Abstract
We have recently witnessed the first multi-messenger detection of colliding neutron stars through gravitational waves (GWs) and electromagnetic (EM) waves (GW 170817) thanks to the joint efforts of LIGO/Virgo and Space/Ground-based telescopes. In this paper, we report on the RATIR follow-up observation strategies and show the results for the trigger G194575. This trigger is not of astrophysical interest; however, it is of great interest to the robust design of a follow-up engine to explore large sky-error regions. We discuss the development of an image-subtraction pipeline for the six-color, optical/NIR imaging camera RATIR. Considering a two-band (i and r) campaign in the fall of 2015, we find that the requirement of simultaneous detection in both bands leads to a factor ∼10 reduction in false alarm rate, which can be further reduced using additional bands. We also show that the performance of our proposed algorithm is robust to fluctuating observing conditions, maintaining a low false alarm rate with a modest decrease in system efficiency that can be overcome utilizing repeat visits. Expanding our pipeline to search for either optical or NIR detections (three or more bands), considering separately the optical riZ and NIR YJH bands, should result in a false alarm rate ≈1% and an efficiency ≈90%. RATIR's simultaneous optical/NIR observations are expected to yield about one candidate transient in the vast 100 deg2 LIGO error region for prioritized follow-up with larger aperture telescopes.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Article number | 81 |
| Journal | Astrophysical Journal |
| Volume | 857 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Apr 20 2018 |
Fingerprint
Keywords
- catalogs
- galaxies: statistics
- gravitational waves
- methods: observational
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Space and Planetary Science
Cite this
RATIR Follow-up of LIGO/Virgo Gravitational Wave Events. / Golkhou, V. Zach; Butler, Nathaniel; Strausbaugh, Robert; Troja, Eleonora; Kutyrev, Alexander; Lee, William H.; Román-Zúñiga, Carlos G.; Watson, Alan M.
In: Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 857, No. 2, 81, 20.04.2018.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - RATIR Follow-up of LIGO/Virgo Gravitational Wave Events
AU - Golkhou, V. Zach
AU - Butler, Nathaniel
AU - Strausbaugh, Robert
AU - Troja, Eleonora
AU - Kutyrev, Alexander
AU - Lee, William H.
AU - Román-Zúñiga, Carlos G.
AU - Watson, Alan M.
PY - 2018/4/20
Y1 - 2018/4/20
N2 - We have recently witnessed the first multi-messenger detection of colliding neutron stars through gravitational waves (GWs) and electromagnetic (EM) waves (GW 170817) thanks to the joint efforts of LIGO/Virgo and Space/Ground-based telescopes. In this paper, we report on the RATIR follow-up observation strategies and show the results for the trigger G194575. This trigger is not of astrophysical interest; however, it is of great interest to the robust design of a follow-up engine to explore large sky-error regions. We discuss the development of an image-subtraction pipeline for the six-color, optical/NIR imaging camera RATIR. Considering a two-band (i and r) campaign in the fall of 2015, we find that the requirement of simultaneous detection in both bands leads to a factor ∼10 reduction in false alarm rate, which can be further reduced using additional bands. We also show that the performance of our proposed algorithm is robust to fluctuating observing conditions, maintaining a low false alarm rate with a modest decrease in system efficiency that can be overcome utilizing repeat visits. Expanding our pipeline to search for either optical or NIR detections (three or more bands), considering separately the optical riZ and NIR YJH bands, should result in a false alarm rate ≈1% and an efficiency ≈90%. RATIR's simultaneous optical/NIR observations are expected to yield about one candidate transient in the vast 100 deg2 LIGO error region for prioritized follow-up with larger aperture telescopes.
AB - We have recently witnessed the first multi-messenger detection of colliding neutron stars through gravitational waves (GWs) and electromagnetic (EM) waves (GW 170817) thanks to the joint efforts of LIGO/Virgo and Space/Ground-based telescopes. In this paper, we report on the RATIR follow-up observation strategies and show the results for the trigger G194575. This trigger is not of astrophysical interest; however, it is of great interest to the robust design of a follow-up engine to explore large sky-error regions. We discuss the development of an image-subtraction pipeline for the six-color, optical/NIR imaging camera RATIR. Considering a two-band (i and r) campaign in the fall of 2015, we find that the requirement of simultaneous detection in both bands leads to a factor ∼10 reduction in false alarm rate, which can be further reduced using additional bands. We also show that the performance of our proposed algorithm is robust to fluctuating observing conditions, maintaining a low false alarm rate with a modest decrease in system efficiency that can be overcome utilizing repeat visits. Expanding our pipeline to search for either optical or NIR detections (three or more bands), considering separately the optical riZ and NIR YJH bands, should result in a false alarm rate ≈1% and an efficiency ≈90%. RATIR's simultaneous optical/NIR observations are expected to yield about one candidate transient in the vast 100 deg2 LIGO error region for prioritized follow-up with larger aperture telescopes.
KW - catalogs
KW - galaxies: statistics
KW - gravitational waves
KW - methods: observational
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85046343627&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85046343627&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3847/1538-4357/aab665
DO - 10.3847/1538-4357/aab665
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85046343627
VL - 857
JO - Astrophysical Journal
JF - Astrophysical Journal
SN - 0004-637X
IS - 2
M1 - 81
ER -