Infrared transient astronomy and gravitational wave follow-up with the Liverpool Telescope

现代大视场光学巡天正在以前所未有的数量揭示新的异质瞬态现象。相比之下，红外天空相对来说还没有被探索过。然而，由于红外探测器技术的进步和新的测量设施，如帕洛马天文台的加蒂尼红外，这种情况将会改变。这个项目的目标是带领利物浦望远镜探索红外瞬变天空。这名学生将在望远镜上开发并调试新的InGaAs相机，目标是在2022年初为完全的机器人操作做好准备。该摄像机将用于瞬态分类和跟踪程序。感兴趣的主要目标将是由引力波探测器LIGO-Virgo合作发现的双中子星合并的对应物。这些探测器的第四次科学运行也将于2022年初开始。这些合并事件的各向同性“千新星”特征模型显示出强烈的色革命，在红外波段有一个峰值，这一行为在GW170817事件的后续观测中得到了证实。因此，机器人望远镜上的敏感红外仪器是识别和表征候选对应物的有力工具。该学生将领导利物浦望远镜为O4项目的后续工作做出贡献。

The modern era of wide field optical surveys is revealing new andexotic transient phenomena in unprecedented numbers. The infrared skyis relatively unexplored by comparison. However that is set to changedue to advances in infrared detector technology and new surveyfacilities, such as Gattini IR at Palomar Observatory. The goal ofthis project is to lead the Liverpool Telescope exploitation of theinfrared transient sky. The student will develop and then commision anew InGaAs camera on the telescope, with the aim of having it readyfor full robotic operations in early 2022. This camera will then beused in programmes of transient classification and follow-up. Theprimary targets of interest will be the counterparts of binary neutronstar mergers discovered by the LIGO-Virgo collaboration ofgravitational wave detectors. The fourth science run with thesedetectors is also due to begin in early 2022. Models of the isotropic`kilonova' signature of these merger events shows a strong colourevolution with a peak in the infrared, and this behaviour wasconfirmed by the follow-up of the GW170817 event. A sensitive infraredinstrument on a robotic telescope is therefore a powerful tool for theidentification and characterisation of candidate counterparts. Thestudent will lead the Liverpool Telescope contribution to thefollow-up effort in the O4 run.