Prompt optical observations of gamma-ray bursts and other energetic transients with ROTSE-III

使用 ROTSE-III 对伽马射线暴和其他高能瞬变进行快速光学观测

• 批准号: 0801007
• 负责人: Carl Akerlof
• 金额: $ 36.5万
• 依托单位: Regents of the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2008
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2008-09-01 至 2013-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0801007&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Prompt; optical; observations; gamma; ray

This award will provide funds for the Robotic Optical Transient Search Experiment (ROTSE) to observe gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and other energetic transients, concentrating on the prompt observations of GRBs detected by the Swift BAT and GLAST LAT detectors and the detection of supernovae (SNe) at early stages of their rising lightcurves. The next few years will be a period of unique opportunity with these two gamma-ray missions operating in space. Data from GLAST is likely to illuminate a significant puzzle of GRBs: the emission of photons of very high energies. The wide field of view of the ROTSE instruments will enable localization of a large fraction of the detected events, a task exceedingly difficult for more conventional ground-based instruments. The response time of the ROTSE telescopes is short enough to begin observations while many bursts are still emitting gamma-rays or X-rays. Over the past few years, ROTSE has collected data that, in conjunction with contemporaneous X-ray data, indicate that previous assumptions about the dynamics of GRB afterglows are inadequate to explain the combined measurements. ROTSE data analyses have identified 30 SNe, most spectacularly SN2005ap, SN2006gy and SN2007if. These remarkable events exhibit a peak brightness 10 times greater than type-IA SNe, thus pointing to a new class of explosions. Although the aperture of the telescopes is modest, their wide field of view enables the discovery of SNe shortly after the initial explosion and thus enables more a complete exploration of the dynamics. ROTSE has been a rich source of data for the study of astrophysical transient phenomena. Recently, an educational outreach program in Thailand has signed an agreement to provide ?sky patrol? data to a consortium of high schools throughout that country. The ROTSE project spans 4 continents bringing research in optical astronomy to Namibia for the first time and considerably augmenting the facilities in Turkey.

该奖项将为机器人光学瞬变搜索实验（ROTSE）提供资金，以观测伽马射线暴（GRB）和其他高能瞬变，重点是迅速观测Swift BAT和GLAST LAT探测器探测到的GRB，以及在其上升光变曲线的早期阶段探测超新星（SNe）。 未来几年将是这两个伽马射线任务在太空运行的独特机遇期。来自GLAST的数据可能会阐明伽马射线暴的一个重要难题：非常高能量的光子的发射。ROTSE仪器的宽视场将能够定位大部分探测到的事件，这对于更传统的地面仪器来说是一项非常困难的任务。ROTSE望远镜的响应时间足够短，可以在许多爆发仍在发射伽马射线或X射线时开始观测。在过去的几年里，ROTSE收集的数据，结合同期的X射线数据，表明以前的假设伽玛射线暴余辉的动力学是不足以解释的组合测量。ROTSE数据分析已经确定了30个SNe，最常见的是SN2005ap，SN2006gy和SN2007if。这些引人注目的事件表现出比IA型SNe大10倍的峰值亮度，从而指向一种新的爆炸类型。尽管望远镜的孔径不大，但它们的宽视场使得在最初爆炸后不久就发现了SNe，从而能够对动力学进行更完整的探索。ROTSE是研究天体物理瞬变现象的丰富数据源。最近，泰国的一个教育推广计划签署了一项协议，提供？空中巡逻队？数据提供给全国各地的高中联盟。ROTSE项目跨越四大洲，首次将光学天文学研究带到纳米比亚，并大大增强了土耳其的设施。