arXiv subjects

Ryan Shannon

Publications and source records attributed to Ryan Shannon.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

The discovery of a 41s radio pulsar PSR J0311+1402 with ASKAP

The emerging population of long-period radio transients (LPTs) show both similarities and differences with normal pulsars. A key difference is that their radio emission is too bright to be powered solely by rotational energy. Various models have been proposed (including both white-dwarf or neutron star origins), and their nature remains uncertain. Known LPTs have minutes to hours long spin periods, while normal pulsars have periods ranging from milliseconds to seconds. Here, we report the discovery of PSR J0311+1402, an object with an intermediate spin period of 41 seconds, bridging the gap between LPTs and normal pulsars. PSR J0311+1402 exhibits low linear ($\sim25\%$) and circular polarisation ($\sim5\%$) and a relatively steep spectral index ($\sim-2.3$), features similar to normal pulsars. However, its observed spin-down properties place it below the pulsar death line, where pair production and thus radio emission are expected to cease. The discovery of PSR J0311+1402 suggests the existence of a previously undetected population within this intermediate period range, presumably missed due to selection biases in traditional pulsar search methods. Finding more such objects is important to fill the current gap in neutron star spin periods, improving our understanding of the relationships among rotation-powered pulsars and LPTs.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2024

FRB Line-of-sight Ionization Measurement From Lightcone AAOmega Mapping Survey: the First Data Release

This paper presents the first public data release (DR1) of the FRB Line-of-sight Ionization Measurement From Lightcone AAOmega Mapping (FLIMFLAM) Survey, a wide field spectroscopic survey targeted on the fields of 10 precisely localized Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs). DR1 encompasses spectroscopic data for 10,468 galaxy redshifts across 10 FRBs fields with z<0.4, covering approximately 26 deg^2 of the sky in total. FLIMFLAM is composed of several layers, encompassing the `Wide' (covering ~ degree or >10 Mpc scales), `Narrow', (several-arcminute or ~ Mpc) and integral field unit (`IFU'; ~ arcminute or ~ 100 kpc ) components. The bulk of the data comprise spectroscopy from the 2dF-AAOmega on the 3.9-meter Anglo-Australian Telescope, while most of the Narrow and IFU data was achieved using an ensemble of 8-10-meter class telescopes. We summarize the information on our selected FRB fields, the criteria for target selection, methodologies employed for data reduction, spectral analysis processes, and an overview of our data products. An evaluation of our data reveals an average spectroscopic completeness of 48.43%, with over 80% of the observed targets having secure redshifts. Additionally, we describe our approach on generating angular masks and calculating the target selection functions, setting the stage for the impending reconstruction of the matter density field.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2023

The Host Galaxy of FRB 20171020A Revisited

The putative host galaxy of FRB 20171020A was first identified as ESO 601-G036 in 2018, but as no repeat bursts have been detected, direct confirmation of the host remains elusive. In light of recent developments in the field, we re-examine this host and determine a new association confidence level of 98%. At 37 Mpc, this makes ESO 601-G036 the third closest FRB host galaxy to be identified to date and the closest to host an apparently non-repeating FRB (with an estimated repetition rate limit of < 0.011 bursts per day above 10 erg). Due to its close distance, we are able to perform detailed multi-wavelength analysis on the ESO 601-G036 system. Follow-up observations confirm ESO 601-G036 to be a typical star-forming galaxy with HI and stellar masses of log(M_HI/M_sol) ~ 9.2 and log(M_*/M_sol) = 8.64, and a star formation rate of SFR = 0.09 +/- 0.01 M_sol/yr. We detect, for the first time, a diffuse gaseous tail (log(M_HI/M_sol) ~ 8.3) extending to the south-west that suggests recent interactions, likely with the confirmed nearby companion ESO 601-G037. ESO 601-G037 is a stellar shred located to the south of ESO 601-G036 that has an arc-like morphology, is about an order of magnitude less massive, and has a lower gas metallicity that is indicative of a younger stellar population. The properties of the ESO 601-G036 system indicate an ongoing minor merger event, which is affecting the overall gaseous component of the system and the stars within ESO 601-G037. Such activity is consistent with current FRB progenitor models involving magnetars and the signs of recent interactions in other nearby FRB host galaxies.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

Analysis of the ionized interstellar medium and orbital dynamics of PSR~J1909-3744 using scintillation arcs

Long-term studies of binary millisecond pulsars (MSPs) provide precise tests of strong-field gravity and can be used to measure neutron-star masses. PSR~J1909$-$3744, a binary MSP has been the subject of several pulsar timing analyses. The edge-on orbit enables measurement of its mass using the Shapiro delay; however, there is degeneracy in the sense of the inclination angle, $i$, and multiple solutions for the longitude of ascending node, $\Omega$. Radio pulsars scintillate due to inhomogeneities in the ionized interstellar medium (IISM). This can result in scintillation arcs in the power spectrum of the dynamic spectrum that can use these to study the interstellar medium and constrain binary pulsar orbits. Here, we study the scintillation of PSR~J1909-3744 using observations from the 64-m Parkes Radio Telescope (Murriyang) over $\approx$13\, years, using techniques to study scintillation in a lower signal-to-noise regime. By monitoring annual and orbital variations of the arc-curvature measurements we are able to characterise the velocity of the IISM. We find that the statistics of the IISM remained stationary over this time and a slightly anisotropic model (axial ratio $\gtrsim1.2$) is preferred. We measure the relative distance to a single dominant thin scattering screen at $s=0.49\pm0.04$, or $D_s=590\pm50$\,pc, with an angle of anisotropy $\zeta=85\pm6^\circ$ (East of North) and velocity in the direction of anisotropy $V_{\textrm{IISM}, \zeta}=14\pm10$\,km\,s$^{-1}$. By combining a physical model of the IISM and current pulsar timing results, we also constrain $\Omega=225\pm3^\circ$ and $i=86.46\pm0.05^\circ$.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2022

Probing magnetar formation channels with high-precision astrometry: The progress of VLBA astrometry of the fastest-spinning magnetar Swift J1818.0-1607

Boasting supreme magnetic strengths, magnetars are among the prime candidates to generate fast radio bursts. Several theories have been proposed for the formation mechanism of magnetars, but have not yet been fully tested. As different magnetar formation theories expect distinct magnetar space velocity distributions, high-precision astrometry of Galactic magnetars can serve as a probe for the formation theories. In addition, magnetar astrometry can refine the understanding of the distribution of Galactic magnetars. This distribution can be compared against fast radio bursts (FRBs) localized in spiral galaxies, in order to test the link between FRBs and magnetars. Swift J1818.0-1607 is the hitherto fastest-spinning magnetar and the fifth discovered radio magnetar. In an ongoing astrometric campaign, we have observed Swift J1818.0-1607 for one year using the Very Long Baseline Array, and have determined a precise proper motion as well as a tentative parallax for the magnetar.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2020

Very long baseline astrometry of PSR J1012+5307 and its implications on alternative theories of gravity

PSR J1012+5307, a millisecond pulsar in orbit with a helium white dwarf (WD), has been timed with high precision for about 25 years. One of the main objectives of this long-term timing is to use the large asymmetry in gravitational binding energy between the neutron star and the WD to test gravitational theories. Such tests, however, will be eventually limited by the accuracy of the distance to the pulsar. Here, we present VLBI (very long baseline interferometry) astrometry results spanning approximately 2.5 years for PSR J1012+5307, obtained with the Very Long Baseline Array as part of the MSPSRPI project. These provide the first proper motion and absolute position for PSR J1012+5307 measured in a quasi-inertial reference frame. From the VLBI results, we measure a distance of $0.83^{+0.06}_{-0.02}$kpc (all the estimates presented in the abstract are at 68% confidence) for PSR J1012+5307, which is the most precise obtained to date. Using the new distance, we improve the uncertainty of measurements of the unmodeled contributions to orbital period decay, which, combined with three other pulsars, places new constraints on the coupling constant for dipole gravitational radiation $κ_D=(-1.7\pm1.7)\times 10^{-4}$ and the fractional time derivative of Newton's gravitational constant $\dot{G}/G = -1.8^{\,+5.6}_{\,-4.7}\times 10^{-13}\,{\rm yr^{-1}}$ in the local universe. As the uncertainties of the observed decays of orbital period for the four leading pulsar-WD systems become negligible in $\approx10$ years, the uncertainties for $\dot{G}/G$ and $κ_D$ will be improved to $\leq1.5\times10^{-13}\,{\rm yr^{-1}}$ and $\leq1.0\times10^{-4}$, respectively, predominantly limited by the distance uncertainties.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2019

Probing the emission states of PSR J1107-5907

The emission from PSR J1107-5907 is erratic. Sometimes the radio pulse is undetectable, at other times the pulsed emission is weak, and for short durations the emission can be very bright. In order to improve our understanding of these state changes, we have identified archival data sets from the Parkes radio telescope in which the bright emission is present, and find that the emission never switches from the bright state to the weak state, but instead always transitions to the off state. Previous work had suggested the identification of the off state as an extreme manifestation of the weak state. However, the connection between the off and bright emission reported here suggests that the emission can be interpreted as undergoing only two emission states: a bursting state consisting of both bright pulses and nulls as well as the weak-emission state.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2018

Searching a Thousand Radio Pulsars for Gamma-ray Emission

Identifying as many gamma-ray pulsars as possible in the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) data helps test pulsar emission models by comparing predicted and observed properties for a large, varied sample with as little selection bias as possible. It also improves extrapolations from the observed population to estimate the contribution of unresolved pulsars to the diffuse gamma-ray emission. We use a recently developed method to determine the probability that a given gamma-ray photon comes from a known position in the sky, convolving the photon's energy with the LAT's energy-dependent point-spread-function (PSF), without the need for an accurate spatial and spectral model of the gamma-ray sky around the pulsar. The method is simple and fast and, importantly, provides probabilities, or _weights_, for gamma rays from pulsars too faint for phase-integrated detection. We applied the method to over a thousand pulsars for which we obtained rotation ephemerides from radio observations, and discovered gamma-ray pulsations from 16 pulsars, 12 young and 4 recycled. PSR J2208+4056 has spindown power Edot = 8e32 erg/s, about three times lower than the previous observed gamma-ray emission "deathline". PSRs J2208+4056 and J1816-0755 have radio interpulses, constraining their geometry and perhaps enhancing their gamma-ray luminosity. We discuss whether the deathline is an artifact of selection bias due to the pulsar distance.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2017

The detection of an extremely bright fast radio burst in a phased array feed survey

We report the detection of an ultra-bright fast radio burst (FRB) from a modest, 3.4-day pilot survey with the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder. The survey was conducted in a wide-field fly's-eye configuration using the phased-array-feed technology deployed on the array to instantaneously observe an effective area of $160$ deg$^2$, and achieve an exposure totaling $13200$ deg$^2$ hr. We constrain the position of FRB 170107 to a region $8'\times8'$ in size (90% containment) and its fluence to be $58\pm6$ Jy ms. The spectrum of the burst shows a sharp cutoff above $1400$ MHz, which could be either due to scintillation or an intrinsic feature of the burst. This confirms the existence of an ultra-bright ($>20$ Jy ms) population of FRBs.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2015

Periodic modulation in pulse arrival times from young pulsars: a renewed case for neutron star precession

In a search for periodic variation in the arrival times of pulses from 151 young, energetic pulsars, we have identified seven cases of modulation consistent with one or two harmonics of a single fundamental with time-scale 0.5-1.5 yr. We use simulations to show that these modulations are statistically significant and of high quality (sinusoidal) even when contaminated by the strong stochastic timing noise common to young pulsars. Although planetary companions could induce such modulation, the large implied masses and 2:1 mean motion resonances challenge such an explanation. Instead, the modulation is likely to be intrinsic to the pulsar, arising from quasi-periodic switching between stable magnetospheric states, and we propose that precession of the neutron star may regulate this switching.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2015

Timing Gamma-ray Pulsars with the Fermi Large Area Telescope: Timing Noise and Astrometry

We have constructed timing solutions for 81 gamma-ray pulsars covering more than five years of Fermi data. The sample includes 37 radio-quiet or radio-faint pulsars which cannot be timed with other telescopes. These timing solutions and the corresponding pulse times of arrival are prerequisites for further study, e.g. phase-resolved spectroscopy or searches for mode switches. Many gamma-ray pulsars are strongly affected by timing noise, and we present a new method for characterizing the noise process and mitigating its effects on other facets of the timing model. We present an analysis of timing noise over the population using a new metric for characterizing its strength and spectral shape, namely its time-domain correlation. The dependence of the strength on spin frequency and spin-down rate is in good agreement with previous studies. We find that noise process power spectra $S(f)$ for unrecycled pulsars are steep, with strong correlations over our entire data set and spectral indices $S(f)\propto f^{-α}$ of 5 to 9. One possible explanation for these results is the occurrence of unmodelled, episodic 'microglitches'. Finally, we show that our treatment of timing noise results in robust parameter estimation, and in particular we measure a precise timing position for each pulsar. We extensively validate our results with multi-wavelength astrometry, and using our updated position, we firmly identify the X-ray counterpart of PSR J1418-6058.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2015

A study of spatial correlations in pulsar timing array data

Pulsar timing array experiments search for phenomena that produce angular correlations in the arrival times of signals from millisecond pulsars. The primary goal is to detect an isotropic and stochastic gravitational wave background. We use simulated data to show that this search can be affected by the presence of other spatially correlated noise, such as errors in the reference time standard, errors in the planetary ephemeris, the solar wind and instrumentation issues. All these effects can induce significant false detections of gravitational waves. We test mitigation routines to account for clock errors, ephemeris errors and the solar wind. We demonstrate that it is non-trivial to find an effective mitigation routine for the planetary ephemeris and emphasise that other spatially correlated signals may be present in the data.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2014

The Three Discrete Nulling Timescales of PSR J1717-4054

PSR J1717-4054 is one of the small class of pulsars which null on intermediate (~hour) timescales. Such pulsars represent an important link between classical nullers, whose emission vanishes for a few rotations, and the intermittent pulsars which null for months and years. Using the Parkes radio telescope and the Australia Telescope Compact Array, we have studied the emission from PSR J1717-4054 over intervals from single pulses to years. We have identified and characterised nulling at three discrete timescales: the pulsar emits during "active states" separated by nulls lasting many thousands of rotations, while active states themselves are interrupted by nulls with a bimodal distribution of durations; one to two rotations, or tens of rotations. We detect no subpulse structure or flux density variations during active states, and we place stringent limits (<0.1% of the mean active flux density) on pulsed emission during inactive states. Finally, our high-quality data have also allowed us to measure for the first time many important properties of PSR J1717-4054, including its position, spindown rate, spectrum, polarization characteristics, and pulse broadening in the interstellar medium.

astro-ph.SR↗