Refereed journal article or data article (A1)
The Gravitational-wave Optical Transient Observer (GOTO): Prototype performance and prospects for transient science
List of Authors: Steeghs D., Galloway D.K., Ackley K., Dyer M.J., Lyman J., Ulaczyk K., Cutter R., Mong Y.L., Dhillon V., O'Brien P., Ramsay G., Poshyachinda S., Kotak Rubina., Nuttall L.K., Pallé E., Breton R.P., Pollacco D., Thrane E., Aukkaravittayapun S., Awiphan S., Burhanudin U., Chote P., Chrimes A., Daw E., Duffy C., Eyles-Ferris R., Gompertz B., Heikkilä Teppo, Irawati P., Kennedy M.R., Killestein T., Kuncarayakti Hanindyo, Levan A.J., Littlefair S., Makrygianni L., Marsh T., Mata-Sanchez D., Mattila Seppo, Maund J., McCormac J., Mkrtichian D., Mullaney J., Noysena K., Patel M., Rol E., Sawangwit U., Stanway E.R., Starling R., Strøm P., Tooke S., West R., White D.J., Wiersema K.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication year: 2022
Journal: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Journal name in source: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume number: 511
Issue number: 2
Start page: 2405
End page: 2422
eISSN: 1365-2966
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stac013
URL: https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stac013
Self-archived copy’s web address: http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/162122/
The Gravitational-wave Optical Transient Observer (GOTO) is an array of wide-field optical telescopes, designed to exploit new discoveries from the next generation of gravitational wave detectors (LIGO, Virgo, and KAGRA), study rapidly evolving transients, and exploit multimessenger opportunities arising from neutrino and very high energy gamma-ray triggers. In addition to a rapid response mode, the array will also perform a sensitive, all-sky transient survey with few day cadence. The facility features a novel, modular design with multiple 40-cm wide-field reflectors on a single mount. In 2017 June, the GOTO collaboration deployed the initial project prototype, with 4 telescope units, at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory (ORM), La Palma, Canary Islands. Here, we describe the deployment, commissioning, and performance of the prototype hardware, and discuss the impact of these findings on the final GOTO design. We also offer an initial assessment of the science prospects for the full GOTO facility that employs 32 telescope units across two sites.
