arXiv subjects

H. K. Vedantham

Publications and source records attributed to H. K. Vedantham.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Radio emission from star-planet interactions

Stars interact with their exoplanets though gravity, radiation, plasma and magnetic fields. Stellar plasma and magnetic fields impose electrodynamic effects on exoplanet atmospheres and interiors that include heating, aurorae and atmospheric mass loss. The planets in turn can excite Alfvénic disturbances that are dissipated on the star leading to chromospheric heating and flares. This interaction, broadly called magnetic star-planet interaction (M-SPI), can also generate radio signatures both from the star and the exoplanet. The radio emission encodes information on the dynamics/energetics of the interaction, the magnetic field strength and topology of the emitter and the orbital/rotational geometry of the system -- information that is difficult or in some cases implausible to obtain by other means. Yet we do not have a conclusive detection of M-SPI in the radio band primarily due to sensitivity limitations and scarce observing time spent monitoring promising targets. Here we describe the scientific motivation to study M-SPI in exoplanetary systems, to get progress in understanding its predicted signal strength and phenomenology. We argue that the SKA telescopes can make a transformative contribution to exoplanet science by detecting M-SPI in the radio band but this will require substantial observing time -- similar to that afforded to successful optical-band searches for M-SPI signatures.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2026

The LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey: VII. Third Data Release

We present the third data release of the LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey (LoTSS-DR3). The survey images cover 88% of the northern sky and were created from 12,950 hrs of data (18.6 PB) accumulated over 10.5 years. The images were produced through direction-independent and direction-dependent calibration pipelines that correct for instrumental effects as well as spatially and temporally varying ionospheric distortions. In our 120-168 MHz continuum mosaic images with an angular resolution of 6 arcsec (9 arcsec below declination 10$^\circ$) we catalogue 13,667,877 sources, formed from 16,943,656 Gaussian components. The scatter in the astrometric precision approximately follows the expected noise-like behaviour but with an additional systematic component of at least 0.24 arcsec that is likely due to calibration imperfections. The random flux density scale error is 6%, while the systematic offset was previously shown to be within 2%. The median sensitivity of our mosaics is 92$μ$Jy beam$^{-1}$. Completeness simulations, accounting for realistic source models, time- and bandwidth-smearing effects, and astrometric errors, indicate that we detect more than 95% of compact sources with integrated flux densities exceeding 9 times the local root mean square (RMS) noise. However, the recovered source counts in a particular integrated flux density bin do not match the injected counts until flux densities exceed 45 times the local RMS noise. The Euclidean-normalised differential source counts derived from the survey constrain the radio source population over five orders of magnitude and are in good agreement with previous deep and wide-area surveys. All data products are publicly available, including catalogues, individual-field Stokes I, Q, U, and V images, mosaicked Stokes I images, and $uv$ data with associated direction-dependent calibration solutions.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2025

An improved algorithm for separating clock delays from ionospheric effects in radio astronomy

Context: Low-frequency radio observations are heavily impacted by the ionosphere, where dispersive delays can outpace even instrumental clock offsets, posing a serious calibration challenge. Especially below 100 MHz, phase unwrapping difficulties and higher-order dispersion effects can complicate the separation of ionospheric and clock delays. Aims: We address this challenge by introducing a method for reliably separating clock delays from ionospheric effects, even under mediocre to poor ionospheric conditions encountered near solar maximum. Methods: The approach employs a key technique: we modelled our likelihood space using the circular Gaussian distribution (von Mises random variable) rather than non-circular distributions that suffer from $2π$ phase ambiguities. This ensures that noisier data are weighted less heavily than cleaner data during the fitting process. Results: The method reliably separates clock delays and ionospheric terms that vary smoothly in time whilst providing a good fit to the data. A comparison with the clock-ionosphere separation approach used in standard LOFAR data processing shows that our technique achieves significant improvements. In contrast to the old algorithm, which often fails to return reliable results below 100 MHz even under good ionospheric conditions, the new algorithm consistently provides reliable solutions across a wider range of conditions. Conclusions: This new algorithm represents a significant advance for large-scale surveys, offering a more dependable way to study ionospheric effects and furthering research in ionospheric science and low-frequency radio astronomy.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2025

The Dark Ages Explorer (DEX): a filled-aperture ultra-long wavelength radio interferometer on the lunar far side

The measurement of the spatial fluctuations of the neutral hydrogen 21 cm signal arising during the Dark Ages and Cosmic Dawn periods of our Universe (z from 200 to 10) holds the potential to resolve these still-unexplored earliest phases of the evolution of matter structures. As these cosmological signals are very weak, large distributed telescopes are required at locations free from terrestrial radio interference and ionospheric disturbances. This paper presents a description of the scientific aims, the instrumental concept, and technological developments of an experiment - dubbed the Dark-ages EXplorer (DEX) - which would allow us to (a) measure the Global Signal and (b) measure the angular density fluctuations and conduct line-of-sight tomography in the Dark Ages and Cosmic Dawn epochs. Additional scientific goals are also briefly described. The experiment consists of a low-frequency radio interferometer, which should ideally be located on the far side of the Moon. The paper presents findings from an ESA Concurrent Design Facility (CDF) study, which was conducted to assess the feasibility of such a system using present-day technologies with a high TRL (Technology Readiness Level). Although the study finds that the number of antennas needed to achieve the primary scientific goals is not yet feasible at the moment, it points to a path of technological development that can lead to a realistic and valuable experiment in the medium-term future (i.e., the next decade(s)), as well as development of multi-purpose use technology that can be applied on Earth, and towards other lunar operations.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2025

Deep radio interferometric search for decametre radio emission from the exoplanet Tau Boötis b

Detection of electron cyclotron maser (ECM) emission from exoplanets in the 10-40 MHz radio band is likely the only way to measure an exoplanet's magnetic field directly. However, no definitive detection of exoplanetary ECM emission has been made to date. A detection of the hot Jupiter Tau Boötis b was reported but with an observing mode that is not immune to confusion from off-axis interference, making the detection tentative. We searched for radio emissions from Tau Boötis b using the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) in interferometric mode, which employs direction-of-arrival information to discriminate genuine signals from interference. Our aim was to confirm the previous tentative detection or establish an upper limit in the case of a non-detection. We conducted observations using LOFAR's Low Band Antenna in interferometric mode, which totalled 64, hours spread over 8, nights. We created a custom data-processing pipeline to mitigate common challenges in decametric radio astronomy, including radio frequency interference, ionospheric distortions, and sidelobe noise from nearby bright radio sources. We used this pipeline to image the field around Tau Boötis b, searching for both quiescent and bursting emission from the direction of Tau Boötis b. Despite the high sensitivity of the interferometric observations and extensive data processing, no significant emission was detected from Tau Boötis b in Stokes V. We establish an upper limit of 2 sigma at 24 mJy for any continuous emission from the exoplanet. The previous tentative detection of 400 mJy is thus not confirmed by the interferometric observations. The previous tentative detection is unlikely to be a bona fide astrophysical signal. Our upper limit is lower than the flux density predicted by scaling laws, meaning either the scaling laws need to be revised or the emission from this particular system is beamed away from Earth.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2024

uGMRT Survey of EXoplanets Around M-dwarfs (GS-EXAM): Radio observations of GJ 1151

Coherent radio emission with properties similar to planetary auroral signals has been reported from GJ 1151, a quiescent, slow-rotating mid-M star, by the LOFAR Two-metre (120-170 MHz) Sky Survey (LoTSS). The observed {LOFAR} emission is fairly bright at 0.89 mJy with 64% circular polarization, and the emission characteristics are consistent with the interaction between an Earth-sized planet with an orbital period of 1-5 days and the magnetic field of the host star. However, no short-period planet has been detected around GJ 1151. To confirm the reported radio emission caused by the putative planet around GJ 1151 and to investigate the nature of this emission, we carried out uGMRT observations of GJ 1151 at 150, 218, and 400 MHz over 33 hours across ten epochs. No emission was detected at any frequency. While at 150 MHz and 218 MHz, non-detection could be due to the low sensitivity of our observations, at 400 MHz, the rms sensitivities achieved were sufficient to detect the emission observed with LOFAR at $\sim$ 20$σ$ level. Our findings suggest that the radio emission is highly time-variable, likely influenced by the star-planet system's phase and the host star's magnetic field. Additional observations below 170 MHz, at more frequent epochs (as the periodicity of the emission is unknown), especially during periods of high stellar magnetic field strength, are needed to confirm the emission.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2023

A LOFAR sample of luminous compact sources coincident with nearby dwarf galaxies

The vast majority of extragalactic compact continuum radio sources are associated with star formation or jets from (super)massive black holes and, as such, are more likely to be found in association with starburst galaxies or early-type galaxies. Two new populations of radio sources were recently identified: (a) compact and persistent sources (PRSs) associated with fast radio bursts (FRBs) in dwarf galaxies and (b) compact sources in dwarf galaxies that could belong to the long-sought population of intermediate-mass black holes. Despite the interesting aspects of these newly found sources, the current sample size is small, limiting scrutiny of the underlying population. Here, we present a search for compact radio sources coincident with dwarf galaxies. We search the LOFAR Two-meter Sky Survey (LoTSS), the most sensitive low-frequency (144 MHz central frequency) large-area survey for optically thin synchrotron emission to date. Exploiting the high spatial resolution (6 arcsec) and low astrometric uncertainty (~0.2 arcsec) of the LoTSS, we match its compact sources to the compiled sample of dwarf galaxies in the Census of the Local Universe, an H alpha survey with the Palomar Observatory 48 inch Samuel Oschin Telescope. We identify 29 over-luminous compact radio sources, evaluate the probability of chance alignment within the sample, investigate the potential nature of these sources, and evaluate their volumetric density and volumetric rate. While optical line-ratio diagnostics on the nebular lines from the host galaxies support a star-formation origin rather than an AGN origin, future high-angular-resolution radio data are necessary to ascertain the origin of the radio sources. We discuss planned strategies to differentiate between candidate FRB hosts and intermediate-mass black holes.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2023

Polarised radio pulsations from a new T dwarf binary

Brown dwarfs display Jupiter-like auroral phenomena such as magnetospheric H$α$ emission and coherent radio emission. Coherent radio emission is a probe of magnetospheric acceleration mechanisms and provides a direct measurement of the magnetic field strength at the emitter's location, both of which are difficult to access by other means. Observations of the coldest brown dwarfs (spectral types T and Y) are particularly interesting as their magnetospheric phenomena may be very similar to those in gas-giant exoplanets. Here we present 144 MHz radio and infrared adaptive optics observations of the brown dwarf WISEP J101905.63+652954.2 made using the LOFAR and Keck telescopes respectively. The radio data shows pulsed highly circularly polarised emission which yields a rotation rate of $0.32\pm0.03$ hr$^{-1}$. The infrared imaging reveals the source to be a binary with a projected separation of $423.0\pm1.6$ mas between components of spectral type T5.$5\pm0.5$ and T7.$0\pm0.5$. With a simple "toy model" we show that the radio emission can in principle be powered by the interaction between the two dwarfs with a mass-loss rates of at least $25$ times the Jovian value. WISEP J101905.63+652954.2 is interesting because it is the first pulsed methane dwarf detected in a low radio-frequency search. Unlike previous gigahertz-frequency searches that were only sensitive to objects with kiloGauss fields, our low-frequency search is sensitive to surface magnetic fields of $\approx 50$ Gauss and above which might reveal the coldest radio-loud objects down to planetary mass-scales.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2022

V-LoTSS: The Circularly-Polarised LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey

We present the detection of 68 sources from the most sensitive radio survey in circular polarisation conducted to date. We use the second data release of the 144 MHz LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey to produce circularly-polarised maps with median 140 $μ$Jy beam$^{-1}$ noise and resolution of 20$''$ for $\approx$27% of the northern sky (5634 deg$^{2}$). The leakage of total intensity into circular polarisation is measured to be $\approx$0.06%, and our survey is complete at flux densities $\geq1$ mJy. A detection is considered reliable when the circularly-polarised fraction exceeds 1%. We find the population of circularly-polarised sources is composed of four distinct classes: stellar systems, pulsars, active galactic nuclei, and sources unidentified in the literature. The stellar systems can be further separated into chromospherically-active stars, M dwarfs, and brown dwarfs. Based on the circularly-polarised fraction and lack of an optical counterpart, we show it is possible to infer whether the unidentified sources are likely unknown pulsars or brown dwarfs. By the completion of this survey of the northern sky, we expect to detect 300$\pm$100 circularly-polarised sources.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

Searching for pulsars associated with polarised point sources using LOFAR: Initial discoveries from the TULIPP project

Discovering radio pulsars, particularly millisecond pulsars (MSPs), is important for a range of astrophysical applications, such as testing theories of gravity or probing the magneto-ionic interstellar medium. We aim to discover pulsars that may have been missed in previous pulsar searches by leveraging known pulsar observables (primarily polarisation) in the sensitive, low-frequency radio images from the Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR) Two-metre Sky Survey (LoTSS), and have commenced the Targeted search, using LoTSS images, for polarised pulsars (TULIPP) survey. For this survey, we identified linearly and circularly polarised point sources with flux densities brighter than 2 mJy in LoTSS images at a centre frequency of 144 MHz with a 48 MHz bandwidth. Over 40 known pulsars, half of which are MSPs, were detected as polarised sources in the LoTSS images and excluded from the survey. We have obtained beam-formed LOFAR observations of 30 candidates, which were searched for pulsations using coherent de-dispersion. Here, we present the results of the first year of the TULIPP survey. We discovered two pulsars, PSRs J1049+5822 and J1602+3901, with rotational periods of P=0.73 s and 3.7 ms, respectively. We also detected a further five known pulsars (two slowly-rotating pulsars and three MSPs) for which accurate sky positions were not available to allow a unique cross-match with LoTSS sources. This targeted survey presents a relatively efficient method by which pulsars, particularly MSPs, may be discovered using the flexible observing modes of sensitive radio telescopes such as the Square Kilometre Array and its pathfinders/precursors, particularly since wide-area all-sky surveys using coherent de-dispersion are currently computationally infeasible.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2022

FRB 121102: drastic changes in the burst polarization contrasts with the stability of the persistent emission

We study milliarcsecond-scale properties of the persistent radio counterpart to FRB 121102 and investigate the spectro-polarimetric properties of a bright burst. For the former, we use European VLBI Network (EVN) observations in 2017 at 1.7 and 4.8 GHz. For the latter, we re-analyse the 1.7-GHz data from the 100-m Effelseberg telescope taken in 2016. These observations predate other polarimetric studies of FRB 121102, and yield the highest burst Faraday rotation measure (RM) to date, RM = 1.27*10^5 rad m^-2, consistent with the decreasing RM trend. The fractional polarization of the burst emission is 15% at 1.7 GHz. This can be reconciled with the high fractional polarization at higher frequencies if the Faraday width of the burst environment is 150 rad m^-2 - a bare 0.1% of the total Faraday rotation. The width may originate from minor non-uniformities in the Faraday screen, or from effects in the emitting region itself. The upper limit on the persistent source size is 1 pc, barely consistent with a young supernova (SN) scenario. The flux variability limit of <10% is not in favor of the young SN scenario, and challenges other interpretations as well. The fractional polarization of the faint persistent source is constrained at <25% at 4.8 GHz ruling out a common origin with the highly polarized individual bursts.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2022

Peculiar radio$-$X-ray relationship in active stars

The empirical relationship between the non-thermal 5GHz radio luminosity and the soft X-ray luminosity of active stellar coronae, canonically called the Güdel-Benz relationship (Güdel & Benz 1993), has been a cornerstone of stellar radio astronomy as it explicitly ties the radio emission to the coronal heating mechanisms. The relationship extends from microflares on the Sun to the coronae of the most active stars suggesting that active coronae are heated by a flare-like process (Benz & Güdel 1994). The relationship is thought to originate from a consistent partition of the available flare energy into relativistic charges, that emit in the radio-band via the incoherent gyrosynchrotron mechanism, and heating of the bulk coronal plasma, that emits in the X-ray band via the Bremsstrahlung mechanism. Consequently, coherent emission from stellar and sub-stellar objects is not expected to adhere to this empirical relationship, as is observed in ultracool dwarf stars and brown dwarfs. Here we report a population of radio-detected chromospherically active stars that surprisingly follows the Güdel-Benz relationship despite their radio emission being classified as coherent emission by virtue of its high circularly polarised fraction and high brightness temperature. Our results prompt a re-examination of the physics behind the Güdel-Benz relationship, its implication for the mechanism of coronal heating and particle acceleration in active stars and the phenomenological connection between solar and stellar flares.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2022

New Tests of Millilensing in the Blazar PKS 1413+135

Symmetric Achromatic Variability (SAV) is a rare form of radio variability in blazars that has been attributed to gravitational millilensing by a ~$10^2 - 10^5$ $M_\odot$ mass condensate. Four SAVs have been identified between 1980 and 2020 in the long-term radio monitoring data of the blazar PKS 1413+135. We show that all four can be fitted with the same, unchanging, gravitational lens model. If SAV is due to gravitational millilensing, PKS 1413+135 provides a unique system for studying active galactic nuclei with unprecedented microarcsecond resolution, as well as for studying the nature of the millilens itself. We discuss two possible candidates for the putative millilens: a giant molecular cloud hosted in the intervening edge-on spiral galaxy, and an undetected dwarf galaxy with a massive black hole. We find a significant dependence of SAV crossing time on frequency, which could indicate a fast shock moving in a slower underlying flow. We also find tentative evidence for a 989-day periodicity in the SAVs, which, if real, makes possible the prediction of future SAVs: the next three windows for possible SAVs begin in August 2022, May 2025, and February 2028.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2021

The population of M dwarfs observed at low radio frequencies

Coherent low-frequency ($\lesssim 200$ MHz) radio emission from stars encodes the conditions of the outer corona, mass-ejection events, and space weather. Previous low-frequency searches for radio emitting stellar systems have lacked the sensitivity to detect the general population, instead largely focusing on targeted studies of anomalously active stars. Here we present 19 detections of coherent radio emission associated with known M~dwarfs from a blind flux-limited low-frequency survey. Our detections show that coherent radio emission is ubiquitous across the M~dwarf main sequence, and that the radio luminosity is independent of known coronal and chromospheric activity indicators. While plasma emission can generate the low-frequency emission from the most chromospherically active stars of our sample, the origin of the radio emission from the most quiescent sources is yet to be ascertained. Large-scale analogues of the magnetospheric processes seen in gas-giant planets likely drive the radio emission associated with these quiescent stars. The slowest-rotating stars of this sample are candidate systems to search for star-planet interaction signatures.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2021

Coherent radio emission from a population of RS Canum Venaticorum systems

Coherent radio emission from stars can be used to constrain fundamental coronal plasma parameters, such as plasma density and magnetic field strength. It is also a probe of chromospheric and magnetospheric acceleration mechanisms. Close stellar binaries, such as RS Canum Venaticorum (RS CVn) systems, are particularly interesting as their heightened level of chromospheric activity and possible direct magnetic interaction make them a unique laboratory to study coronal and magnetospheric acceleration mechanisms. RS CVn binaries are known to be radio-bright but coherent radio emission has only conclusively been detected previously in one system. Here, we present a population of 14 coherent radio emitting RS CVn systems. We identified the population in the ongoing LOFAR Two Metre Sky Survey as circularly polarised sources at 144MHz that are astrometrically associated with known RS CVn binaries. We show that the observed emission is powered by the electron cyclotron maser instability. We use numerical calculations of the maser's beaming geometry to argue that the commonly invoked 'loss-cone' maser cannot generate the necessary brightness temperature in some of our detections and that a more efficient instability, such as the shell or horseshoe maser, must be invoked. Such maser configurations are known to operate in planetary magnetospheres. We also outline two acceleration mechanisms that could produce coherent radio emission, one where the acceleration occurs in the chromosphere and one where the acceleration is due to an electrodynamic interaction between the stars. We propose radio and optical monitoring observations that can differentiate between these two mechanisms.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2021

SMILE: Search for MIlli-LEnses

Dark Matter (DM) halos with masses below $\sim10^{8}$ $M_{\odot}$, which would help to discriminate between DM models, may be detected through their gravitational effect on distant sources. The same applies to primordial black holes, considered as an alternative scenario to DM particle models. However, there is still no evidence for the existence of such objects. With the aim of finding compact objects in the mass range $\sim$ 10$^{6}$ -- 10$^{9}$$M_{\odot}$, we search for strong gravitational lenses on milli (mas)-arcseconds scales (< 150 mas). For our search, we used the Astrogeo VLBI FITS image database -- the largest publicly available database, containing multi-frequency VLBI data of 13828 individual sources. We used the citizen science approach to visually inspect all sources in all available frequencies in search for images with multiple compact components on mas-scales. At the final stage, sources were excluded based on the surface brightness preservation criterion. We obtained a sample of 40 sources that passed all steps and therefore are judged to be milli-arcsecond lens candidates. These sources are currently followed-up with on-going European VLBI Network (EVN) observations at 5 and 22 GHz. Based on spectral index measurements, we suggest that two of our candidates have a higher probability to be associated with gravitational lenses.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2021

Detection of coherent low-frequency radio bursts from weak-line TTauri stars

In recent years, thanks to new facilities such as LOFAR capable of sensitive observations, much work has been done on the detection of stellar radio emission at low frequencies. Such emission has commonly been shown to be coherent emission, generally attributed to electron-cyclotron maser emission, and has usually been detected from main-sequence M dwarfs. Here we report the first detection of coherent emission at low frequencies from T Tauri stars, which are known to be associated with high levels of stellar activity. Using LOFAR, we have detected several bright radio bursts at 150 MHz from two weak-line T Tauri stars: KPNO-Tau 14 and LkCa 4. All of the bursts have high brightness temperatures ($10^{13} - 10^{14}\ \mathrm{K}$) and high circular polarization fractions (60 - 90 \%), indicating that they must be due to a coherent emission mechanism. This could be either plasma emission or electron-cyclotron maser (ECM) emission. Due to the exceptionally high brightness temperatures seen in at least one of the bursts ($\geq 10^{14}\ \mathrm{K}$), and the high circular polarization levels, it seems unlikely that plasma emission could be the source and so ECM is favoured as the most likely emission mechanism. Assuming this is the case, the required magnetic field in the emission regions would be 40 - 70 G. We determine that the most likely method of generating ECM emission is plasma co-rotation breakdown in the stellar magnetosphere. There remains the possibility, however, it could be due to an interaction with an orbiting exoplanet.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2021

Large closed-field corona of WX UMa evidenced from radio observations

The space-weather conditions that result from stellar winds significantly impact the habitability of exoplanets. The conditions can be calculated from first principles if the necessary boundary conditions -- namely on the plasma density in the outer corona and the radial distance at which the plasma forces the closed magnetic field into an open geometry -- are specified. Low frequency radio observations ($ν\lesssim 200$ MHz) of plasma and cyclotron emission from stars probe these magneto-ionic conditions. Here we report the detection of low-frequency ($120-167\,{\rm MHz}$) radio emission associated with the dMe6 star WX UMa. If the emission originates in WX UMa's corona, we show that the closed field regions extends to at least $\approx 10$ stellar radii, that is about a factor of a few larger than the solar value, and possibly to $\gtrsim 20$ stellar radii. Our results suggest that the magnetic-field structure of M dwarfs is in between Sun-like and planet-like configurations, where compact over-dense coronal loops with X-ray emitting plasma co-exist with a large-scale magnetosphere with lower plasma density and closed magnetic geometry.

astro-ph.SR↗