NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2017B-0044
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NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2017B-0044 |
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PI: Tingting Liu, U. of Maryland, tingting@astro.umd.edu
Address: Department of Astronomy, 1113 Physical Sciences Complex, College Park, MD 20742
CoI: Suvi Gezari, U. of Maryland
Title: Monitoring Variability-Selected Supermassive Black Hole Binary Candidates from Pan-STARRS1
Abstract: Periodic variability in quasars has been predicted as an observational
signature
of supermassive black hole binaries (SMBHBs), which should be a common product
of the hierarchy growth of galaxies. We have performed a systematic search in
the Pan-STARRS1 Medium Deep Survey and identified a number of periodic quasar
candidates with variations over $> 1.5$ cycles. We have been monitoring
them
with the Large Monolithic Imager at the Discovery Channel Telescope, since a
long baseline is essential in order to break a false positive signal due to
normal, stochastic quasar variability. Here we propose to continue and expand
our imaging campaign with LCO. The proposed observations will be able to
verify
strong SMBHB candidates that are in the gravitational wave regime of orbital
decay accessible to the Pulsar Timing Arrays and for the upcoming era of the
Large Synoptic Survey Telescope.
Program Type: Standard/LCO
Scheduled Nights:
Run 1 (2017B): LCO-2m/Spectral -- 38hrs
National Optical Astronomy Observatory, 950 North Cherry Avenue, P.O. Box 26732, Tucson, Arizona 85726, Phone: (520) 318-8000, Fax: (520) 318-8360
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NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2017B-0044 |
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