Exploring the fast transient Universe with the Deeper, Wider, Faster Program

The thesis explores the optical transient Universe via the Deeper, Wider, Faster observational program. The Majority of current surveys search for transient events that evolve in weeks or months, this thesis explores those optical transients that evolue over minutes to only a few hours, minutes, or even fractions of seconds. Those include mysterious fast radio bursts and counterparts to gravitational-wave events. We coordinate more than 40 telescopes and multi-messenger detectors that search for rare transient events simultaneously. This thesis helps to characterise the fast transient sky or future all-sky and large survey facilities like the Vera. C. Rubin Observatory.