Skip to main navigation Skip to search Skip to main content

Machine learning for the Zwicky transient facility

  • Ashish Mahabal
  • , Umaa Rebbapragada
  • , Richard Walters
  • , Frank J. Masci
  • , Nadejda Blagorodnova
  • , Jan van Roestel
  • , Quan Zhi Ye
  • , Rahul Biswas
  • , Kevin Burdge
  • , Chan Kao Chang
  • , Dmitry A. Duev
  • , V. Zach Golkhou
  • , Adam A. Miller
  • , Jakob Nordin
  • , Charlotte Ward
  • , Scott Adams
  • , Eric C. Bellm
  • , Doug Branton
  • , Brian Bue
  • , Chris Cannella
  • Andrew Connolly, Richard Dekany, Ulrich Feindt, Tiara Hung, Lucy Fortson, Sara Frederick, C. Fremling, Suvi Gezari, Matthew Graham, Steven Groom, Mansi M. Kasliwal, Shrinivas Kulkarni, Thomas Kupfer, Hsing Wen Lin, Chris Lintott, Ragnhild Lunnan, John Parejko, Thomas A. Prince, Reed Riddle, Ben Rusholme, Nicholas Saunders, Nima Sedaghat, David L. Shupe, Leo P. Singer, Maayane T. Soumagnac, Paula Szkody, Yutaro Tachibana, Kushal Tirumala, Sjoert van Velzen, Darryl Wright
  • California Institute of Technology
  • Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology
  • Radboud University Nijmegen
  • Stockholm University
  • National Central University
  • University of Washington
  • Northwestern University
  • Adler Planetarium
  • Humboldt University of Berlin
  • University of Maryland, College Park
  • Space Telescope Science Institute
  • University of Oxford
  • University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  • University of California at Santa Barbara
  • University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
  • University of Freiburg
  • NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
  • Weizmann Institute of Science
  • Institute of Science Tokyo

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

117 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Zwicky Transient Facility is a large optical survey in multiple filters producing hundreds of thousands of transient alerts per night. We describe here various machine learning (ML) implementations and plans to make the maximal use of the large data set by taking advantage of the temporal nature of the data, and further combining it with other data sets. We start with the initial steps of separating bogus candidates from real ones, separating stars and galaxies, and go on to the classification of real objects into various classes. Besides the usual methods (e.g., based on features extracted from light curves) we also describe early plans for alternate methods including the use of domain adaptation, and deep learning. In a similar fashion we describe efforts to detect fast moving asteroids. We also describe the use of the Zooniverse platform for helping with classifications through the creation of training samples, and active learning. Finally we mention the synergistic aspects of ZTF and LSST from the ML perspective.

Original languageEnglish
Article number038002
JournalPublications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
Volume131
Issue number997
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2019
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2019. The Astronomical Society of the Pacific.

Funding

Based on observations obtained with the Samuel Oschin Telescope 48-inch and the 60-inch Telescope at the Palomar Observatory as part of the Zwicky Transient Facility project. Major funding has been provided by the U.S. National Science Foundation under Grant No. AST-1440341 and by the ZTF partner institutions: the California Institute of Technology, the Oskar Klein Centre, the Weizmann Institute of Science, the University of Maryland, the University of Washington, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and the TANGO Program of the University System of Taiwan. Part of this research was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Facilities: PO:1.2m, PO:1.5m.

FundersFunder number
???publication-publication-funding-organisation-not-added???
U.S. National Science FoundationAST-1440341
American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
University of Washington
University of Maryland
Science and Technology Facilities CouncilST/N003179/1
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science16J05742

    Keywords

    • Machine learning
    • Sky surveys
    • Time domain

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Machine learning for the Zwicky transient facility'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this