Time Domain Astronomy with SMA SPRINTS

The imminent arrival of wide-field survey facilities like Rubin and Roman will dramatically expand the discovery space for transient and time-variable phenomena. The Submillimeter Array (SMA) has demonstrated unique capabilities for rapid response to time-domain triggers, high observational throughput, and broadband polarimetric sensitivity at mm/submm wavelengths that will enable timely follow-up of transient events.

This will be a focused science workshop bringing together experts in transient, time-variable, and multi-messenger astronomy. The workshop will explore what science can be unlocked in this era, leveraging the SMA's unique existing and forthcoming capabilities, under the banner of the Sub/millimeter Program to Rapidly Investigate Novel Time-domain Sources (SMA SPRINTS).

Scope

The SMA Sub/millimeter Program to Rapidly Investigate Novel Time-domain Sources (SPRINTS) proposes to update SMA instrumentation and infrastructure to  enable multi-wavelength mm/submm observations in response to time domain triggers from a variety of survey instruments. SPRINTS will include the polarimetric dual-band (1.3 mm and 850 μm) capabilities of the wideband Submillimeter Array (wSMA) phase-I upgrade, as well as the addition of a polarimetric 3 mm band capability for the SMA. The project will additionally implement the data-processing, software and observing infrastructure to enable rapid-response (on timescales of minutes) to triggers, the efficient selection of trigger events for observation, high-precision flux calibration, and the data handling and processing capabilities required to enable scientific exploitation of these observations. These capabilities, which are partially encapsulated and described as phase II of the wSMA upgrade (Grimes et al. 2024), promise to make SMA an even more powerful tool for time-domain astronomy, one that pairs a powerful instrument package on one of the premiere sites for mm/submm astronomy (Maunakea, HI) to provide a year-round window into the time-variable sky.

Goals of this workshop include: identification of the transient and time-variable source classes best matched to SMA's rapid-response and high-throughput capabilities, as well as a community-endorsed science case and prioritized roadmap for the SMA in the era of Rubin and Roman.

Registration

Registration is FREE for CfA members, please fill out our registration form here. Registration will close on Friday, May 15th. Attendees who register by May 11th are welcome to submit an abstract for a contributed talk (~10-15 minutes), a flash talk (~3 minutes), or a poster, to discuss science goals or observational results relevant to current of future capabilities of the SMA. Speakers without expertise in mm/submm astronomy who when to present on subjects relating to transients and time-variable astrophysics are particularly welcome! While the primary focus will be on time-domain and multi-messenger sources, discussion of complementary science goals that can make use of future upgrade capabilities is also welcome. 

Logistics

The workshop will be held at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian main site at 60 Garden St, Cambridge, MA 02138, in the Philips Auditorium and Pratt Conference Rooms. Lunch will be provided to attendees who register by the regular deadline.

Organizing Committee

Keara Carter
Paul Grimes
Mark Gurwell
Kirsten Hall
Sara Issaoun
Garrett "Karto" Keating
Josh Lovell
Joe Michail
Ram Rao
Shelbi Schimpf
David Wilner