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. | 925 | 177 |
| 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 | 1370 | 387 |
| 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 | 480 | 70 |
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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 | 6 | 6 |
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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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Image Subtraction Templates for Supernovae | Valenti, S. | LCOGT | 55 | 23 |
| To unlock the full scientific potential of the LCOGT supernova (SN) data set, accurate photometry is a necessity. For most of the SN sample, this requires removing host galaxy contamination by subtracting supernova-free template images from the original observations. Here, we propose to obtain reference images for SNe discovered in the second year of the SN Key project. With the data from this proposal, we will be able to build quality SN light curves and measure SN host galaxy properties. This will enable a variety of SN science, including SN Ia cosmology, SN companion shocking, resolving the worrying difference in corrected luminosities seen in SNe Ia in different galaxy types, and probing the physics behind the explosions of massive stars. | ||||
| Commissioning the Network of Robotic Echelle Spectrographs (NRES) | Brown, T. | LCOGT | 145 | |
| Last semester's NRES commissioning project could not be completed (or even started) because schedule slippage in the NRES fabrication prevented the spectrograph from being deployed by the end of semester 2015A. Lab performance of the first spectrograph is up to specification in all respects; the delays are related to the unexpectedly large amount of work required to design and fabricate necessary but mundane control and telemetry hardware, and to modify operations software to accommodate the new instrument. The team is confident that deployment will occur in Jan 2016. We therefore resubmit the proposal. The NRES team is on schedule to deploy the first NRES spectrograph to two telescopes at LSC about 1 Jan 2016. 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 Jan-Mar 2016, to perform on-sky testing, and to document the capabilities of the system. | ||||
| Monitoring Stellar Activity for Exoplanet Hosts: Essential Support for a Gemini Survey Program | Huitson, C. | U. Colorado | 38 | |
| We propose nightly photometric monitoring of 4 exoplanet host stars with the 1-m network. The proposed program is essential to the success of a 95-hour Gemini survey aimed at characterization of exoplanet clouds. The Gemini survey is the first program dedicated to cloud characterization. Since understanding clouds is essential to measuring exoplanet compositions, it is an important step forward in the field of exoplanet science. The Gemini program will measure scattering signatures in blue optical transmission spectra to determine cloud species by combining multiple transits at different epochs. However, while the blue optical is the only spectral region where clouds can be directly detected, it is also the spectral region where stellar activity produces strong signals in transmission. The proposed LCOGT program is essential in order to dis-entangle contaminating stellar signals from true planetary signals. The stellar contribution varies significantly depending on the number of starspots visible, and only independent measurements of the stellar spot level will enable distinction between the two signals. Long-term, frequent, photometric monitoring is the only way to measure the stellar spot level at the time of transit events, by allowing us to model the stellar rotation period, spot evolution and estimate the non-spotted stellar brightness. This is the only way to correct the transmission spectra for stellar effects and accurately characterize the planetary cloud species. | ||||
| LCOGT Classification and Followup of Tidal Disruption Events in Conjunction with Swift and the JVLA | Arcavi, I. | LCOGT | 73 | 75 |
| Tidal Disruption Events (TDEs), the disruptions of stars by supermassive black holes (SMBHs), are now being discovered in real time by optical transient surveys (which, as members of the LCOGT Supernova Key Project, we have access to). 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 have a joint Swift and JVLA program (PI: Arcavi) to observe TDEs in the X-ray, UV and radio (the program is ongoing until 2016 March 31). LCOGT complimentary optical observations are crucial to nail down the multi-wavelength properties of TDE emission. In addition, starting in 2015B we will be conducting a dedicated TDE survey with LCOGT (called SEATiDE) to find more events (through a separate program using purchased time). Here we propose to continue our LCOGT TDE followup program which has been ongoing since 2014B to collect well-sampled photometry and spectroscopy of four new confirmed TDEs to be discovered during 2015B by our TDE survey and other transient surveys. To increase the classification rate of TDEs for followup, this semester we request additional time for spectroscopically vetting TDE candidates from our and other surveys. Discovering and following more TDEs will help map their diversity, a first step towards constraining their physics and enabling their use as a new tool to study otherwise quiescent SMBHs. | ||||
| LCOGT NEO Follow-up Network | Lister, T. | LCOGT | 360 | 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. Previous NEO follow-up on the 2-m and 1-m network has tracked and confirmed over a thousand new NEOs. We wish to complement our comprehensive NASA-funded program on the 1-m network to confirm and characterize new NEOs discovered by all the feeder surveys, which now includes PS1, CSS, NEOWISE, iPTF and an increasing amount from the new PS2 telescope. In addition, we expect the use of the upgraded CSS camera during this semester, increasing the survey area covered and the number of new NEO candidates requiring follow-up. 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. | ||||
| Pale red dot: photometric follow-up | Tsapras, Y. | U. Heidelberg | 26 | |
| The goal of this project is to confirm/refute the existence of an Earth-mass planet in the habitable zone of Proxima Centauri, the closest star to the Sun. We will use the 1m telescopes of the LCOGT network to obtain contemporaneous photometry to high precision Doppler measurements obtained with the HARPS spectrograph over 60 nights in a row (UBV, once every 12 hours). Photometric multi-band monitoring is needed to filter out stellar variability mimicking the signal of an exoplanet on the same time-scales. An Earth mass planet around the Sun imprints a 1 year wobble of 10 cm/s on the Sun, which is beyond our technical reach. However, an Earth-mass planet in the habitable zone of a small red-dwarf like Proxima Centauri would be at a much shorter period (10-30 days) and imprint a much larger signal. High-cadence observations (HARPS) combined with archival data (UVES) strongly suggest the presence of a planet with a mass of ~1.2 Mearth and a period between 10 and 20 days. The significance of the variability is beyond doubt, but the detection is based on two high cadence runs of 10 days separated by many months. As a result, a precise period cannot be singled out and Doppler variability cannot be distinguished from quasi-periodic activity signals. Regular sampling over 60 nights with HARPS and LCOGT should remove all such ambiguities. Transits would be detectable using ground-based photometry. Transit searches can proceed if/when the planet candidate is confirmed. | ||||
| Phase Curves and Spectral Types: The Extreme Opposition Surge of Asteroids. | Bauer, J. | IPAC | 209 | |
| 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 209 hours of 1-m time to use the unique capabilities of LCOGT to systematically measure this extreme opposition surge for 37 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. | ||||
| Photometric monitoring of bright stars hosting small planets III | Dragomir, D. | LCOGT | 241 | |
| Ongoing transit surveys such as Kepler have resulted in the discovery of nearly three 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 the six small planets most amenable to such a study. 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 systems for the duration of the HST program (fall 2014 to spring 2016). Four-color LCOGT photometry over this duration will help us understand how the variability of the host stars changes between transits. These multi-band data will be used to constrain the temperature of the star spots and the stellar variability at multiple wavelengths. With these measurements we will correct the STIS and WFC3 transmission spectra, ensuring an accurate interpretation of these spectra which will allow us to robustly determine the atmospheric properties and composition of these small planets. | ||||
| The search for binary central stars in planetary nebulae | Jones, D. | IAC | 120 | 80 |
| Close binary interactions are the preferred explanation for the diverse morphologies of planetary nebulae (PNe). 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 to observe a sample of 20 central stars which form part of our 2kpc volume-limited sample. The results from these will be combined with those from other observatories to provide the most accurate binary fraction amongst planetary nebula central stars to-date. Not only will these results augment the number of known binaries, but also by determining the binary fraction (as well as the properties of individual binaries) it will place important constraints for understanding their formation and importance for the formation of PNe in general. | ||||
| COBIPULSE-SOUTH: A systematic search for compact binary pulsars | Linares, M. | IAC | 80 | |
| Millisecond pulsars are fascinating laboratories at the crossroads between astrophysics, nuclear physics and gravitation. We propose a systematic search and study of binary millisecond pulsars in a carefully selected sample of Fermi-LAT unidentified sources, using the 1-meter LCOGT network. This will allow us to i) identify their optical counterpart, ii) measure their orbital periods and iii) constrain the rest of orbital parameters through modelling of the light curve from the irradiated companion. This campaign will drastically expand the small population of compact binary millisecond pulsars, an important step towards finding more massive neutron stars. | ||||
| Transiting Exoplanet CHaracterisation (TECH) Project | Bayliss, D. | Geneva Observatory | 475 | |
| 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. | ||||
| Characterizing Planets in the Solar Neighborhood | Siverd, R. | LCOGT | 250 | 30 |
| The most scientifically productive exoplanet discoveries are transiting planets orbiting bright host stars. These are the only ones for which accurate physical parameters (radii, masses, densities, temperatures, compositions) can be determined. However, 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 vet candidates and properly characterize promising 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 producing planetary discoveries plus many promising candidates in the South as well, where the southern LCOGT nodes have been especially critical in the discovery of these planets as the KELT network has much fewer follow-up partners in the South than in the North. 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. | ||||
| A complete spectroscopic census of high proper motion sources in the solar neighborhood | Lodieu, N. | IAC | 45 | |
| Our knowledge of the solar neighbourhood is incomplete at the 30% level within a radius of 10 pc from the Sun at low masses (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<=13 mag) high proper motion (>0.2 arcsec/yr) sources in 7200 square degrees common to both databases, common proper motion pairs, and multiple systems. We propose to obtain low-resolution optical spectra with FLOYDS on the Faulkes 2-m telescope to classify 90 new high proper motion sources identified in our 2MASS/VHS cross-match south of -20 degrees. All are new and none of them have 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. We obtained optical spectra for 68 sources in 2015A and plan to complete our sample in 2015B. | ||||
| Continued Monitoring of PTFO 8-8695 II | van Eyken, J. | IPAC | 100 | |
| PTFO 8-8695b is a young T-Tauri transiting planet candidate that was discovered during the PTF Orion survey in 2009-2010. At ~3Myr old, if real, it would represent the youngest known transiting planet by a large margin, making it potentially a valuable object for informing planet formation models. In the discovery data, the transits were found to change in shape between the two years. The change could be fit using a model where the fast-rotating host star is gravitationally darkened and oblate, causing precession of the planet’s orbital plane on timescales of ~100 d. Observations over the following years appeared to be broadly consistent with the predictions. More recent work by other groups, however, has cast doubt on the planetary interpretation, and last year’s LCOGT data suggested transit events occurring significantly earlier than before. Irrespective of the interpretation, the object merits continuing investigation. The change in timing is curious, and if the dimming events are not due to a planet transit, their actual cause remains somewhat unclear. The ~1yr timescale of the transit variation makes a long time-baseline of observations advantageous; at the same time, the short period of the transit events (~11hrs) necessitates intensive high-cadence observations. We propose continued monitoring during the course of 2015B (the observable season), in order to help better understand the behavior of the system and clarify the true nature of the transit events. | ||||
| Optical observations of X-ray/Gamma-ray binaries | Casares, J. | IAC | 20 | 20 |
| 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 their brightness by several orders of magnitude in all wavelengths, allowing for their detection by the X-ray telescopes. We propose to carry out an observing program focussed upon the discovery and subsequent follow-up of 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 dim, where they can stay for decades or centuries | ||||
| Probing asteroid families with precise photometry | Lister, T. | LCOGT | 263 | |
| Asteroid families are products of catastrophic collisions, and their properties are a very important input for modelling the physics which governs these phenomena and understanding the evolution of the early Solar System and potentially other exoplanetary systems. The use of new techniques for computing the proper elements of large number of asteroids and hierarchical clustering methods to identify new, and refine existing, families enables us to extract a great deal of information, in particular the ages of the formation of these collisional families. A drawback of these large samples is that the absolute magnitude, which is used to derive the diameter and age, is drawn from a very inhomogeneous source (the Minor Planet Center’s database) with typical scatter of greater than 0.25 mag. We will use the LCOGT Network to obtain precise calibrated photometry of a subset of the Vesta asteroid family to provide better constraints on the age of this important dynamical family. The refined absolute magnitude will allow more accurate diameters and ages for the two major collisions that formed this family. This will enable a cross-comparison on these ages with those derived from the cratering ages from images returned by the Dawn spacecraft. | ||||
| Timing Monitoring of the K2-19b exoplanet transit | Hoyer, S. | IAC | 50 | |
| The recently discovered K2-19 exoplanet system (Armstrong et al. 2105) is formed by 2 transiting exoplanets located close to the 3:2 mean motion resonance. For this reason, the K2-19b exoplanet seems to exhibit significant Transit Timing Variations (TTVs). We proposed to monitor the transits of the K2-19b exoplanet using the LCOGT Network. With this, we plan to measure the central times of the transits and confirm the presence of TTVs in the system. Also, by measuring the TTVs we will be able to place strict constraints in the masses of the planets in the system. | ||||
| The Ecliptic Pole Opportunity | Tsapras, Y. | U. Heidelberg | 13 | |
| The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) will launch in 2017 and monitor the brightnesses of more than 500,000 stars during its 2-year mission. TESS will detect small transiting planets orbiting bright host stars, so that detailed characterizations of the planets and their atmospheres can be performed by follow-up observations. Taking into account the overlap between sectors, the duration of observations on the ecliptic poles will be larger than the other regions of the celestial sphere. It therefore follows that the ecliptic poles will have a larger sensitivity to smaller and longer period planets and, moreover, are in the continuous viewing zone of the James Webb Space Telescope. We intend to undertake a two-step program. (1) We propose to use the FLOYDS spectrograph, mounted on FTS, to perform spectroscopic characterization of a list of 150 stars close to the southern ecliptic pole. The list comprises of M stars, based on their color, which are more sensitive to low-mass planets. However, spectral characterization is required to discriminate main-sequence from red-giant stars. (2) The targets that survive the selection, will subsequently be observed with FEROS at the MPG 2.2 m telescope, in order to obtain precise (10-20 m/s) radial-velocity measurements in the second phase of the project. | ||||
| Understanding blazar emission through multifrequency observations | Acosta-Pulido, J. | IAC | 20 | |
| We propose a photometric follow-up in the optical range of a sample of blazars, which are active in gamma rays. The analysis of light curves at different spectral ranges provides a very powerful tool to disentangle the physical mechanisms responsible of blazar emission, specially to locate the regions where emission in different spectral ranges originates. The selected sample is daily monitored at the high-energy space observatories Fermi and AGILE and few targets are also observed using ground-based facilities, for example the MAGIC telescopes. Our goal is to obtain well sampled optical light curves in order to contribute to the multifrequency monitoring which is carried out by several international collaborations. In addition, we propose to dedicate a small fraction of the requested observing time to ToO observations, which will be use only when extraordinary high-energy flares are detected. Our group actively participates in the international network GASP-WEBT [http://www.oato.inaf.it/blazars/webt/]. There are various reasons why using Las Cumbres Observatory for our monitoring program is very worthwhile: first we increase the probability to have a very regular observing cadence; we can extend the monitoring to targets in the South Hemisphere; using ToO mode we can have a close optical follow-up of flares detected at high energies. | ||||
| LCOGT monitoring of SPIRITS Galaxies: The Nature of IR Transients | Bally, J. | U. Colorado | 100 | |
| We propose to continue monthly monitoring of ~100 of the most active nearby galaxies being observed by the Spitzer warm mission program SPIRITS to search for luminous transients associated with the birth, post main-sequence evolution, and death of massive stars. For the ~1,000 variables and 40 transients identified so far by SPIRITS, LCOGT r' and i' fluxes are used to distinguish hot, unobscured sources such as LBVs or SNe from cool or highly embedded sources such a red supergiants, or obscured SNe. Our failure to detect visual counterparts to some SPIRITS transients indicates a new class of luminous, infrared-only eruptive transients which may be buried or obscured supernovae, stellar mergers in compact, mature binaries similar to V838 Mon, or protostellar mergers similar to the BN/KL explosion in Orion 500 years ago. This proposal extends the Semester 2014A, B, 2015A LCO monitoring programs. | ||||
| Accretion in Young Binaries | Akeson, R. | IPAC | 155 | |
| 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 LCO network is designed for this observational challenge, and we propose to study three choice PMS binaries (P < 52 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. | ||||
| Observing for Physics 134 | Mazin, B. | UCSB | 12 | |
| I would like some time to take data to train the 25-50 students in UCSB's physics 134L observation astronomy lab on the analysis and interpretation of astronomical data. This class really gets some students excited about astronomy, and I know 2-3 people who have taken it with me are now astronomy graduate students at top schools (1 at Caltech, 1 at Berkeley). This year we would like to do observations of three things: 1) A comet. We will take three (or more) short observations over several days, and the students will attempt to calculate the orbital elements of the comet. This project was suggested by a student. The students will choose the comet. 2) A Cepheid variable. A vital rung on the distance ladder, the time series of a Cepheid will provide fertile ground for physics-based analysis. We will take data over ~2 weeks to measure the oscillation period. This project was suggested by a student. The students will choose the Cepheid. 3) Measure the eclipse of NN Ser. We got eclipse data on this object last year, so getting another epoch and comparing with archival data will allow the students to search for a period change. | ||||
| Title | PI name | Hours (1m) | Hours (2m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Precision Photometric Follow-up of HATSouth Planet Candidates | Bento, J. | 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. | |||
| Confronting stellar physics using eclipsing binaries in the open cluster NGC2506 | Yong, D. | 50 | |
| We wish to determine a very precise age for the old open cluster NGC2506 (~2 Gyr) and constrain convective core overshooting in stellar models by measuring precise masses and radii for three eclipsing binary members in NGC2506. Analysis procedures will be along the lines of Brogaard et al. (2012, A&A 543, 106) where we were able to constrain the helium content in the open cluster NGC6791. Membership and high precision minimum masses have already been obtained from two spectroscopy campaigns at the VLT. To determine the inclinations and radii we now need precision time-series photometry of the eclipses. This can be optimally obtained with LCOGT where the time-critical observations become less of a challenge and all data will be taken with ‘identical’ instruments, thus reducing systematics in the light curves. We propose to use the 1 meter network to do photometry of the two known systems V4 and V5 (Arentoft et al. 2007, A&A 465, 965), and a new suspected longer period system V2032 with both components in the blue hook region, which will provide tight constraints on the mass-radius relation even it turns out that it has no eclipses due to its high minimum masses. The observations should alternate between Johnson B, V, and Cousins I filters. We need 16 hours for each of the two known systems - 8 hours for each eclipse, and another 18 hours to cover the eclipses of the candidate V2032 (or rule out the existence of eclipses at high confidence). This yields a total of 50 hours. |
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| Radio galaxy zoo follow-up | Banfield, J. | 4 | |
| Goal: Test the feasibility of the FLOYDS spectrograph (North) in obtaining a spectrum of 3 candidate green DRAGN (double-lobed radio active galactic nuclei) as a pilot study for the Radio Galaxy Zoo project. Science: Radio Galaxy Zoo (radio.galaxyzoo.org; Banfield et al. 2015) has discovered a unique class of galaxy with characteristics similar to Hanny’s Voorwerp (Lintott et al. 2009) and green peas (Cardamone et al. 2009) discovered in Galaxy Zoo. These green DRAGN are observed to be green in colour in the SDSS images resulting from a strong [O III] emission indicating either star formation or shocks rather then by photoionization from the AGN itself. It is thought that as these radio jets break through the host galaxy, they scoop up gas and limit the amount available of gas for star formation (Croton et al. 2006; Wagner & Bicknell 2011). Since we have found over 200 candidate green DRAGN containing both an AGN and potential star formation we want to determine whether we have observed one of the key stages in galaxy formation where both of these astrophysical processes are occurring at the same time. |
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| Photometric observations of a detached, eclipsing binary in the globular cluster 47 Tucanae | Dotter, A. | 22 | |
| The aim of the project is to directly and accurately measure the age, distance, and He-content of the globular cluster 47 Tuc based on photometric and radial velocity observations of three detached eclipsing binaries, two of which have been recently discovered. These observations allow us to derive masses and radii of the stars with ~1% error (or better). Two of the binaries are confirmed proper motion members of 47 Tuc, the third is an inferred member based on photometric properties and the systemic radial velocity. Five of the component stars are located at or within 0.05 solar masses of the cluster main sequence turnoff in the colour-magnitude diagram. This unique data set will allow for a pioneering, critical discrimination between stellar models. We have complete spectroscopic data for all three systems and complete photometry for one of them. Photometry for a second system is being collected with the 2.5-m du Pont telescopes at Las Campanas Observatory beginning in October of 2015. For the third system, crucial parts of the light curve (the bottom of the primary eclipse and most of the secondary eclipse) are still missing. Two primary and two secondary eclipses (covering the minima in all cases) are visible from Siding Springs through the end of 2015. The majority of the eclipses are not visible from Las Campanas for these four events. We apply for 4 nights (approximately 30 hours) on the 2-m Faulkes telescope to complete our photometric data in the standard B and V filters. The object is faint (V ~ 17, B-V ~ 0.55) and the field is crowded, and so the size and plate scale of the Faulkes telescope is essential for these observations. Photometric calibrations will be made with extensive out-of-eclipse observations at Las Campanas. Additional I-band observations are available from a collaboration with the OGLE project. | |||
| Transiting Exoplanet CHaracterisation (TECH) Project | Bento, J. | 25 | |
|
ANU contribution to TECH project. |
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| The Next-Generation Sample of Supernovae | Yuan, F. | 37 | |
|
ANU contribution to the Supernova key project. |
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| Echo Mapping of AGN Accretion Flows | Onken, C. | 25 | 37 |
|
ANU contribution to AGN key project. |
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| Title | PI name | Hours (1m) | Hours (2m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studies of Gamma-ray Bursts and the associated Supernovae | Kobayashi, S. | 10 | 10 |
| 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. | 10 | |
| 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. | 20 | |
| 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. | 10 | |
| 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. | |||
| Cephieds in LMC globular clusters | Bastian, N. | 15 | |
| We propose to obtain multi-epoch V and I-band images of 11 young massive stellar clusters within the LMC in order to calibrate the Cepheid age-period relation. The proposed study will allow us to: 1) test whether significant age spreads exist within clusters (which in turn may lead to a better understanding of the origin of the “multiple populations” observed in globular clusters), 2) calibrate Cepheid models which will improve our understanding of these variable stars on which the extragalactic distance scale rests, and 3) assign individual ages to the thousands of Cepheids within the LMC/SMC, allowing us to study how star formation has proceeded in space and time within these galaxies. Additionally, the deep colour-magnitude diagrams provided for each of the clusters will allow a significant improvement on the precision of previous attempts to age date each cluster. | |||
| Title | PI name | Hours (1m) | Hours (2m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multiwavelength Lightcurves of Extragalactic Transients: Constraining Physical Properties and Progenitors | Prieto, J. | 110 | |
| 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. | |||
| 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. | |||
| Photometric follow-up of the EREBOS project - influence of substellar objects on late stellar evolution | Vuckovic, M. | 30 | |
| Planets and brown dwarfs in close orbits will interact with their host stars, as soon as they evolve to become red giants. However, the outcome of those interactions is still unclear. Recently, several brown dwarfs have been discovered orbiting hot subdwarf stars (sdB) in very short orbital periods of 0.065 - 0.096 d. Those compact helium stars are the stripped cores of giants, which lost their envelopes due to the interaction with a close companion. More than 3% of those stars might have close substellar companions. This shows that such companions can significantly affect late stellar evolution and that sdB binaries are ideal objects to study this influence. Thirty-six new eclipsing sdB binary systems with cool low-mass companions were discovered based on their lightcurves by the OGLE project. We will use this unique and homogeneously selected sample to derive the mass distribution of the companions, constrain the fraction of substellar companions and determine the minimum mass needed to strip off the red-giant envelope. Here we propose a photometric follow-up campaign of the 2 brighter and one fainter HW Vir system using the LCO-GTN telescope to obtain the high S/N phase resolved light curves in different colours. | |||
| Confirmation of Type Ia SN Candidates in Luminous Red Galaxies from the Red-Sequence Cluster Survey 2 | Michea, J. | 10 | |
| We propose to observe a sample of 26 Luminous Red Galaxies (LRGs) from the Red-Sequence Cluster Survey 2 (RCS-2) that host type Ia supernova candidates. As these transient objects were found through differencing imaging using r and i-band observations, the data will be used to assess the possible contamination by extremely red or blue objects. Although this contamination is unlikely, it is the major weakness in our procedure to establish the SN rate of this important galaxy population. Our preliminary calculation of the SN rate is consistent with the handful of determinations done to date (all at z < 0.24), extending them to a much larger redshift (z ~ 0.5). One night in a 1m-class telescope will allow us to move forward in this study and remove the major weakness of the program. | |||
| Variability monitoring of ACCESS targets: towards a precise and accurate view of exoplanetary atmospheres | Espinoza, N. | 50 | |
| Transmission spectroscopy of transiting exoplanets (TEPs) is a powerful probe of atmospheric composition and structure. Recently, it was demonstrated that low-resolution spectroscopy of planets as small as super- earths is feasible with large ground-based facilities, which motivated an ambitious joint Arizona-CfA-PUC survey (ACCESS), of which the first observations have been successful and already yielded a publication using Magellan/IMACS. These observations, however, need to be complemented with photometric monitoring of our targets in order to constrain the variability of the stellar flux between multi-epoch observations due to variations in the stellar surface generated by, e.g., stellar spots, which at our level of precision might have a direct impact in the final transmission spectrum obtained from combining those observations. Here we propose to monitor the stellar activity of the different targets currently being observed by our survey using 1m-class telescopes in order to obtain the required 1-2 mmag precision needed to constrain these effects. This will not only allow us to obtain accurate transmission spectra of our targets, but will also generate a valuable resource for future characterisation studies involving these exoplanet hosting stars. | |||
| 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. | 55 | 85 |
| Use of On Sky for FTP education program. | |||
| Education - Queue observations | Roche, P. | 175 | 105 |
| Use of queue observations for FTP education program. | |||
| Title | PI name | Hours (1m) | Hours (2m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| HI STAR Projects | Armstrong, JD | 45 | 45 |
| 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 | 45 | 45 |
| 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. | |||
| 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hunting supermassive black-holes in low-mass dwarfs | Shi, Y. | 75 | |
| Supermassive black-hole (SMBH) is now known as the crucial component of massive galaxies but the seeds of SMBHs in the early Universe is rarely constrained. We propose to use the variability method to search for SMBH candidates in a local representative sample of galaxies with Mstar < 10^7.5 Msun. Our ultimate goal is to constrain the frequency of active SMBHs in such low mass galaxies, and to investigate the M-sigma relation, the two key studies that can offer strong constraints on the formation mechanisms of the SMBH seeds. By targeting the nearby dwarfs with spatially resolved images, the proposed observation is able to probe an accretion signal of r=20 mag (30sigma) that is only 1% of the total galaxy light, or 0.05% Edditong luminosity of a SMBH with 5x10^4 Msun at 3 Mpc, which is impossible for distant unresolved dwarfs with any AGN searching technique. The variability technique was shown to have a success rate as high as 20% in distinguishing the background quasars from the stars in studies of Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. Unlike other methods (X-ray imaging, radio imaing and optical IFU), the variability method with LCOGT is the cheapest way to search for the candidates. Our Co-I list includes experts in X-ray, optical, IR and radio, and thus we are in good status to do follow-up for any identified SMBH candidate. The data will also be used to probe star-related variables in very low metallicity environment to ensure science output even if no SMBH is found. | |||
| LCOGT/Swift observation of Swift Gamma-Ray Bursts | Xu, D. | 25 | |
| Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) are brief high-energy transients that suddenly explode and isotropically distributed over the whole sky. The Swift satellite rapidly and accurately localizes around 7590 GRBs per year. For years our team has been running successful programs of GRB follow-ups via both imaging and spectroscopy, using the 0.36-2.16m optical telescopes within China, the 2.56m Nordic Optical Telescope, the 8.2m Very Large Telescope, and 4-10m collaborative telescopes. Our main goals are to establish a well understood sample of long Swift GRBs and use them as probes to study the early Universe, individually and collectively. A well-defined sample of GRBs with measured redshifts allows a proper investigation of their radiation mechanisms, progenitors, energetics, luminosity function, host galaxies and their link to the star-formation history of the Universe. Particularly interesting bursts, such as those connected to supernovae, short GRBs and those detected by Fermi/LAT will also be targeted. With the 1-m LCOGT global network, we'll expand our observational sites to swiftly catch more bursts shortly after they explode, and therefore make better synergic follow-ups. LCOGT is perfectly incorporated and a global network is established. | |||
| 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. | |||
| Title | PI name | Hours (1m) | Hours (2m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| AGN Reverberation (Echo) Mapping | Romero-Colmenero, E. | 60 | |
| SAAO contribution to AGN Echo Mapping Key Project | |||
| The Next Generation Sample of Supernovae | Kasai, E. | 50 | |
| SAAO contribution to Supernova Key Project | |||
| Transiting Exoplanet CHaracterisation (TECH) Project | Sefako, R. | 50 | |
| SAAO contribution to TECH Project | |||
| Time-domain astrophysics of magnetic CVs, Continued | Potter, S. | 88 | |
| 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. | |||
| Optical ToO observations with LCOGT for H.E.S.S. | van Soelen, B. | 34 | |
| The H.E.S.S. gamma-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 gamma-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 gamma-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. | |||
| Light-Curve of Possible Super-AGB Stars in NGC 6822 | Whitelock, P. | 1 | |
| We propose obtaining one exposure per month in the RCband of the hot bottom burning (HBB) variables in IC 1613 in order to characterize their variability and in particular to find out if the period of the lithium-rich star is changing. Such a change could indicate that it is undergoing real-time evolution. | |||
| Study photometric structure of southern lenticular galaxies in clusters | Kniazev, A. | 43 | |
| 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. | |||
| Confirming the LBV status of spectroscopically selected LBV candidates | Kniazev, A. | 10 | |
| none. | |||
| Evolutionary Period Changes in Hot Bottom Burning Stars? | Menzies, J. | 3 | |
| none. | |||
| Title | PI name | Hours (1m) | Hours (2m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exploring Cool Planets Beyond the Snow Line | Street, R. | 250 | |
| SUPA contribution to Microlensing Key Project | |||
| Echo Mapping of AGN Accretion Flows | Horne, K. | 400 | |
| SUPA contribution to AGN Echo Mapping Key Project | |||
| Transiting Exoplanet CHaracterisation (TECH) Project | Bayliss, D. | 100 | |
| SUPA 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. | 150 | |
| 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transiting Exoplanet CHaracterisation (TECH) Project | Cochran, W. | 50 | |
| U.Texas contribution to TECH Project | |||
| Supernova Light Curves with the LCOGT SN Key Project | Wheeler, C. | 50 | |
| U. Texas 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Follow-up of PESSTO supernovae | Smartt, S. | 80 | |
| Title | PI name | Hours (1m) | Hours (2m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| NYU, Abu Dhabi research and education | Roberts, M. | 50 | 25 |