ILMT-2025

The second International Liquid Mirror Telescope (ILMT-2025) Workshop will be hosted by ARIES, Nainital, from 14 - 17 April 2025. This workshop is open to students in the final year of their M.Sc. (Physics/Astrophysics), the fifth year of their BS-MS (Physics), and Ph.D. (Physics/Astrophysics) students up to their third year. The selected number of participants will be restricted to 20 for in-person attendance. If more applications are received, the organisers will consider hosting the workshop in hybrid mode (in-person and online).

With the ILMT in regular operation since April 2022, it generates vast amounts of high-cadence astronomical data, making it a powerful tool for time-domain studies. This workshop aims to train young researchers in handling and analysing ILMT data, focusing on a wide range of astrophysical objects and phenomena. Some of these include, but are not limited to, the study of supernovae, gravitational lenses, Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs), variable stars, low-surface-brightness (LSB) galaxies, and asteroids. Additionally, the workshop will delve into the challenges and opportunities of using data from a survey telescope like the ILMT for various science cases.

The workshop will cover essential data processing techniques, including image preprocessing, astrometric and photometric calibration, and image subtraction—critical tools for analysing astronomical images. Special emphasis will be placed on learning the principles of light curve extraction and time-series analysis to study astrophysical sources. Participants will also be introduced to advanced techniques, such as machine learning, for transient detection and classification. A dedicated session on identifying and tracking space debris will focus on the methods and techniques used to monitor and characterise space debris using ILMT's continuous sky monitoring capabilities. The workshop will familiarise participants with the role of sky surveys in the broader landscape of time-domain astronomy, highlighting ILMT's contribution to such surveys.

Free lodging and boarding will be provided at ARIES for the selected participants from one day before the workshop begins to one day after it concludes. No travel support will be provided, and participants are requested to make arrangements to travel to ARIES.