Click the title of each proposal to read the abstract
| Title | PI name | PI Institution | Hours (1m) | Hours (2m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Echo Mapping of AGN Accretion Flows | Horne, K. | St. Andrews U. | 965 | 190 |
| Our goals are to measure black hole masses and quasar distances out to redshift ~2 by exploiting light travel time delays to resolve micro-arcsecond structure of accretion flows onto supermassive black holes in active galactic nuclei (AGN). LCOGT is the enabling technology for mass production AGN echo mapping, with FLOYDS for spectroscopy and the 1m scopes for imaging, providing long high-cadence lightcurves. Time delays from the lightcurves give us the radii of emission line and continuum regions around the accreting black hole. The emission-line widths and time delays (weeks-months) give us the black hole mass (Mbh). We will measure Mbh at high redshift by monitoring Hbeta+MgII for 10 AGN at z~0.35, MgII+CIV for 10 at z~1.6, and CIV for 2 lensed quasars at z=2-2.3. We then calibrate the Hbeta+MgII+CIV size-luminosity relations to find Mbh for thousands more AGN. To measure quasar distances, we will use the LCOGT 1m scopes for ugriz lightcurves and measure continuum delays (days) increasing from blue to red, thus probing the accretion disk T(R) profiles, measuring accretion rates (M dM/dt), and distances (D). With D for ~70 quasars out to z~2 we can independently probe the cosmic expansion history with different systematics and at higher redshifts than Type Ia supernovae. If NASA approves the Kepler 2 ecliptic plane survey, we will exploit the unique opportunity to target AGN in the K2 fields. | ||||
| The Next-Generation Sample of Supernovae | Howell, A. | LCOGT | 818 | 300 |
| In the study of supernovae, we are leaving the serendipity era, when we had to learn from what nature provided by chance, and entering the database-driven era, when we can ask questions by comparing statistically significant groups of supernovae. This project will obtain light curves and spectra of 100 Type Ia and 100 core-collapse supernovae per year over three years. We will start light curves and spectroscopy within hours of discovery, and focus on those SNe caught soon after explosion. The goals are fivefold: (1) observe supernovae soon after explosion to search for signs of their progenitors, (2) obtain a large homogeneous sample of supernovae for next generation cosmological studies, (3) obtain a large sample of supernovae for statistical studies comparing groups that are split into different populations, (4) obtain some of the first large samples of the recently discovered classes of rare and exotic explosions, (5) obtain the optical light curves and spectroscopy in support of studies at other wavelengths and using other facilities including UV observations, IR imaging and spectroscopy, host galaxy studies, high resolution spectroscopy, and late-time spectroscopy with large telescopes. | ||||
| Exploring Cool Planets Beyond the Snowline | Street, R. | LCOGT | 2422 | 100 |
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This proposal aims to explore the one regime in exoplanetary science which remains hardly touched: the population of planets of all masses predicted to form in the cold outer reaches of planetary systems between 0.5-10AU, but which are difficult or impossible to find by most planet hunting techniques. Microlensing is uniquely sensitive to this parameter space and has proven capable of detecting even Earth-mass planets from ground-based observations alone. But to fully characterize these unpredictable and non-repeating events demands high precision photometry with 24/7 monitoring over several weeks, as well as highly responsive scheduling and great flexibility to handle the rapidly evolving targetlist. LCOGT's robotic, queue-scheduled network is ideal. Over the last few years, our team have developed a unique system designed to take maximum advantage of LCOGT's resources in order to detect and characterize cool planets discovered from the subtle photometric anomalies they cause in microlensing lightcurves. Over the course of this Key Project we will double the number of known cool and low mass exoplanets, a population that is a critical test of planetary formation models. |
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| Ultra Deep Imaging of NGC 0493 with LCOGT | Cebrián, M. | IAC | 54 | 0 |
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The goal of this proposal is to break the present-day surface brightness limit (namely ~30 mag/arcsec^2 in V-band) at observing nearby galaxies with integrated photometry. This observations will allow us to explore an unknown regime of the galaxies where the hierarchical formation of these objects should be strinkingly visible. We will achieve our aim by observing a carefully selected nearby spiral galaxy, NGC0493, down to ~31.5 mag/arcsec^2 in the SDSS g and r bands. |
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| Outer Solar System Studies | Bianco, F. | NYU | 103 | 107 |
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This proposal aims to investigate the Outer Solar System (OSS) with a synergic photometry, spectroscopy and high speed photometry program, which will organize various programs already running at LCOGT with new scientific approaches at a critical time for the study of the OSS, with the New Horizons spacecraft approaching Pluto, Pluto transiting crowded fields, increasing dramatically the rate of occultations, and the coming online of the OSS Origins Survey (OSSOS). The program has two main lines of scientific inquiry: 1) Observe occultations of Pluto over three years in several passbands simultaneously, using LCOGT’s unique capability of having 2-3 telescopes equipped with fast cameras at a single site, and potentially multiple identical sites within a track. We aim to probe the evolution of Pluto’s atmosphere, and support the New Horizons space mission for the years before, during and after the July 2015 encounter. Obtain three-color (B,V, r’) light curves (and associated calibration star-field data) of Pluto, and time-resolved low resolution spectroscopy using FLOYDS to produce constraints on the evolution of Pluto’s atmosphere & surface. 2) Observe occultations of large TNOs, including new discoveries from OSSOS, to gain crucial information about the distribution of sizes, albedos, shapes, densities and thermal inertia & temperatures. Constraints on the surface and atmosphere of Pluto, and on the statistics of TNOs are very powerful tools to constraint SS evolution. |
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| Title | PI name | PI Institution | Hours (1m) | Hours (2m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commissioning the Network of Robotic Echelle Spectrographs (NRES) | Brown, T. | LCOGT | 145 | |
| The NRES team expects to deploy the first NRES spectrograph to two telescopes at LSC soon after 1 July 2015. Commissioning this instrument quickly is essential, including end-to-end tests of scheduling/observing/data analysis, so that startup problems can be solved, and additional spectrographs can be sent to other sites with confidence that they will perform as desired. To maximize efficiency, we have designed a set of on-sky tests that will both answer our questions and support a range of scientific investigations; to assure timely analysis and maximize our ability to identify and solve performance issues, we have engaged a team of experts from across the LCOGT Science Collaboration. We thus request 145 hours of observing time to be used at LSC in July-Sep 2015, to perform this on-sky testing, and to document the capabilities of the system. | ||||
| Combined LCOGT and Rosetta investigations of the coma of comet 67P | Lister, T. | LCOGT | 18 | |
| We propose to perform photometric monitoring of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko to support the ESA Rosetta comet mission as part of the ground-based observation teams for this important comet. This broadband photometry will allow a vital link between the detailed in-situ measurements made by the spacecraft and the global properties of the coma, at a time when the comet is only visible for short periods from single sites. We also wish to make use of new specialized comet filters available at LCOGT to obtain a unique data set on comet 67P, as part of a large worldwide campaign. The science we can extract includes the rotational state of the nucleus, characterization of the nucleus’ activity, gas and dust properties in the coma (e.g., outflow velocities), chemical origin of gas species in the coma, and temporal behavior of the coma structure when the comet is close to the sun. As one of only two robotic telescope equipped with cometary narrowband filters in the Northern hemisphere and having the largest aperture plus a high quality site, FTN can provide critical regular monitoring that cannot be achieved by any other single facility in the campaign. | ||||
| Photometric monitoring of bright stars hosting small planets II | Dragomir, D. | LCOGT | 98 | |
| Ongoing transit surveys such as Kepler have resulted in the discovery of more than nearly two dozen small exoplanets with measured masses and radii. Yet the majority of these planets are challenging targets for atmospheric characterization studies. Our team has an approved large HST program aiming to probe the atmospheres of six small planets. We will obtain transmission spectra at visible and infrared wavelengths with unprecedented precision, increasing by a factor of a few the number of well-characterized small exoplanets. We propose to use the LCOGT network to photometrically monitor the host stars of these six systems. Each of the planets will be observed with HST during multiple transits over a period of up to two years. LCOGT photometry over this duration will help us understand how the variability of the host stars changes between transits, and at different wavelengths. These data will be used to reduce the uncertainties of and correct the STIS and WFC3 transmission spectra of the planets. The result will be an accurate interpretation of the spectra which will allow us to determine the atmospheric properties and composition of these small planets. | ||||
| LCOGT Optical Monitoring of Tidal Disruption Events in Conjunction with Swift and the JVLA | Arcavi, I. | LCOGT | 74 | 43 |
| Tidal Disruption Events (TDEs), the disruptions of stars by supermassive black holes, are finally being discovered in real time by optical transient surveys. As members of the LCOGT Supernova Key Project, we have immediate knowledge of such discoveries. Recently, we found that TDEs exhibit a continuum of spectral properties, from He-rich to H-rich (Arcavi et al. 2014). This classification scheme has aided the identification of new events, yet the sample is still small. We are using our current LCOGT TDE program (LCO2014B-006, PI: Arcavi) to follow two new TDEs (one discovered by ASAS-SN in December 2014 and one by iPTF in January 2015; additional candidate events are being vetted). Both of these events are part of the spectral continuum we identified, but show additional nuances in their spectral features, hinting at the richness of the class. We have recently secured Swift and JVLA time (PI: Arcavi) to observe TDEs in the X-ray, UV and radio starting 2015 April 1. LCOGT complimentary optical observations are crucial to nailing down the multi-wavelength properties of TDE emission. We propose to continue our successful LCOGT TDE program, now augmented by multi-wavelength observations, to collect well-sampled photometry and spectroscopy of three new TDEs to be discovered during 2015A by transient surveys. These measurements will help map the diversity of TDEs, and thus constrain their physics, eventually enabling their use as a new tool to study otherwise quiescent SMBHs. | ||||
| The search for binary central stars in planetary nebulae | Jones, D. | IAC | 20 | 3 |
| Close binary interactions are the preferred explanation for the diverse morphologies of planetary nebulae (PN). Yet, despite more than 30 years of debate only about 40 close binary central stars are known. We have identified morphological trends that strongly suggest low-ionisation structures, jets and bipolar shapes may be caused by close binaries and have successfully applied them to discover new close binaries, including several eclipsing systems. To date, our efforts have been focussed on short visitor runs at single observatories. LCOGT offers the exciting opportunity to monitor central stars from multiple locations adding sensitivity to periods near to the usual observing aliases (specifically 1 day and multiples thereof). Here, we propose a preliminary programme to study pre-detected variables, the true periods of which have remained elusive due to the limitations of classical visitor mode observing. | ||||
| Combined Spitzer-LCOGT Observations of Rapidly Rotating Asteroids | Lister, T. | LCOGT | 8 | |
| Asteroids are a valuable record of the origin of the Solar System, and studying their physical nature, formation, and evolution is fundamental to our understanding of planet formation. They are subject to a range of physical processes which include gravitational and rotational forces, collisions, granular and regolith dynamics, thermal processing of absorbed sunlight, and other non-gravitational effects. Rapidly rotating asteroids with rotation periods of less than 3 hrs are unusual bodies where their own self-gravity is balanced or exceeded by rotational centrifugal forces, which allow the effects of other important physical processes acting on these asteroids to be distinguished. Characterizing these asteroids therefore offers a unique insight into the physical processes that shape and drive the Solar System. We have been awarded 50 hours of Spitzer time during 2015–2016 to obtain simultaneous IR light curves of a sample of rapidly rotating asteroids at high SNR and temporal resolution. We wish to begin a program to obtain simultaneous optical light curves from the LCOGT network which will allow us to distinguish the different effects of changing asteroid shape and varying surface & thermal properties and better characterize the properties and physical properties. This is because the optical and IR light curves are sensitive to different aspects of the asteroid properties and are highly complementary. | ||||
| LCOGT/Kepler/Multiwavelength Monitoring of OJ 287 | Edelson, R. | University of Maryland | 39 | 11 |
| Kepler will observe the archetypal low-frequency peaked blazar OJ 287 with 1 min sampling and >90% duty cycle for ~75 days starting in late April 2015. This provides an unprecedented opportunity to quantitatively compare optical total flux and color variations in one of the brightest and most active blazars in the sky. We request 49 hours of LCOGT griz monitoring over 2.5 days, which we hope to combine with the Liverpool Telescope monitoring to yield up to an 80% duty cycle. We will continuously cycle through the griz filters at ~7 min cadence to obtain color information that Kepler cannot. These data will allow us to measure the flux-color temporal correlation with much higher temporal resolution and coverage than previously possible, probing timescales from tens of minutes to hours. If we can measure a lag between Kepler flux and LCOGT color light curves, or evidence of hysteresis (e.g. flares looking bluer on the rise and redder on the decay) it could shed light on the relative acceleration and cooling times of the synchrotron-emitting electrons. Likewise if no evidence of lags or flux-color hysteresis is seen, that would favor adiabatic compression and expansion occurring at the shock front. | ||||
| Difference Imaging Templates for Supernovae | Valenti, S. | LCOGT | 74 | 38 |
| With this proposal we will take images of supernova host galaxies after the SN has faded to subtract the galaxy from the earlier SN+host images. This removes contamination, allowing us to measure SN photometry and construct the lightcurves at the foundation of all SN science. We have obtained photometry of 167 SNe under the first year of the key project. While these data have already resulted in many publications, their focus has been limited to SNe far from their hosts, has had to forgo essential photometry, and/or rely on crude estimates of certain parameters that can be done without image subtraction. With this proposal we unlock the true scientific potential of the data set, including: SN Ia cosmology, the first studies of the evolution of UV features in SNe Ia, the first unbiased look at unburned material in SNe Ia, probing the mysterious non-Milky-Way reddening indicated near SNe Ia, resolving the worrying difference in corrected luminosities seen in SNe in different galaxy types, and revealing exotic SNe that challenge our understanding of their stellar progenitors and even basic physics. | ||||
| LCOGT NEO Follow-up Network | Lister, T. | LCOGT | 40 | |
| Near Earth Objects (NEOs) are our closest neighbors and research into them is important not only for understanding the Solar Systems’ origin and evolution, but also to understand and protect human society from potential impacts. NEOs originate in collisions between bodies in the main asteroid belt and have found their way into near-Earth space via complex dynamical interactions. Understanding these interactions, the populations and the orbital element distribution requires accurate orbits and complete samples for the NEO population, in order to properly debias the sample and correctly model the NEO population. Our previous programs of NEO follow-up on the 2-m and 1-m network have tracked and confirmed several hundred new NEOs, primarily from the Catalina (CSS) and PanSTARRS1 (PS1) surveys. We wish to complement our comprehensive NASA-funded program on the 1-m network to confirm and characterize new NEOs (and comets & Centaurs) discovered by all the feeder surveys, which now includes 100% of PS1, CSS, NEOWISE and iPTF. Confirming astrometry and photometry for new NEOWISE candidates is particularly important as this IR survey is unbiased to low-albedo objects allowing a cleaner sample but requires the follow-up to confirm NEOs and provide optical fluxes to derive the albedos. This proposal requests 40 hours of 2-m time, particularly on FTN where the large aperture and rapid response of the LCOGT 2-m’s is very useful and 107 hours of additional 1-m time to follow those targets. | ||||
| Hunting for a Transiting Exoplanet Around the Bright Star HD147018 | Ciardi, D. | NExScI/Caltech | 49 | |
| Photometric follow-up of planets discovered by the radial velocity technique has yielded known transiting extra-solar planets, especially for those with the brightest host stars (e.g., HD209458b). We have constructed an optimized photometric strategy to both predict and observe planetary transits. The Transit Ephemeris Refinement and Monitoring Survey (TERMS) is systematically studying known exoplanets to better characterize their properties and orbits. One promising target is HD147018, which hosts two known exoplanets. We have acquired additional radial velocity data, which greatly improved the orbital parameters of the inner planet and allows us to produce an accurate ephemeris. We propose to use the LCOGT network of southern 1.0m telescopes to monitor the star during a predicted transit time and thus either confirm or rule out a planetary transit. In the case of a null detection, our photometry is used to place constraints on orbital and astrophysical parameters of the planet. This is a resubmission of a 2014A proposal, accepted for observation, but no useful data were obtained. | ||||
| Accretion in Young Binaries | Akeson, R. | IPAC | 107 | |
| Most stars form in binaries, and the evolution of protostellar disks in pre-main-sequence (PMS) binary stars is a current frontier of star formation research. PMS binary stars can have up to three accretion disks: two circumstellar disks and a circumbinary disk separated by a dynamically cleared gap. Theory suggests that mass may flow in an accretion stream from a circumbinary disk across the gap to circumstellar disks or stellar surfaces. The accretion rates should be dynamically modulated on the orbital period. Continuous, multi-orbit, multi-color photometric observations with dense phase coverage are required to detect and characterize these modulated accretion streams, if they are generally present. The 1-m LCOGT network is designed for this observational challenge, and we propose to study three choice PMS binaries (P < 90 days) with active accretion and protostellar disks. Each binary will be observed 20 times per orbit in U,B,V,R,I,Y, and in Ha and Hb filters. This unprecedented wealth of data will directly test the predicted phase modulations of accretion streams, determine accretion luminosities, and reveal the presence of accretion hot spots, all as a function of orbital parameters. These observations will guide an extension of the accretion paradigm from single young stars to multiple systems and inform the physics of planetary growth around single and binary stars. | ||||
| Transiting Exoplanet CHaracterisation (TECH) Project | Bayliss, D. | Geneva Observatory | 455 | |
| Characterising the steady stream of exoplanets that are now being discovered is one of the most exciting fields of current astronomical research. We are finding a wide diversity in the population of exoplanets that far exceeds that seen in our own solar system - inflated Jupiters, super-Earths, packed multi-planet systems, and retrograde orbits just to name a few. And there is no better way to characterise exoplanets than by targeting transiting exoplanet systems. We propose to characterise selected exoplanets discovered as part of the Kepler K2 mission by intensively monitoring the transit events using the southern ring of the LCOGT 1m network of telescopes. In some cases we will be able to provide such fundamental parameters as orbital period, which are not otherwise well constrained if only a single transit is seen in the Kepler K2 data. In other cases we can distinguish exoplanets from background eclipsing binaries (via colour-dependant transits) and search for undiscovered planets via transit timing variations. We have assembled a large and experienced team of 21 scientists to undertake the scheduling, data reduction, and analysis involved in this project. We have members from all of the LCOGT partner institutes, each of whom has committed (subject to local TACs) to adding hours from their own institute's budget to this project. This project will complement the upcoming NRES instruments, which will be characterising similar exoplanet targets via spectroscopy. | ||||
| Photometric Follow-up of Young Transiting "Hot Jupiter" and Pre-main Sequence Binary Stars | Oelkers, R. | Texas A&M | 30 | |
| The past two decades have seen a significant advancement in the detection, classification, and understanding of exoplanets and binary star systems. The vast majority of these systems consists of objects in the main sequence or the giant branch, leading to a dearth of knowledge of properties at early times ( 50 Myr). Only one transiting planet candidate and a dozen binaries are known among pre-main sequence objects, yet these are the systems that can provide the best constraints on stellar and planetary formation models. We have nearly completed a photometric survey of nearby (< 150 pc) and young (< 10 Myr) moving groups, such as the Upper Scorpius Association, with a small aperture telescope. We have detected three possible transiting "Hot Jupiters" and 37 likely pre-main sequence binaries. We propose to use the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network (LCOGT) and the Sinistro instrument to: (1) obtain higher-precision photometry of the transits of the "Hot Jupiter" candidates and (2) acquire out-of-eclipse multi-color photometry of the pre-main sequence binary candidates. | ||||
| Phase Curves and Spectral Types: The extreme-opposition surge of asteroids. | Bauer, J. | IPAC | 141 | |
| The reflectivity of solar system surfaces spikes sharply when the Sun is directly behind the observer. Spacecraft measured this ‘opposition surge’ for icy outer planet satellites and discovered that the reflectivity of part of Europa’s surface increases by as much as a factor of 8 as the observer moves from 5 deg to the exact backscattering direction! One mechanism explains this spike as coherent light scattering that occurs only at this unique retro-reflection geometry. Due to the tight linear alignment of the target, observer and Sun required to measure the peak brightness of the spike, accurate and complete measurements of the amplitude and decay of the spike exist for only a few targets. We request 141 hours of 1-m time to use the unique capabilities of LCOGT to systematically measure this extreme opposition surge for 25 asteroids with a variety of compositions. Each asteroid will be observed in r’ and g’ during the ~8 hour interval when it passes within 0.1 deg of the point opposite the Sun on the sky. Supporting observations measure asteroid rotation and phase angle brightness changes to enable accurate characterization of the spike. This data set will significantly increase the number and variety of the surfaces, and measurement accuracy compared to existing asteroid data. We will determine how the spike characteristics vary with surface composition, albedo, and wavelength providing new constraints on physical models of this ubiquitous yet poorly understood phenomenon. | ||||
| SPIRITS: The Investigation of Transients in Nearby Galaxies | Bally, J. | University of Colorado | 200 | |
| We propose to continue monthly monitoring of ~200 nearby galaxies to search for transients associated with the birth, post main-sequence evolution, and death of massive stars. SPIRITS is a 3.6 and 4.5 micro-meter synoptic monitoring program of galaxies within 20 Mpc using Spitzer for the next 2 years. LCOGT will measure the r' and i' fluxes of sources in the galaxies to be observed by Spitzer. Well-known transients and variable types (supernovae, LBV eruptions, supergiants, novae, etc.) will be distinguished from new classes (outbursts from dynamical interactions of massive protostars, stellar mergers, kilonovae, and other exotica being discovered by SPIRITS) with the aid of LCOGT. This proposal continues the Semester 2014A & B LCO observations of each galaxy once a month to determine light curves and colors with a much denser cadence than is possible with Spitzer. Combined LCO & Spitzer fluxes and flux-evolution will constrain SEDs and the natures of the transients and variables. | ||||
| Characterizing Planets in the Solar Neighborhood | Siverd, R. | LCOGT | 200 | |
| The most scientifically productive exoplanet discoveries are transiting planets orbiting bright host stars. Transiting exoplanets are the only ones for which accurate physical parameters (radii, masses, densities, temperatures, compositions) can be determined. High flux from a bright host star enables precise measurement of the system's physical and orbital parameters plus detection of atmospheric composition, structure and even the weather on other worlds. Unfortunately, only ~2% of the ~1000 transit system host stars are sufficiently bright for such detailed studies. Wide-field photometric transit surveys are best able to provide a statistically significant sample of planets around nearby, bright stars but their candidates require follow-up observations to properly characterize the systems. The KELT project is such a survey, that targets primarily FGK stars with V ~7.5–11 mag. KELT has already published three planetary discoveries from its Northern telescope using data from LCOGT and additional discoveries are in preparation. KELT is now churning out planetary discoveries in the southern hemisphere as well, and LCOGT data has been especially critical in the discovery of these planets. We propose to continue our successful program to obtain high precision photometry of KELT candidates and therefore support the discovery of transiting planets around bright stars that are ripe for detailed characterization, especially with the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope. | ||||
| Optical observations of black holes in X-ray/Gamma-ray binaries | Casares, J. | IAC | 20 | 10 |
| The best observational evidence for stellar-mass black holes is provided by dynamical studies of X-ray transients (XRTs), a subclass of X-ray binaries that exhibit violent outbursts and are formed by a compact object (either a neutron star or a black hole) and a companion star. During the outburst they increase the brightness several orders of magnitudes in all wavelengths and allow their detection by the X-ray telescopes. We propose to carry out a routine program to detect and follow-up possible optical counterparts of new high-energy sources to be discovered by INTEGRAL, Swift, MAXI and other X-ray satellites. Their optical energy distribution will be characterized and signatures of their orbital periods will be searched through eclipses, X-ray heating effects, dips and superhump variability. These are key parameters to understand the nature and geometry of the XRTs before they reach again the quiescent state when they can stay for decades or centuries. | ||||
| A complete spectroscopic census of high proper motion sources in the solar neighbourhood | Lodieu, N. | IAC | 41 | |
| Our knowledge of the solar neighbourhood is incomplete at the 30% level within a radius of 10 pc from the Sun (Henry et al. 2002). The VISTA Hemisphere Survey (VHS) will cover the full southern sky in (at least) J and Ks over the next years, providing a baseline greater than 10 yr with the 2MASS all-sky survey and astrometric errors below 20 mas/yr. We identified several tenths of bright (J<=14.5 mag) high proper motion (>0.2 arcsec/yr) sources in 7200 square degrees common to both databses, common proper motion pairs and multiple systems. We propose to obtain low-resolution optical spectroscopy with FLOYDS on the Faulkes 2-m telescope in Australia to classify 220 new high proper motion sources identified in our 2MASS/VHS cross-match south of -25 degrees in declinations identified in our 2MASS/VHS cross-match. All are new and none of them has optical spectral type published in the literature or in Simbad. They are either isolated high proper motion M, L, and/or T dwarfs, or companions to nearby stars or potential members of multiple systems/groups. | ||||
| Determining the redshift and metallicity of GRBs via rapid follow-up with FLOYDS | Sand, D. | Texas Tech University | 8 | |
| Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are unique tools to investigate the properties of the first massive stars and the galaxies they live in. In particular, GRBs may trace the cosmic star-formation and rapid spectroscopic observations of their optical/NIR afterglows provide useful insights into the chemical enrichment of the Universe right at the location where star-formation occurs. We propose to observe a set of GRBs promptly discovered by Swift/UVOT (with V mag <17.5) with the Faulkes Telescopes equipped with the FLOYDS spectrographs. These Target of Opportunity observations will enable the determination of ~10 new GRB redshifts and, thanks to strong absorption line features, an estimate on the metallicity of the GRB environments and hosts. This is a continuation of a 2014B program, our single trigger thus far was unsuccessful due to bad weather at the relevant Faulkes Telescope. | ||||
| YORP on the rocks: nongravitational acceleration and rotational fission of small asteroids | Licandro, J. | IAC | 25 | |
| Fast photometry of 20 rapid rotating near-Earth asteroids, sparsely observable in 2015A, will be executed with 1 hour block per target. Objects will be selected shortly after discovery, and available for 2-3 nights, hence a high priority queue mode is required. If a target is suspected of the non-principal axis rotation, rapid follow up in a ToO mode will be crucial. Rotation periods will be derived from the lightcurves and used to constrain asteroid spin limits. Such limits help to study the effect of rotational fission (which influence the evolution of both the Main Belt Asteroids as well as debris disks around other stars). Also, a short period cut-off will be searched for to provide input for current theories of the YORP effect . If a lightcurve is found to be multiperiodic (non-principal axis rotation), this will support a theory of rotational fission, as presently there are only several such lightcurves. If during 1 hour only a linear trend is detected, such longer period asteroid will be followed up by another, smaller telescope to avoid observational bias. Observations will be carried out as part of the EURONEAR programme devoted to studies of near-Earth asteroids. | ||||
| Title | PI name | Hours (1m) | Hours (2m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Precision Photometric Follow-up of HATSouth Planet Candidates | Zhou, G. | 100 | |
| We propose to obtain high precision transit light curves for high priority HATSouth planet candidates. Transiting planets provide unique opportunities for us to understand the properties of exoplanet interior structure, atmospheres, and dynamics. The HATSouth network is the largest ground-based survey for transiting planets, and has already produced six published planets that are suitable for future follow-up studies, as well as over 1000 planet candidates. We will use the LCOGT 1-m network to provide high precision light curves of the transit events of HATSouth planet candidates, these observations will 1) confirm the presence of a planetary transit signal, 2) when combined with other spectroscopic follow-up observations, allow the precise determinations of their system properties, such as planet radius, planet density, planet-star orbital separation, and stellar density. We have shown that the LCOGT 1-m network is perfect for this task, capable of providing high precision light curves, over all longitudes, to measure these time-critical events. We require 100 hours of 1-m time to follow-up 20 high priority planet candidates, these candidates will have been vetted by our observations on the ANU 2.3m telescope, and are the most promising targets from the HATSouth survey. | |||
| Transiting Exoplanet CHaracterisation (TECH) Project | Bayliss, D. | 30 | |
| Partner contribution to TECH Project | |||
| Echo Mapping of Accretion Flows | Horne, K. | 25 | 50 |
| Partner contribution to AGN Echo Mapping Key Project | |||
| The Next-Generation Sample of Supernovae | Yuan, F. | 35 | 50 |
| Partner contribution to Supernova Key Project | |||
| Photometric Monitoring of Omega Cen Giants | Ireland, M. | 10 | |
| Asteroseismology provides a nearly model-independent mechanism to measure the mean density of a star - a property critical in unravelling the degeneracies in stellar evolution models that have implied unusually helium-rich abundances for many globular cluster stars. The red giant branch, in between horizontal branch luminosities and before the onset of semi-regular pulsations near the red giant branch tip, show solar-like oscillations at very low radial orders (including the fundamental). We will monitor the ~300 giants in Omega Cen with periods between 2 and 200 days away from the crowded central regions in order to measure both the mean density and the variation in mean density for Omega Cen populations of different metalicity. Although the stochastic nature of the oscillations will mean that high-accuracy measurements of delta-\nu will not be possible for individual stars with one season, grouping stars together and using scaling relations to adjust the time series will enable precision measurements of the mean densities for ensembles of stars. | |||
| Title | PI name | Hours (1m) | Hours (2m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studies of Gamma-ray Bursts and the associated Supernovae | Kobayashi, S. | 10 | 15 |
| We would like to use the LCOGT network to continue the work we have been doing on Gamma-ray bursts, extending it to GRB/SNe. Following triggers from Swift (and sometimes Integral) we can use the LCOGT network (mostly the 2 m telescopes) to monitor GRB light curves. These data are used to build statistical samples, diagnose shock physics and central engine properties possibly determine magnetisation properties for bursts in which reverse and forward shocks can be identified and to determine the GRB light contribution at later time when searching for the contribution from the supernova component in lower redshift objects. If a SN is identified (this requires low-redshift GRBs) we will also follow that both photometrically and spectroscopically, combining LCOGT time with LT/TNG time, in order to determine its properties. The chance to study serendipitous/unique events is also important. We distribute the 25 hours in semester A across northern and southern telescopes, using both 1 and 2m facilities. | |||
| Recurrent Nova in M31 | Darnley, M. | 20 | |
| The M31 recurrent nova (RN) M31N 2008-12a is an unprecedented system that erupts with a period of just one-year; an order of magnitude more frequently than the next fastest system (U Sco). This short recurrence period is due to the combination of a very high mass white dwarf (WD), extremely close to the Chandrasekhar limit, and a high mass accretion rate. These two high parameters also lead to very rapid and sub-luminous eruptions, with 2m-class telescopes on able to obtain (low resolution) spectra for a four day window around peak, and photometry for around a week. With the WD mass in RN systems believed to increase with every eruption, M31N 2008-12a is now the most promising single-degenerate supernova Ia progenitor candidate known. Following the 2013 eruption, we successfully predicted and detected the 2014 eruption of this system, using Liverpool Telescope (LT) daily monitoring of the target. Following detection, we initiated a global ground-based follow-up campaign, spearheaded by the LT, and a substantial Swift X-ray and UV campaign. These observations have enabled us, amongst other things, to determine the WD mass, the ejected mass, the environment of the nova, the type of secondary star (red giant), but also that each eruption follows a very similar evolution and timescale. As such, we are in the process of applying for significant time to explore the predicted 2015 eruption on facilities such as HST, Chandra, Swift, HET, Grantecan. These observations will allow us to answer fundamental questions related to, e.g., the WD composition (CO vs ONe; crucial to the SN Ia link), the ejecta abundances, the nuclear burning processes, the nature of any circumbinary material, and the mass accretion rate. Such observations would be unprecedented for an extragalactic nova and are indeed extremely rare even for their Galactic counterparts. | |||
| Spectro-photometric monitoring of Type Ib/c Supernovae | Mazzali, P. | 25 | |
| We would like to use the LCOGT network to aid in the work we are currently doing on Type Ib/c Supernovae. We lead the follow-up campaign on the ESO public survey Pessto, and collaborate with iPTF and the Carnegie SN Project. We normally provide 8m telescope time for late phase follow-up, so we would focus on targets that are bright enough to be monitored for 6-12 months. Our proposal would include classical SNe Ib/c, IIb, as well as rarer H-poor transients such as faint & fast events and H-poor SuperLuminous SNe (including Pair Instability candidates). LCOGT instruments give us good coverage in the South, which would be complementary with Pessto (which runs on the ESO-NTT and does not get photometry) and the CSP and add to the LT work in the North, where iPTF is also located. Based on previous experience we may be following ~10 SNe per year, and would request some 25 hours per semester, mostly for photometry but including some spectroscopy as well. | |||
| Exploring the bright variable sky | Bersier, D. | 15 | |
| We propose to obtain photometry and spectroscopy of bright transients detected by the All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae (ASAS-SN) that is exploring the bright sky, in the range 12 < V < 17. While the main aim of the project is to find and follow nearby SNe, it is finding numerous other transients. We focus here on supernovae (SNe) and tidal disruption events (TDEs) that will be discovered by ASAS-SN. The high survey cadence means that any transient is found soon after eruption. We will obtain photometry and spectroscopy of SNe and follow their evolution to constrain their progenitors and nucleosynthesis. For TDEs, observations will constrain the mass of the supermassive black hole, the physics of the emission and the total accreted mass. | |||
| Title | PI name | Hours (1m) | Hours (2m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photometric follow-up of planet candidates from the HATSouth project | Rabus, M. | 150 | |
| The on-going HATSouth project is a wide-field survey searching for transiting extrasolar planets (TEPs) around relatively bright stars. It is producing hundreds of planet candidates per year and it has already six published planets. In this proposal we request photometric follow-up transit observations of these candidates with 1m-class telescopes. Only this aperture provides enough signal-to-noise for us to take high cadence (?2 min) imaging of our candidates and obtain 1-2 mmag precision. This is the level of precision we need for accurate determination of the planetary properties of the systems we uncover. The proposed photometric observations form part of a multi-step strategy for HATSouth follow-up, designed to minimize the use of resources and maximize the confirmed planet yield. The first aim of these photometric observations is to reveal if a given transit-like event has an astrophysical origin and arises from the target star. Additionally, through multi-bandpass observations when possible, we can identify triple system with an eclipsing binary component, which are hidden in the spectrum. The final aim for true exoplanets is to accurately determine their properties. | |||
| Multiwavelength Lightcurves of Extragalactic Transients: Constraining Physical Properties and Progenitors | Prieto, J. | 60 | |
| We are in a golden era of time-domain astronomy, with several optical transient surveys finding hundreds of sources per year. However, most of these transients are poorly studied due to their relative faintness and lack of follow-up resources. Here we propose to use the LCOGTN 1m and SMARTS 1.3m telescopes to obtain multiwavelength (optical + near-IR) and well-sampled light curves of a complete sample of nearby extragalactic transients (discovery magnitude V . 17 mag, D . 200 Mpc), mainly supernovae, that will be selected from the ASAS-SN and CHASE surveys. The well-sampled light curves obtained with this program will be used to characterize the physical properties of the explosions (e.g., source of the emission, radiated energies, ejecta and 56Ni masses, dust formation) and for constraining their progenitor stars and explosion mechanisms. For Type Ia and Type IIP supernovae, these data will also be used to obtain accurate distances. To augment our high-cadence photometry, we will obtain spectral time-series of the targets via coordination with a several mid-sized telescopes available to us. | |||
| Constraining the rotational fission of asteroids in support of the theories of the evolution of debris disks | Unda-Sanzana, E. | 40 | |
| Fast photometry of 20 rapid rotating near-Earth asteroids, sparsely observable in 2015A, will be executed with 2 hours block per target. Objects will be selected shortly after discovery, and available for 1-2 nights, hence a ToO mode is needed. Rotation periods will be derived from the lightcurves and used to constrain asteroid spin limits. Such limits help to study the effect of rotational fission (which influence the evolution of both the Main Belt Asteroids as well as debris disks around other stars). If a lightcurve is found to be multiperiodic, this will support a theory of rotational fission, as presently there are only several such lightcurves. Observations will be carried out as part of the EURONEAR programme devoted to studies of near-Earth asteroids. | |||
| Title | PI name | Hours (1m) | Hours (2m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| LMXB Monitoring | Lewis, F. | 142 | |
| Continuing ~ 9 years of optical monitoring of ~ 40 low-mass X-ray binaries to detect outbursts and variability in quiescence (more details and publications at Faulkes Telescope Project websiteXRB page and research page.) | |||
| Other Targets | Lewis, F. | 28 | |
| Monitoring of other research targets such as massive stars, open clusters, globular clusters for research and education | |||
| Education - On Sky | Roche, P. | 85 | 85 |
| Use of On Sky for FTP education program. | |||
| Education - Queue observations | Roche, P. | 85 | 85 |
| Use of queue observations for FTP education program. | |||
| Title | PI name | Hours (1m) | Hours (2m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| HI STAR Projects | Armstrong, JD | 40 | 40 |
| The Hawaii Student Teacher Astronomy Research program (HI STAR) is a week long summer program for middle and high school students. At the summer program students work with mentors on starting a research project which the students will continue through the year. The goal ot the HI STAR program is to have students conduct astronomy research projects, enter their projects in the science fair, and eventually major in science, engineering, or technology when they go to college. Typical student research projects include variable stars; asteroid recovery, rotation, and color; exoplanets; galaxies; etc. While this is an EPO program the students are conducting research and some students may submit peer reviewed papers on their research so a proprietary period is desirable. | |||
| HI STAR Projects II | Armstrong, JD | 40 | 40 |
| The Hawaii Student Teacher Astronomy Research program (HI STAR) is a week long summer program for middle and high school students. At the summer program students work with mentors on starting a research project which the students will continue through the year. The goal ot the HI STAR program is to have students conduct astronomy research projects, enter their projects in the science fair, and eventually major in science, engineering, or technology when they go to college. Typical student research projects include variable stars; asteroid recovery, rotation, and color; exoplanets; galaxies; etc. While this is an EPO program the students are conducting research and some students may submit peer reviewed papers on their research so a proprietary period is desirable. | |||
| UH Maui College Student Observations | Armstrong, JD | 10 | 10 |
| Students at the University of Hawai'i Maui College have been involved in astronomical research and have received several Space Grant awards. The college has constructed a astronomical laboratory with four telescopes for the students to perform observations. These observations will be supplemented with observations from the LCOGT 1.0 and 2.0 meter network. As part of the program students will be able to compare observations from our site in Kahului to observations made at “good” astronomical sites. Typical projects will include exoplanets, asteroid astrometry and rotation curves, and spectroscopy of star clusters. | |||
| Astro 301 | Armstrong, JD | 10 | 10 |
| Students at the University of Hawai'i Manoa Astronomy 301 research class will be performing authentic astronomical research. Observations will be collected to support these activities. | |||
| Title | PI name | Hours (1m) | Hours (2m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multi-band Photometric Monitoring of Extragalactic Transients Discovered by ASAS-SN | Dong, S. | 63 | |
| We are in a golden era of time-domain astronomy, with several optical transient surveys finding hundreds of sources per year. However, most of these transients are poorly studied due to their relative faintness and lack of follow-up resources. Here we propose to use the LCOGT 1m telescopes to obtain multi-band and well-sampled light curves of a complete sample of nearby extragalactic transients (discovery magnitude V <~ 17 mag, D <~ 200 Mpc), mainly supernovae, that will be selected from the ASAS-SN surveys. The well-sampled light curves obtained with this program will be used to characterize the physical properties of the explosions (e.g., source of the emission, radiated energies, ejecta and 56Ni masses, dust formation) and for constraining their progenitor stars and explosion mechanisms. For Type Ia and Type IIP supernovae, these data will also be used to obtain accurate distances. To augment our high-cadence photometry, we will obtain spectral time-series of the targets via coordination with a several mid-sized telescopes available to us. | |||
| Probing short-term optical variability of a radio-quiet quasar | Shi, Y. | 24 | |
| Quasars are known to be variable across the whole electromagnetic spectrum. While the variability at intermediate or long timescales is seen in the UV/optical band for all types of quasars, the short-term UV/optical variability is mainly detected in radio-loud quasars which is attributed to jets. The short-term UV/optical variability in radio-quiet quasars may be related to processes on accretion disks, and thus can be served as a diagnostic to probe the physics of accretion disks. While about tens of radio-quiet quasars have detected short-term variability, the photometric accuracy is not high enough to understand its origin. We propose 24 hrs with 1-meter facilities to obtain a light curve with high photometric accuracies of a radio quiet quasar. The proposal will be used to demonstrate that LCOGT can also achieve high photometric accuracy for quasars as well as to constrain the origin of short-term variability of this specific object. | |||
| Observations of Very Young Supernovae and Setting Constraints on Their Explosion Physics and Progenitors | Wang, X. | 113 | |
| Partner contribution to Supernova Key Project | |||
| Title | PI name | Hours (1m) | Hours (2m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| AGN Reverberation (Echo) Mapping | Romero-Colmenero, E. | 60 | |
| Partner contribution to AGN Echo Mapping Key Project | |||
| The Next Generation Sample of Supernovae | Kasai, E. | 50 | |
| Partner contribution to Supernova Key Project | |||
| Characterization of Transiting Exoplanets | Sefako, R. | 75 | |
| Partner contribution to TECH Project | |||
| Optical monitoring of Gamma-ray binary systems | McBride, V. | 13 | |
| Gamma-ray binaries (GRBi) are rare and intriguing members of the massive X-ray binary population. Only five of these systems are identified, but they present us with rich observational signatures across the entire electromagnetic spectrum and provide unique astrophysical laboratories in which to study both accretion and particle acceleration. Their natures are still uncertain and in most cases the compact objects are not clearly identified as either a neutron star or black hole. We propose a long term photometric monitoring of the optical counterparts of gamma-ray binaries to look for the correlations and/or time lags between optical and GeV emission. Such correlations may occur in systems where the emission is driven by accretion (i.e. in the micro quasar model) and these observations can help to elucidate the nature of the compact objects. | |||
| Time-domain astrophysics of magnetic CVs, Continued | Potter, S. | 60 | |
| Magnetic CV (mCV) research has been an unofficial key SAAO/UCT research programme for the past ~ 3 decades. In that time we have built up expertise in high time domain photometry, spectroscopy and polarimetry of mCVs. Presently we have multiple on-going active observing campaigns using the SALT, SAAO small telescopes and other Gamma and X-ray observatories through international collaborations. This proposal has two main objectives. The first is to boost the scientific output of our ongoing campaigns by providing up-to-date light curves and to provide timely notification of infrequent or rare extreme events (targets of opportunity). Secondly, to extend our time-domain exploration of mCVs to the longer time domain in order to address our lack of knowledge and understanding of the long term physical accretion processes of mCVs. | |||
| Rapid-response characterization of Near Earth Objects | Trilling, D. | 30 | |
| Near Earth objects (NEOs) are bodies whose orbits bring them close to the Earth. In recent years, increased attention has been given to the discovery and orbital monitoring of these bodies. The 2013 impact in Chelyabinsk, Russia, alerted the public and politicians to the importance of studying NEOs so that we can understand the impact risk to society. Many more NEOs are discovered each year than have their physical properties measured, so the fraction of NEOs whose properties are well understood is decreasing with time. NEOs are faint, and generally even fainter by the time that follow-up characterizations can be made days or weeks later. Many of these NEOs also have long synodic periods, so if characterization opportunities are missed in the discovery epoch, it may be many years before the objects are easily observable again. There is therefore a need for a high-throughput, high-efficiency physical characterization strategy in which hundreds of faint NEOs can be characterized each year. Broadband photometry is sufficiently diagnostic to assign rough compositions to NEOs. We are carrying out a program of rapid response spectrophotometric characterization of NEOs using telescopes in Arizona, Hawaii, and Mexico; this program provides compositional information on NEOs the size of the Chelyabinsk impactor. We propose here to significantly increase our yield and expand our observations to southern skies by using the LCOGT 1-meter telescopes, particularly the southern LCOGT sites in South Africa and Chile. Since observations must be made soon (within days) after discovery, this type of rapid-response project is ideal for LCOGT. This is a high-yield multi-wavelength project that is complementary to our ongoing SALT spectroscopy of a small number of NEOs. | |||
| Optical ToO observations with LCOGT for H.E.S.S. | van Soelen, B. | 33 | |
| The H.E.S.S. ?-ray telescope regularly partakes in campaigns to obtain multi-wavelength observations of variable very-high-energy (VHE: E > 100 GeV) ?-ray sources. Here we propose for ToO time on the LCOGT system to provide optical support for such coordinated multiwavelength observations. The most probable targets will be extra-galactic sources such as blazars and GRBs. Blazars display rapid variability across all wavelengths and while some studies have found tight correlations between the optical, X-ray and ?-ray emissions, others have not. Observed correlations (or lack thereof), which often include more complicated patterns than simple linear flux-flux correlations, place constraints on the particle acceleration and radiation mechanisms at work within these systems. A major part of the science being undertaken with the H.E.S.S. II telescope is the attempted VHE ?-ray detection of a GRB. While GRBs are routinely observed at MeV energies and have been detected up to 95 GeV by Fermi-LAT, so far none has been detected at energies above 100 GeV. The H.E.S.S. II telescope has a fully automated GRB observation system, automatically repositioning the system for prompt follow-up observations of GRBs, within as short as 60 seconds, without the need for intervention by the observation shift crew. The LCOGT provides a unique resource to allow for simultaneous optical and VHE observations. | |||
| Search for an orbital modulation of optical light from CXO J172337.5-373442 | Buckley, D. | 8 | |
| We seek to undertake phase resolved LCOGT BVRIZs photometry of the X-ray source J172337.5-373442, most likely a binary system (LMXB or CV) with a purported orbital period of ~8h. The optical counterpart has been identified as a V ~ 16 G9 V star, thought to be the Roche-lobe filling secondary of the system. Our aim is to detect photometric variations of this optical counterpart, caused by the ellipsoidal light variations of the secondary star. This will confirm (or possibly rule out) the binary nature of the system, plus derive the orbital period, a crucial parameter and required before we plan for spectroscopic follow up observations to determine the radial velocity variations. In addition, any photometric variability produced by the secondary will be modelled assuming a Roche lobe filling G-star, possibly with irradiation effects, to derive certain system parameters (e.g. inclination). | |||
| Study photometric structure of southern lenticular galaxies in clusters | Kniazev, A. | 26 | |
| The goal of the project is to study photometric structure of southern lenticular galaxies in clusters. The project supplements the spectral program is now active at SALT. To attribute the stellar population ages and metallicities measured along the slit of spectrograph to certain large-scale components of the galaxies studied, we need the images in gri bands. After data obtaining, we will decompose observed galaxies into bulges and disks to determine strict radial borders and relative brightness contributions of the components at different radii. | |||
| Title | PI name | Hours (1m) | Hours (2m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exploring Cool Planets Beyond the Snow Line | Street, R. | 1550 | |
| Partner contribution to Microlensing Key Project | |||
| Echo Mapping of AGN Accretion Flows | Horne, K. | 440 | |
| Partner contribution to AGN Echo Mapping Key Project | |||
| Transiting Exoplanets | Bayliss, D. | 100 | |
| Partner contribution to TECH project. | |||
| Transiting Exoplanets | Cameron, A. | 100 | |
| Follow-up of transiting extrasolar planet candidates identified in ground-based surveys (e.g. WASP,QES). | |||
| Time-Domain Observations of Young Stellar Objects (TOYS) | Scholz, A. | 50 | |
| Young stellar objects show variability on a range of timescales, caused by a variety of physical mechanisms. Some of them are periodic and associated with stellar and disk rotation, others are irregular and based on instabilities. We want to use LCOGT 1-m time to carry out multi-filter monitoring of ~100 YSOs to a) map their (stable) circumstellar environment (hot spots, inner disk bubbles, disk clumps), b) to measure timescales/frequencies for instabilities, and c) to identify specific objects for follow-up with larger telescopes. We plan to focus on one star forming region per semester - Chamaeleon-I in April/May and SigmaOri in November/December. With the Sinistro detectors, the field of view will cover several dozen known and well-characterised YSOs in each region. The regions can be covered almost 24/7 with the 1-m network during these months. | |||
| Science from GAIA Alerts | Dominik, M. | 80 | |
| Follow-up of e.g. GAIA transients. StA contribution matching P.Whitelock's SAAO proposal. | |||
| Title | PI name | Hours (1m) | Hours (2m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground-based Supporting Observations for the MUSCLES Treasury Survey | Froning, C. | 30 | 5 |
| The Measurements of the Ultraviolet Spectral Characteristics of Low-mass Exoplanetary Systems (MUSCLES) Treasury Survey was awarded 125 orbits of observing time on the Hubble Space Telescope to conduct UV spectroscopy of cool stars hosting exoplanets. An additional 140 ksec of observing time with Chandra and XMM has been awarded to obtain simultaneous X-ray data during the HST observations. The project is observing 11 K and M stars hosting exoplanets as well as 4 M dwarfs without exoplanets to act as a comparison sample. The observations will be used to determine the X-ray to NUV energetic inputs on exoplanets in the habitable zones around cool stars, which set the thermal characteristics and photochemistry of the planetary atmospheres. We will also obtain data on the UV flaring activity of the host stars to determine the effect of flares on planet habitability. The observations will be simultaneous with the FUV spectroscopy and X-ray observations and will allow us to determine the relationship between the optical diagnostics of stellar activity and the actual high energy properties of the stars over time. | |||
| Transiting Exoplanet Characterization | Cochran, W. | 30 | |
| Partner contribution to TECH Project | |||
| Supernova Light Curves with the LCOGT SN Key Project | Wheeler, C. | 50 | |
| Partner contribution to Supernova Key Project | |||
| Title | PI name | Hours (1m) | Hours (2m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gaia Tracking | Altmann, M. | 60 | |
| Tracking of the GAIA spacecraft as part of the Ground-Based Optical Tracking (GBOT). | |||
| Heidelberg AGN Monitoring | Wambsganss, J. | 100 | |
| Title | PI name | Hours (1m) | Hours (2m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| LCOGT Photometric Follow-up of ASAS-SN Transients | Stanek, K. | 30 | |
| Title | PI name | Hours (1m) | Hours (2m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Follow-up of PESSTO supernovae | Smartt, S. | 104 | |