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

合作研究：WoU-MMA：利用亚利桑那州天文台 (SAGUARO) 搜索引力波

• 批准号: 2308182
• 负责人: Wen-fai Fong
• 金额: $ 33.7万
• 依托单位: Northwestern University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-09-01 至 2026-08-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2308182&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; WoU; MMA; Searches

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.

2017 年首次探测到中子星合并产生的引力波和光，开启了“多信使”天体物理学的新时代，它为短伽马射线爆发、宇宙重元素（如金和铂）的起源提供了直接证据。 ），以及致密物体合并（如中子星和黑洞）产生的相对论流出当中子星合并时，它们可以产生电磁光，包括在光学和近红外中仅可见几天的爆炸性“千新星”发射，然而，迄今为止只有一次这样的探测，通过识别产生引力波事件的系统并研究它们，仍然有很多东西需要学习。作为其中的一部分，研究人员将开展与引力波探测器观测相关的电磁观测活动，其中包括两台发现望远镜和一组 1-10m 望远镜。项目中，研究人员在西班牙服务社区学院开发了一门课程，向各种技能水平的学生介绍基本的 Python 编程，并让他们了解 STEM/学术的未来。研究人员将进行全面的发现。以及利用新的发现机器（基特峰上的 Bok 2.3 米望远镜）对第四次高级探测器运行（O4）及以后的引力波事件进行后续观测。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）以及能够在夜间触发可行胶囊上的光度和光谱资源来测量颜色和的工具。新千新星样本的光谱演化，以解开投影效应并测量物理特性，例如成分、喷射物质量和速度。只有千新星样本才能获得千新星的真实物理图像。研究人员还将对宿主星系和千新星的恒星周围进行深入观测，这将限制球状星团的关联以及合并地点、宿主星系恒星形成和其他星系特性之间的定量偏移。限制导致紧凑对象合并的可行途径。该项目推进了“宇宙之窗”大创意的目标。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。 。