Rapid response asteroid science from ZTF and LSST data

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

The team will identify rare asteroids in all-sky survey data, focusing on two kinds of extreme behavior. First, they will measure the occurrence rate of active asteroids to constrain the amount of water present in the Solar System. Second, they will identify asteroids with very short or very long rotation periods. These observations will provide critical information about how the Solar System formed and evolved. The team will broadcast a real-time outlier alerts using machine learning techniques. They will also provide updates to the Solar System Products Database to increase its value to a wide range of users. The team will construct three observing stations in locations that will maximize public engagement. Site 1 will welcome thousands of general public visitors at NAU’s campus observatory. Site 2 will provide the opportunity for dozens of students at Flagstaff High School to participate in the construction of a high-end amateur robotic telescope. Site 3 will be at an outdoor experiential camp that is visited by every sixth grader in Flagstaff, Arizona. This work will utilize data from the ongoing Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) and the upcoming Legacy Survey through Space and Time (LSST) done by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory. The proposed tasks leverage the team’s existing work on the Solar System Notification Alert Processing System (SNAPS). The results will allow the team to probe the conditions present at the time of the Solar System’s formation. The team will identify unusual asteroids in the ZTF and LSST data streams. These outliers will allow them to refine their understanding of the formation and evolution of asteroids and the Solar System by using these rare events as important physical constraints. The team will develop a tightly integrated system that ingests alerts and produces science, including follow-up using robotic telescope resources. This new capability will maximize the asteroid science yield from ZTF and LSST. Critically, this includes rapid processing of outlier observations — objects where unusual and time-critical behaviors require immediate confirmation. This rapid response capability will be necessary for both ZTF and LSST.This 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.