INFRARED IMAGING OF THE RADIO HOT SPOTS IN CYGNUS A.

we propose raster imaging of the field around cygnus a at 60 microns and 12 microns to search for synchrotron emission from the radio hot spots. these observations will constrain the hot spot spectra in an hitherto unexplored wavelength region. we will look for the exponential cutoff, which lies somewhere between 375 ghz and 3x10^14 hz, as inferred from radio detections and optical upper limits. determining the spectral cutoffs will allow for fully consistent models to be developed for the particle acceleration and loss mechanisms in the hot spots, as well as allow for derivation of many of the basic physical parameters in the hot spots (such as shock width, inflow and outflow velocities, magnetic field strengths, internal pressures, advance speeds). such data will also support the synchrotron selfcompton interpretation for the origin of the xray emission from the hot spots in cygnus a. the spatial resolution at 12 microns is sufficient to search for the specific sites of the most active particle injection. the region imaged will also be large enough to search for star forming galaxies in the cygnus a cluster via their thermal dust emission. knowledge of the galaxy content of this cluster is otherwise problematic due to the confusion by galactic stars. truncated!, Please see actual data for full text [truncated!, Please see actual data for full text]