Press release
May 16, 2023
The BlackGEM facility, comprising three new telescopes at ESO’s La Silla Observatory, has started operations. The telescopes scan the southern sky for cosmic events that produce gravitational waves, such as the merger of neutron stars and black holes.
Some catastrophic events in the universe, such as the collision of black holes or neutron stars Gravitational wavesthat is, waves in the structure of space and time. Observatories like this Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatorym (LIGO) and that Virgin Interferometer are designed to detect these waves. But they can’t locate their origin or detect the fleeting light produced by collisions between neutron stars and black holes. BlackGEM is designed to quickly scan large areas of the sky to precisely search for sources of gravitational waves in visible light.
“With BlackGEM, we want to expand the study of cosmic events with both gravitational waves and visible light.“, says Paul Groot of Radboud University in the Netherlands, who leads the project.The combination of the two tells us much more about these events than either one alone.“
By detecting both gravitational waves and their visible counterparts, astronomers can determine the nature of gravitational wave sources and their exact location. Using visible light also allows for detailed observation of the processes that occur during these mergers, such as: B. the formation of heavy elements such as Gold and platinum.
So far, however just a visible counterpart discovered that it is a source of gravitational waves. Moreover, even the most advanced gravitational wave detectors such as LIGO or Virgo cannot accurately identify their sources. At best, they can limit the location of a source to an area about 400 full moons across the sky. BlackGEM will efficiently scan such large regions with a resolution high enough to reliably locate visible-light gravitational wave sources.
The three telescopes that make up BlackGEM were built by a consortium of universities: the Radboud UniversityTHE Netherlands Research School of Astronomy and the KU Leuven in Belgium. The telescopes each have a diameter of 65 centimetres and can examine different areas of the sky at the same time. In the long term, the collaborating institutes would like to expand the installation to 15 telescopes to further improve coverage. BlackGEM will release the La Silla Observatory operated by ESO in Chile, making it the first facility of its kind in Earth’s southern hemisphere.
“Despite the modest 65-centimeter primary mirror, we are going as far as some projects with much larger mirrors because we are taking full advantage of the excellent observing conditions at La Silla.said Groot.
Once BlackGEM has accurately identified a gravitational wave source, larger telescopes like this one can Very large telescope ESO or the future Extremely large telescope ESO will carry out detailed follow-up observations that will help shed light on some of the most extreme events in the cosmos.
In addition to searching for the optical counterparts of gravitational waves, BlackGEM will also conduct surveys of the southern sky. The operation is fully automated, allowing the facility to quickly detect and observe “ephemeral” astronomical events that suddenly appear and quickly disappear from view. This gives astronomers deeper insight into short-lived astronomical phenomena such as supernovae, the massive explosions that mark the end of a massive star’s life.
“Thanks to BlackGEM, La Silla now has the potential to make an important contribution to the study of short-term phenomena.“, adds Ivo Saviane, site manager at ESO’s La Silla Observatory.We expect many remarkable results from this project that will increase the attractiveness of the site for both the scientific community and the general public.“
Further information
The BlackGEM consortium includes: NOVA (Dutch Research School of Astronomy, the Dutch national alliance for astronomy research between the University of Amsterdam, the University of Groningen, Leiden University and Radboud University); Radboud UniversityNetherlands; the KU LeuvenBelgium; the Weizmann InstituteTHE Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Tel Aviv UniversityIsrael; the University of Manchester and that Armagh Observatory and PlanetariumUnited Kingdom; the Texas Tech UniversityTHE University of California, Davis and that Las Cumbres ObservatoryUNITED STATES; the University of PotsdamGermany; the Danish Technical UniversityDenmark; the University of BarcelonaSpain; and the Valparaiso UniversityChile.
The European Southern Observatory (ESO) enables scientists from around the world to unlock the secrets of the universe for the benefit of all. We design, build and operate world-class observatories that astronomers use to answer exciting questions and inspire fascination with astronomy, and we promote international collaboration in astronomy. Founded in 1962 as an intergovernmental organisation, ESO is led by 16 Member States (Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, France, Finland, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain and the United Kingdom) and the Host Country Chile and Australia as strategic partners. ESO Headquarters and its Visitor Centre and Planetarium, ESO Supernova, are located near Munich in Germany, while the Atacama Desert in Chile, a wonderland offering unique conditions for observing the skies, is home to our telescopes. ESO operates three observing sites: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor. At the Paranal site, ESO operates the Very Large Telescope and its associated Very Large Telescope Interferometer as well as survey telescopes such as VUE. Also at Paranal, ESO will operate the Cherenkov Telescope Array South, the world’s largest and most sensitive gamma-ray observatory. In collaboration with international partners, ESO operates APEX and ALMA, two millimetre and submillimetre observing facilities on Chajnantor. On Cerro Armazones, near Paranal, we are building “the world’s largest eye in the sky”: ESO’s Extremely Large Telescope. From our offices in Santiago, Chile, we support our activities in the country and collaborate with Chilean partners and society.
The translations of ESO press releases into English are a service of the ESO Science Outreach Network (ESON), an international astronomy outreach network in which scientists and science communicators from all ESO Member Countries (and some other countries) are represented. It is the German node of the network. House of Astronomy in Heidelberg.
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Contact details
Paul Groot
Department of Astrophysics, Radboud University
Nijmegen, Netherlands
Tel: +31 (0)24-3652801
E-mail: p.groot@astro.ru.nl
Steven Bloemen
Department of Astrophysics, Radboud University
Nijmegen, Netherlands
E-mail: s.bloemen@astro.ru.nl
Ivo Saviane
ESO La Silla Manager
E-mail: isaviane@eso.org
Barbara Ferreira
ESO Media Manager
Garching near Munich, Germany
Tel: +49 89 3200 6670
E-mail: press@eso.org
Markus Nielbock (press contact Germany)
ESO Science Outreach Network and House of Astronomy
Heidelberg, Germany
Tel: +49 6221 528-134
E-mail: eson-germany@eso.org
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This is a translation of ESO press release eso2308.