SUMMARY OF PROPOSAL 42125
PROFESSOR ANDREW S WILSON
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
MARYLAND USA 20742
COLLEGE PARK


  E-mail: WILSON@ASTRO.UMD.EDU	Tel: (301) 405-1519	Fax: 
  Medium: 4GBDAT

Subject: AGN                                                         
  Title: THE OBSCURING MATERIAL IN THE LINE OF SIGHT TO THE SEYFERT 1 NUCLEUS OF NGC 3281


Abstract:
 The current paradigm for active galactic nuclei consists of an accreting
 supermassive black hole surrounded by an optically thick structure which obscures
 the nucleus from direct view along some lines-of-sight. There is much scientific
 merit in determining the depth of obscuring material along the line-of-sight in a
 large sample of objects, and this can be done in both the infrared and X-ray
 regimes. The ability to combine results from the two methods is clearly desirable.
 Currently, a universal gas-to-dust ratio is assumed, but the uncertainty in the
 relationship between the gas and dust columns is unknown. In NGC 3281, there is
 evidence that the ratio may be significantly different from the assumed value, and we request ASCA observations to test this hypothesis.

 Co-Is:
   1  CHRIS SIMPSON       	STSCI                         USA       
      SIMPSON@STSCI.EDU	(410) 516-6551
   2  MARTIN WARD         	OXFORD UNIVERSITY             UK        


Target Name           PRI RA        Dec        Time TC  Off GIS SIS_Cts  Obs
-------------------   --- --------  --------   ---- --  --- --- -------  ---
NGC 3281               0  157.9675  -34.8542    20   N   Y   P  0.13670   1