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arXiv · 2106.04842

J-GEM optical and near-infrared follow-up of gravitational wave events during LIGO's and Virgo's third observing run

Abstract

The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory Scientific Collaboration and Virgo Collaboration (LVC) sent out 56 gravitational-wave (GW) notices during the third observing run (O3). Japanese collaboration for Gravitational wave ElectroMagnetic follow-up (J-GEM) performed optical and near-infrared observations to identify and observe an electromagnetic (EM) counterpart. We constructed web-based system which enabled us to obtain and share information of candidate host galaxies for the counterpart, and status of our observations. Candidate host galaxies were selected from the GLADE catalog with a weight based on the three-dimensional GW localization map provided by LVC. We conducted galaxy-targeted and wide-field blind surveys, real-time data analysis, and visual inspection of observed galaxies. We performed galaxy-targeted follow-ups to 23 GW events during O3, and the maximum probability covered by our observations reached to 9.8%. Among them, we successfully started observations for 10 GW events within 0.5 days after the detection. This result demonstrates that our follow-up observation has a potential to constrain EM radiation models for a merger of binary neutron stars at a distance of up to $\sim$100~Mpc with a probability area of $\leq$ 500~deg$^2$.

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Mahito Sasada, Yousuke Utsumi, Ryosuke Itoh, Nozomu Tominaga, Masaomi Tanaka, Tomoki Morokuma, Kenshi Yanagisawa, Koji S. Kawabata, Takayuki Ohgami, Michitoshi Yoshida, Fumio Abe, Ryo Adachi, Hiroshi Akitaya, Yang Chong, Kazuki Daikuhara, Ryo Hamasaki, Satoshi Honda, Ryohei Hosokawa, Kota Iida, Fumiya Imazato, Chihiro Ishioka, Takumi Iwasaki, Mingjie Jian, Yuhei Kamei, Takahiro Kanai, Hidehiro Kaneda, Ayane Kaneko, Noriyuki Katoh, Nobuyuki Kawai, Keiichiro Kubota, Yuma Kubota, Hideo Mamiya, Kazuya Matsubayashi, Kumiko Morihana, Katsuhiro L. Murata, Takahiro Nagayama, Noriatsu Nakamura, Tatsuya Nakaoka, Yuu Niino, Yuki Nishinaka, Masafumi Niwano, Daisaku Nogami, Yumiko Oasa, Miki Oeda, Futa Ogawa, Ryou Ohsawa, Kouji Ohta, Kohei Oide, Hiroki Onozato, Shigeyuki Sako, Tomoki Saito, Yuichiro Sekiguchi, Toshikazu Shigeyama, Takumi Shigeyoshi, Minori Shikauchi, Kazuki Shiraishi, Daisuke Suzuki, Kengo Takagi, Jun Takahashi, Takuya Takarada, Masaki Takayama, Himeka Takeuchi, Yasuki Tamura, Ryoya Tanaka, Sayaka Toma, Miyako Tozuka, Nagomi Uchida, Yoshinori Uzawa, Masayuki Yamanaka, Moeno Yasuda, Yoichi Yatsu. 2021-06-09. J-GEM optical and near-infrared follow-up of gravitational wave events during LIGO's and Virgo's third observing run. https://doi.org/10.1093/ptep%2Fptab007

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