Status of the Galactic Plane Survey with iPTF Eric Bellm, Frank
Masci, Gandalf Saxe, Sumin Tang [Tom Prince] 27 Aug 2014 Slide 2
Galactic plane data is new BEFORE 2013 July 2nd Slide 3 Galactic
plane data is new 2014 August 20th AFTER Slide 4 Motivation First
wide & deep variability survey of the galactic plane in optical
Other galactic plane/bulge variability surveys: Optical, New Milky
Way survey and ASAS: only go to 13-14 th mag; Optical, OGLE: mostly
bulge NIR: VVV (FOV 1.5sd), ZYJHK, ~500 sq deg mostly bulge, final
goal is to get ~100 epochs by 2016. Some small scale surveys with
DECam Provide a rich set of data for a wide variety of topics:
galactic structure, RCBs, massive stars/clusters, compact binaries,
microlensing Potential of finding new/rare types of variables, such
as stellar mergers, YSO outbursts, born again stars, BH transients,
and extreme M-star flares Slide 5 Photometric Surveys in the
Galactic Plane Great for photometric calibration and variable
classification IPHAS: |b| 30, |b| < 7; l = 240). Two 7 o x7 o
fields on either side of b=0 About 15% of the ZTF mission lifetime
One of two public surveys to be carried out by ZTF (the other is
the Northern Sky Survey) Slide 17 BACKUP Slide 18 Motivation (II)
An unprecedented variability survey: Galactic structure with
periodic variable probes: RR Lyr, Mira, Cepheids A survey of
massive stars: LBVs, WRs, RSGs, and new massive clusters Exotic
stellar variables: Extreme M-star flares; FU Ori; Born-Again stars
(final helium flash); Stellar mergers/Red novae (M=-6 to -10),
planet-star mergers; RCBs (M=-4), expected number: a few dozen;
double the current sample, and true distribution of RCBs in the
galaxy. X-ray binaries Others: novae, CVs, microlensing Some
numbers: 10 kpc: distance modulus = 15; 20kpc: 16.5 Extinction in
l=[90, 230], b=0: A R =2 to 6 R=19, D=10kpc, A R =5 Slide 19 The
northern Galactic plane is visible at Palomar June-Jan. Thin
disk=300pc, thick disk=900pc (Juric+2008). At 3kpc (Perseus &
Scutum-Centaurus arms), the thin disk is |b| Why now? PTFIDE (by
Frank Masci) is capable of handling crowded fields Analysis of a
test field in the Galactic center show that PTFIDE is capable of
detecting most (~90%) large amp (>0.5 mag) variables Forced-PSF
photometry then derives better light curves OGLE variables in a
Galactic center field Slide 23 NO! I couldnt tell the true shape of
the Lu Shan mountain, because I was in the mountain. -- Su Shi
(Poet in Song Dynasty) One might think its easy to know our own
milky way, and thus everything has been done? Slide 24 Even for the
most luminous stars in the Milky Way: we only know the tip of the
iceberg Messineo 2011 Slide 25 Photometric Surveys in the Galactic
Plane Spitzer: GLIMPSEs, 2-3 deg width over the whole galactic
plane Blue: GLIMPSE360
