Mówca
Opis
Sky surveys, like Gaia, ZTF, OGLE, ASAS-SN and recent LSST, continuously monitor the sky, detecting various transient phenomena such as gravitational microlensing events that can reveal compact objects, including isolated stellar-mass black holes, neutron stars or white dwarfs. Combining photometric, spectroscopic and astrometric data with intensive ground-based follow-up is essential for accurately modeling these events.
To support this effort, we operate a network of small- and medium-sized optical telescopes within the OPTICON Alliance activity. Observations are automatically processed using our dedicated platform, Black Hole TOM (BHTOM, bhtom.space). We also perform spectroscopic follow-up of selected targets to distinguish genuine microlensing events from other transients and variable stars. The spectra enable efficient candidate classification and provide source-star properties that improve microlensing modeling.
I will present the current status of our search for stellar-mass black holes, recent examples of promising Gaia microlensing events, and the results of our spectroscopic classification campaign. I will also highlight the capabilities of the BHTOM platform and discuss how these efforts prepare us for the much larger number of Galactic transients expected from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory/LSST survey.