Abstract:  Synoptic radio surveys are beginning to characterize the dynamic radio sky on all timescales from milliseconds to years, in may cases revealing populations not detectable at other wavelengths. By way of example, I will present results from searches for radio transients in the ongoing Very Large Array Sky Survey (VLASS), including the discovery of a new population consistent with core collapse of a massive star triggered by merger with a compact companion. The dynamic radio sky also serves as the primary motivation for the Deep Synoptic Array (DSA) concept, which makes use of a large number of small antennas to dramatically increase survey speed. This concept is being proven out via successive generations of increasingly sensitive arrays. The DSA-10 has provided one of the first direct localizations of a fast radio burst (FRB) to its host galaxy. The DSA-110 nears completion and will detect and localize >100 FRBs to their host galaxies each year. Finally, I will look forward to the DSA-2000, a world-leading radio survey telescope and multi-messenger discovery engine, planned for operation in the second half of this decade with 1000x the survey speed of the VLA.

Host:  Stephanie Wissel

Astro Colloquium and 'coffee & cookies' Department gathering (3:45-4:00pm)
https://psu.zoom.us/j/94153970341