CC BY 4.0BomCR AnnisJ GarciaA PalmeseA ShermanN Soares-SantosM Santana-SilvaL MorganR BechtolK DavisT DiehlHT AllamSS BachmannTG FragaBMO García-BellidoJ GillMSS HernerK KilpatrickCD MaklerM OlivaresF PereiraMES PinedaJ SantosA TuckerDL WiesnerMP AguenaM AlvesO BaconD BernardinelliPH BertinE BocquetS BrooksD KindMC CarreteroJ ConseliceC CostanziM da CostaLN De VicenteJ DesaiS DoelP EverettS FerreroI FriemanJ GattiM GerdesDW GruenD GruendlRA GutierrezG HintonSR HollowoodDL HonscheidK JamesDJ KuehnK KuropatkinN MelchiorP Mena-FernándezJ MenanteauF PieresA MalagónAAP RaveriM Rodriguez-MonroyM SanchezE SantiagoB Sevilla-NoarbeI SmithM SuchytaE SwansonMEC TarleG ToC WeaverdyckOLIVARES ESTAY FELIPE ANDRES2025-06-052025-06-0520240004-637Xhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12740/22689We address the problem of optimally identifying all kilonovae detected via gravitational-wave emission in the upcoming LIGO/Virgo/KAGRA observing run, O4, which is expected to be sensitive to a factor of similar to 7 more binary neutron star (BNS) alerts than previously. Electromagnetic follow-up of all but the brightest of these new events will require >1 m telescopes, for which limited time is available. We present an optimized observing strategy for the DECam during O4. We base our study on simulations of gravitational-wave events expected for O4 and wide-prior kilonova simulations. We derive the detectabilities of events for realistic observing conditions. We optimize our strategy for confirming a kilonova while minimizing telescope time. For a wide range of kilonova parameters, corresponding to a fainter kilonova compared to GW170817/AT 2017gfo, we find that, with this optimal strategy, the discovery probability for electromagnetic counterparts with the DECam is similar to 80% at the nominal BNS gravitational-wave detection limit for O4 (190 Mpc), which corresponds to an similar to 30% improvement compared to the strategy adopted during the previous observing run. For more distant events (similar to 330 Mpc), we reach an similar to 60% probability of detection, a factor of similar to 2 increase. For a brighter kilonova model dominated by the blue component that reproduces the observations of GW170817/AT 2017gfo, we find that we can reach similar to 90% probability of detection out to 330 Mpc, representing an increase of similar to 20%, while also reducing the total telescope time required to follow up events by similar to 20%. C1 [Bom, C. R.; Fraga, B. M. O.; Makler, M.; Santos, A.] Ctr Brasileiro Pesquisas Fis, Rua Dr Xavier Sigaud 150, BR-22290180 Rio De Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. [Bom, C. R.] Ctr Fed Educ Tecnol Celso Suckow Fonseca, Rodovia Mario Covas,Lote J2,Quadra J, BR-23810000 Itaguai, RJ, Brazil. [Annis, J.; Diehl, H. T.; Allam, S. S.; Herner, K.; Tucker, D. L.; Frieman, J.; Gutierrez, G.; Kuropatkin, N.] Fermilab Natl Accelerator Lab, POB 500, Batavia, IL 60510 USA. [Garcia, A.; Sherman, N.; Soares-Santos, M.; Alves, O.; Gerdes, D. W.; Tarle, G.; Weaverdyck, N.] Univ Michigan, Dept Phys, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA. [Palmese, A.] Univ Calif Berkeley, Dept Phys, 366 LeConte Hall,MC 7300, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA. [Santana-Silva, L.] Univ Cidade Sao Paulo, Univ Cruzeiro Sul, NAT, Rua Galvao Bueno 868, BR-01506000 Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil. [Morgan, R.; Bechtol, K.] Univ Wisconsin Madison, Dept Phys, 2320 Chamberlin Hall,1150 Univ Ave, Madison, WI 53706 USA. [Davis, T.] Univ Queensland, Sch Math & Phys, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia. [Bachmann, T. G.] Univ Chicago, Dept Astron & Astrophys, Chicago, IL 60637 USA. [Garcia-Bellido, J.] Univ Autonoma Madrid, Inst Fis Teor, UAM CSIC, E-28049 Madrid, Spain. [Gill, M. S. S.] SLAC Natl Accelerator Lab, Menlo Pk, CA 94025 USA. [Kilpatrick, C. D.] Northwestern Univ, Ctr Interdisciplinary Explorat & Res Astrophys CI, Evanston, IL 60208 USA. [Kilpatrick, C. D.] Northwestern Univ, Dept Phys & Astron, Evanston, IL 60208 USA. [Makler, M.] ECyT UNSAM, Int Ctr Adv Studies, RA-1650 Buenos Aires, DF, Argentina. [Makler, M.] ECyT UNSAM, Inst Ciencias Fis, RA-1650 Buenos Aires, DF, Argentina. [Makler, M.] Consejo Nacl Invest Cient & Tecn, RA-1650 Buenos Aires, DF, Argentina. [Olivares E., F.] Univ Atacama, Inst Astron & Ciencias Planetarias, Ave Copayapu 485, Copiapo, Chile. [Pereira, M. E. S.] Univ Hamburg, Hamburger Sternwarte, Gojenbergsweg 112, D-21029 Hamburg, Germany. [Pineda, J.] Univ Andres Bello, Dept Ciencias Fis, Avda Republ 252, Santiago, Chile. [Pineda, J.] Millennium Inst Astrophys, Nuncio Monsenor Sotero Sanz 100, Santiago, Chile. [Wiesner, M. P.] Benedictine Univ, Dept Phys, 5700 Coll Rd, Lisle, IL 60532 USA. [Aguena, M.; da Costa, L. N.; Pieres, A.; Santiago, B.] Lab Interinst Eastron LIneA, Rua Gal Jose Cristino 77, BR-20921400 Rio De Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. [Bacon, D.] Univ Portsmouth, Inst Cosmol & Gravitat, Portsmouth PO1 3FX, Hants, England. [Bernardinelli, P. 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[Conselice, C.] Univ Nottingham, Sch Phys & Astron, Nottingham NG7 2RD, England. [Costanzi, M.] Univ Trieste, Astron Unit, Dept Phys, Via Tiepolo 11, I-34131 Trieste, Italy. [Costanzi, M.] INAF, Osservatorio Astron Trieste, Via GB Tiepolo 11, I-34131 Trieste, Italy. [Costanzi, M.] Inst Fundamental Phys Universe, Via Beirut 2, I-34014 Trieste, Italy. [De Vicente, J.; Mena-Fernandez, J.; Rodriguez-Monroy, M.; Sanchez, E.; Sevilla-Noarbe, I.] Ctr Invest Energet Medioambientales & Tecnol CIEM, Madrid, Spain. [Desai, S.] IIT Hyderabad, Dept Phys, Kandi 502285, Telangana, India. [Everett, S.] CALTECH, Jet Prop Lab, 4800 Oak Grove Dr, Pasadena, CA 91109 USA. [Ferrero, I.] Univ Oslo, Inst Theoret Astrophys, POB 1029, NO-0315 Oslo, Norway. [Frieman, J.] Univ Chicago, Kavli Inst Cosmol Phys, Chicago, IL 60637 USA. [Gatti, M.] Univ Penn, Dept Phys & Astron, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA. [Gerdes, D. W.] Univ Michigan, Dept Astron, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA. [Hinton, S. R.] Univ Queensland, Sch Math & Phys, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia. [Hollowood, D. L.] Santa Cruz Inst Particle Phys, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 USA. [Honscheid, K.; To, C.] Ohio State Univ, Ctr Cosmol & Astroparticle Phys, Columbus, OH 43210 USA. [Honscheid, K.] Ohio State Univ, Dept Phys, Columbus, OH 43210 USA. [James, D. J.; Swanson, M. E. C.] Harvard & Smithsonian, Ctr Astrophys, 60 Garden St, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA. [Kuehn, K.] Macquarie Univ, Australian Astron Opt, N Ryde, NSW 2113, Australia. [Kuehn, K.] Lowell Observ, 1400 Mars Hill Rd, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA. [Melchior, P.; Plazas Malagon, A. A.] Princeton Univ, Dept Astrophys Sci, Peyton Hall, Princeton, NJ 08544 USA. [Pieres, A.] Observ Nacl, Rua Gal Jose Cristino 77, BR-20921400 Rio De Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. [Raveri, M.] Univ Genoa, Dept Phys, Via Dodecaneso 33, I-16146 Genoa, Italy. [Raveri, M.] INFN, Via Dodecaneso 33, I-16146 Genoa, Italy. [Santiago, B.] UFRJ, Inst Fis, Caixa Postal 15051, BR-91501970 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. [Smith, M.] Univ Southampton, Sch Phys & Astron, Southampton SO17 1BJ, Hants, England. [Suchyta, E.] Oak Ridge Natl Lab, Comp Sci & Math Div, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA. [Weaverdyck, N.] Lawrence Berkeley Natl Lab, 1 Cyclotron Rd, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA. [Morgan, R.] Legacy Survey Space & Time Corp, Data Sci Fellowship Program, Tucson, AZ USA. C3 Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Fisicas; Centro Federal de Educacao Tecnologica Celso Suckow da Fonseca (CEFET-RJ); United States Department of Energy (DOE); University of Chicago; Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory; University of Michigan System; University of Michigan; University of California System; University of California Berkeley; Universidade Cidade de Sao Paulo; Universidade Cruzeiro do Sul; University of Wisconsin System; University of Wisconsin Madison; University of Queensland; University of Chicago; Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC); CSIC - UAM - Institut de Fisica Teorica (IFT); Autonomous University of Madrid; Stanford University; United States Department of Energy (DOE); SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory; Northwestern University; Northwestern University; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas (CONICET); Universidad de Atacama; University of Hamburg; Universidad Andres Bello; Laboratorio Interinstitucional de e-Astronomia (LINEA); University of Portsmouth; University of Washington; University of Washington Seattle; Sorbonne Universite; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS); CNRS - National Institute for Earth Sciences & Astronomy (INSU); Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS); CNRS - National Institute for Earth Sciences & Astronomy (INSU); Sorbonne Universite; University of Munich; University of London; University College London; University of Illinois System; University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Barcelona Institute of Science & Technology; Institute for High Energy Physics (IFAE); Autonomous University of Barcelona; University of Manchester; Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics; University of Nottingham; University of Trieste; Istituto Nazionale Astrofisica (INAF); Centro de Investigaciones Energeticas, Medioambientales Tecnologicas; Indian Institute of Technology System (IIT System); Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) - Hyderabad; California Institute of Technology; National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA); NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL); University of Oslo; University of Chicago; University of Pennsylvania; University of Michigan System; University of Michigan; University of Queensland; University System of Ohio; Ohio State University; University System of Ohio; Ohio State University; Smithsonian Institution; Macquarie University; Princeton University; University of Genoa; Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN); Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; University of Southampton; United States Department of Energy (DOE); Oak Ridge National Laboratory; United States Department of Energy (DOE); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratoryinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessAstronomy & AstrophysicsArticulo de revista10.3847/1538-4357/ad0462