PhysCOS TDAMM Study and ACROSS Pilot

Animation: Doomed Neutron Stars Create Blast of Light and Gravitational Waves. Credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center / CI Lab

In response to the Astro2020 decadal report’s recommendation that time-domain and multi-messenger (TDAMM) astrophysics is the highest-priority sustaining activity in space, the NASA Astrophysics Division directed the Physics of the Cosmos Program Office to study implementation options for a general observer science support capability focused on enabling TDAMM science in October 2022.

The first year of the study focused on NASA’s space-based assets. A two-year Astrophysics Cross-Observatory Science Support (ACROSS) pilot phase (2024 – 25) was approved to begin development of cross-observatory science-support tools, operations concepts, and infrastructure to facilitate space-based follow-up observations, as well as development of a TDAMM-focused research solicitation.
In parallel with the pilot, the subsequent phases of the study will examine opportunities to engage and coordinate with ground-based assets in the U.S. as well as ground- and space-based assets globally.

Points of Contact

	Name	Institution
Study Scientist	Brian Humensky	NASA / GSFC
Implementation Scientist	Jamie Kennea	Penn State
Manager	Chris Roberts	NASA / GSFC

Additional Information

Time Domain and Multi-Messenger Astrophysics General Observer Facility Implementation Study Terms of Reference (TOR) [PDF]
MMA2023 Workshop: Windows on the Universe: Establishing the Infrastructure for a Collaborative Multi-messenger Ecosystem, October 16 – 18, 2023, Tucson, AZ
- ACROSS Presentation [PDF]
- ACROSS Flyer [PDF]
Time-Domain and Multi-Messenger Astrophysics (TDAMM) Science Interest Group
NASA TDAMM Workshop, August 22 – 24, 2022, Annapolis, MD
- White Paper [PDF]
Multi-Messenger Astrophysics (MMA) Science Analysis Group (Completed 2020)
GW-EM Task Force (Completed 2019)
- Final Report [PDF]