256 research outputs found
The DRAO 26-m Large Scale Polarization Survey at 1.41 GHz
The Effelsberg telescope as well as the DRAO synthesis telescope are
currently surveying the Galactic polarized emission at 21 cm in detail. These
new surveys reveal an unexpected richness of small-scale structures in the
polarized sky. However, observations made with synthesis or single-dish
telescopes are not on absolute intensity scales and therefore lack information
about the large-scale distribution of polarized emission to a different degree.
Until now, absolutely calibrated polarization data from the Leiden/Dwingeloo
polarization surveys are used to recover the missing spatial information.
However, these surveys cannot meet the requirements of the recent survey
projects regarding sampling and noise and new polarization observation were
initiated to complement the Leiden/Dwingeloo Survey. In this paper we will
outline the observation and report on the progress for a new polarization
survey of the northern sky with the 26-m telescope of the DRAO.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figure
Three-Dimensional Structure of the Magnetic Field in the Disk of the Milky Way
We present Rotation Measures (RM) of the diffuse Galactic synchrotron
emission from the Canadian Galactic Plane Survey (CGPS) and compare them to RMs
of extragalactic sources in order to study the large-scale reversal in the
Galactic magnetic field (GMF). Using Stokes Q, U and I measurements of the
Galactic disk collected with the Synthesis Telescope at the Dominion Radio
Astrophysical Observatory, we calculate RMs over an extended region of the sky,
focusing on the low longitude range of the CGPS (l=52deg to l=72deg). We note
the similarity in the structures traced by the compact sources and the extended
emission and highlight the presence of a gradient in the RM map across an
approximately diagonal line, which we identify with the well-known field
reversal of the Sagittarius-Carina arm. We suggest that the orientation of this
reversal is a geometric effect resulting from our location within a GMF
structure arising from current sheets that are not perpendicular to the
Galactic plane, as is required for a strictly radial field reversal, but that
have at least some component parallel to the disk. Examples of models that fit
this description are the three-dimensional dynamo-based model of Gressel et al.
(2013) and a Galactic scale Parker spiral (Akasofu & Hakamada 1982), although
the latter may be problematic in terms of Galactic dynamics. We emphasize the
importance of constructing three-dimensional models of the GMF to account for
structures like the diagonal RM gradient observed in this dataset.Comment: Published in Astronomy and Astrophysics, Accepted 23 April, 201
The Connection between Supernova Remnants and the Galactic Magnetic Field: A Global Radio Study of the Axisymmetric Sample
The study of supernova remnants (SNRs) is fundamental to understanding the
chemical enrichment and magnetism in galaxies, including our own Milky Way. In
an effort to understand the connection between the morphology of SNRs and the
Galactic magnetic field (GMF), we have examined the radio images of all known
SNRs in our Galaxy and compiled a large sample that have an "axisymmetric"
morphology, which we define to mean SNRs with a "bilateral" or "barrel"-shaped
morphology, in addition to one-sided shells. We selected the cleanest examples
and model each of these at their appropriate Galactic position using two GMF
models, those of Jansson & Farrar (2012a), which includes a vertical halo
component, and Sun et al. (2008) that is oriented entirely parallel to the
plane. Since the magnitude and relative orientation of the magnetic field
changes with distance from the sun, we analyse a range of distances, from 0.5
to 10 kpc in each case. Using a physically motivated model of a SNR expanding
into the ambient GMF, we find the models using Jansson & Farrar (2012a) are
able to reproduce observed morphologies of many SNRs in our sample. These
results strongly support the presence of an off-plane, vertical component to
the GMF, and the importance of the Galactic field on SNR morphology. Our
approach also provides a potential new method for determining distances to
SNRs, or conversely, distances to features in the large-scale GMF if SNR
distances are known.Comment: 24 pages, 8 figures plus one 5-page appendix figure, 3 tables,
accepted to A&
The radio emission from the Galaxy at 22 MHz
We present maps of the 22MHz radio emission between declinations -28d and
+80d, covering ~73% of the sky, derived from observations with the 22MHz
radiotelescope at the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory (DRAO). The
resolution of the telescopt (EWxNS) is 1.1d x 1.7d secant(zenith angle). The
maps show the large scale features of the emission from the Galaxy including
the thick non-thermal disk, the North Polar Spur (NPS) and absorption due to
discrete HII regions and to an extended band of thermal electrons within 40d of
the Galactic centre. We give the flux densities of nine extended supernova
remnants shown on the maps
Discovery of an Energetic Pulsar Associated with SNR G76.9+1.0
We report the discovery of PSR J2022+3842, a 24 ms radio and X-ray pulsar in
the supernova remnant G76.9+1.0, in observations with the Chandra X-ray
telescope, the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Radio Telescope, and the Rossi X-ray
Timing Explorer (RXTE). The pulsar's spin-down rate implies a rotation-powered
luminosity Edot = 1.2 x 10^{38} erg/s, a surface dipole magnetic field strength
B_s = 1.0 x 10^{12} G, and a characteristic age of 8.9 kyr. PSR J2022+3842 is
thus the second-most energetic Galactic pulsar known, after the Crab, as well
as the most rapidly-rotating young, radio-bright pulsar known. The radio
pulsations are highly dispersed and broadened by interstellar scattering, and
we find that a large (delta-f / f ~= 1.9 x 10^{-6}) spin glitch must have
occurred between our discovery and confirmation observations. The X-ray pulses
are narrow (0.06 cycles FWHM) and visible up to 20 keV, consistent with
magnetospheric emission from a rotation-powered pulsar. The Chandra X-ray image
identifies the pulsar with a hard, unresolved source at the midpoint of the
double-lobed radio morphology of SNR G76.9+1.0 and embedded within faint,
compact X-ray nebulosity. The spatial relationship of the X-ray and radio
emissions is remarkably similar to extended structure seen around the Vela
pulsar. The combined Chandra and RXTE pulsar spectrum is well-fitted by an
absorbed power-law model with column density N_H = (1.7\pm0.3) x 10^{22}
cm^{-2} and photon index Gamma = 1.0\pm0.2; it implies that the Chandra
point-source flux is virtually 100% pulsed. For a distance of 10 kpc, the X-ray
luminosity of PSR J2022+3842 is L_X(2-10 keV) = 7.0 x 10^{33} erg s^{-1}.
Despite being extraordinarily energetic, PSR J2022+3842 lacks a bright X-ray
wind nebula and has an unusually low conversion efficiency of spin-down power
to X-ray luminosity, L_X/Edot = 5.9 x 10^{-5}.Comment: 8 pages in emulateapj format. Minor changes (including a shortened
abstract) to reflect the version accepted for publicatio
The Interstellar Environment of Filled-Center Supernova Remnants: II. G63.7+1.1
A multi-wavelength investigation of the candidate supernova remnant G63.7+1.1
and its surrounding interstellar medium is presented. On the basis of radio
continuum data we conclude that the object is a filled-center supernova
remnant, perhaps in the course of becoming a composite remnant. The morphology
of the remnant, along with HI, 12CO and high resolution IRAS data, suggest that
G63.7+1.1 is interacting directly with the ISM, and does not lie in a low
density region of the ISM. This in turn strongly suggests that the detected
nebula is not surrounded by an invisible halo of supernova ejecta. The
association between the SNR and HI and CO features near the tangent point
implies a kinematic distance for G63.7+1.1 of 3.8 +/- 1.5 kpc.Comment: 20 pages, 9 figures in 10 files (figure 5 covers two pages), Accepted
for publication in The Astronomical Journa
Radio Polarization from the Galactic Plane in Cygnus
We present 1420 MHz (lambda=21cm) observations of polarized emission from an area of 117 degree square in the Galactic plane in Cygnus, covering 82 < l < 95, -3.5 < b < +5.5, a complex region where the line of sight is directed nearly along the Local spiral arm. The angular resolution is ~ 1', and structures as large as 45' are fully represented in the images. Polarization features bear little resemblance to features detected in total power: while the polarized signal arises in diffuse Galactic synchrotron emission regions, the appearance of the polarized sky is dominated by Faraday rotation occurring in small-scale structure in the intervening Warm Ionized Medium. There is no concentration of polarization structure towards the Galactic plane, indicating that both the emission and Faraday rotation occur nearby. We develop a conceptual framework for interpretation of the observations. We can detect only that polarized emission which has its origin closer than the polarization horizon, at a distance d_ph; more distant polarized emission is undetectable because of depth depolarization (differential Faraday rotation) and/or beam depolarization (due to internal and external Faraday dispersion). d_ph depends on the instrument used (frequency and beamwidth) as well as the direction being studied. In our data we find that d_ph ~ 2 kpc, consistent with the polarization features originating in the Local arm
The Fragmenting Superbubble Associated with the HII Region W4
New observations at high latitudes above the HII region W4 show that the
structure formerly identified as a chimney candidate, an opening to the
Galactic halo, is instead a superbubble in the process of fragmenting and
possibly evolving into a chimney. Data at high Galactic latitudes (b > 5
degrees) above the W3/W4 star forming region at 1420 and 408 MHz Stokes I
(total power) and 1420 MHz Stokes Q and U (linear polarization) reveal an
egg-shaped structure with morphological correlations between our data and the
H-alpha data of Dennison, Topasna, & Simonetti. Polarized intensity images show
depolarization extending from W4 up the walls of the superbubble, providing
strong evidence that the radio continuum is generated by thermal emission
coincident with the H-alpha emission regions. We conclude that the parts of the
HII region hitherto known as W4 and the newly revealed thermal emission are all
ionized by the open cluster OCl 352. Assuming a distance of 2.35 kpc, the ovoid
structure is 164 pc wide and extends 246 pc above the mid-plane of the Galaxy.
The shell's emission decreases in total-intensity and polarized intensity in
various locations, appearing to have a break at its top and another on one
side. Using a geometric analysis of the depolarization in the shell's walls, we
estimate that a magnetic field line-of-sight component of 3 to 5 uG exists in
the shell. We explore the connection between W4 and the Galactic halo,
considering whether sufficient radiation can escape from the fragmenting
superbubble to ionize the kpc-scale H-alpha loop discovered by Reynolds,
Sterling & Haffner.Comment: 42 pages, 14 figures; Accepted for publication in Ap
PSR J2022 plus 3842: An Energetic Radio and X-Ray Pulsar Associated with SNR G76.9 plus 1.0
We present Chandra X-ray Observatory, Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Radio Telescope (GBT), and Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) observations directed toward the radio supernova remnant (SNR) G76.9+1.0. The Chandra investigation reveals a hard, unresolved X-ray source coincident with the midpoint of the double-lobed radio morphology and surrounded by faint, compact X-ray nebulosity. These features suggest that an energetic neutron star is powering a pulsar wind nebula (PWN) seen in synchrotron emission. Indeed, the spatial relationship of the X-ray and radio emissions is remarkably similar to the extended emission around the Vela pulsar. A follow-up pulsation search with the GBT uncovered a highly-dispersed (DM = 427 +/- 1 pc/cu cm) and highly-scattered pulsar with a period of 24 ms. Its subsequently measured spin-down rate implies a characteristic age T(sub c) = 8.9 kyr, making PSR J2022+3842 the most rapidly rotating young radio pulsar known. With a spin-down luminosity E = 1.2 x 10(exp 38) erg/s, it is the second-most energetic Galactic pulsar known, after the Crab pulsar. The 24-ms pulsations have also been detected in the RXTE observation; the combined Chandra and RXTE spectral fit suggests that the Chandra point-source emission is virtually 100% pulsed. The 2-16 keV spectrum of the narrow (0.06 cycles FWHM) pulse is well-fitted by an absorbed power-law model with column density N(sub H) = (1.7 +/- 0.5) x 10(exp 22)/sq cm and photon index Gamma = 1.0 +/- 0.2, strongly suggestive of magnetospheric emission. For an assumed distance of 10 kpc, the 2-10 keV luminosity of L(sub X) = 6.9 x 10(exp 33) erg/s suggests one of the lowest known X-ray conversion efficiencies L(sub X)/ E = 5.8 x 10(exp -5), similar to that of the Vela pulsar. Finally, the PWN around PSR J2022+3842 revealed by Chandra is also underluminous, with F(sub PWN)/ F(sub PSR) < or approx.1 in the 2-10 keV band, a further surprise given the pulsar's high spin-down luminosity
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