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Tuning the legacy survey of space and time (LSST) observing strategy for solar system science

From National Research Council Canada

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DOIResolve DOI: https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4365/acc173
AuthorSearch for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4365-1455; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5916-0031; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2874-6464; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8736-236X; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8910-1021; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9298-7484; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4439-1539; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3818-7769; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9328-2905; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4950-6323; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0271-2664; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3257-4490; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1398-6302; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1701-8974; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6702-7676; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1996-9252; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7737-6784; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1080-9770; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0743-9422; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3240-6497; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6939-9211; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4914-3646; Search for: 1ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6680-6558; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5624-1888; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2781-6897; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9548-1526; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1226-3305; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5750-4953; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1506-4248; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4838-7676
Affiliation
  1. National Research Council of Canada. Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics
FunderSearch for: NASA; Search for: LSST Corporation; Search for: UK Research and Innovation. Science and Technology Facilities Council; Search for: Heising Simons Foundation; Search for: National Science Foundation; Search for: Royal Society Te Apārangi; Search for: NASA Solar System Observations; Search for: LSST Corporation/John Templeton Foundation; Search for: Italian Space Agency; Search for: United States Department of Energy; Search for: B612 Foundation and Planetary Society
FormatText, Article
Subjecttrans-Neptunian objects; asteroids; small solar system bodies; near-Earth objects; comets; interstellar objects; sky surveys; main belt asteroids
Abstract
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory is expected to start the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) in early to mid-2025. This multiband wide-field synoptic survey will transform our view of the solar system, with the discovery and monitoring of over five million small bodies. The final survey strategy chosen for LSST has direct implications on the discoverability and characterization of solar system minor planets and passing interstellar objects. Creating an inventory of the solar system is one of the four main LSST science drivers. The LSST observing cadence is a complex optimization problem that must balance the priorities and needs of all the key LSST science areas. To design the best LSST survey strategy, a series of operation simulations using the Rubin Observatory scheduler have been generated to explore the various options for tuning observing parameters and prioritizations. We explore the impact of the various simulated LSST observing strategies on studying the solar system's small body reservoirs. We examine what are the best observing scenarios and review what are the important considerations for maximizing LSST solar system science. In general, most of the LSST cadence simulations produce ±5% or less variations in our chosen key metrics, but a subset of the simulations significantly hinder science returns with much larger losses in the discovery and light-curve metrics.
Publication date
PublisherAmerican Astronomical Society
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  • The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series 266, no. 2, 22 (23 May 2023): 1–68.
LanguageEnglish
Peer reviewedYes
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Record identifier83a78048-542d-4b9c-a6da-1d3a7d229727
Record created2024-08-09
Record modified2024-08-21
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