Статья

The Palomar Transient Factory: System Overview, Performance, and First Results

Nicholas M. LawCaltech Optical Observatories, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125;S. R. KulkarniCaltech Optical Observatories, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125;Richard DekanyCaltech Optical Observatories, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125;E. O. OfekCaltech Optical Observatories, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125;R. M. QuimbyCaltech Optical Observatories, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125;P. NugentLawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720J. SuraceInfrared Processing and Analysis Center, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125Carl C. GrillmairInfrared Processing and Analysis Center, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125J. S. BloomDepartment of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3411M. M. KasliwalCaltech Optical Observatories, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125;Lars BildstenKavli Institute for Theoretical Physics and Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106Timothy C. BrownLas Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network, 6740 Cortona Dr. Santa Barbara, CA 93117S. B. CenkoDepartment of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3411David R. CiardiInfrared Processing and Analysis Center, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125Ernest CronerCaltech Optical Observatories, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125;S. G. DjorgovskiCaltech Optical Observatories, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125;J. C. van EykenInfrared Processing and Analysis Center, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125A. V. FilippenkoDepartment of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3411D. B. FoxDepartment of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802A. Gal‐YamBenoziyo Center for Astrophysics, Weizmann Institute of Science, 76100 Rehovot, IsraelDavid HaleCaltech Optical Observatories, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125;Nouhad HamamInfrared Processing and Analysis Center, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125G. HelouInfrared Processing and Analysis Center, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125John HenningCaltech Optical Observatories, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125;D. A. HowellDepartment of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106J. JacobsenLawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720Russ R. LaherInfrared Processing and Analysis Center, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125Sean MattinglyInfrared Processing and Analysis Center, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125Dan McKennaCaltech Optical Observatories, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125;Andrew PicklesLas Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network, 6740 Cortona Dr. Santa Barbara, CA 93117D. PoznanskiDepartment of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3411Gustavo RahmerCaltech Optical Observatories, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125;A. RauCaltech Optical Observatories, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125;W. RosingLas Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network, 6740 Cortona Dr. Santa Barbara, CA 93117Michael M. SharaDepartment of Astrophysics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024Roger M. SmithCaltech Optical Observatories, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125;D. A. StarrDepartment of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3411M. SullivanOxford Astrophysics, Department of Physics, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford, OX1 3RH, UK. 1395V. VelurCaltech Optical Observatories, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125;R. WaltersCaltech Optical Observatories, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125;J. ZolkowerCaltech Optical Observatories, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125;

2009en

ABI

Аннотация

The Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) is a fully-automated, wide-field survey aimed at a systematic exploration of the optical transient sky. The transient survey is performed using a new 8.1 square degree camera installed on the 48 inch Samuel Oschin telescope at Palomar Observatory; colors and light curves for detected transients are obtained with the automated Palomar 60 inch telescope. PTF uses 80% of the 1.2 m and 50% of the 1.5 m telescope time. With an exposure of 60 s the survey reaches a depth of m g 0 21:3 and m R 20:6 (5, median seeing). Four major experiments are planned for the five-year project: (1) a 5 day cadence supernova search; (2) a rapid transient search with cadences between 90 s and 1 day; (3) a search for eclipsing binaries and transiting planets in Orion; and (4) a 3 sr deep H-alpha survey. PTF provides automatic, real-time transient classification and follow-up, as well as a database including every source detected in each frame. This paper summarizes the PTF project, including several months of on-sky performance tests of the new survey camera, the observing plans, and the data reduction strategy. We conclude by detailing the first 51 PTF optical transient detections, found in commissioning data.

Перевод пока недоступен

Идентификаторы

DOI: 10.1086/648598

Цитирования и источники

Цитирований: 2Использованных источников: 0

Показатели — AkademScholar