AGN in the Far IR

Spitzer Observations Complete!

Spitzer has completed our observations of GTN 3, S5 0716+714, with the Spitzer Space Telescope. Our proposal was approved by the Director of the Spitzer Science Center (Feb. 14) and the first MIPS observation has been scheduled for April 8 at 10:38 UT. IRAC observations were taken on April 28. If you have a telescope and a digital camera, take pictures of this target for us! We can still use a few follow-up images.

Program: AGN_GLAST_2
SCHEDULED TIME AOT TYPE TARGET NAME AOR LABEL
-----------------------
apr 08 2006 10:38:12.800 MipsPhot S5 0716+714 GTN 3- MIPSP

Click HERE for a press release about our current project.

Click HERE for finder charts for the new target

Click HERE for the observing proposal for round 2

Coordinates for observers:
RA 07h 21m 53.4 s
dec 71d 20m 36s

Please see our Observing FAQ for this round of observations.

Blackbody curve generator

Here is a blackbody curve generator we use to explain what an SED represents. Use the sliding control to adjust the temperature of the blackbody, and watch the peak wavelength shift. Can be used to demonstrate both Wien's Law and the Stefan-Boltzmann law. Requires Fathom from Key Curriculum Press.

Welcome Observers!

Background

This page is to document the progress of a proposal to use the Spitzer Space Telescope for studying distant black holes known as quasars. These giant black holes power huge engines of energy in the center of distant galaxies.

The teachers in the program were in the Teacher Leaders in Research Based Science Education (TLRBSE) program sponsored by the National Optical Astronomy Observatory in Tucson, Arizona. Through an application process, about a dozen teachers were invited to create proposals to use the Spitzer Space Telescope. This is a unique opportunity as the Spitzer has a limited lifetime and is oversubscribed by a factor of 10, meaning for every proposal approved, roughly 9 are not. The director of the Spitzer Science Center has allocated 3 hours of observing time for this project from the director's discretionary allocation, and the teacher projects must share the time.

Two workshops were held and teachers were trained in infrared astronomy (Summer 2004) and how to create observing plans for the Spitzer (at the American Astronomical Society meeting in San Diego during January 2005.) The end of this process is a proposal which is screened by the Director of the Spitzer Science Center.

Our proposal has been approved and is awaiting scheduling by the Spitzer Science Center. The first observing window happens in May.

About Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN)

Active Galactic Nuclei are galaxies with billion-solar mass black holes, driving a huge engine of energy production near the core of the galaxy. (Most galaxies do have black holes in their centers, including our own, but AGN have black holes which are huge by comparison.)

AGN generate energy as material is torn apart as it falls into the center black hole. Energy is emitted from an accretion disk of material falling into a black hole, as well as through jets of material emitted at right angles to the accretion disk.

Our Proposal

Our proposal suggests that AGN may emit infrared radiation due to synchrotron radiation originating in the jets of the AGN. Traditionally, the view has been that infrared radiation from an AGN is primarily coming from a torus or accretion disk surrounding the black hole at the center of the AGN. We plan to make a Spectral Energy Distribution (SED) of a known AGN and compare its infrared and optical spectrum to models of emission for this type of object. A SED is essentially a spectrum over many wavelengths; you can interpret it as a sort of rainbow which includes some colors the human eye cannot see.

Since the Spitzer Space Telescope cannot use its various observing instruments simultaneously, we are planning to encourage ground-based observations before, during, and after the Spitzer observation so we can know if the AGN is in an "active" phase and changing rapidly even as we get ready to observe it. This means we need properly calibrated (darks, flats, bias) images of our target object, so we can use standard photometric photometry techniques to determine the magnitude of the target object.

How to participate

If you are a school observer, advanced amateur astronomer, or professional astronomer associated with an observatory of nearly any size (We recommend 14" telescopes and larger) equipped with a CCD camera you can contribute to our project by taking pictures of GTN 3 (described below) and sending us the original, calibrated images in FITS format. We need to know the filter you used and the date and time of the observation. For detailed observing tips see the Observing FAQ.

We further suggest that you join the Global Telescope Network sponsored by Sonoma State University (see the link at left.)

As the project progresses we will post more detailed instructions here and share some student results in anticipation of the science fair season for next year.

A complete explanation of the information is found in the proposal we sent to the Spitzer Science Center. If you can point your telescope at these objects and photograph them, you can participate in this project. Finder charts and other information can be found at the GTN Program List web page. Here is a direct link to the GTN 3 information page. This target is part of the Global Telescope Network's target list which will eventually be observed with GLAST, when it is launched in 2007.

Acknowledgements

Observations of GLAST AGN Targets

January 2008 Project Update

AAS poster session

SSC Visit Completed

MIPS and IRAC Observations available through Leopard!