Seo-Won Chang
Papers
2
Total Citations
25
H-Index
2
About
Seo-Won Chang is a leading figure in time-domain astrophysics, specializing in the optical follow-up of gravitational-wave events and the discovery of transient phenomena in the southern sky. As a key member of the SkyMapper team, Chang developed the alert science data pipeline that enabled rapid, robotic optical identification of kilonovae—neutron star merger remnants—during the LIGO/Virgo O3 run. This work, detailed in a 2021 paper with 23 citations, was instrumental in capturing early electromagnetic counterparts like GW170817, pushing detection distances to ~200 Mpc. Chang also contributed foundational results from the SkyMapper Transient Survey (SMT), a rolling search for supernovae and a Target of Opportunity program that leverages the robotic SkyMapper Telescope at Siding Spring Observatory. By bridging gravitational-wave and optical astronomy, Chang’s research has deepened our understanding of explosive stellar deaths and compact object mergers. Their work exemplifies the power of real-time, multi-messenger astronomy, and their pipeline innovations continue to shape transient alert systems for next-generation observatories.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1
- 2First Results of the SkyMapper Transient Survey2 citations · 2017