We perform a detailed analysis and simulations on the transient detection capability in the near-ultraviolet (NUV) band by focusing on some major local transient events. These events include the tidal disruption event due to a supermassive blackhole, the shock breakout of a core-collapse supernova and the flare of a late-type star. Our simulations show that a set of small wide-angle NUV cameras can allow us to detect and study numerous galactic and extra-galactic transient events. Based on the analysis and simulations, here we propose a space-based NUV sky patrol mission by updating the proposal that was originally submitted to the Chinese Space Station mission in 2011. The mission proposed here is composed of a set of eight small wide-field NUV cameras each with a diameter of 20cm. The total sky area simultaneously covered by the NUV cameras is as large as 3000deg2. The survey cadence ranges from 30 to 300s. The transient events are required to be detected by a dedicated on-board software in real time.
@article{arxiv.1906.03375,
title = {Learning Transient Universe in Near-Ultraviolet By Wide-angle Cameras},
author = {J. Wang and E. W. Liang and J. Y. Wei},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1906.03375},
year = {2019}
}
Comments
10 pages, 4 figures and 2 tables, accepted by PASP