Science¶
As a flagship Keck instrument, ZShooter’s science book will be written over the years, through both discovery science and pull on decadal and Rubin drivers we see today. The pages here highlight early motivators of the instrument’s technical grasp… ZShooter’s science “book” is ever evolving.
I’m featuring kilonovae as the low-resolution / rapid-response driver,
binaries, primordial D/H, and white dwarf systems as High-resolution in natural-seeing drivers
The rest are short stubs for the rest of the current science tree so the team can expand them quickly.
I’m thinking we keep them short, specific, and tied to real observing pressure.
Fast response, full optical-to-IR leverage, with no patience for configuration overhead.
RVs, blue abundance work, and fast cadences for compact systems.
Blue sensitivity plus spectral resolution in limited, meaningful areas.
Polluted WDs, debris disks, broad wavelength leverage, and line-rich blue work.
Early spectra, flash features, and blue-end urgency.
GRBs and LFBOTs on the clock.
Classification and physics at the faint limit.
Nuclear transients, broad coverage, and high contrast.
Late-time line physics and nucleosynthesis.
Lensed systems, CGM/IGM, and high-z line work.
Simultaneous optical-NIR diagnostics of stars and disks.
Small bodies, comets, and interstellar visitors.