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Hauptverfasser: Bommireddy, Hemanth, Forster, Francisco, McMahon, Isaac, Herrera, Manuel Pavez, Cartier, Regis, Estay, Felipe Olivares, García, Lorena Hernández, Aldama, Mary Loli Martínez, Arancibia, Alejandra Muñoz
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2026
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Online-Zugang:https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.04342
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author Bommireddy, Hemanth
Forster, Francisco
McMahon, Isaac
Herrera, Manuel Pavez
Cartier, Regis
Estay, Felipe Olivares
García, Lorena Hernández
Aldama, Mary Loli Martínez
Arancibia, Alejandra Muñoz
author_facet Bommireddy, Hemanth
Forster, Francisco
McMahon, Isaac
Herrera, Manuel Pavez
Cartier, Regis
Estay, Felipe Olivares
García, Lorena Hernández
Aldama, Mary Loli Martínez
Arancibia, Alejandra Muñoz
contents We present an automated framework to search for optical counterparts of LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA (LVK) gravitational wave (GW) superevents using public Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) alerts processed through the ALeRCE broker. The goal is to filter and identify optical transients potentially associated with binary black hole (BBH) mergers during the LVK O4a and O4b observing runs. Using the Automatic Learning for the Rapid Classification of Events (ALeRCE) infrastructure, we spatially query ZTF alerts within GW localization regions and apply machine learning classifiers, host-galaxy crossmatching, and temporal cuts within 200 days post-merger to isolate plausible candidates. Our search yielded one candidate in O4a and four in O4b, several consistent with the supernova or tidal disruption event regime. This work demonstrates that public alert brokers can establish a robust baseline for systematic searches for electromagnetic counterparts to GW superevents in current and future observing runs. Our algorithm provides a systematic approach to search for BBH counterparts for all significant LVK GW superevents using survey telescope alerts. The search, together with the accompanying analysis, demonstrates the significance of the counterpart candidates, with one candidate ultimately identified as a transient event consistent with a Bowen fluorescence flare in a now discarded active galactic nucleus (AGN).
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_04342
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle A Broker Integrated Algorithm for Gravitational Wave - Electromagnetic Counterpart Searches in O4a and O4b Runs
Bommireddy, Hemanth
Forster, Francisco
McMahon, Isaac
Herrera, Manuel Pavez
Cartier, Regis
Estay, Felipe Olivares
García, Lorena Hernández
Aldama, Mary Loli Martínez
Arancibia, Alejandra Muñoz
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics
We present an automated framework to search for optical counterparts of LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA (LVK) gravitational wave (GW) superevents using public Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) alerts processed through the ALeRCE broker. The goal is to filter and identify optical transients potentially associated with binary black hole (BBH) mergers during the LVK O4a and O4b observing runs. Using the Automatic Learning for the Rapid Classification of Events (ALeRCE) infrastructure, we spatially query ZTF alerts within GW localization regions and apply machine learning classifiers, host-galaxy crossmatching, and temporal cuts within 200 days post-merger to isolate plausible candidates. Our search yielded one candidate in O4a and four in O4b, several consistent with the supernova or tidal disruption event regime. This work demonstrates that public alert brokers can establish a robust baseline for systematic searches for electromagnetic counterparts to GW superevents in current and future observing runs. Our algorithm provides a systematic approach to search for BBH counterparts for all significant LVK GW superevents using survey telescope alerts. The search, together with the accompanying analysis, demonstrates the significance of the counterpart candidates, with one candidate ultimately identified as a transient event consistent with a Bowen fluorescence flare in a now discarded active galactic nucleus (AGN).
title A Broker Integrated Algorithm for Gravitational Wave - Electromagnetic Counterpart Searches in O4a and O4b Runs
topic High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.04342