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Designing an Optimal Kilonova Search Using DECam for Gravitational-wave Events

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Designing an Optimal Kilonova Search Using DECam for Gravitational-wave Events. / Dark Energy Survey Collaboration.
In: The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 960, No. 2, 122, 08.01.2024.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

Harvard

Dark Energy Survey Collaboration 2024, 'Designing an Optimal Kilonova Search Using DECam for Gravitational-wave Events', The Astrophysical Journal, vol. 960, no. 2, 122. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad0462

APA

Dark Energy Survey Collaboration (2024). Designing an Optimal Kilonova Search Using DECam for Gravitational-wave Events. The Astrophysical Journal, 960(2), Article 122. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad0462

Vancouver

Dark Energy Survey Collaboration. Designing an Optimal Kilonova Search Using DECam for Gravitational-wave Events. The Astrophysical Journal. 2024 Jan 8;960(2):122. doi: 10.3847/1538-4357/ad0462

Author

Dark Energy Survey Collaboration. / Designing an Optimal Kilonova Search Using DECam for Gravitational-wave Events. In: The Astrophysical Journal. 2024 ; Vol. 960, No. 2.

Bibtex

@article{33bc778291c94302a5c59bb9969d24a5,
title = "Designing an Optimal Kilonova Search Using DECam for Gravitational-wave Events",
abstract = "We address the problem of optimally identifying all kilonovae detected via gravitational-wave emission in the upcoming LIGO/Virgo/KAGRA observing run, O4, which is expected to be sensitive to a factor of ~7 more binary neutron star (BNS) alerts than previously. Electromagnetic follow-up of all but the brightest of these new events will require >1 m telescopes, for which limited time is available. We present an optimized observing strategy for the DECam during O4. We base our study on simulations of gravitational-wave events expected for O4 and wide-prior kilonova simulations. We derive the detectabilities of events for realistic observing conditions. We optimize our strategy for confirming a kilonova while minimizing telescope time. For a wide range of kilonova parameters, corresponding to a fainter kilonova compared to GW170817/AT 2017gfo, we find that, with this optimal strategy, the discovery probability for electromagnetic counterparts with the DECam is ~80% at the nominal BNS gravitational-wave detection limit for O4 (190 Mpc), which corresponds to an ~30% improvement compared to the strategy adopted during the previous observing run. For more distant events (~330 Mpc), we reach an ~60% probability of detection, a factor of ~2 increase. For a brighter kilonova model dominated by the blue component that reproduces the observations of GW170817/AT 2017gfo, we find that we can reach ~90% probability of detection out to 330 Mpc, representing an increase of ~20%, while also reducing the total telescope time required to follow up events by ~20%....",
author = "{Dark Energy Survey Collaboration} and Bom, {C. R.} and J. Annis and A. Garcia and A. Palmese and N. Sherman and M. Soares-Santos and L. Santana-Silva and R. Morgan and K. Bechtol and T. Davis and Diehl, {H. T.} and Allam, {S. S.} and Bachmann, {T. G.} and Fraga, {B. M. O.} and J. Garc{\'i}a-Bellido and Gill, {M. S. S.} and K. Herner and Kilpatrick, {C. D.} and M. Makler and {Olivares E.}, F. and Pereira, {M. E. S.} and J. Pineda and A. Santos and Tucker, {D. L.} and Wiesner, {M. P.} and M. Aguena and O. Alves and D. Bacon and Bernardinelli, {P. H.} and E. Bertin and S. Bocquet and D. Brooks and {Carrasco Kind}, M. and J. Carretero and C. Conselice and M. Costanzi and {da Costa}, {L. N.} and {De Vicente}, J. and S. Desai and P. Doel and S. Everett and I. Ferrero and J. Frieman and M. Gatti and Gerdes, {D. W.} and D. Gruen and Gruendl, {R. A.} and G. Gutierrez and Hinton, {S. R.} and M. Smith",
year = "2024",
month = jan,
day = "8",
doi = "10.3847/1538-4357/ad0462",
language = "English",
volume = "960",
journal = "The Astrophysical Journal",
issn = "0004-637X",
publisher = "Institute of Physics Publishing",
number = "2",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Designing an Optimal Kilonova Search Using DECam for Gravitational-wave Events

AU - Dark Energy Survey Collaboration

AU - Bom, C. R.

AU - Annis, J.

AU - Garcia, A.

AU - Palmese, A.

AU - Sherman, N.

AU - Soares-Santos, M.

AU - Santana-Silva, L.

AU - Morgan, R.

AU - Bechtol, K.

AU - Davis, T.

AU - Diehl, H. T.

AU - Allam, S. S.

AU - Bachmann, T. G.

AU - Fraga, B. M. O.

AU - García-Bellido, J.

AU - Gill, M. S. S.

AU - Herner, K.

AU - Kilpatrick, C. D.

AU - Makler, M.

AU - Olivares E., F.

AU - Pereira, M. E. S.

AU - Pineda, J.

AU - Santos, A.

AU - Tucker, D. L.

AU - Wiesner, M. P.

AU - Aguena, M.

AU - Alves, O.

AU - Bacon, D.

AU - Bernardinelli, P. H.

AU - Bertin, E.

AU - Bocquet, S.

AU - Brooks, D.

AU - Carrasco Kind, M.

AU - Carretero, J.

AU - Conselice, C.

AU - Costanzi, M.

AU - da Costa, L. N.

AU - De Vicente, J.

AU - Desai, S.

AU - Doel, P.

AU - Everett, S.

AU - Ferrero, I.

AU - Frieman, J.

AU - Gatti, M.

AU - Gerdes, D. W.

AU - Gruen, D.

AU - Gruendl, R. A.

AU - Gutierrez, G.

AU - Hinton, S. R.

AU - Smith, M.

PY - 2024/1/8

Y1 - 2024/1/8

N2 - We address the problem of optimally identifying all kilonovae detected via gravitational-wave emission in the upcoming LIGO/Virgo/KAGRA observing run, O4, which is expected to be sensitive to a factor of ~7 more binary neutron star (BNS) alerts than previously. Electromagnetic follow-up of all but the brightest of these new events will require >1 m telescopes, for which limited time is available. We present an optimized observing strategy for the DECam during O4. We base our study on simulations of gravitational-wave events expected for O4 and wide-prior kilonova simulations. We derive the detectabilities of events for realistic observing conditions. We optimize our strategy for confirming a kilonova while minimizing telescope time. For a wide range of kilonova parameters, corresponding to a fainter kilonova compared to GW170817/AT 2017gfo, we find that, with this optimal strategy, the discovery probability for electromagnetic counterparts with the DECam is ~80% at the nominal BNS gravitational-wave detection limit for O4 (190 Mpc), which corresponds to an ~30% improvement compared to the strategy adopted during the previous observing run. For more distant events (~330 Mpc), we reach an ~60% probability of detection, a factor of ~2 increase. For a brighter kilonova model dominated by the blue component that reproduces the observations of GW170817/AT 2017gfo, we find that we can reach ~90% probability of detection out to 330 Mpc, representing an increase of ~20%, while also reducing the total telescope time required to follow up events by ~20%....

AB - We address the problem of optimally identifying all kilonovae detected via gravitational-wave emission in the upcoming LIGO/Virgo/KAGRA observing run, O4, which is expected to be sensitive to a factor of ~7 more binary neutron star (BNS) alerts than previously. Electromagnetic follow-up of all but the brightest of these new events will require >1 m telescopes, for which limited time is available. We present an optimized observing strategy for the DECam during O4. We base our study on simulations of gravitational-wave events expected for O4 and wide-prior kilonova simulations. We derive the detectabilities of events for realistic observing conditions. We optimize our strategy for confirming a kilonova while minimizing telescope time. For a wide range of kilonova parameters, corresponding to a fainter kilonova compared to GW170817/AT 2017gfo, we find that, with this optimal strategy, the discovery probability for electromagnetic counterparts with the DECam is ~80% at the nominal BNS gravitational-wave detection limit for O4 (190 Mpc), which corresponds to an ~30% improvement compared to the strategy adopted during the previous observing run. For more distant events (~330 Mpc), we reach an ~60% probability of detection, a factor of ~2 increase. For a brighter kilonova model dominated by the blue component that reproduces the observations of GW170817/AT 2017gfo, we find that we can reach ~90% probability of detection out to 330 Mpc, representing an increase of ~20%, while also reducing the total telescope time required to follow up events by ~20%....

U2 - 10.3847/1538-4357/ad0462

DO - 10.3847/1538-4357/ad0462

M3 - Journal article

VL - 960

JO - The Astrophysical Journal

JF - The Astrophysical Journal

SN - 0004-637X

IS - 2

M1 - 122

ER -