8178( 5) - 04/30/99 17:19 - [ 1] PROPOSAL FOR HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE OBSERVATIONS ST ScI Use Only ID: 8178 Version: 5 Check-in Date: 30-Apr-1999 17:19:08 1.Proposal Title: Tracking the Evolution of the Homunculus and Outer Debris in Eta Carinae ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2. Proposal For 3. Cycle GO 8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4. Investigators Contact? PI: Jon Morse University of Colorado CoI: Prof. Kris Davidson University of Minnesota N CoI: Prof. Bruce Balick University of Washington N CoI: Dr. Dennis Ebbets Ball Aerospace N ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5. Abstract We request Cycle 8 and Cycle 10 WFPC2 images of Eta Carinae in order to track the expansion of high-velocity material ejected during one or more giant outbursts of the central supermassive star. These images will increase the time baseline from 2 to 6 years of high-resolution Planetary Camera data for measuring proper motions and monitoring photometric changes in the debris field. Assuming a distance to Eta of ~ 2300 pc, we will be able to trace transverse motions of the debris of \ltsim 20 km s^-1 with the full 6 year time baseline. PC1 images in red and blue continuum filters will be used to track the expansion of the dusty bipolar lobes of Eta's ``Homunculus'' and equatorial skirt of ejecta. WF3 emission-line images will be used to trace motions of the outer debris field ~ 10'' - 40'' from the central star. This investigation will resolve the recent controversy surrounding the kinematic ages of the Homunculus lobes versus the equatorial skirt; whether or not these structures are co-eval has enormous implications for models of the outburst that created the Homunculus. We also can uniquely address issues of hydrodynamic expansion and wind- wind interactions through a time series of exposures of this textbook bipolar system. Because many groups around the world who are working on different facets of Eta Carinae will be interested in these images, we waive the proprietary rights to the dataset in order to maximize its usage. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8178( 5) - 04/30/99 17:19 - [ 2] Observations Description ------------------------ We request 2 orbits in Cycle 8 and 2 orbits in Cycle 10 to image Eta Carinae with WFPC2 through the F336W, F631N, and F658N filters. These images will be compared to similar images obtained in previous cycles. Our goals are to measure proper motions of the ejecta from Eta, and to monitor any time-variable behavior in the system. PC Imaging. The Planetary Camera of WFPC2 offers us the best capabilities for very high-resolution imaging of Eta Carinae because the pixel scale samples the point spread function reasonably well and the field of view is wide enough to include several nearby stars, needed to align images from different epochs accurately. We will image continuum emission from Eta Carinae at blue (F336W) and red (F631N) wavelengths. (The ejecta from Eta represent CNO processed material that does not show emission from oxygen; F631N is the only filter at red wavelengths that does not include strong emission lines.) We will also obtain short exposures through the F658N filter of the emission-line outer debris field. We will use a similar sequence of integration times as in previous cycles to accommodate the factor of > 10^5 in dynamic range between the central star and the faintest structures in the Homunculus. For F336W and F631N, two exposures of 1.8, 30, and 120 secs will be acquired; for F658N, two exposures of 0.11, 4, and 120 secs will be acquired. These exposures can be obtained in a little over one orbit, including overheads. WF3 Imaging. The remainder of the second orbit for each epoch will be used to obtain emission-line images with the Wide Field Camera on the WF3 chip to determine the proper motions of the outer debris > 10'' from the central star. These N-rich debris have very strong N IILambda6583 emission. We will acquire two exposures of 0.11, 4, 30, and 200 secs. By imaging onto WF3, as was done for the WFPC2 Team's January 1994 F658N image, we will minimize positional uncertainties introduced by the image distortion corrections. Real Time Justification ----------------------- None. Calibration Justification ------------------------- Additional Comments ------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Data Distribution Paper Products: NO Media: ELECTRONIC Blocking Factor: 10 Ship To: PI_Address Ship Via: Email: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8178( 5) - 04/30/99 17:19 - [ 3] TARGET LIST a) Fixed Targets ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tar| Target | Target | Target |Coord | Radial | Flux data No | Name | Description | Position |Eqnx | Vel. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 ETA-CAR STAR, Eta Carinae star RA= 10H 45M 3.61S +/- 0.04S, J2000 V = 8.6+/-0.5 DEC= -59D 41' 3.9" +/- 0.3", B = 9.0+/-0.5 PLATE-ID=ZZZQ F(2850)=25+/-7e-13 F(3550)=20+/-7e-13 F(4700)=15+/-5e-13 F(7000)=11+/-4e-13 Comments: Note Special Catalog ZZZQ for Eta Car; don't use GSC for this vicinity. 8178( 5) - 04/30/99 17:19 - [ 4] Visit: 01 Visit Priority: Visit Requirements: ORIENT 120.03D TO 120.03D; BETWEEN 27-MAY-1999 AND 1-JUL-1999 On Hold Comments: Additional Comments: Same ORIENT as 1997 images. These images are part of a series of images over Cycles 4, 6, 8, and 10 to monitor proper motions of the expanding debris. June-July 1999 scheduling of the observations is necessary to maintain the temporal sampling. Exposures ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Exposure| Target |Instr | Oper. | Aper |Spectral|Central| Optional |Num| Time | Special Number | Name |Config| Mode |or FOV |Element |Waveln.| Parameters |Exp| | Requirements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 101 ETA-CAR WFPC2 IMAGE WF3-FIX F658N CR-SPLIT=NO,ATD-GAIN=7 1 0.11 S ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 102 ETA-CAR WFPC2 IMAGE WF3-FIX F658N CR-SPLIT=NO,CLOCKS=YES,ATD-GAIN=7 1 4 S ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 103 ETA-CAR WFPC2 IMAGE WF3-FIX F658N CR-SPLIT=0.5,CR-TOLERANCE=0.0, 1 60 S CLOCKS=YES,ATD-GAIN=7 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 104 ETA-CAR WFPC2 IMAGE WF3-FIX F658N CR-SPLIT=0.5,CR-TOLERANCE=0.0, 1 400 S CLOCKS=YES,ATD-GAIN=7 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 109 ETA-CAR WFPC2 IMAGE PC1-FIX F336W CR-SPLIT=NO,ATD-GAIN=7 1 0.2 S Comments: New short exposure because Eta is brightening. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 110 ETA-CAR WFPC2 IMAGE PC1-FIX F336W CR-SPLIT=NO,ATD-GAIN=7 1 0.8 S ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 120 ETA-CAR WFPC2 IMAGE PC1-FIX F336W CR-SPLIT=0.5,CR-TOLERANCE=0.0, 1 12 S CLOCKS=YES,ATD-GAIN=7 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 129 ETA-CAR WFPC2 IMAGE PC1-FIX F631N CR-SPLIT=NO,ATD-GAIN=7 1 0.5 S Comments: New short exposure because Eta is brightening. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 130 ETA-CAR WFPC2 IMAGE PC1-FIX F631N CR-SPLIT=NO,CLOCKS=YES,ATD-GAIN=7 1 1.2 S ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 140 ETA-CAR WFPC2 IMAGE PC1-FIX F631N CR-SPLIT=0.5,CR-TOLERANCE=0.0, 1 20 S CLOCKS=YES,ATD-GAIN=7 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 150 ETA-CAR WFPC2 IMAGE PC1-FIX F631N CR-SPLIT=0.5,CR-TOLERANCE=0.0, 1 80 S CLOCKS=YES,ATD-GAIN=7 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 160 ETA-CAR WFPC2 IMAGE PC1-FIX F336W CR-SPLIT=0.5,CR-TOLERANCE=0.0, 1 80 S CLOCKS=YES,ATD-GAIN=7 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 170 ETA-CAR WFPC2 IMAGE PC1-FIX F336W ATD-GAIN=7,CLOCKS=YES, 1 400 S CR-SPLIT=0.5,CR-TOLERANCE=0.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 180 ETA-CAR WFPC2 IMAGE PC1-FIX F631N ATD-GAIN=7,CLOCKS=YES, 1 540 S CR-SPLIT=0.5,CR-TOLERANCE=0.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 210 ETA-CAR WFPC2 IMAGE PC1-FIX F658N CR-SPLIT=NO,ATD-GAIN=7 2 0.11 S ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8178( 5) - 04/30/99 17:19 - [ 5] Exposures ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Exposure| Target |Instr | Oper. | Aper |Spectral|Central| Optional |Num| Time | Special Number | Name |Config| Mode |or FOV |Element |Waveln.| Parameters |Exp| | Requirements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 220 ETA-CAR WFPC2 IMAGE PC1-FIX F658N CR-SPLIT=0.5,CR-TOLERANCE=0.0, 1 8 S CLOCKS=YES,ATD-GAIN=7 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 230 ETA-CAR WFPC2 IMAGE PC1-FIX F658N CR-SPLIT=0.5,CR-TOLERANCE=0.0, 1 60 S CLOCKS=YES,ATD-GAIN=7 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 240 ETA-CAR WFPC2 IMAGE PC1-FIX F658N CR-SPLIT=0.5,CR-TOLERANCE=0.0, 1 400 S CLOCKS=YES,ATD-GAIN=7 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8178( 5) - 04/30/99 17:19 - [ 6] Summary Form for Proposal 8178 Item Used in this proposal ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Apertures WF3-FIX PC1-FIX ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Configurations WFPC2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Opmodes IMAGE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Optional Parameters CR-SPLIT=NO ATD-GAIN=7 CLOCKS=YES CR-TOLERANCE=0.0 CR-SPLIT=0.5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Proposal Category GO ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Special Requirements ORIENT 120.03D TO 120.03D; BETWEEN 27-MAY-1999 AND 1-JUL-1999 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Spectral Elements F658N F336W F631N ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Target Names ETA-CAR ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------