TOO Proposals

We request 3.1h with PPhoto to attempt to detect the now invisible debris cloud (coarse dust and boulders in the trail) from the disruption of the now difunct Comet C/2010 X1 (Elenin) in the far-IR

We have a unique opportunity to catch an FUor outburst, HBC 722, in the act. We request ToO time to observe this source from 50-670 um at the earliest opportunity, and a re-observation on the ~ 0.5 yr timeframe to observe variability.

We request Target-of-opportunity observations of the recurrent nova T Pyx, reported in outburst on April 14. This is the first opportunity to observe a recurrent nova in the far infra-red and the observations requested will provide unique insight into the underlying processes involved.

In Galactic X-ray binaries, an enormous amount of energy is harnessed to produce powerful jets that emanate from the black hole. The engine for jet production is a compact object surrounded by an accretion disk, but the production mechanism and many of the jetproperties are subjects of debate. In order to constrain the physical mechanisms involved in jet production, we propose Target of Opportunity observations of the recurrent black hole X-ray binary GX 339-4 in outburst with the PACS bolometer onboard Herschel. This black hole is currently undergoing a transition to the final hard state of its 2010/11 outburst, corresponding to the unique period when its powerful compact jets are building up. Our objectives are to determine the contribution of the jets to total energetics of the system with Herschel with already accepted (and planned) simultaneous observations in radio, optical-infrared, X-ray (RXTE, Integral, Suzaku) and up to very high energy (Fermi).

GRB 110328A is an extraordinary extragalactic transient. Detected by Swift two days ago, it appears to be unlike any other object yet discovered by Swift. It is apparently the first repeating extragalactic gamma-ray burst, having triggered Swift on four separate occasions over a 36 hour period. It is extremely red in the optical/IR, suggestive of a highly obscured, but extremely luminous transient, whose spectral peak may well lie in the Herschel band. Here we request observations with PACS and SPIRE to fully map out the spectral energy distribution, constrain the emission mechanisms and luminosity, and help to pinpoint the progenitor of this most unusual object.

We request Director's Discretionary Time for a series of Target of Opportunity observations of the quasar 3C454.3 beginning Nov 23, 2010. 3C454.3 is undergoing a massive flare at millimeter, near-infrared, optical, x-ray and gamma-ray bands.

We propose to observe the flaring eponymous blazar, BL Lac, which has reached a 30-year historical maximum at radio frequencies. Our goal is to use $\sim$ 28 daily Herschel observations with PACS and SPIRE (8.8 hrs including time constraint) in combination with near-infrared and optical data to pin down the physical cause of flares as either magnetic field line reconnection or turbulence within shocks. We do this by comparing the spectral index of the far-infrared bands to that of the near-infrared-optical bands to determine the location and magnitude of the spectral break as the flare evolves. In addition, we will derive the physical conditions in the jet by modelling the SEDs as the flare decays. We will compare the physics of the jet in this TeV blazar to the non-TeV blazar 3C454.3 which we observed with Herschel in November 2010-January 2011 (Wehrle et al. 2012).

We propose to continue our Herschel TOO observations of the flaring eponymous blazar, BL Lac, which is now 2-6 times brighter than it was when we proposed our current TOO observations two months ago, depending on band. BL Lac has now reached 10-to-30-year historical maxima at centimeter, millimeter, submillimeter, and X-ray bands, and is brighter than any previous far infrared observations (ATEL \#4557, Wehrle et al.). Our goal is to use 10 weekly Herschel observations with PACS and SPIRE of 15.9 minutes each, (total 2.7 hrs excluding 1.7 hrs time constraint penalty) in combination with VLBI imaging and ground-based millimeter and submillimeter photometry to determine if the far infrared emission is coming from stationary shock regions identified with bright knots in the parsec scale jet. We do this by seeing if the far-infrared emission brightens at the same time as the stationary knots ``light up" in VLBI images from the passage of an energetic disturbance down the jet. In addition, we will continue our evaluation of the physical cause of the flares as either magnetic field line reconnection or turbulence within shocks, and we will derive the physical conditions in the jet by modelling the SEDs as the flare evolves. We will compare the physics of the jet in this TeV blazar to the non-TeV blazar 3C454.3 which we observed with Herschel in November 2010-January 2011 (Wehrle et al. 2012).

We propose to observe the recent outburst of a supernova in the nearby star-forming galaxy NGC5194 (M51). This has been shown to be a type II supernova and the progenitor type is known to have been a yellow supergiant.