CFHT UM2025 - Presentation Details
Abstract Details
Title: Time domain survey with CFHT
Presenter: Sarah Antier
Abstract:
We propose to develop a 5 year survey with CFHT to support time-domain astronomy. We focus on the use of MegaCAM with filter overlap with LSST (griz) where we can (i) perform target of opportunity observations of high-energy transients identified by LSST and other multi-messenger instruments (GWs, neutrinos, GRBs, X-ray transients, etc), (ii) follow the Vera rubin fields or other optical wide field surveys to supplement the gaps in cadence with CFHT imaging to enable fast transient science cases, (iii) use of serendipitous observations by existing CFHT other programs (that observe deep sky) that can provide additional transients detection. We are also interested in using the large CFHT aperture to perform low-resolution spectroscopy, perhaps with an integral field unit spectrograph already funded, which will be critical for transient classification. (a) Number of nights requested : it can range from 10 nights per year for i), about 50 nights per year for ii), and iii) it is 0 (b) Instrument(s) to be used : MegaCAM (in rare cases WIRCAM if possible) and IFU if we found collaborators (c) RA distribution of proposed observations : for i) RA, DEC is not known so we must use ToO operations (e.g immediate if MegaCAM is mounted). It can be just "pointings" of well-localized (arsec) or not well-localized (> 1 deg2 or more that will require tiling) iii) access to database in real time. DEC will be generally in the South to overlap with LSST. (d) Observation constraints according to Moon phase, seeing,weather conditions : no constraints except ii) ideally for darkest nights to get deep enough to match Rubin (e) Suggestions of non-CFHT scientific teams that could enhance the scientific output of the project and contribute to its funding : noirLAB (including Gemini, Magellan, DECAM), other USA institutes that operates ZTF, PS1 (f) How the proposing teams can support survey execution, either remotely or through in-person secondments to CFHT for data reduction and/or survey operations : support of image data analysis and broker streams