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DOE OSTI · 1958461

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

Bom, C. R.·Annis, J. (ORCID:0000000206093987)·Garcia, A. (ORCID:0000000195786322)·Palmese, A. (ORCID:0000000260110530)·Sherman, N. (ORCID:0000000153990114)·Soares-Santos, M. (ORCID:0000000160828529)·Santana-Silva, L. (ORCID:0000000334026164)·Morgan, R. (ORCID:0000000270165471)·Bechtol, K. (ORCID:0000000181560429)·Davis, T. (ORCID:0000000349329379)·Diehl, H. T. (ORCID:0000000283577467)·Allam, S. S. (ORCID:0000000270697857)·Bachmann, T. G. (ORCID:0000000261195353)·Fraga, B. O.·García-Bellido, J. (ORCID:0000000293708360)·Gill, M. S. (ORCID:0000000325245154)·Herner, K. (ORCID:0000000167182978)·Kilpatrick, C. D.·Makler, M. (ORCID:0000000322062651)·Olivares E., F. (ORCID:0000000251156377)·Pereira, M. S. (ORCID:0000000271317684)·Pineda, J.·Santos, A.·Tucker, D. L. (ORCID:0000000172115729)·Wiesner, M. P. (ORCID:0000000186537738)·Aguena, M. (ORCID:0000000156796747)·Alves, O. (ORCID:0000000273949466)·Bacon, D. (ORCID:0000000225628537)·Bernardinelli, P. H. (ORCID:0000000307439422)·Bertin, E.·Bocquet, S. (ORCID:000000024900805X)·Brooks, D. (ORCID:0000000284585047)·Carrasco Kind, M. (ORCID:0000000248023194)·Carretero, J. (ORCID:0000000231300204)·Conselice, C. (ORCID:0000000319497638)·Costanzi, M.·da Costa, L. N.·De Vicente, J. (ORCID:0000000183186813)·Desai, S. (ORCID:0000000204663288)·Doel, P.·Everett, S. (ORCID:0000000237452882)·Ferrero, I. (ORCID:0000000212951132)·Frieman, J. (ORCID:0000000340793263)·Gatti, M.·Gerdes, D. W. (ORCID:0000000169422736)·Gruen, D. (ORCID:0000000332707644)·Gruendl, R. A. (ORCID:0000000245886517)·Gutierrez, G. (ORCID:0000000308250517)·Hinton, S. R. (ORCID:0000000320719349)·Hollowood, D. L. (ORCID:0000000293694157)·Honscheid, K. (ORCID:0000000265502023)·James, D. J. (ORCID:0000000151604486)·Kuehn, K. (ORCID:0000000301200808)·Kuropatkin, N. (ORCID:0000000325110946)·Melchior, P. (ORCID:0000000288735065)·Mena-Fernández, J. (ORCID:0000000194977266)·Menanteau, F. (ORCID:0000000213722534)·Pieres, A. (ORCID:0000000191866042)·Plazas Malagón, A. A. (ORCID:0000000225980514)·Raveri, M.·Rodriguez-Monroy, M.·Sanchez, E. (ORCID:0000000296468198)·Santiago, B.·Sevilla-Noarbe, I. (ORCID:0000000218311953)·Smith, M. (ORCID:0000000233211432)·Suchyta, E. (ORCID:0000000270479358)·Swanson, M. C.·Tarle, G. (ORCID:0000000317040781)·To, C. (ORCID:0000000178362261)·Weaverdyck, N. (ORCID:0000000193825199)
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Abstract

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

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46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICSastronomical methodsastrostatistics toolgravitational wave astronomytransient detection

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Bom, C. R., Annis, J. (ORCID:0000000206093987), Garcia, A. (ORCID:0000000195786322), Palmese, A. (ORCID:0000000260110530), Sherman, N. (ORCID:0000000153990114), Soares-Santos, M. (ORCID:0000000160828529), Santana-Silva, L. (ORCID:0000000334026164), Morgan, R. (ORCID:0000000270165471), Bechtol, K. (ORCID:0000000181560429), Davis, T. (ORCID:0000000349329379), Diehl, H. T. (ORCID:0000000283577467), Allam, S. S. (ORCID:0000000270697857), Bachmann, T. G. (ORCID:0000000261195353), Fraga, B. O., García-Bellido, J. (ORCID:0000000293708360), Gill, M. S. (ORCID:0000000325245154), Herner, K. (ORCID:0000000167182978), Kilpatrick, C. D., Makler, M. (ORCID:0000000322062651), Olivares E., F. (ORCID:0000000251156377), Pereira, M. S. (ORCID:0000000271317684), Pineda, J., Santos, A., Tucker, D. L. (ORCID:0000000172115729), Wiesner, M. P. (ORCID:0000000186537738), Aguena, M. (ORCID:0000000156796747), Alves, O. (ORCID:0000000273949466), Bacon, D. (ORCID:0000000225628537), Bernardinelli, P. H. (ORCID:0000000307439422), Bertin, E., Bocquet, S. (ORCID:000000024900805X), Brooks, D. (ORCID:0000000284585047), Carrasco Kind, M. (ORCID:0000000248023194), Carretero, J. (ORCID:0000000231300204), Conselice, C. (ORCID:0000000319497638), Costanzi, M., da Costa, L. N., De Vicente, J. (ORCID:0000000183186813), Desai, S. (ORCID:0000000204663288), Doel, P., Everett, S. (ORCID:0000000237452882), Ferrero, I. (ORCID:0000000212951132), Frieman, J. (ORCID:0000000340793263), Gatti, M., Gerdes, D. W. (ORCID:0000000169422736), Gruen, D. (ORCID:0000000332707644), Gruendl, R. A. (ORCID:0000000245886517), Gutierrez, G. (ORCID:0000000308250517), Hinton, S. R. (ORCID:0000000320719349), Hollowood, D. L. (ORCID:0000000293694157), Honscheid, K. (ORCID:0000000265502023), James, D. J. (ORCID:0000000151604486), Kuehn, K. (ORCID:0000000301200808), Kuropatkin, N. (ORCID:0000000325110946), Melchior, P. (ORCID:0000000288735065), Mena-Fernández, J. (ORCID:0000000194977266), Menanteau, F. (ORCID:0000000213722534), Pieres, A. (ORCID:0000000191866042), Plazas Malagón, A. A. (ORCID:0000000225980514), Raveri, M., Rodriguez-Monroy, M., Sanchez, E. (ORCID:0000000296468198), Santiago, B., Sevilla-Noarbe, I. (ORCID:0000000218311953), Smith, M. (ORCID:0000000233211432), Suchyta, E. (ORCID:0000000270479358), Swanson, M. C., Tarle, G. (ORCID:0000000317040781), To, C. (ORCID:0000000178362261), Weaverdyck, N. (ORCID:0000000193825199). 2024-01-08. Designing an Optimal Kilonova Search Using DECam for Gravitational-wave Events. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357%2Fad0462

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