Speaker
Description
Persistent monitoring of the sky has revealed the presence of transient astronomical phenomena in the scale from milliseconds to days. We learnt to identify newly born and short lasting (< 1 s) signals in the radio frequencies, in the X-rays and gamma-rays. However, it remains extremely challenging to monitor the sky in the visible domain with high temporal resolution. I will present the scientific potential in monitoring gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and gravitational wave (GW) signals with high time-resolution optical observations. In the context of the GRB prompt emission, the fast optical observations are essential to reveal the origin of the radiative and dissipative processes taking a place in the ultra-relativistic jets of GRBs. In the context of multi-messenger astronomy, prompt optical observations of GWs from binary neutron star mergers provide a unique channel for fast and accurate localisation of GWs. I will then discuss the expected detection rate of these optical flashes with several proposed instruments, including MezzoCielo.
