A gravitational-wave (GW) transient was identified in data recorded by the Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) detectors on 2015 September 14. The event, initially designated G184098 and later given the name GW150914, is described in detail elsewhere. By prior arrangement, preliminary estimates of the time, significance, and sky location of the event were shared with 63 teams of observers covering radio, optical, near-infrared, X-ray, and gamma-ray wavelengths with ground-and space-based facilities. In this Letter we describe the low-latency analysis of the GW data and present the sky localization of the first observed compact binary merger. We summarize the follow-up observations reported by 25 teams via private Gamma-ray Coordinates Network circulars, giving an overview of the participating facilities, the GW sky localization coverage, the timeline, and depth of the observations. As this event turned out to be a binary black hole merger, there is little expectation of a detectable electromagnetic (EM) signature. Nevertheless, this first broadband campaign to search for a counterpart of an Advanced LIGO source represents a milestone and highlights the broad capabilities of the transient astronomy community and the observing strategies that have been developed to pursue neutron star binary merger events. Detailed investigations of the EM data and results of the EM follow-up campaign are being disseminated in papers by the individual teams.

This Supplement provides supporting material for Abbott et al. (2016a). We briefly summarize past electromagnetic (EM) follow-up efforts as well as the organization and policy of the current EM follow-up program. We compare the four probability sky maps produced for the gravitational-wave transient GW150914, and provide additional details of the EM follow-up observations that were performed in the different bands.

The intermediate Palomar Transient Factory (iPTF) autonomously responded to and promptly tiled the error region of the first gravitational-wave event GW150914 to search for an optical counterpart. Only a small fraction of the total localized region was immediately visible in the northern night sky, due both to Sun-angle and elevation constraints. Here, we report on the transient candidates identified and rapid follow-up undertaken to determine the nature of each candidate. Even in the small area imaged of 126 deg 2 , after extensive filtering, eight candidates were deemed worthy of additional follow-up. Within two hours, all eight were spectroscopically classified by the Keck II telescope. Curiously, even though such events are rare, one of our candidates was a superluminous supernova. We obtained radio data with the Jansky Very Large Array and X-ray follow-up with the Swift satellite for this transient. None of our candidates appear to be associated with the gravitational-wave trigger, which is unsurprising given that GW150914 came from the merger of two stellar-mass black holes. This end-to-end discovery and follow-up campaign bodes well for future searches in this post-detection era of gravitational waves.

A phase-diversity wave-front sensor has been developed and tested at the Lockheed Palo Alto Research Labs (LPARL). The sensor consists of two CCD-array focal planes that record the best-focus image of an adaptive imaging system and an image that is defocused. This information is used to generate an object-independent function that is the input to a LPARL-developed neural network algorithm known as the General Regression Neural Network (GRNN). The GRNN algorithm calculates the wave-front errors that are present in the adaptive optics system. A control algorithm uses the calculated values to correct the errors in the optical system. Simulation studies and closed-loop experimental results are presented.

The performance of long distance imaging systems is typically degraded by phase errors imparted by atmospheric turbulence. In this paper we apply coherent imaging methods to determine, and remove, these phase errors by digitally processing coherent recordings of the image data. In this manner we are able to remove the effects of atmospheric turbulence without needing a conventional adaptive optical system. Digital holographic detection is used to record the coherent, complex-valued, optical field for a series of atmospheric and object realizations. Correction of atmospheric phase errors is then based on maximizing an image sharpness metric to determine the aberrations present and correct the underlying image. Experimental results that demonstrate image recovery in the presence of turbulence are presented. Results obtained with severe turbulence that gives rise to anisoplanatism are also presented.