The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a $639,778 Project Grant under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences (CFDA 47.049) program to the Regents of the University of Minnesota, Office of Sponsored Projects Administration. This 3-year grant, effective September 1, 2024, will fund research using the Total-Coverage Ultra-fast Response to Binary-Mergers Observatory (TURBO) telescopes to study the early stages of supernovae and observe gravitational wave events.
The key objectives are to: 1) Detect the initial pulse of light from supernovae in nearby galaxies to gain insights into the internal structure and mass loss of massive stars before they explode; and 2) Rapidly image large sky areas to identify optical counterparts to gravitational wave events detected by LIGO, which can enable measurements of the Hubble constant and analysis of neutron star merger byproducts. This research aims to advance understanding of stellar evolution, supernovae, and multi-messenger astronomy. The project will also engage students from minority-serving institutions and the public through outreach and citizen science initiatives.
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