Gabriel Chernitsky Colloquium

Fri. Jan. 5 12:30 PM - Fri. Jan. 5 01:20 PM
Location: 3D01

Gabriel Chernitsky

Graduate Student, Department of Physics, University of McGill

Searching for Fast Optical Transients in the VERITAS Archives

Fast optical transient phenomena have been observed in the cosmos. Conventional optical telescopes typically lack the fine time resolution  required to investigate sub-second transients. Ground based Cherenkov telescopes are powerful devices for finding optical transients as they are designed to capture optical light bursts on nanosecond time scales. The Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS) is an array of four imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) that has been collecting data since 2007. A significant portion of the archived data corresponds to background signals that can be surveyed for find transient events. We discuss a methodology for conducting an archival search for serendipitous transients. With the analysis employed we achieved a nominal time resolution of approximately 150 ms and a limiting blue band magnitude of 8.9. The archival search revealed signals from transients occurring in the atmosphere, including meteor-like events and satellite flares.