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The LOFAR Transients Key Project

The LOFAR Transients Key Project. Casey Law (Amsterdam). "Quiquid differat notandum". Why now?  New technology!. Why now?  New technology!. Why now?  New technology!. Why now?  New technology!. With new techniques, come new capabilities. Pushing the boundaries...

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The LOFAR Transients Key Project

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  1. The LOFAR Transients Key Project C\asey Law (Amsterdam) "Quiquid differat notandum"

  2. Why now?  New technology!

  3. Why now?  New technology!

  4. Why now?  New technology!

  5. Why now?  New technology!

  6. With new techniques, come new capabilities • Pushing the boundaries... • Frequencies from 30 to 240 MHz • 32 MHz BW can be processed • FOV = 10 - 1 deg • 8+ beams

  7. How will the TKP use LOFAR?The Radio Sky Monitor • Imaging survey at 30, 120 MHz • 1 sec sensitivity:  500, 50 mJy • Covers 1/4 of sky daily

  8. Analysis for Radio Sky Monitor • Image int'n times: 1s, 2s, 5s, ... • Real-time pipeline in Python • Events made public rapidly • Public access to database Image srcdet alert class db

  9. Expectations for RSM Survey Class                        Timescale                    Rate        GRB afterglows        minutes - months        ~100/yr         Radio supernovae    days - months              ~5/yr        Flare stars                msec - hours             100-1000        Exoplanets               min - hours                  10-100        "Lorimer-like"            msec                               ?

  10. What kind of physics can we study?1) Synchrotron emission:relativistic electrons in magnetic fieldsSeen in AGN, XRB, GRB, SNe.Open Questions:  - How are jets formed and collimated?  - How is accretion power carried away?

  11. What kind of physics can we study?2) Coherent emission:bulk motion of charged particlesSeen in neutron stars, flare stars, GRBs.Open Questions:  - Is there prompt GRB emission?  - Do flare stars emit coherently and how?

  12. What kind of physics can we study?3) Properties of the ISM/IGM:dispersion imprint informationOpen Questions:  - Can we improve on NE2001?  - Is the IGM like the ISM?4) Discovery! - Exoplanets - GRB prompt emission - Pulsar GPs - ?

  13. ChallengesCalibration:  Will all sources seem "transient" from ionospheric effects?RFI:  Interference may mimic celestial transients.Data volume:  How long can we hold results of TKP pipeline?  Can we handle generic public queries?Latency:  Can system calibrate fast enough to allow responses to 1s-type events?

  14. Summary • Next-gen interferometers are opening new possibilities in imaging surveys. • LOFAR will utilize this with the Radio Sky Monitor. • Data processed in real time and results made accessible. • Probing new regimes in time-domain astronomy promises exciting new results.

  15. 2)  Targeted Observations • Full array observations • XRBs, Exoplanets, GRB/SN • Respond with Transient Buffer Boards or "natural buffer boards" -> dispersion delay

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