Speeding up the messenger: immediate detection of multimessenger transients with Las Cumbres Observatory

拉斯康布雷斯天文台（LCO）的工作将在未来三年继续进行，该天文台将在发现瞬变事件后几分钟到几小时内对其进行监测，以发现和描述瞬变事件。由21个机器人望远镜组成的全球网络几乎可以持续访问天空，在发现瞬变事件后，如果有必要，将启动参考其位置的程序，并在当地白天不间断地持续观察它。LCO将观察未来的瞬态事件，包括冰立方警报和任何三个探测器Ligo-Virgo中子星警报，这可能会有几十个事件。在发现并定位位置后，警报将立即发送给科学界。LCO网络和一系列其他设施将与国际伙伴一起监测电磁发射，以表征新发现的瞬变现象。博士后和研究生将把新的望远镜集成到LCO网络中，提高他们在仪器和机器人技术方面的STEM技能。PI将开发一种新的高中学生教育模块，重点是千新星和瞬变者。这笔拨款将在未来三年内支持LCO全球望远镜网络的全天候运行。在此期间，LCO网络在收到Ligo/Virgo探测到引力波的瞬态发射警报、冰立方中微子事件警报后，将探测/发现其光学对应的电磁辐射，并改进警报给出的位置，并立即通知天文学界。这将使LCO网络和其他望远镜设施能够在爆发早期监测电磁辐射，以充分表征和模拟其来源，并了解产生它的条件。该项目推进了NSF宇宙大构想之窗的目标。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The operations of the Las Cumbres Observatory (LCO), for the discovery and characterization of transient events by monitoring them minutes to hours after their discovery, will be continued for the next three years. The worldwide network of 21 robotic telescopes which allows almost constant access to the sky, will after discovery of a transient event, initiate procedures to reference its position if necessary and continuously observe it without gaps for local daytime. LCO will observe any future transient events including IceCube alerts and any three detector Ligo-Virgo neutron star alerts which will possibly number in the tens of events. After discovery and localization for position, alerts will immediately be sent out to the scientific community. The LCO network and an array of other facilities in conjunction with international partners will monitor the electromagnetic emission to characterize the newly discovered transients. The postdoc and graduate student will integrate new telescopes into the LCO network increasing their STEM skills in instrumentation and robotics. A new education module for high school students will be developed by the PI that focuses on kilonova and transients. This grant will support the 24/7 operation of the for the operation of the LCO's world-wide network of telescopes for the next three years. During this period, the LCO network upon receiving an alert of transient emission from Ligo/Virgo of the detection of Gravitational Waves, IceCube of a neutrino event, will detect/discover electromagnetic radiation from its optical counterpart and refine the position given by the alert, and immediately notify the astronomical community. This will allow the LCO network and other telescope facilities to monitor the electromagnetic radiation early in the outburst to fully characterize and model the its source and understand the conditions giving rise to it.This Project advances the goals of the NSF Windows on the Universe Big IdeaThis award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.