Binary neutron star mergers provide one of the richest laboratories for studying physics with ground-based interferometric gravitational-wave detectors such as advanced LIGO and Virgo. After such a merger, a  compact remnant is left over whose nature depends primarily on the masses of the inspiralling objects and on the equation of state of nuclear matter. We will discuss the search for short and intermediate-duration post-merger signals from GW170817, as well as all-sky, all-time searches for the same. In addition, we will describe ongoing searches for the detection of transients like GW170817 in electromagnetic wavelengths. With the Zwicky Transient Facility recently achieving first light, it is now fruitful to use its unprecedented combination of depth, field of view, and survey cadence to perform Target of Opportunity observations. Using the 50 square degree field of view of the instrument, it is possible to follow-up events from systems like the Fermi Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor, where it can be necessary to cover thousands of square degrees. We will demonstrate on short gamma-ray bursts how it is possible to use this system to do follow-up on this scale.

Bio of the speaker: 
Michael Coughlin began working in gravitational waves about 10 years ago at a small liberal arts college in Minnesota. From there, he received his masters in Astronomy from Cambridge University, and then his PhD in Physics from Harvard University working on telescope instrumentation and searches for gravitational-wave counterparts. He is now a prize postdoctoral fellow at the California Institute of Technology, where he helps lead the search for optical counterparts with ZTF and is project scientist for a new camera on the Kitt Peak 2.1 meter, which he uses to search for eclipsing white dwarf binaries and other gravitational-wave sources.