LSST Wide Fast Deep Survey to Yield Precursor Limits for 50-100 Core-Collapse Supernovae Yearly
Sand et al. map concrete early-time supernova yields for LSST plus shadowing programs. The work shows how cadence augmentation can deliver precursor statistics and flash spectroscopy at scale. Key gaps remain in real-time classification pipelines and embargo policy.
The paper models LSST discovery rates against empirical nearby supernova statistics to quantify early-time science. Simple depth-cadence metrics show that a 22.5-mag shadowing survey could detect light-curve excesses like SN 2023ixf across dozens of core-collapse events each year while rapid spectroscopy of 150 Type II supernovae within 160 Mpc would constrain flash-ionization features to less than 10 percent incidence within a few seasons. Authors also flag classification ambiguity and non-terminal transients as operational risks. They request an 80-hour LSST image embargo waiver for nearby galaxy fields and propose a Nearby Galaxy Transient Broker to merge streams, forced photometry, and follow-up triggers. These estimates rest on current volumetric rates and assume no major changes in survey strategy or follow-up resources.
Sand et al.: By end of LSST year three, precursor emission limits will be published for at least 50 Type IIn supernovae per year.
Sources (2)
- [1]Primary Source(https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.38304)
- [2]Supporting Source(https://arxiv.org/abs/2307.02009)