The Zwicky Transient Facility: Science Objectives
Authors: Graham Matthew J. , Kulkarni S. R. , Bellm Eric C. , Adams Scott M. , Barbarino Cristina , Blagorodnova Nadejda , Bodewits Dennis , Bolin Bryce , Brady Patrick R. , Cenko S. Bradley , Chang Chan-Kao , Coughlin Michael W. , De Kishalay , Eadie Gwendolyn , Farnham Tony L. , Feindt Ulrich , Franckowiak Anna , Fremling Christoffer , Gezari Suvi , Ghosh Shaon , Goldstein Daniel A. , Golkhou V. Zach , Goobar Ariel , Ho Anna Y. Q. , Huppenkothen Daniela , Ivezić Željko , Jones R. Lynne , Juric Mario , Kaplan David L. , Kasliwal Mansi M. , Kelley Michael S. P. , Kupfer Thomas , Lee Chien-De , Lin Hsing Wen , Lunnan Ragnhild , Mahabal Ashish A. , Miller Adam A. , Ngeow Chow-Choong , Nugent Peter , Ofek Eran O. , Prince Thomas A. , Rauch Ludwig , Roestel Jan van , Schulze Steve , Singer Leo P. , Sollerman Jesper , Taddia Francesco , Yan Lin , Ye Quan-Zhi , Yu Po-Chieh , Barlow Tom , Bauer James , Beck Ron , Belicki Justin , Biswas Rahul , Brinnel Valery , Brooke Tim , Bue Brian , Bulla Mattia , Burruss Rick , Connolly Andrew , Cromer John , Cunningham Virginia , Dekany Richard , Delacroix Alex , Desai Vandana , Duev Dmitry A. , Feeney Michael , Flynn David , Frederick Sara , Gal-Yam Avishay , Giomi Matteo , Groom Steven , Hacopians Eugean , Hale David , Helou George , Henning John , Hover David , Hillenbrand Lynne A. , Howell Justin , Hung Tiara , Imel David , Ip Wing-Huen , Jackson Edward , Kaspi Shai , Kaye Stephen , Kowalski Marek , Kramer Emily , Kuhn Michael , Landry Walter , Laher Russ R. , Mao Peter , Masci Frank J. , Monkewitz Serge , Murphy Patrick , Nordin Jakob , Patterson Maria T. , Penprase Bryan , Porter Michael , Rebbapragada Umaa , Reiley Dan , Riddle Reed , Rigault Mickael , Rodriguez Hector , Rusholme Ben , Santen Jakob van , Shupe David L. , Smith Roger M. , Soumagnac Maayane T. , Stein Robert , Surace Jason , Szkody Paula , Terek Scott , Sistine Angela Van , Velzen Sjoert van , Vestrand W. Thomas , Walters Richard , Ward Charlotte , Zhang Chaoran , Zolkower Jeffry 
Published: May 2019

The Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF), a public–private enterprise, is a new time-domain survey employing a dedicated camera on the Palomar 48-inch Schmidt telescope with a 47 deg2 field of view and an 8 second readout time. It is well positioned in the development of time-domain astronomy, offering operations at 10% of the scale and style of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) with a single 1-m class survey telescope. The public surveys will cover the observable northern sky every three nights in g and r filters and the visible Galactic plane every night in g and r. Alerts generated by these surveys are sent in real time to brokers. A consortium of universities that provided funding (“partnership”) are undertaking several boutique surveys. The combination of these surveys producing one million alerts per night allows for exploration of transient and variable astrophysical phenomena brighter than r ∼ 20.5 on timescales of minutes to years. We describe the primary science objectives driving ZTF, including the physics of supernovae and relativistic explosions, multi-messenger astrophysics, supernova cosmology, active galactic nuclei, and tidal disruption events, stellar variability, and solar system objects.