Collaborative Research: New Windows on the Dynamic Universe with the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, the InterPlanetary Network, and the International Gravitational Wave Network

Explosive objects in the distant universe can now be studied by simultaneously combining information from multiple messengers - gravitational waves, particles, and light. The investigators will develop software to deliver new discoveries and physical constraints concerning the nature of explosive objects. The investigators will provide students opportunities for cross-institutional internships and collaborations with amateur astronomers and citizen scientists. The research, methods, and visualizations will be directly included in developing courses at multiple institutions. The work will provide training for students in critical areas for astrophysics and beyond, including robust application of machine learning. The team will partner with the LIGO Science Education Center and The Baton Rouge: Bringing Youth Technology, Education and Success programs to utilize multimessenger astronomy to inspire K-12 students in the state of Louisiana. A 4-year research program led by investigators at the Louisiana State University, Harvard University, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, and University of Maryland, College Park will improve our understanding of explosive transients. The exotic zoo of explosive transients is still being explored, and the overlap of signals seen at different wavelengths is key to their taxonomy. Explosive transients occur at the extremes of physics, beyond the reach of terrestrial laboratories. Multiwavelength and multimessenger observations of these transients enable advances in areas including gravity, fundamental physics, dense matter, cosmology, and the origin of the elements. The proposed work will enable new discoveries through the power of the Vera Rubin Telescope with concurrent observations provided by high energy and gravitational-wave observatories. The research team will combine observations of compact objects with the Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time with space-based gamma-ray burst monitors and ground-based gravitational-wave interferometers. Focusing on gamma-ray bursts and supernovae, the team will construct new optical transient classifiers, develop the formalism to associate distinct signals across wavelengths and messengers from the same event, characterize these events through dedicated follow-up, and enable global discovery via public alerts. The result will be an end-to-end multiwavelength and multimessenger discovery machine. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.