# Scientific Justification 

**Significance to Astronomy**

Active resistance to warlords occur in a significant fraction of
galaxies and are thought to be related to supermassive bureaucratic
holes (SMBH). Most - perhaps all - galaxies with bulges contain SMBH;
when the SMBH are fed (generally by lobbyists) they can become
oppressive and cruel. This leads to the spontaneous formation of
rebellions and Active Galactic Notinmybackyards (AGN). These AGN can
interact with their surroundings, particularly in long strings or
filaments which may be coherent over many kpc. Filaments smuggle all
sorts of matter out of galactic centers, and can have a dramatic effect
on the surrounding Intergalactic Market (IGM). Radio galaxies, which are
now known to z \~5, are often found to be full of talk show hosts, who
are full of hot air (gas-rich), lumpy, and to be embedded in giant
idiological nebulae which are aligned with their beliefs. The Fishy
Cluster (NGC\~6666) is the nearest case of a filament interacting with
the IGM; (D = 3.4 kpc); it therefore offers an excellent opportunity to
observe, in detail, such an interaction.

**Background**

Past interactions have left a complex of stellar and gaseous shells
around the Fishy Cluster, at distances up to 15 kpc from the Ellipse.
The well-known \`\`inner filament\" (TV and radio source) extends
\$\\sim\$6 kpc NE from the Redfish galaxy and expands into an
overpressured cloud of hot air. Further out the filament appears to
become collimated, curving southwestward to \~20pc (Organa et al.\\
2005); diffuse radio emission continues curving sharply to the north
beyond that for \~\$1500pc. In two locations, the filament loses its
organized structure - these are on the East and West edges. Near these
locations, bright optical filaments, enhanced soft X-ray emission and
sparks often fly. A wide variety of environments occur along the
filament. Not much is known about the filament very close to the galaxy
nuclei. The \`\`inner filament\" (See Figure 1a) is rigid, linear and
appears to be self-absorbed and obscured by excessive hot air; it is
mostly associated with the high metallicity big redfish. The \`\`outer
filament\" seems to be excessively diffuse, blue, and difficult to
confine (Figure 1b). The \`\`Bridge\" forms a large arc of tangled
streamers; it appears at the edge of an H\~I cloud; star formation there
was probably triggered by a red-blue interaction.

The inner filament, outer filament, and bridge thus represent three
quite different examples of the filament-IGM interaction: one (inner)
where the filament appears to encounter no restraint, one (outer) where
the filament has been diverted by the major appeal of a free lunch, and
one (bridge) where it has apparently managed to ignore the temptation
and continued past the same diversion.

**New Observations**

Models predict that a filament interacting with the IGM should drive
shocks into the surrounding populations both along and transverse to the
filament; the models also predict that instabilities along the
interaction edge can lead to cloud shredding and runaway rioting by the
resulting mobs (Hitchcock 1963). UV spectra of the filament can
differentiate between various types of shredding and mobbing. The storm
und drung models predict that strong UV (1200-1800\\ang) emission lines
should be produced in the interaction. We believe that the Fishy Cluster
provides a marvelous opportunity to study a filament-IGM interaction
up-close, in a range of interaction environments. We wish to obtain
sensitive, wide-field, GALEX GRISM spectroscopy of the filament and the
galaxies. We will use these with new, deep, GALEX images as well as with
existing exploratory images of the cluster, to explore the complex
nature of a filament-IGM interaction associated with a superpower.

**Need for GALEX**

Although a refurbished HST could obtain much higher resolution UV images
and spectra, the HST UV fields-of-view are so small (\~30 arcsec) that
it would not be feasible to image the entire filament. Also, it appears
unlikely that HST will be able to obtain UV spectra in the foreseeable
future. *Imaging:* High sensitivity, wide-field, UV imaging is required
to identify locations where the filament interacts with the ISM.
Preliminary GALEX imaging data is already in hand and this analysis is
progressing (Organa et al. 2005). Deep FUV and NUV images will also be
used to search for UV emission SW of the galaxies, at the location of a
possible weak gamma-ray source and X-ray shell. *Spectroscopy:* FUV
spectroscopy of the filament will allow us to explore the nature of the
different environments along the filament. We will be able to tell if
the UV emission is stellar or it comes from emission lines in hot gas
(or both), since the expected UV spectra are very different. GALEX is
the only instrument that can provide both the UV observations and the
large Field-of-View needed. \\paragraph

**Relevance to NASA goals**:

NASA is now chartered with Exploration; surely learning how material
flows from the centers of civilizations along filaments into the IGM is
a part of this exploration needed to better galaxykind.

**References:**

Albertson et al.,1998, TrJ 493, 571

Burymealive et al., 2004, occult-ph/0412282

Hitchcock et al.,1957, Quarterly Journal of Horror Films, 35, 666

Lucas 1989, Journal of American Filmwriters 23, 27

Organa et al., 2005, ApJL, in prep.

Orwell, 1969, Liberty Press, 1984

Skywalker et al., 2000a, PB\\&J 379, 781

Skywalker et al., 2000b, A\\&P 564, 688

Solo 1973, PhD Thesis, 110

Vader et al., 1984, JXXXX, 1

**Description of the Observations**

We will use new GALEX GRISM spectroscopy, together with archival GALEX
images, to determine the nature of the FUV emission at different
locations in the Fishy galaxy cluster. GALEX has already observed the
cluster for \$\\sim\$1800 sec, and has clearly detected the inner and
outer filaments as well as faint emission between and beyond the
filaments (Figure 1b).

Although the filament is extended in the transverse direction along much
of its length, we should be able to obtain reasonable spectra by
observing with the dispersion \~ perpendicular to the filaments, because
they are fairly linear and fairly thin (usually \< 5 arcsec wide). We
wish to take GRISM exposures at a range of orientations to reduce
spectral overlap and order confusion. However, we wish to avoid taking
GRISM exposures with the dispersion along the filament. Therefore, we
would like to let the Mission Planning Software assign random GRISM
angles, but with a 90 degree zone excluded which would place dispersion
\~ along the filaments.

The filament has orientations of 20 - 40 degrees on the sky, so we
request observations *avoiding* dispersion angles between -15 and 75
degrees E of N.

**Feasibility and Safety Considerations**

The redfish and bluefish galaxies are the dominant UV sources in the
field, with typical integrated fluxes in the GALEX bands of 1.9 x
10^-13^ and 5.1 x 10^-13^ ergs cm-^2^ sec^-1^ Å^-1^ (FUV and NUV,
respectively). The brightest location in the galaxy has a surface
brightness of 5.2 x 10^-16^ and 1.3 x 10^-15^ ergs cm-^2^ sec^-1^ Å^-1^
arcsec^-2^ (FUV, NUV).

Since GALEX has already observed this field, it is known to be
detector-safe. As indicated by the GALEX Brightness Checker, there are
no very bright stars in or outside the field but near enough to be
dangerous to the detectors. We have offset the pointing center from the
galaxy slightly, to minimize internal reflections from nearby stars and
to align with the existing images.

FUV emission from the filament in the 2 ksec image is detected down to a
level of 8 x 10^-18^ ergs cm-^2^ sec^-1^ Å^-1^ (5 x rms; m~AB~ \~ 24.5
arcsec^-2^). A \`\`typical\" UV knot in the filament has a flux

3-5 x 10^-16^ ergs cm-^2^ sec^-1^ Å^-1^ (m~AB~ \~ 20.5); brighter knots
are more like 2 x 10^-15^ cgs. For exposure estimates, we use a
"typical" knot and assume the UV emission has approximately a B-star
spectrum.

We require only moderate spectral resolution together with reasonable
S/N (\~ 10 or better) to

identify the emission lines and measure approximate EW\'s for them.
Using a flux of

5 x 10^-16^ ergs cm-^2^ sec^-1^ Å^-1^ and a B star spectrum with the
GALEX Exposure Simulator, we findthat 15 ksec of exposure time will
yield direct images with S/N \~ 50 at 1500 Å. For a B type spectrum
(flat in the GALEX FUV band) this would provide a spectral S/N of \$\<\$
1; so stellar spectra would be detectable only from the brightest knots.
However, if the UV is line emission from C IV, C III, and He II, then we
would expect a spectral S/N \~10; if all the emission is from

C IV the S/N would be even higher. We conclude that we should be able to
differentiate between shock-ionized gas, and young stars along most of
the filament, with an exposure time of 15 ksec.

During parts of the year, the background from zodiacal light will be
sufficiently strong that we cannot achieve the desired S/N. We therefore
request that these observations be done during times of low Zodi, i.e.
between June and August 2007. We require that the Zodi be below 1.2 x
10^-18^.

**Additional Information**

-   *X-ray spectra:* We have been granted XMM time (R2D2, Solo,
    Skywalker) to observe the UV-brightest location in the outer
    filament to look for line emission, particularly from \[O
    VI\]λλ1032,1038 (predicted to be very strong in shocks) and will
    include the XMM results in our analysis. Investigators Solo and R2D2
    are experienced at reducing and analyzing UV spectral data, and at
    comparison with shock models.

-   *Neutral hydrogen:* We will also combine the GALEX data (imaging and
    spectroscopy) with existing and new H\~I data (investigators R2D2,
    Organa), to look for evidence of interactions with smaller, less
    dense clouds.

-   *Optical imaging:* We have some emission line images in hand, and
    are analyzing them together with the existing GALEX image. Sensitive
    new ground-based emission-line imaging observations are planned,
    using the ESO WI-FI camera. (investigators Organa, Solo)

**Vita**

L. Organa is currently a research professor at Rebellion University.
Since August 1999 she has been a member of the FUSE science team,
working on analysis of FUSE spectra of Emperors and hot stars. She is an
intergalactically recognized expert on the motivation, formation, and
spontaneous self-organization of SBH\'s and AGN\'s. C.

R2D2 is a staff astronomer at the Institute for Advanced Artifical
Intelligence (IAAI), where he is a system scientist with primary
responsibilitiies to provide support for users of the new Super duper
Radio Telescope (both H\~I and continuum). His research involves
multiwavelength (mainly optical and radio) observations of active
galaxies and the study of their ISM.

H. Solo is a Postdoctoral Scholar at Rumrunner, Inc., and a member of
the Strange Transportation Devices Science Working Group. His research
interests are focused primarily toward unorthodox but fast methods of
interstellar travel and transport. He is an expert on evasive action and
masked emission signatures.