(Proposal ID) S17B-003

(PI) Yoshida, Michitoshi

(Proposal Title)
Optical--infrared follow-up observation of gravitational wave sources

(Abstract)
We propose ToO observation of gravitational wave (GW) sources. The state-of-
the-art GW detector, LIGO successfully detected two GW signals (GW150914 and 
GW151226) from black hole (BH) mergers last year. In order to reveal the 
nature of the GW sources, electromagnetic (EM) follow-up observation is 
crucial. Without EM counterpart, we can say nothing about the true origin 
of the GW phenomena. In 2017, the third long-term operation (~6 months; O3) of 
LIGO and the first regular operation of the European GW detector Virgo are 
planned. We have developed a Japan GW source follow-up network, J-GEM with a 
number of domestic institutes, and exchanged an MoU with LIGO/Virgo 
collaboration on EM follow-up of the candidates of the GW sources which 
aLIGO/aVirgo will detect. Thus we can receive GW alerts from LIGO/Virgo team 
immediately after the GW detection. We plan to make EM follow-up observations 
with HSC, FOCAS, MOIRCS, IRCS, or HDS of Subaru Telescope in the framework of 
J-GEM. In particular, wide field and deep imaging capability of HSC will play 
a very unique role in searching for EM counterparts of GW sources in the world.