Speaker:
Todd Boroson
Institution:
Las Cumbres Obs.
Date:
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Time:
4:00 pm
Location:
NS2 1201
ABSTRACT:
The Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network includes 11 robotic telescopes at five sites around the world. With uniform instrumentation and dynamic scheduling software, the network is optimized for time domain research - allowing sequences of observations described by a cadence as well as rapid response to targets of opportunity. The full science operations phase of the LCOGT network has just begun, including studies involving supernovae, exoplanet transits, microlensing, solar system objects, asteroseismology, and AGN reverberation mapping.
A facility such as the LCOGT network demands new approaches to many aspects of observatory development and operations. In this talk, I will explain how we address time allocation, network wide calibration, scheduling, and data flow. I will present the current level of capability and describe some of the science projects that are under way. Finally, I will discuss prospects for the future - both near term development and also evolution of our facility into the era of big time-domain data.
Host:
Michael Cooper