WoU-MMA: An Integrated Time Domain System for Discovery and Fast Follow-up of Gravitational Wave Events and Other Transients

Detection of the cosmic collisions of black holes and neutrons stars are happening on a regular basis with specialized experiments (such as the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory; LIGO), but astronomers struggle to identify the associated explosions because the positions are poorly localized on the sky. To locate the transient target in a large area on the sky requires fast reaction, machine learning techniques, and coordination between different teams and robotic telescopes.

This project will develop the Arizona Time Domain System, a set of software tools and robotic telescopes designed to be able to follow-up quickly on reports of explosions. The system will interrogate streams of incoming data from telescopes and experiments around the world, parse them for interesting targets using machine learning techniques, and then react in real time to observe and gather data on the explosion.

This sequence occurring with little or no human intervention. The resulting reduction in time between discovery of a new supernova or other cosmic explosion, and the characterization of that event will lead to new scientific understanding. The project plans an interaction with Pima Community College that will teach astronomy oriented computer programming to students.

The field of multi-messenger astronomy has been energized by the discovery of electromagnetic emission from the binary neutron star merger GW170817, along with the discovery of further neutron star mergers during the third LIGO/Virgo observing run. To address open questions related to kilonova emission, more counterparts must be discovered, preferably at early times in order to distinguish between theoretical models.

This project will build the Arizona Time Domain System (ATDS), an integrated set of tools to facilitate the discovery and follow-up of gravitational wave counterparts, in conjunction with two search telescopes. ATDS will provide significant discovery potential for LIGO/Virgo/KAGRA’s fourth advanced detector run (O4) and beyond. The ATDS will connect telescopes and alert data streams to an in-house transient broker that will send promising candidates to a newly built telescope observation manager that will rapidly institute photometric and spectroscopic follow-up This open source program will integrate several new, unproven and largely conceptual time domain tools into one of the first truly integrated time domain systems that will significantly advance our ability to respond to new gravitational wave events and their candidate counterparts.

Such integrated systems will be essential for maximizing the science from both multi-messenger astrophysics and other large time domain surveys. All the tools and software developed as part of this program will be open source, benefiting the entire astronomical community. 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.