Collaborative Research: WoU-MMA: Searches After Gravitational-waves Using Arizona's Observatories (SAGUARO)

2017年首次探测到引力波和来自中子星星合并的光，开启了“多信使”天体物理学的新时代。它为短伽马射线暴的起源、宇宙重元素的产生（如金和铂）以及致密物体合并（如中子星和黑洞）的相对论流出提供了直接证据。当中子星合并时，它们可以产生电磁光，包括爆炸性的“kilonova”辐射，这种辐射在光学和近红外线上只能持续几天。然而，到目前为止只有一个这样的探测，通过识别产生引力波事件的系统并对其进行深入研究，还有很多东西要学。研究人员将进行与引力波探测器观测相关的电磁观测活动。搜寻包括两个发现望远镜和一组1- 10米望远镜，用于立即和频繁地监测新的千新星。 作为该项目的一部分，研究人员在西班牙裔服务社区学院开发了一门课程，该课程将向所有技能水平的学生介绍基本的Python编程，并让他们了解STEM/学术未来的样子。研究人员将在第四次高级探测器运行（O 4）期间及以后对引力波事件进行全面发现和后续观测，利用新的发现机器（Kitt Peak上的Bok 2.3米望远镜）。至关重要的是，他们将使用新升级的软件，其中包括对引力波定位区域内的传入瞬变进行预先审查（通过与其他瞬变调查和相关目录进行交叉匹配），以及能够在可行的对应物上实现光度和光谱资源的同一夜触发的工具。最终，该团队将测量新千新星样本的颜色和光谱演化，以解开投影效应，并测量物理特性，如成分，喷出物质量和速度。只有通过对应物的样本，才能获得千诺维的真实物理图像。研究人员还将对kilonovae的宿主星系和恒星周围进行深入观察，这将限制球状星团的关联，并量化合并地点，宿主星系星星形成和其他星系属性之间的偏移。这些观测结果将限制导致紧凑物体合并的可行途径。该项目推进了"宇宙大创意视窗“的目标。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识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 first detection in 2017 of both gravitational waves and light from a neutron star merger opened a new era of ‘multi-messenger’ astrophysics. It provided direct evidence for the origin of short gamma ray bursts, cosmic heavy element production (like gold and platinum), and the launching of relativistic outflows from compact object mergers (like neutron stars and black holes). When neutron stars merge, they can produce electromagnetic light, including explosive ‘kilonova’ emission that is visible in the optical and near-infrared for only a few days. With only one such detection thus far, however, there is still much to learn by identifying the systems that produce gravitational wave events and studying them intensely. The investigators will run an electromagnetic observing campaign associated with gravitational wave detector observations. The search incorporates two discovery telescopes and a set of 1-10m telescopes for immediate and frequent monitoring of new kilonovae. As part of this project, the investigators have developed a course at a Hispanic Serving Community College, which will introduce students of all skill levels to basic python programming and to give them a view of what a STEM/academic future looks like. The investigators will carry out comprehensive discovery and follow-up observations of gravitational wave events during the fourth Advanced Detector run (O4) and beyond, taking advantage of a new discovery machine (the Bok 2.3-m telescope on Kitt Peak). Crucially, they will use newly upgraded software, which includes pre-vetting of incoming transients within the gravitational wave localization region (by cross-matching with other transient surveys and relevant catalogs) and tools to enable same-night triggering of photometric and spectroscopic resources on viable counterparts. Ultimately the team will measure the color and spectroscopic evolution of a sample of new kilonovae to disentangle projection effects and measure physical properties such as the composition, ejecta mass and velocity. It is only with a sample of counterparts that a true physical picture of kilonovae can be obtained. The investigators will also carry out deep observations of the host galaxies and stellar environs of kilonovae, which will constrain associations to globular clusters and quantify offsets between the merger site, host galaxy star formation, and other galaxy properties. These observations will constrain the viable pathways that lead to compact object mergers. This project advances the goals of the Windows on the Universe Big Idea.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.