http://arxiv.org/abs/2011.10421
The rise of multi-messenger astronomy has brought with it the need to exploit all available data streams and learn more about the astrophysical objects that fall within its breadth. One possible avenue is the search for serendipitous electromagnetic counterparts of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and gravitational-wave signals, known as kilonovae. With surveys such as the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF), which observes the sky with a cadence of $\sim$ three days, the existing counterpart locations are likely to be observed; however, due to the significant amount of sky to explore, it is difficult to search for these fast-evolving candidates. It is thus beneficial for the survey cadence to be optimized to find and identify transients of this type such that further photometric and spectroscopic observations can be made. We explore how to improve the cadence of wide field-of-view surveys like ZTF to enable such identifications. We show that with improved observational choices, e.g., the adoption of a $\sim$ nightly cadence and the prioritization of redder photometric bands, detection rates improve by about a factor of two relative to the nominal cadence. These results demonstrate how an optimal use of ZTF increases the likelihood of kilonova discovery independent of gravitational waves or GRBs, thereby allowing for a sensitive search with less interruption of its nominal cadence through Target of Opportunity programs.
M. Almualla, S. Anand, M. Coughlin, et. al.
Mon, 23 Nov 20
22/63
Comments: 11 pages, 5 figures
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