9914(  1) - 04/04/03 10:13  - [  1]

    PROPOSAL FOR HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE OBSERVATIONS   ST ScI Use Only
                                                       ID:      9914
                                                       Version: 1
                                                       Check-in Date: 04-Apr-2003
                                                                      10:13:33

1.Proposal Title:
The low redshift Lyman-alpha forest and the intrinsic QSO continuum
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Proposal For  3. Cycle
AR               11
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Investigators
                                                                                     Contact?
    PI: Scott Burles                      Massachusetts Institute of Technology
   CoI: Dr. Lam Hui                       Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory         N
                                          (FNAL)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. Abstract

We propose to use the HST archive to select and analyze a large sample of low
redshift quasar spectra (z < 1), which include spectral coverage in rest wavelengths
from Lyman-beta at 1025 Ang to CIV at 1550 Ang. Including both low resolution
spectra from FOS, GHRS, and STIS, as well as a few select high resolution spectra
from GHRS and STIS, we will conduct a comprehensive analysis program to characterize
the intrinsic QSO continuum and the flux correlation in the intervening Lyman-alpha
absorption. We plan to carefully account for absorption in proximity to the quasar,
metal lines interspersed among the Lyman-alpha absorption, and intrinsic
fluctuations in the quasar continua. Upon completion, we will calculate for the
first time the large scale Lyman-alpha flux correlation measured at low-redshift (z
< 1) and will compare directly to both recently published high-redshift samples as
well as cosmological hydro-simulations. This will connect the evolution of neutral
hydrogen from the highest redshifts at z=6 to the present epoch.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                9914(  1) - 04/04/03 10:13  - [  2]

            Summary Form for Proposal  9914

  Item                         Used in this proposal
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Proposal Category            AR
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------