Program: GN-2020B-Q-224

Title:Rapid spectroscopic classification and follow-up of transients
PI:Mark Huber
Co-I(s): Ken Chambers, Ben Shappee, John Tonry, Stephen Smartt, Chris Ashall, Thomas de Jaeger

Abstract

The advent of high-cadence, wide-field transient surveys (e.g.,Pan-STARRS, ATLAS, ASAS-SN, PTF/ZTF) continue to discover various new classes of transient events. In order to expand the small sample of various types, rapid spectroscopic classification and follow-up are necessary, particularly earlier when they are brighter and there is more time to spectroscopically sample their evolution. Supernovae are at the heart of some of the most important problems of modern astronomy, our understanding of these events and their progenitors is largely based on the rise just before peak and long fading light curve, missing is a key aspect of the early rise phase immediately following the explosion. High-cadence, wide-field surveys are capable of providing candidates to trigger rapid early spectroscopic follow-up to help provide constraints for current explosion models, interactions with their local environments and progenitors. In searching for fast-evolving transients with rapid spectroscopic classification, we can also contribute to the small sample of early rise spectra in the more abundant SNe populations. We are proposing a rapid spectroscopic classification and follow-up program on 3-4 sources per month with 18 hours of Gemini rapid TOO queue time in 2020B.