arXiv subjects

Akshat Singhal

Publications and source records attributed to Akshat Singhal.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

A $Z_1^2$ framework for rotational-parameter estimation and uncertainty quantification in high-energy pulsars

We present a $Z_1^2$-based framework for estimating the spin frequency and frequency derivative of high-energy pulsars from Poisson-limited photon event lists. The key point is that the width of a coherent detection peak is not, by itself, the statistical uncertainty on the recovered rotational parameters. We develop and compare three computationally efficient estimators: segmented frequency regression, a coherent derivative scan, and a localized two-dimensional coherent fit. For sinusoidal signals, we derive the local form of the Z-squared response as a function of frequency and frequency derivative, and show that expressing the frequency at the midpoint of the observation removes the leading-order covariance between the two parameters. This gives simple uncertainty estimates in terms of the fitted peak amplitude and local widths, without requiring an exhaustive Monte Carlo simulation for each observation. We test these estimates with Monte Carlo simulations over a range of observing spans, signal strengths, grid resolutions, and good-time-interval structures, and show that the predicted uncertainties reproduce the run-to-run scatter of the recovered parameters in the tested regimes. We then apply the framework to AstroSat/LAXPC event lists for the Crab pulsar, Swift J0243.6+6124, and SAX J1808.4-3658. The results provide a practical and statistically motivated route to rotational-parameter estimation for targeted high-energy pulsar searches.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2025

A directed continuous-wave search from neutron stars in binary systems with the five-vector resampling technique

Continuous gravitational-wave signals (CWs), which are typically emitted by rapidly rotating neutron stars with non-axisymmetric deformations, represent particularly intriguing targets for the Advanced LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA detectors. These detectors operate within sensitivity bands that encompass more than half of the known pulsars in our galaxy existing in binary systems, which are the targeted sources of this paper. However, the detection of these faint signals is especially challenged by the Doppler modulation due to the source's orbital motion, typically described by five Keplerian parameters, which must be determined with high precision to effectively detect the signal. This modulation spreads the signal across multiple frequency bins, resulting in a notable reduction of signal-to-noise ratio and potentially hindering signal detection. To overcome this issue, a robust five-vector resampling data-analysis algorithm has been developed to conduct thorough directed/narrowband CW searches at an affordable computational cost. We employ this methodology for the first time to search for CWs from Scorpius X-1, using publicly available data from the third observing run of the Advanced LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA detectors. No statistically significant CW signals can be claimed. Hence, we proceeded setting 95% confidence-level upper limits in selected frequency bands and orbital parameter ranges, while also evaluating overall sensitivity.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2025

A directed continuous-wave search from Scorpius X-1 with the five-vector resampling technique

Continuous gravitational-wave signals (CWs), which are typically emitted by rapidly rotating neutron stars with non-axisymmetric deformations, represent particularly intriguing targets for the Advanced LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA detectors. These detectors operate within sensitivity bands that encompass more than half of the known pulsars in our galaxy existing in binary systems (i.e., over 417 pulsars), which are the targeted sources of this paper. However, the detection of these faint signals is especially challenged by the Doppler modulation due to the source's orbital motion, typically described by five Keplerian parameters, which must be determined with high precision to effectively detect the signal. This modulation spreads the signal across multiple frequency bins, resulting in a notable reduction of signal-to-noise ratio and potentially hindering signal detection. To overcome this issue, a robust five-vector resampling data-analysis algorithm has been developed to conduct thorough directed/narrowband CW searches at an affordable computational cost. We employ this methodology for the first time to search for CWs from Scorpius X-1, using publicly available data from the third observing run of the Advanced LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA detectors. No statistically significant CW signals can be claimed. Hence, we proceeded setting 95% confidence-level upper limits in selected frequency bands and orbital parameter ranges, while also evaluating overall sensitivity.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2024

Status of Astronomy Education in India: A Baseline Survey

We present the results of a nation-wide baseline survey, conducted by us, for the status of Astronomy education among secondary school students in India. The survey was administered in 10 different languages to over 2000 students from diverse backgrounds, and it explored multiple facets of their perspectives on astronomy. The topics included students' views on the incorporation of astronomy in curricula, their grasp of fundamental astronomical concepts, access to educational resources, cultural connections to astronomy, and their levels of interest and aspirations in the subject. We find notable deficiencies in students' knowledge of basic astronomical principles, with only a minority demonstrating proficiency in key areas such as celestial sizes, distances, and lunar phases. Furthermore, access to resources such as telescopes and planetariums remain limited across the country. Despite these challenges, a significant majority of students expressed a keen interest in astronomy. We further analyze the data along socioeconomic and gender lines. Particularly striking were the socioeconomic disparities, with students from resource-poor backgrounds often having lower levels of access and proficiency. Some differences were observed between genders, although not very pronounced. The insights gleaned from this study hold valuable implications for the development of a more robust astronomy curriculum and the design of effective teacher training programs in the future.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2023

Quantifying Period Uncertainty in X-ray Pulsars with Poisson-Limited Data

There have been significant developments in the period estimation tools and methods for analysing high energy pulsars in the past few decades. However, these tools lack well-standardised methods for calculating uncertainties in period estimation and other recovered parameters for Poisson--dominated data. Error estimation is important for assigning confidence intervals to the models we study, but due to their high computational cost, errors in the pulsar periods were largely ignored in the past. Furthermore, existing literature has often employed semi-analytical techniques that lack rigorous mathematical foundations or exhibit a predominant emphasis on the analysis of white noise and time series data. We present results from our numerical and analytical study of the error distribution of the recovered parameters of high energy pulsar data using the $Z_n^2$ method. We comprehensively formalise the measure of error for the generic pulsar period with much higher reliability than some common methods. Our error estimation method becomes more reliable and robust when observing pulsars for few kilo-seconds, especially for typical pulsars with periods ranging from a few milliseconds to a few seconds. We have verified our results with observations of the \emph{Crab} pulsar, as well as a large set of simulated pulsars. Our codes are publicly available for use.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2022

Science with the Daksha High Energy Transients Mission

We present the science case for the proposed Daksha high energy transients mission. Daksha will comprise of two satellites covering the entire sky from 1~keV to $>1$~MeV. The primary objectives of the mission are to discover and characterize electromagnetic counterparts to gravitational wave source; and to study Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs). Daksha is a versatile all-sky monitor that can address a wide variety of science cases. With its broadband spectral response, high sensitivity, and continuous all-sky coverage, it will discover fainter and rarer sources than any other existing or proposed mission. Daksha can make key strides in GRB research with polarization studies, prompt soft spectroscopy, and fine time-resolved spectral studies. Daksha will provide continuous monitoring of X-ray pulsars. It will detect magnetar outbursts and high energy counterparts to Fast Radio Bursts. Using Earth occultation to measure source fluxes, the two satellites together will obtain daily flux measurements of bright hard X-ray sources including active galactic nuclei, X-ray binaries, and slow transients like Novae. Correlation studies between the two satellites can be used to probe primordial black holes through lensing. Daksha will have a set of detectors continuously pointing towards the Sun, providing excellent hard X-ray monitoring data. Closer to home, the high sensitivity and time resolution of Daksha can be leveraged for the characterization of Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2022

Daksha: On Alert for High Energy Transients

We present Daksha, a proposed high energy transients mission for the study of electromagnetic counterparts of gravitational wave sources, and gamma ray bursts. Daksha will comprise of two satellites in low earth equatorial orbits, on opposite sides of earth. Each satellite will carry three types of detectors to cover the entire sky in an energy range from 1 keV to >1 MeV. Any transients detected on-board will be announced publicly within minutes of discovery. All photon data will be downloaded in ground station passes to obtain source positions, spectra, and light curves. In addition, Daksha will address a wide range of science cases including monitoring X-ray pulsars, studies of magnetars, solar flares, searches for fast radio burst counterparts, routine monitoring of bright persistent high energy sources, terrestrial gamma-ray flashes, and probing primordial black hole abundances through lensing. In this paper, we discuss the technical capabilities of Daksha, while the detailed science case is discussed in a separate paper.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2022

Gravitational Waves and Electromagnetic Transients

The advanced gravitational wave (GW) detector network has started {routine detection of } signals from merging compact binaries. Data indicate that in a fair fraction of these sources, at least one component was a neutron star, bringing with it the possibility of electromagnetic (EM) radiation. So far, a confirmed link between EM and GW radiation has been established for only one source, GW170817. Joint analysis of broadband multiwavelength data and the GW signal have yielded rich information spanning fields as varied as jet physics, cosmology, and nucleosynthesis. Here, we discuss the importance of such joint observations, as well as current and near-future efforts to discover and study more EM counterparts to GW sources.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2021

Deep Co-Added Sky from Catalina Sky Survey Images

A number of synoptic sky surveys are underway or being planned. Typically they are done with small telescopes and relatively short exposure times. A search for transient or variable sources involves comparison with deeper baseline images, ideally obtained through the same telescope and camera. With that in mind we have stacked images from the 0.68~m Schmidt telescope on Mt. Bigelow taken over ten years as part of the Catalina Sky Survey. In order to generate deep reference images for the Catalina Real-time Transient Survey, close to 0.8 million images over 8000 fields and covering over 27000~sq.~deg. have gone into the deep stack that goes up to 3 magnitudes deeper than individual images. CRTS system does not use a filter in imaging, hence there is no standard passband in which the optical magnitude is measured. We estimate depth by comparing these wide-band unfiltered co-added images with images in the $g$-band and find that the image depth ranges from 22.0--24.2 across the sky, with a 200-image stack attaining an equivalent AB magnitude sensitivity of 22.8. We compared various state-of-the-art software packages for co-adding astronomical images and have used SWarp for the stacking. We describe here the details of the process adopted. This methodology may be useful in other panoramic imaging applications, and to other surveys as well. The stacked images are available through a server at Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA).

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2021

Using collimated CZTI as all sky X-ray detector based on Earth Occultation Technique

All-sky monitors can measure the fluxes of astrophysical sources by measuring the changes in observed counts as the source is occulted by the Earth. Such measurements have typically been carried out by all-sky monitors like $\textit{CGRO}$-BATSE and $\textit{Fermi}$-GBM. We demonstrate for the first time the application of this technique to measure fluxes of sources using a collimated instrument: the Cadmium Zinc Telluride detector on $\textit{AstroSat}$. Reliable flux measurements are obtained for the Crab nebula and pulsar, and for Cyg X-1 by carefully selecting the best occultation data sets. We demonstrate that CZTI can obtain such measurements for hard sources with intensities $\gtrsim1$Crab.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2019

How effective is machine learning to detect long transient gravitational waves from neutron stars in a real search?

We present a comprehensive study of the effectiveness of Convolution Neural Networks (CNNs) to detect long duration transient gravitational-wave signals lasting $O(hours-days)$ from isolated neutron stars. We determine that CNNs are robust towards signal morphologies that differ from the training set, and they do not require many training injections/data to guarantee good detection efficiency and low false alarm probability. In fact, we only need to train one CNN on signal/noise maps in a single 150 Hz band; afterwards, the CNN can distinguish signals/noise well in any band, though with different efficiencies and false alarm probabilities due to the non-stationary noise in LIGO/Virgo. We demonstrate that we can control the false alarm probability for the CNNs by selecting the optimal threshold on the outputs of the CNN, which appears to be frequency dependent. Finally we compare the detection efficiencies of the networks to a well-established algorithm, the Generalized FrequencyHough (GFH), which maps curves in the time/frequency plane to lines in a plane that relates to the initial frequency/spindown of the source. The networks have similar sensitivities to the GFH but are orders of magnitude faster to run and can detect signals to which the GFH is blind. Using the results of our analysis, we propose strategies to apply CNNs to a real search using LIGO/Virgo data to overcome the obstacles that we would encounter, such as a finite amount of training data. We then use our networks and strategies to run a real search for a remnant of GW170817, making this the first time ever that a machine learning method has been applied to search for a gravitational wave signal from an isolated neutron star.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2016

An optimal method for scheduling observations of large sky error regions for finding optical counterparts to transients

The discovery and subsequent study of optical counterparts to transient sources is crucial for their complete astrophysical understanding. Various gamma ray burst (GRB) detectors, and more notably the ground--based gravitational wave detectors, typically have large uncertainties in the sky positions of detected sources. Searching these large sky regions spanning hundreds of square degrees is a formidable challenge for most ground--based optical telescopes, which can usually image less than tens of square degrees of the sky in a single night. We present algorithms for optimal scheduling of such follow--up observations in order to maximize the probability of imaging the optical counterpart, based on the all--sky probability distribution of the source position. We incorporate realistic observing constraints like the diurnal cycle, telescope pointing limitations, available observing time, and the rising/setting of the target at the observatory location. We use simulations to demonstrate that our proposed algorithms outperform the default greedy observing schedule used by many observatories. Our algorithms are applicable for follow--up of other transient sources with large positional uncertainties, like Fermi--detected GRBs, and can easily be adapted for scheduling radio or space--based X--ray followup.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2016

Phase Space dynamics of triaxial collapse: Joint density-velocity evolution

We investigate the dynamics of triaxial collapse in terms of eigenvalues of the deformation tensor, the velocity derivative tensor and the gravity Hessian. Using the Bond-Myers model of ellipsoidal collapse, we derive a new set of equations for the nine eigenvalues and examine their dynamics in phase space. The main advantage of this form is that it eliminates the complicated elliptic integrals that appear in the axes evolution equations and is more natural way to understand the interplay between the perturbations. This paper focuses on the density-velocity dynamics. The Zeldovich approximation implies that the three tensors are proportional; the proportionality constant is set by demanding `no decaying modes'. We extend this condition into the non-linear regime and find that the eigenvalues of the gravity Hessian and the velocity derivative tensor are related as ${\tilde q}_d + {\tilde q}_v=1$, where the triaxiality parameter ${\tilde q} = (λ_{\mathrm{max}} - λ_{\mathrm{inter}})/(λ_{\mathrm{max}} - λ_{\mathrm{min}})$. This is a {\it new universal relation} holding true over all redshifts and a range of mass scales to within a few percent accuracy. The mean density-velocity divergence relation at late times is close to linear, indicating that the dynamics is dictated by collapse along the largest eigendirection. This relation has a scatter, which we show, is intimately connected to the velocity shear. Finally, as an application, we compute the PDFs of the two variables and compare with other forms in the literature.

astro-ph.CO↗