A search for radio emission from exoplanets around evolved stars

The majority of searches for radio emission from exoplanets have to date focused on short period planets, i.e., the so-called hot Jupiter type planets. However, these planets are likely to be tidally locked to their host stars and may not generate sufficiently strong magnetic fields to emit electron cyclotron maser emission at the low frequencies used in observations (typically >150 MHz). In comparison, the large mass-loss rates of evolved stars could enable exoplanets at larger orbital distances to emit detectable radio emission. Here, we first show that the large ionized mass-loss rates of certain evolved stars relative to the solar value could make them detectable with the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) at 150 MHz ($\lambda$ = 2 m), provided they have surface magnetic field strengths >50 G. We then report radio observations of three long period (>1 au) planets that orbit the evolved stars $\beta$ Gem, $\iota$ Dra, and $\beta$ UMi using LOFAR at 150 MHz. We do not detect radio emission from any system but place tight 3$\sigma$ upper limits of 0.98, 0.87, and 0.57 mJy on the flux density at 150 MHz for $\beta$ Gem, $\iota$ Dra, and $\beta$ UMi, respectively. Despite our non-detections these stringent upper limits highlight the potential of LOFAR as a tool to search for exoplanetary radio emission at meter wavelengths.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figure

Deep GMRT 150 MHz observations of the DEEP2 fields: Searching for High Red-shift Radio Galaxies Revisited

High red-shift radio galaxies are best searched at low radio frequencies, due to its steep radio spectra. Here we present preliminary results from our programme to search for high red-shift radio galaxies to ~ 10 to 100 times fainter than the known population till date. We have extracted ultra-steep spectrum (USS) samples from deep 150 MHz Giant Meter-wave Radio Telescope (GMRT) observations from one of the three well-studied DEEP2 fields to this affect. From correlating these radio sources w.r.t to the high-frequency catalogues such as VLA, FIRST, and NVSS at 1.4 GHz, we find ~ 100 steep spectrum (spectral index, $\alpha$ $>$ 1) radio sources, which are good candidates for high red-shift radio galaxies.Comment: 3 pages, 1 figures, Revised version under review in the Journal of Astrophysics and Astronom

The GMRT 150 MHz all-sky radio survey: First alternative data release TGSS ADR1

We present the first full release of a survey of the 150 MHz radio sky, observed with the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) between April 2010 and March 2012 as part of the TIFR GMRT Sky Survey (TGSS) project. Aimed at producing a reliable compact source survey, our automated data reduction pipeline efficiently processed more than 2000 h of observations with minimal human interaction. Through application of innovative techniques such as image-based flagging, direction-dependent calibration of ionospheric phase errors, correcting for systematic offsets in antenna pointing, and improving the primary beam model, we created good quality images for over 95 percent of the 5336 pointings. Our data release covers 36 900 deg2 (or 3.6 p steradians) of the sky between-53° and +90° declination (Dec), which is 90 percent of the total sky. The majority of pointing images have a noise level below 5 mJy beam-1 with an approximate resolution of 25''×25'' (or 25''×25''/cos(Dec-19°) for pointings south of 19° declination). We have produced a catalog of 0.62 Million radio sources derived from an initial, high reliability source extraction at the seven sigma level. For the bulk of the survey, the measured overall astrometric accuracy is better than two arcseconds in right ascension and declination, while the flux density accuracy is estimated at approximately ten percent. Within the scope of the TGSS alternative data release (TGSS ADR) project, the source catalog, as well as 5336 mosaic images (5°×5°) and an image cutout service, are made publicly available at the CDS as a service to the astronomical community. Next to enabling a wide range of different scientific investigations, we anticipate that these survey products will provide a solid reference for various new low-frequency radio aperture array telescopes (LOFAR, LWA, MWA, SKA-low), and can play an important role in characterizing the epoch-of-reionisation (EoR) foreground. The TGSS ADR project aims at continuously improving the quality of the survey data products. Near-future improvements include replacement of bright source snapshot images with archival targeted observations, using new observations to fill the holes in sky coverage and replace very poor quality observational data, and an improved flux calibration strategy for less severely affected observational data

GMRT search for 150 MHz radio emission from the transiting extrasolar planets HD189733b and HD209458b

We report a sensitive search for meter-wavelength emission at 150 MHz from two prominent transiting extrasolar planets, HD189733b and HD209458b. To distinguish any planetary emission from possible stellar or background contributions, we monitored these systems just prior to, during, and after the planet's eclipse behind the host star. No emission was detected from HD209458b with a 3-sigma upper limit of 3.6 mJy. For HD189733b we obtain a 3-sigma upper limit of 2.1 mJy and a marginal 2.7-sigma detection of about 1.9+/-0.7 mJy from a direction just 13" from the star's coordinates (i.e., within the beam), but its association with the planet remains unconfirmed. Thus, the present GMRT observations provide unprecedentedly tight upper limits for meter wavelengths emissions from these nearest two transiting type exoplanets. We point out possible explanations of the non-detections and briefly discuss the resulting constraints on these systems.Comment: To be published in Astronomy & Astrophysic

GMRT radio observations of the transiting extrasolar planet HD189733b at 244 and 614 MHz

We report a sensitive search for meter-wavelength emission at 244 and 614 MHz from HD189733b, the nearest known extrasolar transiting planet of `hot-Jupiter' type. To discriminate any planetary emission from possible stellar or background contributions, we observed the system for 7.7 hours encompassing the planet's eclipse behind the host star. These GMRT observations provide very low (3 sigma) upper limits of 2 mJy at 244 MHz and 160 micro-Jy at 614 MHz. These limits are, respectively, about 40 and 500 times deeper than those reported recently at a nearby frequency of 340 MHz. Possible explanations of our non-detection include: (1) the Earth being outside the planet's emission beam; (2) its highly variable emission with more rapid flaring than the temporal sampling in our observations; (3) the planetary emission being intrinsically too weak; or more likely, (4) the emission being predominantly at lower frequencies because of a weak planetary magnetic field. We briefly discuss these possibilities and the constraints on this exo-planetary system environment.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A letter

Revival of the magnetar PSR J1622-4950: observations with MeerKAT, Parkes, XMM-Newton, Swift, Chandra, and NuSTAR

New radio (MeerKAT and Parkes) and X-ray (XMM-Newton, Swift, Chandra, and NuSTAR) observations of PSR J1622-4950 indicate that the magnetar, in a quiescent state since at least early 2015, reactivated between 2017 March 19 and April 5. The radio flux density, while variable, is approximately 100x larger than during its dormant state. The X-ray flux one month after reactivation was at least 800x larger than during quiescence, and has been decaying exponentially on a 111+/-19 day timescale. This high-flux state, together with a radio-derived rotational ephemeris, enabled for the first time the detection of X-ray pulsations for this magnetar. At 5%, the 0.3-6 keV pulsed fraction is comparable to the smallest observed for magnetars. The overall pulsar geometry inferred from polarized radio emission appears to be broadly consistent with that determined 6-8 years earlier. However, rotating vector model fits suggest that we are now seeing radio emission from a different location in the magnetosphere than previously. This indicates a novel way in which radio emission from magnetars can differ from that of ordinary pulsars. The torque on the neutron star is varying rapidly and unsteadily, as is common for magnetars following outburst, having changed by a factor of 7 within six months of reactivation.Comment: Published in ApJ (2018 April 5); 13 pages, 4 figure

High-resolution observations of low-luminosity gigahertz-peaked spectrum and compact steep-spectrum sources

© 2018 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society. We present very long baseline interferometry observations of a faint and low-luminosity (L 1.4 GHz < 10 27 W Hz -1 ) gigahertz-peaked spectrum (GPS) and compact steep-spectrum (CSS) sample. We select eight sources from deep radio observations that have radio spectra characteristic of a GPS or CSS source and an angular size of Φ <~ 2 arcsec, and detect six of them with the Australian Long Baseline Array. We determine their linear sizes, and model their radio spectra using synchrotron self-absorption (SSA) and free-free absorption (FFA) models. We derive statistical model ages, based on a fitted scaling relation, and spectral ages, based on the radio spectrum, which are generally consistent with the hypothesis that GPS and CSS sources are young and evolving. We resolve the morphology of one CSS source with a radio luminosity of 10 2 5WHz -1 , and find what appear to be two hotspots spanning 1.7 kpc. We find that our sources follow the turnover-linear size relation, and that both homogeneous SSA and an inhomogeneous FFA model can account for the spectra with observable turnovers. All but one of the FFA models do not require a spectral break to account for the radio spectrum, while all but one of the alternative SSA and power-law models do require a spectral break to account for the radio spectrum. We conclude that our low-luminosity sample is similar to brighter samples in terms of their spectral shape, turnover frequencies, linear sizes, and ages, but cannot test for a difference in morphology

A GMRT 610 MHz radio survey of the North Ecliptic Pole (NEP, ADF-N) / Euclid Deep Field North

This paper presents a 610 MHz radio survey covering 1.94 deg2 around the North Ecliptic Pole (NEP), which includes parts of the AKARI (ADF-N) and Euclid, Deep Fields North. The median 5σ sensitivity is 28 μJy beam−1, reaching as low as 19 μJy beam−1, with a synthesised beam of 3.6″× 4.1″. The catalogue contains 1675 radio components, with 339 grouped into multi-component sources and 284 ’isolated’ components likely part of double radio sources. Imaging, cataloguing, and source identification are presented, along with preliminary scientific results. From a non-statistical sub-set of 169 objects with multi-wavelength AKARI and other detections, luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs) represent 66% of the sample, ultra-luminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs) 4%, and sources with LIR 11 L⊙ 30%. In total, 56% of sources show some AGN presence, though only seven are AGN-dominated. ULIRGs require three times higher AGN contribution to produce high-quality SED fits compared to lower luminosity galaxies, and AGN presence increases with AGN fraction. The PAH mass fraction is not significant, although ULIRGs have about half the PAH strength of lower IR-luminosity galaxies. Higher luminosity galaxies show gas and stellar masses an order of magnitude larger, suggesting higher star formation rates. For LIRGs, AGN presence increases with redshift, indicating that part of the total luminosity could be contributed by AGN activity rather than star formation. Simple cross-matching revealed 13 ROSAT QSOs, 45 X-ray sources, and 61 sub-mm galaxies coincident with GMRT radio sources

The SARAO MeerKAT 1.3 GHz Galactic Plane Survey

We present the SARAO MeerKAT Galactic Plane Survey (SMGPS), a 1.3 GHz continuum survey of almost half of the Galactic Plane (251\deg $\le l \le$ 358\deg and 2\deg $\le l \le$ 61\deg at $|b| \le 1.5\deg$). SMGPS is the largest, most sensitive and highest angular resolution 1 GHz survey of the Plane yet carried out, with an angular resolution of 8" and a broadband RMS sensitivity of $\sim$10--20 $\mu$ Jy/beam. Here we describe the first publicly available data release from SMGPS which comprises data cubes of frequency-resolved images over 908--1656 MHz, power law fits to the images, and broadband zeroth moment integrated intensity images. A thorough assessment of the data quality and guidance for future usage of the data products are given. Finally, we discuss the tremendous potential of SMGPS by showcasing highlights of the Galactic and extragalactic science that it permits. These highlights include the discovery of a new population of non-thermal radio filaments; identification of new candidate supernova remnants, pulsar wind nebulae and planetary nebulae; improved radio/mid-IR classification of rare Luminous Blue Variables and discovery of associated extended radio nebulae; new radio stars identified by Bayesian cross-matching techniques; the realisation that many of the largest radio-quiet WISE HII region candidates are not true HII regions; and a large sample of previously undiscovered background HI galaxies in the Zone of Avoidance

The radio spectral energy distribution of infrared-faint radio sources

This document is the Accepted Manuscript of the following article: A, Herzog, et al, 'The radio spectral energy distribution of infrared-faint radio sources', Astronomy & Astrophysics, A130 (2016), DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/201527000. © ESO 2016. Published by EDP Sciences.Infrared-faint radio sources (IFRS) are a class of radio-loud (RL) active galactic nuclei (AGN) at high redshifts (z > 1.7) that are characterised by their relative infrared faintness, resulting in enormous radio-to-infrared flux density ratios of up to several thousand. We aim to test the hypothesis that IFRS are young AGN, particularly GHz peaked-spectrum (GPS) and compact steep-spectrum (CSS) sources that have a low frequency turnover. We use the rich radio data set available for the Australia Telescope Large Area Survey fields, covering the frequency range between 150 MHz and 34 GHz with up to 19 wavebands from different telescopes, and build radio spectral energy distributions (SEDs) for 34 IFRS. We then study the radio properties of this class of object with respect to turnover, spectral index, and behaviour towards higher frequencies. We also present the highest-frequency radio observations of an IFRS, observed with the Plateau de Bure Interferometer at 105 GHz, and model the multi-wavelength and radio-far-infrared SED of this source. We find IFRS usually follow single power laws down to observed frequencies of around 150 MHz. Mostly, the radio SEDs are steep, but we also find ultra-steep SEDs. In particular, IFRS show statistically significantly steeper radio SEDs than the broader RL AGN population. Our analysis reveals that the fractions of GPS and CSS sources in the population of IFRS are consistent with the fractions in the broader RL AGN population. We find that at least 18% of IFRS contain young AGN, although the fraction might be significantly higher as suggested by the steep SEDs and the compact morphology of IFRS. The detailed multi-wavelength SED modelling of one IFRS shows that it is different from ordinary AGN, although it is consistent with a composite starburst-AGN model with a star formation rate of 170 solar masses per year.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio