Title: Supernova and Fast Optical Transient Science in the Era of the Wide Field Survey Telescope

Speaker: 姜继安

Institute: 中国科学技术大学

Host: 冯思轶

Time: 2026.5.21 周四 14:30

Location: 物理楼 552

Abstract:

The study of supernovae provides a critical window into the life cycles of stars and the fundamental history of our universe. In particular, early-phase supernovae, characterized by rapid UV/optical variability, have become a focal point of time-domain astronomy. However, due to the transient nature of these events and the limited depth of surveys conducted with (sub-)meter class telescopes, comprehensive observations remain scarce. The Wide Field Survey Telescope (WFST, or "Mozi"), a 2.5-meter facility boasting high throughput at blue wavelengths and a 6.5-square-degree field of view, stands as one of the most powerful survey facilities for supernovae and fast optical transients worldwide. Following a successful pilot survey in early 2024, WFST commenced its formal six-year mission in December 2024. In this talk, I will present the current status of WFST and discuss supernova and related transient science being advanced through the WFST global time-domain network.

Biography: 

Prof. Ji-an Jiang received his B.S. from Central China Normal University in 2013 and earned his Ph.D. from the University of Tokyo in March 2019. Following a three-year postdoctoral fellowship at Kavli IPMU, he joined the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) as a research fellow in 2022. In April 2023, he joined the Department of Astronomy at USTC, where he was subsequently honored as a DAMO Academy Young Fellow in 2024. Prof. Jiang’s research focuses on supernovae and related transients, primarily through leading and participating in large-scale wide-field surveys. He has led numerous observational campaigns, securing over 2,200 hours of time on major ground- and space-based telescopes since 2014. Currently, he serves as a core member of the 2.5-m Wide Field Survey Telescope (WFST, or "Mozi") project, overseeing observation strategy and survey management, while chairing the project's supernova science panel.

Related papers:

[1] "A hybrid type Ia supernova with an early flash triggered by helium-shell detonation" https://www.nature.com/articles/nature23908

[2] "Science with the 2.5-meter Wide Field Survey Telescope (WFST)" https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11433-023-2197-5

[3] "RAPIDLY EVOLVING AND LUMINOUS TRANSIENTS FROM PAN-STARRS1" https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0004-637X/794/1/23