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M. Pandey-Pommier

Publications and source records attributed to M. Pandey-Pommier.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Radio Halos in Galaxy Clusters as unveiled by the SKA telescope

Giant radio halos (RHs) are diffuse, Mpc-scale synchrotron sources observed in a growing fraction of galaxy clusters. They trace relativistic particles and magnetic fields in the intracluster medium (ICM), providing a unique window into non-thermal processes and their role in cluster evolution. RHs are primarily found in merging systems, supporting models in which turbulence generated during cluster collisions re-accelerates pre-existing electrons to the energies required for the observed radio emission. In this scenario, the occurrence, power, and spectral properties of RHs depend on the energetics of cluster mergers, with the most massive and dynamically disturbed clusters hosting the most powerful halos. Low-frequency observations are crucial to uncover ultra-steep-spectrum RHs, a key prediction of turbulent re-acceleration models, and are expected to arise from less energetic merger events. LOFAR has enabled statistical studies of large cluster samples, placing robust constraints on RH occurrence and spectral trends. In this Chapter, we model RH formation and evolution using Monte Carlo simulations calibrated on LoTSS-DR2 findings, and we present predictions for SKA-Low in the AA4 configuration. Our results show that SKA will probe an unprecedented region of cluster mass and redshift space, detecting at least $\sim 2500$ RHs up to $z \approx 0.6$, including $\gtrsim 1000$ ultra-steep-spectrum systems, and revealing halos in clusters down to $\sim 10^{14}\, M_\odot$ and out to $z \approx 1$. These surveys will provide stringent tests of turbulent re-acceleration models and significantly advance our understanding of non-thermal processes in galaxy clusters.

astro-ph.CO

Radio Galaxies and Jet Duty Cycles

Radio-luminous active galactic nuclei, or radio galaxies, are the brightest population of objects in the extragalactic radio sky and will be seen in large numbers in essentially every SKA observation. Despite having been studied for more than seventy years, some aspects of radio galaxy physics are still poorly understood, and the SKA will shed light on this by enabling the generation of very large samples of high-resolution, sensitive, broad-band images of radio galaxies, allowing us to probe, for example, regions of particle acceleration, spectral ageing, and the magnetic field structures both internal and external to the radio lobes. A key feature of the radio galaxy population is that observations of extended sources probe the past history, and thus the duty cycles, of accretion onto the central supermassive black hole, and we discuss ways in which the SKA will improve our understanding of episodic and dying radio galaxies in particular.}

astro-ph.GA

Star Formation and Accretion in Nearby Galaxies

The appearance of galaxies is strongly dominated by two physical phenomena: star formation and accretion of material onto compact objects, primarily supermassive black holes. Nearby galaxies offer a unique window to study these processes in detail and with high spatial resolution. The $\mu$Jy sensitivity, sub-arcsecond angular resolution and broadband coverage provided by SKA AA4 configuration will enable us to separate morphologically and spectrally the contribution from SMBH accretion and star formation processes, from the most compact nuclear region out to the most diffuse, galaxy-wide components. Disentangling thermal and non-thermal emission using multi-scale spectral index maps (traced by SKA-Mid) and absorption processes (traced mainly by SKA-Low) will allow us to account for the present and past star-formation rate, the AGN activity and the ISM properties. SKA observations of a wide range of galaxy types in the nearby Universe, including quiescent, AGN-dominated and starburst galaxies, will provide a broad view of how star formation and accretion regulate galaxy evolution, while time-domain and spectral-variability information further isolate compact accretion and transient phenomena.

astro-ph.GA

SKA Science Data Challenge 2: analysis and results

The Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO) will explore the radio sky to new depths in order to conduct transformational science. SKAO data products made available to astronomers will be correspondingly large and complex, requiring the application of advanced analysis techniques to extract key science findings. To this end, SKAO is conducting a series of Science Data Challenges, each designed to familiarise the scientific community with SKAO data and to drive the development of new analysis techniques. We present the results from Science Data Challenge 2 (SDC2), which invited participants to find and characterise 233245 neutral hydrogen (Hi) sources in a simulated data product representing a 2000~h SKA MID spectral line observation from redshifts 0.25 to 0.5. Through the generous support of eight international supercomputing facilities, participants were able to undertake the Challenge using dedicated computational resources. Alongside the main challenge, `reproducibility awards' were made in recognition of those pipelines which demonstrated Open Science best practice. The Challenge saw over 100 participants develop a range of new and existing techniques, with results that highlight the strengths of multidisciplinary and collaborative effort. The winning strategy -- which combined predictions from two independent machine learning techniques to yield a 20 percent improvement in overall performance -- underscores one of the main Challenge outcomes: that of method complementarity. It is likely that the combination of methods in a so-called ensemble approach will be key to exploiting very large astronomical datasets.

astro-ph.IM

Sub-arcsecond imaging with the International LOFAR Telescope I. Foundational calibration strategy and pipeline

[abridged] The International LOFAR Telescope is an interferometer with stations spread across Europe. With baselines of up to ~2,000 km, LOFAR has the unique capability of achieving sub-arcsecond resolution at frequencies below 200 MHz, although this is technically and logistically challenging. Here we present a calibration strategy that builds on previous high-resolution work with LOFAR. We give an overview of the calibration strategy and discuss the special challenges inherent to enacting high-resolution imaging with LOFAR, and describe the pipeline, which is publicly available, in detail. We demonstrate the calibration strategy by using the pipeline on P205+55, a typical LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey (LoTSS) pointing. We perform in-field delay calibration, solution referencing to other calibrators, self-calibration, and imaging of example directions of interest in the field. For this specific field and these ionospheric conditions, dispersive delay solutions can be transferred between calibrators up to ~1.5 degrees away, while phase solution transferral works well over 1 degree. We demonstrate a check of the astrometry and flux density scale. Imaging in 17 directions, the restoring beam is typically 0.3" x 0.2" although this varies slightly over the entire 5 square degree field of view. We achieve ~80 to 300 $μ$Jy/bm image rms noise, which is dependent on the distance from the phase centre; typical values are ~90 $μ$Jy/bm for the 8 hour observation with 48 MHz of bandwidth. Seventy percent of processed sources are detected, and from this we estimate that we should be able to image ~900 sources per LoTSS pointing. This equates to ~3 million sources in the northern sky, which LoTSS will entirely cover in the next several years. Future optimisation of the calibration strategy for efficient post-processing of LoTSS at high resolution (LoTSS-HR) makes this estimate a lower limit.

astro-ph.IM

Sub-arcsecond imaging with the International LOFAR Telescope: II. Completion of the LOFAR Long-Baseline Calibrator Survey

The Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR) Long-Baseline Calibrator Survey (LBCS) was conducted between 2014 and 2019 in order to obtain a set of suitable calibrators for the LOFAR array. In this paper we present the complete survey, building on the preliminary analysis published in 2016 which covered approximately half the survey area. The final catalogue consists of 30006 observations of 24713 sources in the northern sky, selected for a combination of high low-frequency radio flux density and flat spectral index using existing surveys (WENSS, NVSS, VLSS, and MSSS). Approximately one calibrator per square degree, suitable for calibration of $\geq$ 200 km baselines is identified by the detection of compact flux density, for declinations north of 30 degrees and away from the Galactic plane, with a considerably lower density south of this point due to relative difficulty in selecting flat-spectrum candidate sources in this area of the sky. Use of the VLBA calibrator list, together with statistical arguments by comparison with flux densities from lower-resolution catalogues, allow us to establish a rough flux density scale for the LBCS observations, so that LBCS statistics can be used to estimate compact flux densities on scales between 300 mas and 2 arcsec, for sources observed in the survey. The LBCS can be used to assess the structures of point sources in lower-resolution surveys, with significant reductions in the degree of coherence in these sources on scales between 2 arcsec and 300 mas. The LBCS survey sources show a greater incidence of compact flux density in quasars than in radio galaxies, consistent with unified schemes of radio sources. Comparison with samples of sources from interplanetary scintillation (IPS) studies with the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) shows consistent patterns of detection of compact structure in sources observed both interferometrically with LOFAR and using IPS.

astro-ph.GA

The Evolutionary Map of the Universe Pilot Survey

We present the data and initial results from the first Pilot Survey of the Evolutionary Map of the Universe (EMU), observed at 944 MHz with the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) telescope. The survey covers 270 \sqdeg of an area covered by the Dark Energy Survey, reaching a depth of 25--30 \ujybm\ rms at a spatial resolution of $\sim$ 11--18 arcsec, resulting in a catalogue of $\sim$ 220,000 sources, of which $\sim$ 180,000 are single-component sources. Here we present the catalogue of single-component sources, together with (where available) optical and infrared cross-identifications, classifications, and redshifts. This survey explores a new region of parameter space compared to previous surveys. Specifically, the EMU Pilot Survey has a high density of sources, and also a high sensitivity to low surface-brightness emission. These properties result in the detection of types of sources that were rarely seen in or absent from previous surveys. We present some of these new results here.

astro-ph.CO

WALLABY Pilot Survey: the diversity of ram pressure stripping of the galactic HI gas in the Hydra Cluster

This study uses HI image data from the WALLABY pilot survey with the ASKAP telescope, covering the Hydra cluster out to 2.5$r_{200}$. We present the projected phase-space distribution of HI-detected galaxies in Hydra, and identify that nearly two thirds of the galaxies within $1.25r_{200}$ may be in the early stages of ram pressure stripping. More than half of these may be only weakly stripped, with the ratio of strippable HI (i.e., where the galactic restoring force is lower than the ram pressure in the disk) mass fraction (over total HI mass) distributed uniformly below 90%. Consequently, the HI mass is expected to decrease by only a few 0.1 dex after the currently strippable portion of HI in these systems has been stripped. A more detailed look at the subset of galaxies that are spatially resolved by WALLABY observations shows that, while it typically takes less than 200 Myr for ram pressure stripping to remove the currently strippable portion of HI, it may take more than 600 Myr to significantly change the total HI mass. Our results provide new clues to understanding the different rates of HI depletion and star formation quenching in cluster galaxies.

astro-ph.GA

LOFAR imaging of Cygnus A -- Direct detection of a turnover in the hotspot radio spectra

The low-frequency radio spectra of the hotspots within powerful radio galaxies can provide valuable information about the physical processes operating at the site of the jet termination. These processes are responsible for the dissipation of jet kinetic energy, particle acceleration, and magnetic-field generation. Here we report new observations of the powerful radio galaxy Cygnus A using the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) between 109 and 183 MHz, at an angular resolution of ~3.5 arcsec. The radio emission of the lobes is found to have a complex spectral index distribution, with a spectral steepening found towards the centre of the source. For the first time, a turnover in the radio spectrum of the two main hotspots of Cygnus A has been directly observed. By combining our LOFAR imaging with data from the Very Large Array at higher frequencies, we show that the very rapid turnover in the hotspot spectra cannot be explained by a low-energy cut-off in the electron energy distribution, as has been previously suggested. Thermal (free-free) absorption or synchrotron self absorption models are able to describe the low-frequency spectral shape of the hotspots, however, as with previous studies, we find that the implied model parameters are unlikely, and interpreting the spectra of the hotspots remains problematic.

astro-ph.GA

Molecular gas in CLASH brightest cluster galaxies at $z\sim0.2-0.9$

Brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) are excellent laboratories to study galaxy evolution in dense Mpc-scale environments. We have observed in CO(1-0), CO(2-1), CO(3-2), or CO(4-3), with the IRAM-30m, 18 BCGs at $z\sim0.2-0.9$ that are drawn from the CLASH survey. Our sample includes RX1532, which is our primary target, being among the BCGs with the highest star formation rate (SFR$\gtrsim100~M_\odot$/yr) in the CLASH sample. We unambiguously detected both CO(1-0) and CO(3-2) in RX1532, yielding a large reservoir of molecular gas, $M_{H_2}=(8.7\pm1.1)\times10^{10}~M_\odot$, and a high level of excitation $r_{31}=0.75\pm0.12$. A morphological analysis of the HST I-band image of RX1532 reveals the presence of clumpy substructures both within and outside the half-light radius $r_e=(11.6\pm0.3)$ kpc, similarly to those found independently both in ultraviolet and in H$_α$ in previous work. We tentatively detected CO(1-0) or CO(2-1) in four other BCGs, with molecular gas reservoirs in the range $M_{H_2}=2\times10^{10-11} M_\odot$. For the remaining 13 BCGs we set robust upper limits of $M_{H_2}/M_\star\lesssim0.1$, which are among the lowest molecular gas to stellar mass ratios found for distant ellipticals and BCGs. By comparison with distant cluster galaxies observed in CO our study shows that RX1532 ($M_{H_2}/M_\star = 0.40\pm0.05$) belongs to the rare population of star forming and gas-rich BCGs in the distant universe. By using available X-ray based estimates of the central intra-cluster medium entropy, we show that the detection of large reservoirs of molecular gas $M_{H_2}\gtrsim10^{10}~M_\odot$ in distant BCGs is possible when the two conditions are met: i) high SFR and ii) low central entropy, which favors the condensation and the inflow of gas onto the BCGs themselves, similarly to what has been previously found for some local BCGs.

astro-ph.GA

LOFAR 144-MHz follow-up observations of GW170817

We present low-radio-frequency follow-up observations of AT 2017gfo, the electromagnetic counterpart of GW170817, which was the first binary neutron star merger to be detected by Advanced LIGO-Virgo. These data, with a central frequency of 144 MHz, were obtained with LOFAR, the Low-Frequency Array. The maximum elevation of the target is just 13.7 degrees when observed with LOFAR, making our observations particularly challenging to calibrate and significantly limiting the achievable sensitivity. On time-scales of 130-138 and 371-374 days after the merger event, we obtain 3$σ$ upper limits for the afterglow component of 6.6 and 19.5 mJy beam$^{-1}$, respectively. Using our best upper limit and previously published, contemporaneous higher-frequency radio data, we place a limit on any potential steepening of the radio spectrum between 610 and 144 MHz: the two-point spectral index $α^{610}_{144} \gtrsim -2.5$. We also show that LOFAR can detect the afterglows of future binary neutron star merger events occurring at more favourable elevations.

astro-ph.HE

Cassiopeia A, Cygnus A, Taurus A, and Virgo A at ultra-low radio frequencies

The four persistent radio sources in the northern sky with the highest flux density at metre wavelengths are Cassiopeia A, Cygnus A, Taurus A, and Virgo A; collectively they are called the A-team. Their flux densities at ultra-low frequencies (<100 MHz) can reach several thousands of janskys, and they often contaminate observations of the low-frequency sky by interfering with image processing. Furthermore, these sources are foreground objects for all-sky observations hampering the study of faint signals, such as the cosmological 21 cm line from the epoch of reionisation. We aim to produce robust models for the surface brightness emission as a function of frequency for the A-team sources at ultra-low frequencies. These models are needed for the calibration and imaging of wide-area surveys of the sky with low-frequency interferometers. This requires obtaining images at an angular resolution better than 15 arcsec with a high dynamic range and good image fidelity. We observed the A-team with the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) at frequencies between 30 MHz and 77 MHz using the Low Band Antenna (LBA) system. We reduced the datasets and obtained an image for each A-team source. The paper presents the best models to date for the sources Cassiopeia A, Cygnus A, Taurus A, and Virgo A between 30 MHz and 77 MHz. We were able to obtain the aimed resolution and dynamic range in all cases. Owing to its compactness and complexity, observations with the long baselines of the International LOFAR Telescope will be required to improve the source model for Cygnus A further.

astro-ph.HE

LOFAR MSSS: Flattening low-frequency radio continuum spectra of nearby galaxies

The shape of low-frequency radio continuum spectra of normal galaxies is not well understood, the key question being the role of physical processes such as thermal absorption in shaping them. In this work we take advantage of the LOFAR Multifrequency Snapshot Sky Survey (MSSS) to investigate such spectra for a large sample of nearby star-forming galaxies. Using the measured 150MHz flux densities from the LOFAR MSSS survey and literature flux densities at various frequencies we have obtained integrated radio spectra for 106 galaxies. The spectra are explained through the use of a three-dimensional model of galaxy radio emission, and radiation transfer dependent on the galaxy viewing angle and absorption processes. Spectra of our galaxies are generally flatter at lower compared to higher frequencies but as there is no tendency for the highly inclined galaxies to have more flattened low-frequency spectra, we argue that the observed flattening is not due to thermal absorption, contradicting the suggestion of Israel & Mahoney (1990). According to our modelled radio maps for M51-like galaxies, the free-free absorption effects can be seen only below 30MHz and in the global spectra just below 20MHz, while in the spectra of starburst galaxies, like M82, the flattening due to absorption is instead visible up to higher frequencies of about 150MHz. Locally, within galactic disks, the absorption effects are distinctly visible in M51-like galaxies as spectral flattening around 100-200MHz in the face-on objects, and as turnovers in the edge-on ones, while in M82-like galaxies there are strong turnovers at frequencies above 700MHz, regardless of viewing angle. Our modelling suggests that the weak spectral flattening observed in the nearby galaxies studied here results principally from synchrotron spectral curvature due to cosmic ray energy losses and propagation effects.

astro-ph.GA

`Zwicky's Nonet': a compact merging ensemble of nine galaxies and 4C 35.06, a peculiar radio galaxy with dancing radio jets

We report the results of our radio, optical and infra-red studies of a peculiar radio source 4C~35.06, an extended radio-loud AGN at the center of galaxy cluster Abell 407 ($z=0.047$). The central region of this cluster hosts a remarkably tight ensemble of nine galaxies, the spectra of which resemble those of passive red ellipticals, embedded within a diffuse stellar halo of $\sim$1~arcmin size. This system (named the `Zwicky's Nonet') provides unique and compelling evidence for a multiple-nucleus cD galaxy precursor. Multifrequency radio observations of 4C~35.06 with the Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope (GMRT) at 610, 235 and 150 MHz reveal a system of 400~kpc scale helically twisted and kinked radio jets and outer diffuse lobes. The outer extremities of jets contain extremely steep spectrum (spectral index -1.7 to -2.5) relic/fossil radio plasma with a spectral age of a few$\,\times (10^7 - 10^8)$ yr. Such ultra-steep spectrum relic radio lobes without definitive hot-spots are rare, and they provide an opportunity to understand the life-cycle of relativistic jets and physics of black hole mergers in dense environments. We interpret our observations of this radio source in the context of the growth of its central black hole, triggering of its AGN activity and jet precession, all possibly caused by galaxy mergers in this dense galactic system. A slow conical precession of the jet axis due to gravitational perturbation between interacting black holes is invoked to explain the unusual jet morphology.

astro-ph.GA

The Association of a J-burst with a Solar Jet

Context. The Sun is an active star that produces large-scale energetic events such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections and numerous smaller-scale events such as solar jets. These events are often associated with accelerated particles that can cause emission at radio wavelengths. The reconfiguration of the solar magnetic field in the corona is believed to be the cause of the majority of solar energetic events and accelerated particles. Aims. Here, we investigate a bright J-burst that was associated with a solar jet and the possible emission mechanism causing these two phenomena. Methods. We used data from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) to observe a solar jet, and radio data from the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) and the Nançay Radioheliograph (NRH) to observe a J-burst over a broad frequency range (33-173 MHz) on 9 July 2013 at ~11:06 UT. Results. The J-burst showed fundamental and harmonic components and it was associated with a solar jet observed at extreme ultraviolet wavelengths with SDO. The solar jet occurred at a time and location coincident with the radio burst, in the northern hemisphere, and not inside a group of complex active regions in the southern hemisphere. The jet occurred in the negative polarity region of an area of bipolar plage. Newly emerged positive flux in this region appeared to be the trigger of the jet. Conclusions. Magnetic reconnection between the overlying coronal field lines and the newly emerged positive field lines is most likely the cause of the solar jet. Radio imaging provides a clear association between the jet and the J-burst which shows the path of the accelerated electrons.

astro-ph.SR

Discovery of Giant Radio Galaxies from NVSS: Radio & Infrared Properties

Giant radio galaxies (GRGs) are one of the largest astrophysical sources in the Universe with an overall projected linear size of ~0.7 Mpc or more. Last six decades of radio astronomy research has led to the detection of thousands of radio galaxies. But only ~ 300 of them can be classified as GRGs. The reasons behind their large size and rarity are unknown. We carried out a systematic search for these radio giants and found a large sample of GRGs. In this paper, we report the discovery of 25 GRGs from NVSS, in the redshift range (z) ~ 0.07 to 0.67. Their physical sizes range from ~0.8 Mpc to ~4 Mpc. Eight of these GRGs have sizes greater than 2Mpc which is a rarity. In this paper, for the first time, we investigate the mid-IR properties of the optical hosts of the GRGs and classify them securely into various AGN types using the WISE mid-IR colours. Using radio and IR data, four of the hosts of GRGs were observed to be radio loud quasars that extend up to 2 Mpc in radio size. These GRGs missed detection in earlier searches possibly because of their highly diffuse nature, low surface brightness and lack of optical data. The new GRGs are a significant addition to the existing sample that will contribute to better understanding of the physical properties of radio giants.

astro-ph.GA

LOFAR MSSS: The Scaling Relation between AGN Cavity Power and Radio Luminosity at Low Radio Frequencies

We present a new analysis of the widely used relation between cavity power and radio luminosity in clusters of galaxies with evidence for strong AGN feedback. We study the correlation at low radio frequencies using two new surveys - the First Alternative Data Release of the TIFR GMRT Sky Survey (TGSS ADR1) at 148 MHz and LOFAR's first all-sky survey, the Multifrequency Snapshot Sky Survey (MSSS) at 140 MHz. We find a scaling relation $P_{\rm cav} \propto L_{148}^β$, with a logarithmic slope of $β= 0.51 \pm 0.14$, which is in good agreement with previous results based on data at 327 MHz. The large scatter present in this correlation confirms the conclusion reached at higher frequencies that the total radio luminosity at a single frequency is a poor predictor of the total jet power. We show that including measurements at 148 MHz alone is insufficient to reliably compute the bolometric radio luminosity and reduce the scatter in the correlation. For a subset of four well-resolved sources, we examine the detected extended structures at low frequencies and compare with the morphology known from higher frequency images and Chandra X-ray maps. In Perseus we discuss details in the structures of the radio mini-halo, while in the 2A 0335+096 cluster we observe new diffuse emission associated with multiple X-ray cavities and likely originating from past activity. For A2199 and MS 0735.6+7421, we confirm that the observed low-frequency radio lobes are confined to the extents known from higher frequencies. This new low-frequency analysis highlights the fact that existing cavity power to radio luminosity relations are based on a relatively narrow range of AGN outburst ages. We discuss how the correlation could be extended using low frequency data from the LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey (LoTSS) in combination with future, complementary deeper X-ray observations.

astro-ph.GA

LOFAR MSSS: Discovery of a 2.56 Mpc giant radio galaxy associated with a disturbed galaxy group

We report on the discovery in the LOFAR Multifrequency Snapshot Sky Survey (MSSS) of a giant radio galaxy (GRG) with a projected size of $2.56 \pm 0.07$ Mpc projected on the sky. It is associated with the galaxy triplet UGC 9555, within which one is identified as a broad-line galaxy in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) at a redshift of $0.05453 \pm 1 \times 10^{-5} $, and with a velocity dispersion of $215.86 \pm 6.34$ km/s. From archival radio observations we see that this galaxy hosts a compact flat-spectrum radio source, and we conclude that it is the active galactic nucleus (AGN) responsible for generating the radio lobes. The radio luminosity distribution of the jets, and the broad-line classification of the host AGN, indicate this GRG is orientated well out of the plane of the sky, making its physical size one of the largest known for any GRG. Analysis of the infrared data suggests that the host is a lenticular type galaxy with a large stellar mass ($\log~\mathrm{M}/\mathrm{M}_\odot = 11.56 \pm 0.12$), and a moderate star formation rate ($1.2 \pm 0.3~\mathrm{M}_\odot/\mathrm{year}$). Spatially smoothing the SDSS images shows the system around UGC 9555 to be significantly disturbed, with a prominent extension to the south-east. Overall, the evidence suggests this host galaxy has undergone one or more recent moderate merger events and is also experiencing tidal interactions with surrounding galaxies, which have caused the star formation and provided the supply of gas to trigger and fuel the Mpc-scale radio lobes.

astro-ph.GA