ZVAR: Unlocking the Sky's Variability and Periodicity for 1.5 Billion Astronomical Objects

NSF Award Search · 01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT · $575,000 · view on nsf.gov ↗

Abstract

Observations of the temporal variability of astrophysical objects are foundational for many areas of stellar and extragalactic astrophysics. The Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) is the leading large-area time domain sky survey with a particular emphasis on transient sources that change on day timescales. A research group at California Institute of Technology (Caltech) will significantly enhance the value of ZTF to the astronomy community by boosting its ability to study persistent variability on all timescales. The team will develop a publicly accessible repository of variability data for 1.5 billion objects: the ZTF Variability Archive or ZVAR. The ZVAR footprint includes a significant overlap with the region covered by new Vera C. Rubin Observatory, providing a valuable tool for early exploitation of the Rubin data. This project will directly support thesis-related activities for graduate students studying stellar variability as well as undergraduate students through programs such as Caltech’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program (SURF). The project also exposes students to cutting edge techniques in data science, including high level data mining and extraction of meaningful results from these large datasets. ZVAR will contain a forced-photometry light curve and variability repository for 1.5 billion objects above -30 degrees declination. With a median of over 1600 observations per source, ZVAR will provide variability information on time scales from minutes t

Key facts

NSF award ID
2509891
Awardee
California Institute of Technology (CA)
SAM.gov UEI
U2JMKHNS5TG4
PI
Matthew Graham
Primary program
01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
All programs
THEORETICAL & COMPUTATIONAL ASTROPHYSICS, OBSERVATIONAL ASTRONOMY, ARCHIVAL DATA ANALYSIS
Estimated total
$575,000
Funds obligated
$575,000
Transaction type
Standard Grant
Period
09/01/2025 → 08/31/2027