arXiv subjects

Iris de Ruiter

Publications and source records attributed to Iris de Ruiter.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

White dwarf + M dwarf Detached Binaries in Long Period Radio Transients: Observed Binary Parameters, Evolution, and Population Constraints

Long period radio transients (LPTs) are the slowest radio-pulsing sources ever found, with the current population spanning periods of seven minutes to over six hours. Two of the thirteen published LPTs, ILT J1101+5521 and GLEAM-X J0704--37, have been associated with an M dwarf closely orbiting a white dwarf (WD) through optical spectroscopy. Here, we present new Keck I/LRIS optical spectroscopy of ILT J1101+5521, which reveals H$α$ emission from the M dwarf and confirms an orbital period nearly matching the radio period (2.092 hr). Radio pulses in both systems arrive just after maximum M dwarf redshift, assuming the radio period matches the orbital period. Based on Gaia proper motions and systemic velocities, we find that these systems are kinematically hotter and less concentrated in the Galactic plane than other LPTs. Both systems harbor unusually massive and cool WDs, with $M_\mathrm{WD} \approx 0.84-1.0 M_\odot$ and $T_\mathrm{eff} \approx 5200-7300$ K, implying that their carbon-oxygen cores are nearly entirely crystallized. Both systems are unusually close to being face-on binaries ($i=13^\circ-28^\circ$), signaling that the production of coherent radio pulses may be a strongly inclination-dependent phenomenon. We present MESA models that show that the M dwarf in each system will fill its Roche lobe within $\sim1$ Gyr, becoming a cataclysmic variable. Finally, we place lower limits on the space density of WD + M dwarf LPTs ($ρ\gtrsim 10^{-8}\;\mathrm{pc}^{-3}$); based on the broader population of WD + M dwarf binaries, we estimate that there are 100 (1000) WD + M dwarf LPTs within 2 kpc if current radio findings are 100% (10%) complete. Current and upcoming radio surveys will be sensitive to many such systems, and M dwarf optical counterparts out to $\sim$2 kpc will be detectable with the Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST).

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2026

VASTER: The ASKAP real-time fast-imaging pipeline -- overview and discovery of two long period transients

Recent developments in widefield radio telescopes have enabled searches of a new region of parameter space in the time domain: timescales of seconds to minutes, that have been overlooked in traditional surveys. These searches have revealed a new population of sources: long period transients, which typically show periodic behaviour of minutes to hours. In addition they have detected phenomena ranging from extreme scintillation to stellar radio bursts. However, almost all searches to date have involved archival data that has been processed in offline, batch mode. In this context, we present VASTER, the first short-timescale imaging and transient detection pipeline running in real time on a widefield radio telescope. VASTER has been running on the Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP) since July 2025, and images most of the ASKAP survey project data on timescales of 15 minutes. In this paper we describe the VASTER system, and present the results from the first two weeks of operation, including the discovery of two long period transients: ASKAP~J165130.3$-$450520 with a period of 6.48 hours and ASKAP~J170036.6$-$445758 with a period of 4.69 hours. The detection of these two sources adds to the small, but growing, population of long period transients, as well as demonstrating the potential of VASTER to explore this region of transient parameter space.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2026

Commensal image plane transient search methods with the SKAO

This chapter outlines the key, state of the art, techniques required to conduct commensal image plane transient searches. Using significant experience and expertise from conducting transient searches with the SKA pathfinders, we have developed efficient fast imaging strategies, automated transient detection pipelines, determined careful filtering techniques to avoid artifacts, and identified the most useful triggered reprocessing tools. Using these strategies, we will be ideally placed to optimally and reliably detect transient sources from commensal image plane transient surveys. The tools and methods presented in this chapter can be used for all SKA-Mid and SKA-Low array deployments from AA* inclusive.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2026

Long-Period Transients as a new frontier in time-domain astronomy

Long-period radio transients (LPTs) are relatively new astrophysical objects occupying the observational gap between canonical pulsars and slowly varying radio variables. They emit coherent, highly polarised radio bursts with periods from minutes to hours, often exhibiting millisecond- to minute-scale substructure, short duty cycles, and broadband emission. Their radio luminosities typically exceed what rotational energy alone can power, necessitating alternative energy sources such as magnetic field decay, magnetospheric reconnection, or binary interactions. As multiwavelength counterparts in X-ray, optical, and infrared bands provide key constraints on progenitors and emission mechanisms, observational evidence points to a diverse progenitor population including ultra-long period magnetars and magnetic white dwarf binaries. Fast imaging surveys with SKAO and its precursors are opening a new discovery space, enabling systematic detection, high-cadence monitoring, and detailed follow-up. Despite the challenges of high extinction, intermittent emission, and computational demands for discovery, the expanding LPT population provides a new laboratory for studying coherent radio emission in a range of compact-object systems, from pulsars to white dwarf binaries. This diversity allows us to test how the emission processes depend on magnetic field strength, rotation, and binary interaction.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2026

Probing Physical Conditions in Classical and Symbiotic Novae with the Square Kilometre Array Observatory

Cataclysmic variables and symbiotic stars are interacting binary systems in which a hot white dwarf (WD) orbits a companion main-sequence or red giant star, respectively. Accumulation of hydrogen-rich material on the WD surface may trigger re-ignition of thermonuclear reactions that, under degenerate conditions, lead to an explosive ejection of the accreted layer mixed with WD material. These explosions, known as classical novae, provide opportunities to study key astrophysical processes such as binary evolution, accretion, ionisation of circumstellar material, mass ejection, jet formation, and thermonuclear burning. Radio emission in these systems arises from both thermal and non-thermal processes, which manifest differently in classical and symbiotic novae. $γ$-ray emission has also been detected in several cases, and recent progress, driven by coordinated radio and multiwavelength observations, has greatly advanced our understanding of both types of novae. Multi-frequency, multi-epoch, and multi-scale interferometric observations are powerful probes of the evolving physical conditions following thermonuclear explosions, revealing information from both ionised and relativistic particle populations. The SKAO, particularly its SKA-Mid component, will enable regular monitoring of Galactic novae, multiple times per year for classical novae and every few years for symbiotic systems. It will explore a wide range of conditions, including companion types, WD masses, accretion regimes, and surrounding environments. The VLBI capabilities of the SKAO will target compact shocked regions, while its exceptional sensitivity will also allow characterisation of emission during quiescent phases of the binaries.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2026

The ASKAP Variables and Slow Transients (VAST) Extragalactic Survey - Data Release 1

The Variables and Slow Transients (VAST) Survey on the Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP) is designed to systematically explore the dynamic radio sky, detecting sources that vary on timescales from minutes to several years. In this paper, we present Data Release 1 of the VAST Extragalactic Survey, which targets slowly evolving synchrotron transients in the southern sky. The observations were carried out between June 2023 and May 2025, comprising 2945 images of 276 fields spanning $\sim 12300\ \mathrm{deg}^2$, observed at 888 MHz with a typical rms sensitivity of 0.24 mJy $\rm{beam}^{-1}$ and 12-20 arcsec resolution. Each field was revisited approximately every two months, yielding 10 or 11 observations per field. The VAST pipeline extracts the light curves for all the observed sources, and additional filters are implemented to improve the reliability of the resulting light curve database. The light curve database contains 0.5 million sources and 6.4 million individual measurements, publicly available through the CSIRO data access portal. An untargeted variability search yields 117 astrophysical variables, including 27 pulsars, 40 radio stars (10 newly detected at radio wavelengths), 44 active galactic nuclei, two optically identified supernovae, one supernova candidate, one brown dwarf, and two sources without multi-wavelength counterparts that are yet to be identified. This data release provides the first large-scale, high-cadence, uniform view of long-term radio variability in the extragalactic sky and lays the groundwork for future population studies of radio transients with ASKAP.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2023

Transient study using LoTSS -- framework development and preliminary results

We present a search for transient radio sources on time-scales of seconds to hours at 144 MHz using the LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey (LoTSS). This search is conducted by examining short time-scale images derived from the LoTSS data. To allow imaging of LoTSS on short time-scales, a novel imaging and filtering strategy is introduced. This includes sky model source subtraction, no cleaning or primary beam correction, a simple source finder, fast filtering schemes and source catalogue matching. This new strategy is first tested by injecting simulated transients, with a range of flux densities and durations, into the data. We find the limiting sensitivity to be 113 and 6 mJy for 8 second and 1 hour transients respectively. The new imaging and filtering strategies are applied to 58 fields of the LoTSS survey, corresponding to LoTSS-DR1 (2% of the survey). One transient source is identified in the 8 second and 2 minute snapshot images. The source shows one minute duration flare in the 8 hour observation. Our method puts the most sensitive constraints on/estimates of the transient surface density at low frequencies at time-scales of seconds to hours; $<4.0\cdot 10^{-4} \; \text{deg}^{-2}$ at 1 hour at a sensitivity of 6.3 mJy; $5.7\cdot 10^{-7} \; \text{deg}^{-2}$ at 2 minutes at a sensitivity of 30 mJy; and $3.6\cdot 10^{-8} \; \text{deg}^{-2}$ at 8 seconds at a sensitivity of 113 mJy. In the future, we plan to apply the strategies presented in this paper to all LoTSS data.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2023

Low-frequency radio observations of recurrent nova RS Ophiuchi with MeerKAT and LOFAR

We report low-frequency radio observations of the 2021 outburst of the recurrent nova RS Ophiuchi. These observations include the lowest frequency observations of this system to date. Detailed light curves are obtained by MeerKAT at 0.82 and 1.28 GHz and LOFAR at 54 and 154 MHz. These low-frequency detections allow us to put stringent constraints on the brightness temperature that clearly favour a non-thermal emission mechanism. The radio emission is interpreted and modelled as synchrotron emission from the shock interaction between the nova ejecta and the circumbinary medium. The light curve shows a plateauing behaviour after the first peak, which can be explained by either a non-uniform density of the circumbinary medium or a second emission component. Allowing for a second component in the light-curve modelling captures the steep decay at late times. Furthermore, extrapolating this model to 15 yr after the outburst shows that the radio emission might not fully disappear between outbursts. Further modelling of the light curves indicates a red giant mass-loss rate of $\sim 5 \cdot 10^{-8}~{\rm M_\odot~yr^{-1}}$. The spectrum cannot be modelled in detail at this stage, as there are likely at least four emission components. Radio emission from stellar wind or synchrotron jets is ruled out as the possible origin of the radio emission. Finally, we suggest a strategy for future observations that would advance our understanding of the physical properties of RS Ophiuchi.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2021

Limits on long-time-scale radio transients at 150 MHz using the TGSS ADR1 and LoTSS DR2 catalogues

We present a search for transient radio sources on timescales of 2 to 9 yr at 150 MHz. This search is conducted by comparing the first Alternative Data Release of the TIFR GMRT Sky Survey (TGSS ADR1) and the second data release of the LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey (LoTSS DR2). The overlapping survey area covers 5570 $\rm{deg}^2$ on the sky, or 14 per cent of the total sky. We introduce a method to compare the source catalogues that involves a pair match of sources, a flux density cutoff to meet the survey completeness limit and a newly developed compactness criterion. This method is used to identify both transient candidates in the TGSS source catalogue that have no counterpart in the LoTSS catalogue and transient candidates in LoTSS without a counterpart in TGSS. We find that imaging artefacts and uncertainties and variations in the flux density scales complicate the transient search. Our method to search for transients by comparing two different surveys, while taking into account imaging artefacts around bright sources and misaligned flux scales between surveys, is universally applicable to future radio transient searches. No transient sources were identified, but we are able to place an upper limit on the transient surface density of $<5.4 \cdot 10^{-4}\ \text{deg}^{-2}$ at 150 MHz for compact sources with an integrated flux density over 100 mJy. Here we define a transient as a compact source with flux density greater than 100 mJy that appears in the catalogue of one survey without a counterpart in the other survey.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2020

Incorporation of Statistical Data Quality Information into the GstLAL Search Analysis

We present updates to GstLAL, a matched filter gravitational-wave search pipeline, in Advanced LIGO and Virgo's third observing run. We discuss the incorporation of statistical data quality information into GstLAL's multi-dimensional likelihood ratio ranking statistic and additional improvements to search for gravitational wave candidates found in only one detector. Statistical data quality information is provided by iDQ, a data quality pipeline that infers the presence of short-duration transient noise in gravitational-wave data using the interferometer's auxiliary state, which has operated in near real-time since before LIGO's first observing run in 2015. We look at the performance and impact on noise rejection by the inclusion of iDQ information in GstLAL's ranking statistic, and discuss GstLAL results in the GWTC-2 catalog, focusing on two case studies; GW190424A, a single-detector gravitational-wave event found by GstLAL and a period of time in Livingston impacted by a thunderstorm.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2020

GstLAL: A software framework for gravitational wave discovery

The GstLAL library, derived from Gstreamer and the LIGO Algorithm Library, supports a stream-based approach to gravitational-wave data processing. Although GstLAL was primarily designed to search for gravitational-wave signatures of merging black holes and neutron stars, it has also contributed to other gravitational-wave searches, data calibration, and detector-characterization efforts. GstLAL has played an integral role in all of the LIGO-Virgo collaboration detections, and its low-latency configuration has enabled rapid electromagnetic follow-up for dozens of compact binary candidates.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2019

A systematic study of the phase difference between QPO harmonics in black hole X-ray binaries

We perform a systematic study of the evolution of the waveform of black hole X-ray binary low-frequency QPOs, by measuring the phase difference between their fundamental and harmonic features. This phase difference has been studied previously for small number of QPO frequencies in individual sources. Here, we present a sample study spanning fourteen sources and a wide range of QPO frequencies. With an automated pipeline, we systematically fit power spectra and calculate phase differences from archival Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) observations. We measure well-defined phase differences over a large range of QPO frequencies for most sources, demonstrating that a QPO for a given source and frequency has a persistent underlying waveform. This confirms the validity of recently developed spectral-timing methods performing phase resolved spectroscopy of the QPO. Furthermore, we evaluate the phase difference as a function of QPO frequency. For Type-B QPOs, we find that the phase difference stays constant with frequency for most sources. We propose a simple jet precession model to explain these constant Type-B QPO phase differences. The phase difference of the Type-C QPO is not constant but systematically evolves with QPO frequency, with the resulting relation being similar for a number of high inclination sources, but more variable for low-inclination sources. We discuss how the evolving phase difference can naturally arise in the framework of precession models for the Type-C QPO, by considering the contributions of a direct and reflected component to the QPO waveform.

astro-ph.HE↗