E-14 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ EXPOSURE LOGSHEET ID = 5506 [ 5] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |10 | 11 | 12 |13 |14| 15 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Line | Seq | Target |Instr | Oper. | Aper |Spectral|Central| Optional |Num| Time | S/N |Flx|Pr| Special Number | Name | Name |Config| Mode |or FOV |Element |Waveln.| Parameters |Exp| |Rel. Time|Ref| | Requirements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 0454-220 HRS ACQ 2.0 MIRROR-N2 SEARCH-SIZE=3 1 9S 1 1 CYCLE 4 BRIGHT=RETURN ONBOARD ACQ FOR 1.1-1.2 DARK TIME Comments: QSO HAS V=16, SO ACQ IN DARKTIME NEEDED? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1.1 WAVE HRS ACCUM SC2 G160M 1397 COMB=FOUR 1 DEF 1 CYCLE 4 STEP-PATT=4 CALIB FOR 1.2 DOPPLER=DEF SEQ 1.1-1.2 NO GAP Comments: WAVE FOR LY DELTA.... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1.2 0454-220 HRS ACCUM 2.0 G160M 1397 COMB=FOUR 17 20M 5.6 3 1 CYCLE 4 FP-SPLIT=STD STEP-PATT=4 DOPPLER=DEF Comments: ...LY DELTA AT 1400, 1408A ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2 0454-220 HRS ACQ 2.0 MIRROR-N2 SEARCH-SIZE=3 1 9S 1 1 CYCLE 4 BRIGHT=RETURN ONBOARD ACQ FOR 2.1-2.2 DARK TIME Comments: QSO HAS V=16, SO ACQ IN DARKTIME NEEDED? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2.1 WAVE HRS ACCUM SC2 G160M 1445 COMB=FOUR 1 DEF 1 CYCLE 4 STEP-PATT=4 CALIB FOR 2.2 DOPPLER=DEF SEQ 2.1-2.2 NO GAP Comments: WAVE FOR LY GAMMA.... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2.2 0454-220 HRS ACCUM 2.0 G160M 1445 COMB=FOUR 16 20M 5.4 3 1 CYCLE 4 FP-SPLIT=STD STEP-PATT=4 DOPPLER=DEF Comments: ...LY GAMMA AT 1434, 1442A ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3 0454-220 HRS ACQ 2.0 MIRROR-N2 SEARCH-SIZE=3 1 9S 1 1 CYCLE 4 BRIGHT=RETURN ONBOARD ACQ FOR 3.1-3.2 DARK TIME Comments: QSO HAS V=16, SO ACQ IN DARKTIME NEEDED? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3.1 WAVE HRS ACCUM SC2 G200M 1766 COMB=FOUR 1 DEF 1 CYCLE 4 STEP-PATT=4 CALIB FOR 3.2 DOPPLER=DEF SEQ 3.1-3.2 NO GAP Comments: WAVE FOR SIII... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ EXPOSURE LOGSHEET ID = 5506 [ 6] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |10 | 11 | 12 |13 |14| 15 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Line | Seq | Target |Instr | Oper. | Aper |Spectral|Central| Optional |Num| Time | S/N |Flx|Pr| Special Number | Name | Name |Config| Mode |or FOV |Element |Waveln.| Parameters |Exp| |Rel. Time|Ref| | Requirements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3.2 0454-220 HRS ACCUM 2.0 G200M 1766 COMB=FOUR 16 20M 6.5 4 1 CYCLE 4 FP-SPLIT=STD STEP-PATT=4 DOPPLER=DEF Comments: ...SIII AT 1760A ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Summary Form for Proposal 5506 [ 7] Item Used in this proposal ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Configurations HRS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Opmodes ACQ ACCUM ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Optional Parameters SEARCH-SIZE=3 BRIGHT=RETURN COMB=FOUR STEP-PATT=4 DOPPLER=DEF FP-SPLIT=STD ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Proposal for GO ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ S/C Hours 19.94 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Scientific Category QUASARS & AGN ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Scientific Sub-category QUASAR ABSORPTION ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Special Requirements CYCLE 4; ONBOARD ACQ FOR 1.1-1.2; DARK TIME; CALIB FOR 1.2; SEQ 1.1-1.2 NO GAP; ONBOARD ACQ FOR 2.1-2.2; CALIB FOR 2.2; SEQ 2.1-2.2 NO GAP; ONBOARD ACQ FOR 3.1-3.2; CALIB FOR 3.2; SEQ 3.1-3.2 NO GAP; ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Spectral Elements MIRROR-N2 G160M G200M ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Target Names 0454-220 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------