Science with a Small Two-Band UV-Photometry Mission I: Mission Description and Follow-up Observations of Stellar Transients

0583017 - ASÚ 2025 RIV DE eng J - Journal Article
Werner, N. - Řípa, J. - Thöne, Christina - Münz, F. - Kurfürst, P. - Jelínek, Martin - Hroch, F. - Lukes-Gerakopoulos, Georgios - Václavík, Jan - Steiger, Lukáš … Total 36 authors
Science with a Small Two-Band UV-Photometry Mission I: Mission Description and Follow-up Observations of Stellar Transients.
Space Science Reviews. Roč. 220, č. 1 (2024), č. článku 11. ISSN 0038-6308. E-ISSN 1572-9672
Grant - others:AV ČR(CZ) LQ100032102
Program: Prémie Lumina quaeruntur
Institutional support: RVO:67985815 ; RVO:61389021
Keywords : UV space observatory * gamma-ray bursts * kilonova light curves
OECD category: Astronomy (including astrophysics,space science); Astronomy (including astrophysics,space science) (UFP-V)
Impact factor: 10.3, year: 2022
Method of publishing: Open access

This is the first in a collection of three papers introducing the science with an ultra-violet (UV) space telescope on an approximately 130 kg small satellite with a moderately fast re-pointing capability and a real-time alert communication system approved for a Czech national space mission. The mission, called Quick Ultra-Violet Kilonova surveyor-QUVIK, will provide key follow-up capabilities to increase the discovery potential of gravitational wave observatories and future wide-field multi-wavelength surveys. The primary objective of the mission is the measurement of the UV brightness evolution of kilonovae, resulting from mergers of neutron stars, to distinguish between different explosion scenarios. The mission, which is designed to be complementary to the Ultraviolet Transient Astronomy Satellite-ULTRASAT, will also provide unique follow-up capabilities for other transients both in the near- and far-UV bands. Between the observations of transients, the satellite will target other objects described in this collection of papers, which demonstrates that a small and relatively affordable dedicated UV-space telescope can be transformative for many fields of astrophysics.
Permanent Link: https://hdl.handle.net/11104/0353688