The Palomar Transient Factory: System Overview, Performance, and First Results

TLDR

The paper outlines the Palomar Transient Factory, a fully automated wide‑field survey designed to systematically explore the optical transient sky through four major experiments over five years. PTF employs an 8.1‑square‑degree camera on the 48‑inch Samuel Oschin telescope, 60‑second exposures reaching ~21.3 g′ and 20.6 R, with automated real‑time classification, follow‑up via the Palomar 60‑inch telescope, and a database of all detected sources. The first 51 optical transients were detected during commissioning, demonstrating the system’s capability.

Abstract

The Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) is a fully-automated, wide-field survey aimed at a systematic exploration of the optical transient sky. The transient survey is performed using a new 8.1 square degree camera installed on the 48-inch Samuel Oschin telescope at Palomar Observatory; colors and light curves for detected transients are obtained with the automated Palomar 60-inch telescope. PTF uses eighty percent of the 1.2-m and fifty percent of the 1.5-m telescope time. With an exposure of 60-s the survey reaches a depth of approximately 21.3 in g' and 20.6 in R (5 sigma, median seeing). Four major experiments are planned for the five-year project: 1) a 5-day cadence supernova search; 2) a rapid transient search with cadences between 90 seconds and 1 day; 3) a search for eclipsing binaries and transiting planets in Orion; and 4) a 3-pi sr deep H-alpha survey. PTF provides automatic, realtime transient classification and follow up, as well as a database including every source detected in each frame. This paper summarizes the PTF project, including several months of on-sky performance tests of the new survey camera, the observing plans and the data reduction strategy. We conclude by detailing the first 51 PTF optical transient detections, found in commissioning data.