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The upcoming fourth observing run (O4) of the global LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA network of gravitational wave (GW) detectors is set to begin later this month. Joint detections of GWs and electromagnetic counterparts are necessary in advancing our understanding of the universe and the use of rapid wide-field optical telescopes has become increasingly important for the detection and characterisation of cosmic events. I will explore the role of the newly commissioned Gravitational-wave Optical Transient Observer (GOTO) network in this endeavor by providing rapid and precise follow-up observations of GW events. GOTO is a network of wide-field small robotic telescopes located in the northern (ROM, La Palma) and southern (Siding Spring Observatory, Australia) hemispheres that can rapidly and autonomously observe the sky in response to alerts from GW and gamma-ray detectors. I will also discuss outstanding scientific puzzles that can be addressed with joint GW and electromagnetic counterpart searches, including the measurement of the Hubble constant using standard sirens, constraints on the neutron star equation of state, and constraints on (non)deviations from general relativity. Additionally, I will examine realistic scenarios of what we might expect observationally during O4, and the exciting possibilities that lie ahead for GW astronomy with the O4 run and beyond. |
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