Time Domain Astrophysics
2015-2016 and 2018-2019
Sponsors
Heising-Simons Foundation
Research Corporation for Science Advancement
Additional Support
Theme
Optical astronomy has entered the era of Time Domain Astrophysics, and radio astronomy is expected to undergo great growth within a few years. While this new mode of astrophysical research has increased data production by orders of magnitude, discoveries depend on our ability to digest these large data sets and make real-time decisions about where to focus precious follow-up resources.
Scialog: Time Domain Astrophysics brought together early-career theorists, observers and computational scientists to identify and pursue the research that would benefit most from current optical facilities and set the stage to maximize the benefit of new facilities, such as the Vera C. Rubin Observatory (previously referred to as the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, or LSST) which is planned to be commissioned by 2022.
This research is expected to include the development of novel theoretical, observational or computational approaches and collaborations that will accelerate our understanding of stars and their life-cycles, as well as to promote innovative projects based on new emerging datasets from Gaia and other space-based surveys that are likely to be disruptive for astrophysics.
Successes
2017 Science Breakthrough of the Year:
- Berger, Foley, Howell, Kalogera, Metzger, Sand and other Scialog Fellows and facilitators' role in the detection of a kilonova due to the merger of two neutron stars
High-impact publications:
- Thompson, Badenes, and Covey in Science: discovery of low-mass hidden black hole
- Law in The Astrophysical Journal Letters: first naked-eye superflare detected from Proxima Centauri
New instrumentation:
- Mahadevan, Hebb, Wisniewski development of ground-based beam-shaping diffusers
Citizen science:
- Sokoloski development of AAVSO Target Tool for amateur astronomers
BOOKLETS
2019 Scialog TDA Conference Booket
2018 Scialog-TDA Conference Booklet [3.6MB PDF]
2016 Scialog-TDA Conference Booklet [526KB PDF]
2015 Scialog-TDA Conference Booklet [1.2B PDF]