The Zwicky Transient Facility ZTF is designed to scan the night sky rapidly and repeatedly to detect transient astronomical events — things that change or appear suddenly, like supernovae, variable stars, asteroids, and other cosmic phenomena. It operates at the Palomar Observatory in California, using a wide-field camera mounted on the Samuel Oschin Telescope. ZTF helps astronomers catch time variable events in the universe in near real-time, enabling quick follow-up observations and advancing our understanding of dynamic cosmic processes.

“This is exciting news. DZA is quickly attracting exceptional talent from around the world and developing cutting-edge scientific and research infrastructure. I am convinced we will build a solid and long-term partnership that will benefit astrophysics both in the USA and Europe."

Mansi Kasliwal, professor for astronomy at Caltech and the principal investigator of ZTF

The German Centre for Astrophysics, currently under construction, is envisioned as a new hub for scientific innovation in Lusatia, a growing region in Eastern Germany. The centre aims to become a global leader in developing cutting-edge and sustainable infrastructure for scientific research in astrophysics with an initial focus on radio and multi-messenger astronomy. 

Prof. Stefan Wagner (University of Heidelberg/DZA), Prof. Matthias Steinmetz (Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP)), and Prof. Samaya Nissanke, lead scientist at DESY who is also a long-standing collaborator with members of the ZTF multi-messenger science group are heading different research areas in DZA and have joined ZTF as co-investigators. 

Astrophysicist Samaya Nissanke is looking forward to ZTF collaborating with DZA

“After working closely with ZTF colleagues since 2009, in the early days of its precursor the Palomar Transient Factory, I am thrilled to be joining ZTF as an official partner. ZTF has been extraordinary across a wide range of discoveries and has quite literally led the way in the optical follow up of gravitational wave mergers over the past seven years,” says Samaya Nissanke, whose research focus is on studying black holes and neutron star mergers with gravitational waves. 

 “Working alongside the ZTF team, we have learned a tremendous amount about how to search for these events, from the software and observing strategies to the instrumentation, and a deeper understanding of the dynamic sky in real time. Just as importantly, ZTF is an incredibly fun collaboration to be part of: it brings together a remarkably diverse and creative collaboration of scientists whose ideas and energy constantly push science forward.". 

Prof. Dr. Samaya Nissanke, principal investigator at DESY and scientist for multi messenger astronomy at DZA

”With ZTF and our well-established collaboration with DZA, AIP can now expand our spectroscopic surveys portfolio with a new dimension - time domain astrophysics,” adds Matthias Steinmetz of AIP. 

In recent decades, Stefan Wagner has expanded the research field of transient astrophysical phenomena to all wavelength ranges. "I am pleased about that ZTF membership. It provides an important basis for the DZA, on which future projects of transient research at DZA will be based. We are also interested in utilising big data methods and technologies to advance robotic sky surveillance.” As a partner at ZTF, he and the DZA team will ensure the transmission of real-time data from Caltech IPAC to Germany and will take the first steps towards the development of a DZA data centre.

“Exploring the dynamic universe currently requires constant innovations in data science to enable astronomers to analyse large data streams from multiple telescopes quickly. I am looking forward to working with our colleagues at DZA to provide excellent survey data from ZTF to the astronomical community around the world”, says Matthew Graham, a co-principal investigator of ZTF.  

The DZA led collaboration is joining ZTF as a major partner with full access to ZTF's proprietary partnership data.