Windows on the Universe: Establishing the Infrastructure for a Collaborative Multi-messenger Ecosystem

The international scientific community is invited to participate in a workshop focused on building infrastructure and collaboration in a multi-messenger astronomy world.

The advent of gravitational-wave and particle detectors, which now routinely observe events through new windows upon our dynamic Universe, has ushered in the era of Multi-messenger Astronomy (MMA). With a diverse and powerful network of ground- and space-based instruments and facilities, we now have advanced resources to both identify the electromagnetic counterparts of Multi-messenger events, and to monitor and characterize their evolution. This activity requires coordination of the full range of available telescopes and their capabilities. While the scientific potential is staggering, future campaigns will be resource-intensive, expensive, and require considerable coordination, collaboration, and communication among the communities in order to deliver effective science.

To foster the infrastructure for a vibrant and collaborative MMA ecosystem, NSF's NOIRLab, in partnership with NSF and NASA, invites the international community to participate in a workshop in Tucson, AZ during October 16–18, 2023.

Key Questions to Address:

• What are the main challenges to perform successful MMA campaigns and to maximize their scientific potential?
• How should we coordinate MMA follow-up to reduce operational redundancy across the network of ground and space-based observatories?
• How should we foster collaboration in the MMA community?
• How can we ensure that the MMA field reaches its full potential over the next decade?