Spitzer Space Telescope - General Observer Proposal #30077


Spitzer observations of the born-again phenomenon

Principal Investigator: Aneurin Evans
           Institution: Keele University

Co-Investigators: 
Robert Gehrz, University of Minnesota                                 
Charles Woodward, University of Minnesota                             
Elisha Polomsky, University of Minnesota                              
Joachim Krautter, Landessternewarte Heidelberg                        
R. Mark Wagner, University of Arizona                                 
Sumner Starrfield, Arizona State University                           
Andrew Helton, University of Minnesota                                
Mark Rushton, Keele University                                        
Jacco van Loon, Keele University                                      
Barry Smalley, Keele University                                       
Thomas Geballe, Gemini Observatory                                    
Stewart Eyres, University of Central Lancashire                       
Victor Tyne, Keele University                                         

Science Category: evolved stars/pn/sne 
 Observing Modes: IrsStare MipsPhot 
  Hours Approved: 5.1 

Abstract:
We propose to continue our Spitzer campaign on the 'Born Again'
phenomenon.  Our goals are to (i) follow the IR evolution of the dusty
and molecular shell of Sakurai's Object, (ii) detect the effects of
the star as it heats up, (iii) determine how the Aromatic Emission
Features evolve from hydrogen-deficient objects to stars with normal H
content, (iv) understand the origin of the mix of carbonaceous and
silicate grains in the environment of O-rich binaries by observing XX
Oph after it has emerged from a deep optical minimum.