Title

The Transient Optical Sky Survey Data Pipeline

Author Info

Elena Hadjiyska, University of California - Santa Barbara
Gary B. Hughes, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis ObispoFollow
Philip Lubin, University of California - Santa Barbara
Scott Taylor, Raytheon Vision Systems
Rory Hartong-Redden, University of California - Santa Barbara
Joshua Zierten, University of California - Santa Barbara

Recommended Citation

Postprint version. Published in New Astronomy, Volume 19, February 1, 2013, pages 99-108.

The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.newast.2012.08.006.

Abstract

The Transient Optical Sky Survey (TOSS) is an automated, ground-based telescope system dedicated to searching for optical transient events. Small telescope tubes are mounted on a tracking, semi-equatorial frame with a single polar axis. Each fixed-declination telescope records successive exposures which overlap in right ascension. Nightly observations produce time-series images of fixed fields within each declination band. We describe the TOSS data pipeline, including automated routines used for image calibration, object detection and identification, astrometry, and differential photometry. Time series of nightly observations are accumulated in a database for each declination band. Despite the modest cost of the mechanical system, results from the 2009–2010 observing campaign confirm the system’s capability for producing light curves of satisfactory accuracy. Transients can be extracted from the individual time-series by identifying deviations from baseline variability.

Disciplines

Statistics and Probability

Copyright

2013 Elsevier.