tilepy: rapid tiling strategies in mid/small FoV observatories

The challenges inherent to time-domain multi-messenger astronomy require strategic actions so that adapted, optimized follow-up observations are performed efficiently. In particular, poorly localized events require dedicated tiling and/or targeted, follow-up campaigns so that the region in which the source really is can be efficiently covered, increasing the chances to detect the multi-wavelength counterpart. We have developed the python package "tilepy" to rapidly derive the observation scheduling of large uncertainty localization events by small/mid-FoV instruments. We will describe several mature follow-up scheduling strategies. These range from an option to use of low-resolution grids, to the full integration of sky regions and targeted observations using galaxy catalogs. The algorithms consider the visibility constraints of customisable observatories and allow to schedule observations in both astronomical darkness and in moonlight conditions. Developed initially to provide a rapid response to gravitational wave (GW) alerts by Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs), they have been proven successful, as shown by the GW follow-up during O2 and O3 with the H.E.S.S. telescopes, and particularly in the follow-up of GW170817, the first binary neutron star (BNS) merger ever detected. Here we will present a generalisation of these rapid strategies to other alerts showing large uncertainties in the localization, like Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB) alerts from Fermi-GBM. We will also demonstrate the flexibility of {\it tilepy} in scheduling observations for a large variety of observatories. We will conclude by describing the latest developments of these algorithms that are able to derive optimised follow-up schedules across multiple observatories and networks of telescopes.Comment: Proceedings 38th International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC2023

MAGIC and H.E.S.S. detect VHE gamma rays from the blazar OT081 for the first time: a deep multiwavelength study

https://pos.sissa.it/395/815/pdfPublished versio

A la recherche des origines du rayonnement cosmique : études multi-messagers avec des instruments en rayons gamma de très haute énergie

The explosive phenomena occurring in the high-energy Universe are able to accelerate particles up to the highest energies. These processes produce secondary particles of different nature, i.e. photons and neutrinos. In special cases, these events induce perturbations on the space-time, i.e. gravitational waves detectable by interferometers on Earth. The combination and the complementary information provided by these cosmic messengers may allow to answer open questions in astrophysics, as the origin of cosmic rays. Amongst the most violent events producing such signals are the merge of the two densest objects, as neutron stars and black holes or the accretion activity in galaxies onto a supermassive black hole. In this work, we focus on the very-high energy photons that these extreme events produce, and the connection with the other counterparts, in order to provide a broad multi-messenger picture which enables the study of the physical mechanisms in place. The challenges inherent to time-domain multi-messenger astronomy are discussed and tackled, which involves simultaneous coordinated worldwide effort across facilities and astronomical disciplines. A novel, optimized GW follow-up observation strategy for small/mid- FoV instruments as H.E.S.S. and the future CTA, able to perform a rapid response to alerts, which considers the characteristics of the GW event and maximizes the chances to detect the electromagnetic counterpart will be presented. This strategy was proven successful in follow-up observations with the H.E.S.S. telescopes and in particular in the case of the first ever detected binary neutron star merger, GW170817. In the context of the AMON network, a multi-messenger analysis that combines gravitational wave events with HAWC data, with the aim to identify astrophysical coincidences out of independent events, has been developed. In addition, the discovery by H.E.S.S. in very-high energies of the active galactic nucleus OT 081, during a flaring episode in July 2016, will be presented.Les phénomènes explosifs qui se produisent dans l'Univers à haute énergie sont capables d'accélérer les particules jusqu'aux énergies les plus élevées. Ces processus produisent des particules secondaires de nature différente, c'est-à-dire des photons et des neutrinos. Dans des cas particuliers, ces événements induisent des perturbations sur l'espace-temps, c'est-à-dire des ondes gravitationnelles détectables par des interféromètres sur Terre. La combinaison des informations complémentaires fournies par ces messagers cosmiques peuvent permettre de répondre à des questions ouvertes en astrophysique. Parmi les événements les plus violents qui produisent de tels signaux figurent la fusion des deux objets les plus denses, comme les étoiles à neutrons et les trous noirs ou l'activité accréatrice dans les galaxies sur un trou noir supermassif. Dans ce travail, nous nous concentrons sur les photons à très haute énergie que produisent ces événements extrêmes, et sur la connexion avec les autres contreparties, afin de fournir une image globale multi-messagers qui permet l'étude des mécanismes physiques en place. Les défis inhérents à l'astronomie multi-messager dans le domaine temporel, ce qui implique un effort mondial coordonné et simultané entre les installations et les disciplines astronomiques, sont discutés et abordés. Une nouvelle stratégie d'observation optimisée du suivi de l'eau souterraine pour les petits et moyens instruments de FoV comme le H.E.S.S. et le futur CTA, capable d'apporter une réponse rapide aux alertes, qui prend en compte les risques caractéristiques de l'événement GW et maximise les chances de détecter la contrepartie électromagnétique, sera présentée. Cette stratégie s'est avérée fructueuse lors d'observations de suivi avec les télescopes H.E.S.S., et en particulier dans le cas de la première detection de la fusion d'une binaire d'étoiles à neutrons, GW170817. Dans le cadre du réseau AMON, une analyse multi-messagers qui combine des événements d'ondes gravitationnelles avec des données HAWC a été développée dans le but d'identifier les coïncidences astrophysiques à partir d'événements indépendants. De plus, la découverte par H.E.S.S. en très hautes énergies du noyau galactique actif OT 081, lors d'un état de flux élevé en juillet 2016, sera présentée

Searches for TeV gamma-ray counterparts to Gravitational Wave events with H.E.S.S

International audienceThe search for electromagnetic counterparts for gravitational waves events is one of the main topics of multi-messenger Astrophysics. Among these searches is the one for high energy gamma-ray emission with the H.E.S.S. Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes in Namibia. During their second Observation Run O2, the Advanced Virgo detector in Italy and the two advanced LIGO detectors in Washington and Louisiana while conducting joint observations, detected for the first time, on August $14^{th}$, 2017 a transient GW signal due to the coalescence of two stellar masses black holes, an event labeled GW170814. The alert announcing the event was issued two hours later and H.E.S.S. observations could be scheduled for the nights of $16^{th}$, $17^{th}$ and $18^{th}$ August 2017. Three days after the binary BH merger, on August $17^{th}$, the coalescence of two neutron star was detected for the first time, followed by a GRB detection by Fermi's GBM starting a new era in multi-messenger Astronomy. Observations started 5.3 h after the merge and contained the counterpart SSS17a that was identified several hours later. It stands as the first data obtained by a ground-based pointing instrument on this object. In this contribution, we will present the results of the search of high-energy gamma ray emission as electromagnetic counterpart of these two GW events. No significant gamma ray emission was detected for either event. Nevertheless upper limit maps were derived constraining, for the first time, the non-thermal, high-energy emission on the remnant of a three detector binary black hole coalescence (GW170814), and a binary neutron star coalescence (GW170817)

Follow-up of gravitational waves alerts with IACTs using Astro-COLIBRI

International audienceFollow-up of gravitational wave alerts has proven to be challenging in the past due to the large uncertainty on the localisation, much larger than the field of view of most instruments. A smart pointing strategy helps to increase the chance of observing the true position of the underlying compact binary merger event and so to detect an electromagnetic counterpart. To tackle this, a software called tilepy has been developed and was successfully used by the H.E.S.S. collaboration to search for very-high energy gamma-ray emission from GWs during the O2 and O3 runs. The optimised tiling strategies implemented in tilepy allowed H.E.S.S. to be the first ground facility to point toward the true position of GW 170817. Here we present the main strategy used by the software to compute an optimal observation schedule. The Astro-COLIBRI platform helps to plan follow-up of a large range of transient phenomena including GW alerts. The integration of tilepy in this tool allow for an easy planning and visualisation of of follow-up of gravitational wave alert helping the astronomer to maximise the chance of detecting a counterpart. The platform also provides an overview of the multi-wavelength context by grouping and visualising information coming from different observatories alongside GW alerts

Follow-up of gravitational waves alerts with IACTs using Astro-COLIBRI

International audienceFollow-up of gravitational wave alerts has proven to be challenging in the past due to the large uncertainty on the localisation, much larger than the field of view of most instruments. A smart pointing strategy helps to increase the chance of observing the true position of the underlying compact binary merger event and so to detect an electromagnetic counterpart. To tackle this, a software called tilepy has been developed and was successfully used by the H.E.S.S. collaboration to search for very-high energy gamma-ray emission from GWs during the O2 and O3 runs. The optimised tiling strategies implemented in tilepy allowed H.E.S.S. to be the first ground facility to point toward the true position of GW 170817. Here we present the main strategy used by the software to compute an optimal observation schedule. The Astro-COLIBRI platform helps to plan follow-up of a large range of transient phenomena including GW alerts. The integration of tilepy in this tool allow for an easy planning and visualisation of of follow-up of gravitational wave alert helping the astronomer to maximise the chance of detecting a counterpart. The platform also provides an overview of the multi-wavelength context by grouping and visualising information coming from different observatories alongside GW alerts

The H.E.S.S. Gravitational Wave Rapid Follow-up Program

International audienceGravitational Wave (GW) events are physical processes that significantly perturbate space-time, e.g. compact binary coalescenses, causing the production of GWs. The detection of GWs by a worldwide network of advanced interferometers offers unique opportunities for multi-messenger searches and electromagnetic counterpart associations. While carrying extremely useful information, searches for associated electromagnetic emission are challenging due to large sky localisation uncertainties provided by the current GW observatories LIGO and Virgo. Here we present the methods and procedures used within the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) in searches for very-high-energy (VHE) gamma-ray emission associated to the emission of GWs from extreme events. To do so we create several algorithms dedicated to schedule GW follow-up observations by creating optimized pointing paterns. We describe algorithms using 2-dimensional GW localisation information and algorithms correlating the galaxy distribution in the local universe, by using galaxy catalogs, with the 3-dimensional GW localisation information and evaluate their performances. The H.E.S.S. automatic GW follow-up chain, described in this paper, is optimized to initiate GW follow-up observations within less than 1 minute after the alert reception. These developements allowed H.E.S.S. observations of 6 GW events out of the 67 non-retracted GW events detected during the first three observation runs of LIGO and Virgo reaching VHE γ-ray coverages of up to 70% of the GW localisation

H.E.S.S. follow-up of BBH merger events

International audienceWe present here, follow-up observations of four Binary black hole BBH events performed with the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) in the Very High Energy (VHE) gamma-ray domain during the second and third LIGO/Virgo observation runs. Detailed analyses of the obtained data did not show significant VHE emission. We derive integral upper limit maps considering a generic $E^{-2}$ source spectrum in the most sensitive H.E.S.S energy interval ranging from 1 to 10 TeV. We also consider Extragalactic Background Light absorption effects and derive integral upper limits over the full accessible energy range. We finally derive upper limits of the VHE luminosity for each event and compare them with the expected VHE emission from GRBs. These comparisons allow us to assess the H.E.S.S. gravitational wave follow-up strategies. For the fourth GW observing run O4, we do not expect to fundamentally alter our observing strategy, and will continue to prioritize sky coverage like for the previous run