Astrophysical Multimessenger Observatory Network (AMON): Science, Infrastructure, and Status

TL;DR

AMON integrates multiple multimessenger astrophysics observatories into a real-time network to detect and study energetic cosmic events through coincidence searches, advancing our understanding of the universe's most energetic phenomena.

Contribution

This paper presents the design, implementation, and current status of the AMON system, a novel infrastructure linking diverse observatories for multimessenger astrophysics.

Findings

Successful real-time coincidence detections of astrophysical transients

Enhanced alerts for follow-up observations of energetic events

Recent results demonstrate the system's capability and scientific potential

Abstract

The realization of multimessenger astrophysics will open new vistas upon the most energetic events in the universe. Messenger particles of all four of nature's fundamental forces, recorded by detectors on the ground and satellites in space, enable coincidence searches for multimessenger phenomena that will allow us to discover, observe, and explore these sources. The Astrophysical Multimessenger Observatory Network (AMON) links multiple high-energy neutrino, cosmic ray, and gamma-ray observatories as well as gravitational wave facilities into a single virtual system, enabling near real-time coincidence searches for multimessenger astrophysical transients and their electromagnetic counterparts, and providing alerts to follow-up observatories. The science case, design elements, partner observatories, and status of the AMON project are presented, followed by recent results from AMON real-time and archival analyses.