We propose to conduct a targeted science program utilizing the 47 DEG2 field-of-view zwicky transient facility (ZTF) project and the spectral energy distribution machines (sedms) an instrument which…

This is a $1,050,000 grant awarded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) on June 29, 2021 to conduct a targeted science program. The program will utilize the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) project and Spectral Energy Distribution Machines (SEDMs) to search for and characterize explosive astrophysical events, transients associated with stellar evolution, and help identify electromagnetic counterparts to gravitational wave events. The program aims to provide rapid spectral classification of over 2,000 bright supernovae per year and identify 30 tidal disruption events annually. The research will also support studies on the completeness of galaxy catalogs and measuring peculiar velocities of supernova host galaxies. This effort is designed to be operational in time for the fourth observation run of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO). The contract does not have a set-aside designation and is scheduled for completion by April 28, 2025.

We propose to conduct a targeted science program utilizing the 47 DEG2 field-of-view zwicky transient facility (ZTF) project and the spectral energy distribution machines (sedms) an instrument which combines a proven bespoke spectrometer and a proven fast-framing imager. We will search for and characterize explosive astrophysical events, transients associated with the final stages of stellar evolution, STARS passing too close to supermassive black holes, undertake rapid response to gamma-RAY bursts and help in pursuing candidate electromagnetic counterparts to events discovered by gravitational wave facilities (ligo, virgo, kagra), amongst other exotic phenomena. The critical need for these types of object is spectral classification and/or rapid response. This program combines ZTF searches defining large, homogeneous samples of transients with efficient ation provided by the existing sedm on the palomar 60-inch telescope and a second new improved version on the robotic 84-inch kitt peak telescope (KP84). Together these will deliver more than 2000 spectral classifications of bright supernovae (SNE)/year with daily uploading of data to the transient name server (TNS) and thirty tidal disruption events (tdes)/year. The proposed effort will support two major studies using low redshift SNE to assess the completeness of galaxy catalogs and measure the peculiar velocities of SN host galaxies to probe the local matter distribution. This program is timely in that IT will be in full form for LSC run O4.