Related papers: Exploring rapid transient detection with the Athen…

We present a test platform for the Athena X-IFU detection chain, which will serve as the first demonstration of the representative end-to-end detection and readout chain for the X-IFU, using prototypes of the future flight electronics and…

The Athena X-Ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU) will provide spatially resolved high-resolution spectroscopy (2.5 eV FWHM up to 7 keV) over the 0.2 to 12 keV energy band. It will comprise an array of 3840 superconducting Transition Edge…

Optical transient surveys continue to generate increasingly large datasets, prompting the introduction of machine-learning algorithms to search for quality transient candidates efficiently. Existing machine-learning infrastructure can be…

The X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU) is the high resolution X-ray spectrometer of ESA's Athena X-ray observatory. It will deliver X-ray data in the 0.2-12 keV band with an unprecedented spectral resolution of 2.5 eV up to 7 keV. During the…

The focal plane of Athena's WFI consists of spectroscopic single photon X-ray detectors that contain arrays of DEPFETs (DEpleted P-channel Field-Effect Transistor) as well as ASICs that are used for steering, readout and analog signal…

Astrophysical transients have been observed for millennia and have shaped our most basic assumptions about the Universe. In the last century, systematic searches have grown from detecting handfuls of transients per year to over 7000 in 2018…

In the framework of the ESA Athena mission, the X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU) instrument to be on board the X-ray Athena Observatory is a cryogenic micro-calorimeter array of Transition Edge Sensor (TES) detectors aimed at providing…

Radio-frequency interference (RFI) presents a significant obstacle to current radio interferometry experiments aimed at the Epoch of Reionization. RFI contamination is often several orders of magnitude brighter than the astrophysical…

We discuss the importance and potential contribution of Athena+ to the science questions related to gamma-ray bursts, tidal disruption events and supernova shock break-out. Athena+ will allow breakthrough observations involving…

The recent demonstration of a real-time direct imaging radio interferometry correlator represents a new capability in radio astronomy. However wide field imaging with this method is challenging since wide-field effects and array…

Global warming imposes us to reflect on the way we carry research, embarking on the obligation to minimize the environmental impact of our research programs, with the reduction of our travel footprint being one of the easiest actions to…

This paper proposes an approach to detect moving objects in Wide Area Motion Imagery (WAMI), in which the objects are both small and well separated. Identifying the objects only using foreground appearance is difficult since a $100-$pixel…

The X-ray Integral Field Unit is the X-ray imaging spectrometer on-board one of ESA's next large missions, Athena. Athena is set to investigate the theme of the Hot and Energetic Universe, with a launch planned in the late-2030s. Based on a…

The ability to quickly detect transient sources in optical images and trigger multi-wavelength follow up is key for the discovery of fast transients. These include events rare and difficult to detect such as kilonovae, supernova shock…

We present a method that enables wide field ground-based telescopes to scan the sky for sub-second stellar variability. The method has operational and image processing components. The operational component is to take star trail images. Each…

We present a novel algorithm for scheduling the observations of time-domain imaging surveys. Our Integer Linear Programming approach optimizes an observing plan for an entire night by assigning targets to temporal blocks, enabling strict…

With its array of 3840 Transition Edge Sensors (TESs) operated at 90 mK, the X-Ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU) on board the ESA L2 mission Athena will provide spatially resolved high-resolution spectroscopy (2.5 eV FWHM up to 7 keV) over…

I present a brief up-to-date review of the current understanding of Supergiant Fast X-ray Transients, with an emphasis on the observational point of view. After more than a decade since their discovery, a remarkable progress has been made…

The Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) is a new robotic time-domain survey currently in progress using the Palomar 48-inch Schmidt Telescope. ZTF uses a 47 square degree field with a 600 megapixel camera to scan the entire northern visible sky…

In the last years, the need for automated real-time detection and classification of astronomical transients began to be more impelling. Better technologies involve a higher number of detected candidates and an automated classification will…