Speaker
Description
The 6m Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) has been a powerful tool for studying the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and sources and transients away from the galaxy. However, its high sensitivity and wide-field imaging capabilities also make it an excellent instrument for detecting transient phenomena near the Galactic plane, where traditional surveys face challenges due to high stellar density and foreground emission such as dust and synchrotron. In this study, we leverage ACT's millimeter-wave observations to search for transient events, such as stellar flares, supernovae, and other Galactic transients, in regions close to the Milky Way.
We present a systematic analysis of ACT data, focusing on time-variable signals in the 90 GHz, 150 GHz, and 230 GHz bands. By applying source detection algorithms on single-scan maps, we identify and characterize transient candidates while mitigating contamination from instrumental noise and astrophysical foregrounds. Our preliminary results reveal several promising transient events, including potential stellar flares and previously unknown sources. We discuss the implications of these findings for understanding the population of Galactic transients and the potential of millimeter-wave surveys for time-domain astronomy.
This work demonstrates the untapped potential of CMB experiments like ACT for transient discovery and highlights the importance of multi-wavelength follow-up observations to confirm and classify detected events. Future efforts will expand this search to the full ACT dataset and explore synergies with other time-domain surveys, paving the way for a deeper understanding of transient phenomena in the Galactic plane.
| Would you be interested in presenting a poster if the conference is oversubcribed? | No |
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