Skynet’s New Observing Mode: The Campaign Manager

2022 ◽  
Vol 134 (1031) ◽  
pp. 015001
Author(s):  
Dylan A. Dutton ◽  
Daniel E. Reichart ◽  
Joshua B. Haislip ◽  
Vladimir V. Kouprianov ◽  
Omar H. Shaban ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gravitational Wave ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Radio Telescope ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Gamma Ray Bursts ◽  
Transient Phenomena ◽  
Multi Wavelength ◽  
Scaling Parameters ◽  
Robotic Telescope

Abstract Built in 2004, the Skynet robotic telescope network originally consisted of six 0.4 m telescopes located at the Cerro-Tololo Inter-American Observatory in the Chilean Andes. The network was designed to carry out simultaneous multi-wavelength observations of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) when they are only tens of seconds old. To date, the network has been expanded to ≈20 telescopes, including a 20 m radio telescope, that span four continents and five countries. The Campaign Manager (CM) is a new observing mode that has been developed for Skynet. Available to all Skynet observers, the CM semi-autonomously and indefinitely scales and schedules exposures on the observer’s behalf while allowing for modification to scaling parameters in real time. The CM is useful for follow up to various transient phenomena including gravitational-wave events, GRB localizations, young supernovae, and eventually, sufficiently bright Argus Optical Array and Large Synoptic Survey Telescope events.

scholarly journals DESAlert: Enabling Real-Time Transient Follow-Up with Dark Energy Survey Data

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Poci ◽  
K. Kuehn ◽  
T. Abbott ◽  
F. B. Abdalla ◽  
S. Allam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dark Energy ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Gamma Ray Bursts ◽  
Host Galaxies ◽  
Gamma Ray Burst ◽  
Dark Energy Survey ◽  
Data Products ◽  
Energy Survey

AbstractThe Dark Energy Survey is undertaking an observational programme imaging 1/4 of the southern hemisphere sky with unprecedented photometric accuracy. In the process of observing millions of faint stars and galaxies to constrain the parameters of the dark energy equation of state, the Dark Energy Survey will obtain pre-discovery images of the regions surrounding an estimated 100 gamma-ray bursts over 5 yr. Once gamma-ray bursts are detected by, e.g., the Swift satellite, the DES data will be extremely useful for follow-up observations by the transient astronomy community. We describe a recently-commissioned suite of software that listens continuously for automated notices of gamma-ray burst activity, collates information from archival DES data, and disseminates relevant data products back to the community in near-real-time. Of particular importance are the opportunities that non-public DES data provide for relative photometry of the optical counterparts of gamma-ray bursts, as well as for identifying key characteristics (e.g., photometric redshifts) of potential gamma-ray burst host galaxies. We provide the functional details of the DESAlert software, and its data products, and we show sample results from the application of DESAlert to numerous previously detected gamma-ray bursts, including the possible identification of several heretofore unknown gamma-ray burst hosts.

scholarly journals Towards Improving the Prospects for Coordinated Gravitational-Wave and Electromagnetic Observations

2011 ◽  
Vol 7 (S285) ◽  
pp. 358-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilya Mandel ◽  
Luke Z. Kelley ◽  
Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz
Keyword(s):  
Gravitational Wave ◽  
Prior Information ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Optimal Parameter ◽  
Gamma Ray Bursts ◽  
Binary Neutron Star ◽  
Quantitative Estimates ◽  
Optimal Parameter Estimation ◽  
Parameter Estimation Techniques

AbstractWe discuss two approaches to searches for gravitational-wave (GW) and electromagnetic (EM) counterparts of binary neutron-star mergers. The first approach relies on triggering archival searches of GW detector data based on detections of EM transients. Quantitative estimates of the improvement to GW detector reach due to the increased confidence in the presence and parameters of a signal from a binary merger gained from the EM transient suggest utilizing other transients in addition to short gamma-ray bursts. The second approach involves following up GW candidates with targeted EM observations. We argue for the use of slower but optimal parameter-estimation techniques and for a more sophisticated use of astrophysical prior information, including galaxy catalogues to find preferred follow-up locations.

scholarly journals The Photometry Pipeline of the Watcher Robotic Telescope

2010 ◽  
Vol 2010 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Ferrero ◽  
L. Hanlon ◽  
R. Felletti ◽  
J. French ◽  
G. Melady ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Variable Star ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Zero Point ◽  
Gamma Ray Bursts ◽  
Sources Of Uncertainty ◽  
Star Studies ◽  
Instrumental Measurement ◽  
Analyse Data ◽  
Robotic Telescope

The Watcher robotic telescope was developed primarily to perform rapid optical follow-up observations of Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs). Secondary scientific goals include blazar monitoring and variable star studies. An automated photometry pipeline to rapidly analyse data from Watcher has been implemented. Details of the procedures to get image zero-point, source instrumental measurement, and limiting magnitude are presented. Sources of uncertainty are assessed and the performance of the pipeline is tested by comparison with a number of catalogue sources.

scholarly journals Study of very early phase GRB afterglows with MITSuME

2011 ◽  
Vol 7 (S279) ◽  
pp. 387-388
Author(s):  
Yoshihiko Saito ◽  
Yoichi Yatsu ◽  
Hideya Nakajima ◽  
Nobuyuki Kawai ◽  
Katsuaki Asano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Early Phase ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Gamma Ray Bursts ◽  
Optical Observations ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Photometric Observations ◽  
Optical Telescopes

AbstractWe review the results of very early phase optical follow-up observations of recent gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) with the multi-color optical telescopes “MITSuME”. The MITSuME telescopes were designed to perform “real time” and “automatic” follow-up observations prompted by the GCN alerts via the Internet. The rapidly slewing equatorial mounts allow MITSuME to start photometric observations within 100 seconds after the trigger for several GRBs. In particular, we detected a brightening just after the trigger for two GRBs. These phenomena could be interpreted as the “on-set” of afterglow. In this paper we summarize these optical observations with a brief interpretation.

scholarly journals MASTER Prompt and Follow-Up GRB Observations

2010 ◽  
Vol 2010 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nataly Tyurina ◽  
Vladimir Lipunov ◽  
Victor Kornilov ◽  
Evgeny Gorbovskoy ◽  
Nikolaj Shatskij ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Optical Emission ◽  
Gamma Ray Bursts ◽  
Robotic Telescope

We presented the results of last years GRB observations obtained on the MASTER robotic telescope, which is the only telescope of its kind in Russia. These results include 5 prompt observations of GRB in 2008 and 2009, follow-up observations of 15 other GRBs in 2008-2009, the first observations in different polarization angles of optical emission from the gamma-ray bursts GRB091020, and observations in different polarization angles for GRB091127 and GRB090820.

scholarly journals Study of nucleosynthesis in neutron star merger with optical-infrared follow-up observations of gravitational wave sources

Impact ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (5) ◽  
pp. 30-32
Author(s):  
Michitoshi Yoshida
Keyword(s):  
Neutron Star ◽  
Gravitational Wave ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Astronomical Observatory ◽  
Gamma Ray Bursts ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Electro Magnetic ◽  
The Universe

Professor Michitoshi Yoshida, who is based at Subaru Telescope of National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, is a lead scientist with J-GEM (the Japanese Collaboration for Gravitational- Wave Electro-Magnetic Follow-up) and throughout the course of his career in galactic study, has become increasingly interested in the active phenomena of the universe, such as gamma ray bursts (GRB). J-GEM is embarking on a research approach called multi-messenger astronomy, this method is based on the coordination between classical electromagnetic astronomy, new GW astronomy and particle astronomy, and is opening new opportunities for humans to investigate the Universe.

scholarly journals The first six months of the Advanced LIGO’s and Advanced Virgo’s third observing run with GRANDMA

2019 ◽  
Vol 492 (3) ◽  
pp. 3904-3927 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Antier ◽  
S Agayeva ◽  
V Aivazyan ◽  
S Alishov ◽  
E Arbouch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neutron Star ◽  
Gravitational Wave ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Spatial Localization ◽  
Gamma Ray Bursts ◽  
Binary Neutron Star ◽  
The Third ◽  
Transient Events ◽  
Tools And Methods

ABSTRACT We present the Global Rapid Advanced Network Devoted to the Multi-messenger Addicts (GRANDMA). The network consists of 21 telescopes with both photometric and spectroscopic facilities. They are connected together thanks to a dedicated infrastructure. The network aims at coordinating the observations of large sky position estimates of transient events to enhance their follow-up and reduce the delay between the initial detection and optical confirmation. The GRANDMA programme mainly focuses on follow-up of gravitational-wave alerts to find and characterize the electromagnetic counterpart during the third observational campaign of the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo detectors. But it allows for follow-up of any transient alerts involving neutrinos or gamma-ray bursts, even those with poor spatial localization. We present the different facilities, tools, and methods we developed for this network and show its efficiency using observations of LIGO/Virgo S190425z, a binary neutron star merger candidate. We furthermore report on all GRANDMA follow-up observations performed during the first six months of the LIGO–Virgo observational campaign, and we derive constraints on the kilonova properties assuming that the events’ locations were imaged by our telescopes.

scholarly journals The Deeper Wider Faster Programme: Chasing the Fastest Bursts in the Universe

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (S339) ◽  
pp. 135-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Andreoni ◽  
J. Cooke
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Global Network ◽  
Wide Field ◽  
Radio Bursts ◽  
Long Term Follow Up ◽  
Multi Wavelength ◽  
Main Components

AbstractThe Deeper Wider Faster programme (DWF) is a project that coordinates more than 30 multi-wavelength and multi-messenger facilities worldwide and in space, in order to detect and study fast transients (durations of milliseconds to hours). DWF has four main components: (1) simultaneous observations, where ∼10 major facilities, from radio to gamma-ray, are coordinated to perform short-cadence, deep, wide-field observations of the same field at the same time. Radio telescopes search for fast radio bursts, while optical imagers and high-energy instruments search for transient events whose time-scales are seconds to hours, (2) supercomputer data processing and candidate identification in real time (seconds to minutes), along with human inspection of candidates, also in real time (minutes), using sophisticated visualisation technology, (3) rapid-response (minutes) follow-up spectroscopy and imaging, and conventional ToO observations, and (4) long-term follow up by a global network of 1-m to 4-m telescopes. The principal goals of DWF are to discover and study counterparts to fast radio bursts and gravitational-wave events, as well as transients at all wavelengths that have durations of milliseconds to hours.

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