we propose to look for the 9.7 micron silicate feature in quasars. while the existence of dust in quasars has long been suspected, detection of the silicate feature would be the first direct evidence for dust. in addition, comparison with models would allow investigation of the geometry, amount, and composition of the dust. the resulting information can ultimately be used to study the generation and balance of energy in these active nuclei. observation of the silicate feature have already proven useful in investigations of the dust content and geometry in lower luminosity agn such as seyferts. however, in general it is impossible to observe this feature in higher-luminosity objects, i.e. quasars, with ground-based instruments: for redshifts z>0.2, the band begins to be shifted beyond the 13 micron atmospheric cutoff. even in the few lower redshift quasars this feature has been inaccessible because of faint flux levels. with isocams cvf, these objects will be easily observable.
Instrument
CAM04
Temporal Coverage
1996-04-25T16:31:14Z/1997-01-12T00:59:44Z
Version
1.0
Mission Description
The Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) was the worlds first true orbiting infrared observatory. Equipped with four highly-sophisticated and versatile scientific instruments, it was launched by Ariane in November 1995 and provided astronomers world-wide with a facility of unprecedented sensitivity and capabilities for a detailed exploration of the Universe at infrared wavelengths.
European Space Agency, BECHTOLD et al., 1999, 'PROBING DUST IN QUASARS OBSERVATIONS OF THE 9.7 MICRON SILICATE FEATURE', 1.0, European Space Agency, https://doi.org/10.5270/esa-khdj7el
