SUMMARY OF PROPOSAL 62130

DR. WILLIAM NIELSEN BRANDT
NIEL@ASTRO.PSU.EDU

THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY
DAVEY LAB
UNIVERSITY PARK
PENNSYLVANIA USA 16802
Tel: (814) 865-0418 Fax: (814) 863-3399
Medium: 2GBDAT
Subject: AGN

A SYSTEMATIC ASCA SURVEY OF THE OPTICALLY BRIGHTEST BROAD ABSORPTION LINE QUASARS


ABSTRACT

Broad Absorption Line (BAL) quasars allow us to observe substantial gas flows that are probably present in all radio-quiet quasars. We propose a systematic ASCA survey of the optically brightest BAL quasars. These quasars are absorbed at low X-ray energies, and we will penetrate through the absorption to find and study the X-ray brightest BAL quasars. We will obtain the best constraints to date on the intrinsic X-ray absorption in BAL quasars, and we will discover the best targets for follow-up X-ray spectroscopy using deep pointings by ASCA, AXAF and XMM. All of our targets are optically brighter than PHL 5200, a BAL quasar that was clearly detected in a 17 ks ASCA observation. This program takes advantage of ASCA's unique capability for imaging and spectroscopy in the 2-10 keV band.

CO-INVESTIGATORS
CO-I NAME INSTITUTE COUNTRY
RITA SAMBRUNAPENN STATEUSA

TARGETS

TARGET NAMEPRIRADECTIMETCOFFGISSIS CNTOBS
1)PG 1700+518
1
255.3537 51.8223 25 ksN
Y
P
0.01400
1
3)LBQS 2111-4335
1
318.7788-43.3860 25 ksN
Y
P
0.01400
1
4)0226-104
1
37.1083-10.1767 25 ksN
Y
P
0.01400
1
5)0043+008
1
11.5563 1.0737 25 ksN
Y
P
0.01400
1