56 research outputs found
New Associations of Gamma-Ray Sources from the Fermi Second Source Catalog
We present the results of an all-sky radio survey between 5 and 9 GHz of the
fields surrounding all unassociated gamma-ray objects listed in the Fermi Large
Area Telescope Second Source Catalog (2FGL). The goal of these observations is
to find all new gamma-ray AGN associations with radio sources >10 mJy at 8 GHz.
We observed with the Very Large Array and the Australia Telescope Compact Array
the areas around unassociated sources, providing localizations of weak radio
point sources found in 2FGL fields at arcmin scales. Then we followed-up a
subset of those with the Very Long Baseline and the Long Baseline Arrays to
confirm detections of radio emission on parsec-scales. We quantified
association probabilities based on known statistics of source counts and
assuming a uniform distribution of background sources. In total we found 865
radio sources at arcsec scales as candidates for association and detected 95 of
170 selected for follow-up observations at milliarcsecond resolution. Based on
this we obtained firm associations for 76 previously unknown gamma-ray AGN.
Comparison of these new AGN associations with the predictions from using the
WISE color-color diagram shows that half of the associations are missed. We
found that 129 out of 588 observed gamma-ray sources at arcmin scales not a
single radio continuum source was detected above our sensitivity limit within
the 3-sigma gamma-ray localization. These "empty" fields were found to be
particularly concentrated at low Galactic latitudes. The nature of these
Galactic gamma-ray emitters is not yet determined.Comment: accepted for publication by ApJS, 18 pages, 10 figures, 12 tables;
full electronic versions of tables 2-8 are available as ancillary file
A simultaneous search for prompt radio emission associated with the short GRB 170112A using the all-sky imaging capability of the OVRO-LWA
We have conducted the most sensitive low frequency (below 100 MHz) search to
date for prompt, low-frequency radio emission associated with short-duration
gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), using the Owens Valley Radio Observatory Long
Wavelength Array (OVRO-LWA). The OVRO-LWA's nearly full-hemisphere
field-of-view (, square degrees) allows us to search for
low-frequency (sub- MHz) counterparts for a large sample of the subset of
GRB events for which prompt radio emission has been predicted. Following the
detection of short GRB 170112A by Swift, we used all-sky OVRO-LWA images
spanning one hour prior to and two hours following the GRB event to search for
a transient source coincident with the position of GRB 170112A. We detect no
transient source, with our most constraining flux density limit of
for frequencies spanning . We
place constraints on a number of models predicting prompt, low-frequency radio
emission accompanying short GRBs and their potential binary neutron star merger
progenitors, and place an upper limit of on the fraction of energy released in the prompt radio
emission. These observations serve as a pilot effort for a program targeting a
wider sample of both short and long GRBs with the OVRO-LWA, including bursts
with confirmed redshift measurements which are critical to placing the most
constraining limits on prompt radio emission models, as well as a program for
the follow-up of gravitational wave compact binary coalescence events detected
by advanced LIGO and Virgo.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures, ApJ submitte
A 21-cm power spectrum at 48 MHz, using the Owens Valley Long Wavelength Array
The Large-aperture Experiment to detect the Dark Age (LEDA) was designed to
measure the 21-cm signal from neutral hydrogen at Cosmic Dawn, 15-30. Using observations made with the 200 m diameter core of the
Owens Valley Long Wavelength Array (OVRO-LWA), we present a 2-D cylindrical
spatial power spectrum for data at 43.1-53.5 MHz ()
incoherently integrated for 4 hours, and an analysis of the array sensitivity.
Power from foregrounds is localized to a "wedge" within
space. After calibration of visibilities using 5 bright compact sources
including VirA, we measure $\Delta^2(k) \approx 2 \times 10^{12}\
\mathrm{mK}^2\Delta^2(k)z = \Delta^2(k) \approx
100^2^{-1}\alpha$ and X-ray sources, as
predicted for a range of theoretical model parameters.Comment: 16 pages, 11 figures. Accepted for MNRAS; replaced with accepted
versio
Observations of Giant Pulses from Pulsar PSR B0950+08 using LWA1
We report the detection of giant pulse emission from PSR B0950+08 in 24 hours
of observations made at 39.4 MHz, with a bandwidth of 16 MHz, using the first
station of the Long Wavelength Array, LWA1. We detected 119 giant pulses from
PSR B0950+08 (at its dispersion measure), which we define as having SNRs at
least 10 times larger than for the mean pulse in our data set. These 119 pulses
are 0.035% of the total number of pulse periods in the 24 hours of
observations. The rate of giant pulses is about 5.0 per hour. The cumulative
distribution of pulse strength is a steep power law, , but much less steep than would be expected if we were observing the
tail of a Gaussian distribution of normal pulses. We detected no other
transient pulses in a dispersion measure range from 1 to 90 pc cm, in
the beam tracking PSR B0950+08. The giant pulses have a narrower temporal width
than the mean pulse (17.8 ms, on average, vs. 30.5 ms). The pulse widths are
consistent with a previously observed weak dependence on observing frequency,
which may be indicative of a deviation from a Kolmogorov spectrum of electron
density irregularities along the line of sight. The rate and strength of these
giant pulses is less than has been observed at 100 MHz. Additionally, the
mean (normal) pulse flux density we observed is less than at 100 MHz.
These results suggest this pulsar is weaker and produces less frequent giant
pulses at 39 MHz than at 100 MHz.Comment: 27 pages, 12 figures, typos correcte
A First Search for Prompt Radio Emission from a Gravitational-Wave Event
Multimessenger observations of the binary neutron star merger GW170817 have
enabled the discovery of a diverse array of electromagnetic counterparts to
compact binary mergers, including an unambiguous kilonova, a short gamma-ray
burst, and a late-time radio jet. Beyond these counterparts, compact binary
mergers are additionally predicted to be accompanied by prompt low-frequency
radio emission. The successful observation of a prompt radio counterpart would
be immensely valuable, but is made difficult by the short delay between the
gravitational-wave and prompt electromagnetic signals as well as the poor
localization of gravitational-wave sources. Here, we present the first search
for prompt radio emission accompanying a gravitational-wave event, targeting
the binary black hole merger GW170104 detected by the Advanced LIGO and Virgo
gravitational-wave observatories during their second (O2) observing run. Using
the Owens Valley Radio Observatory Long Wavelength Array (OVRO-LWA), we search
a region for transient radio emission within
approximately one hour of GW170104, obtaining an upper limit of
on its equivalent isotropic
luminosity between 27-84 MHz. We additionally discuss plans to target binary
neutron star mergers in Advanced LIGO and Virgo's upcoming O3 observing run.Comment: 13 pages + appendices, 7 figures, submitted to Ap
The Radio Sky at Meter Wavelengths: m-Mode Analysis Imaging with the Owens Valley Long Wavelength Array
A host of new low-frequency radio telescopes seek to measure the 21-cm
transition of neutral hydrogen from the early universe. These telescopes have
the potential to directly probe star and galaxy formation at redshifts , but are limited by the dynamic range they can achieve
against foreground sources of low-frequency radio emission. Consequently, there
is a growing demand for modern, high-fidelity maps of the sky at frequencies
below 200 MHz for use in foreground modeling and removal. We describe a new
widefield imaging technique for drift-scanning interferometers,
Tikhonov-regularized -mode analysis imaging. This technique constructs
images of the entire sky in a single synthesis imaging step with exact
treatment of widefield effects. We describe how the CLEAN algorithm can be
adapted to deconvolve maps generated by -mode analysis imaging. We
demonstrate Tikhonov-regularized -mode analysis imaging using the Owens
Valley Long Wavelength Array (OVRO-LWA) by generating 8 new maps of the sky
north of with 15 arcmin angular resolution, at frequencies
evenly spaced between 36.528 MHz and 73.152 MHz, and 800 mJy/beam thermal
noise. These maps are a 10-fold improvement in angular resolution over existing
full-sky maps at comparable frequencies, which have angular resolutions . Each map is constructed exclusively from interferometric observations
and does not represent the globally averaged sky brightness. Future
improvements will incorporate total power radiometry, improved thermal noise,
and improved angular resolution -- due to the planned expansion of the OVRO-LWA
to 2.6 km baselines. These maps serve as a first step on the path to the use of
more sophisticated foreground filters in 21-cm cosmology incorporating the
measured angular and frequency structure of all foreground contaminants.Comment: 27 pages, 18 figure
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