arXiv subjects

Tara Murphy

Publications and source records attributed to Tara Murphy.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

arXiv2021

Murchison Widefield Array rapid-response observations of the short GRB 180805A

Here we present stringent low-frequency 185MHz limits on coherent radio emission associated with a short gamma-ray burst (SGRB). Our observations of the short GRB 180805A were taken with the upgraded Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) rapid-response system, which triggered within 20s of receiving the transient alert from Swift, corresponding to 83.7s post-burst. The SGRB was observed for 30m, resulting in a 3sigma persistent flux density upper-limit of 40.2mJy/beam. Transient searches were conducted at the Swift position of this GRB on 0.5s, 5s, 30s, and 2m timescales, resulting in 3sigma limits of 570-1830, 270-630, 200-420, and 100-200mJy/beam, respectively. We also performed a dedispersion search for prompt signals at the position of the SGRB with a temporal and spectral resolution of 0.5s and 1.28MHz, resulting in a 6sigma fluence upper-limit range from 570Jyms at DM=3000pc/cm^3 (z~2.5) to 1750Jyms at DM=200pc/cm^3 (z~0.1). We compare the fluence prompt emission limit and the persistent upper-limit to SGRB coherent emission models assuming the merger resulted in a stable magnetar. Our observations were not sensitive enough to detect prompt emission associated with the alignment of magnetic fields of a binary neutron star just prior to the merger, from the interaction between the relativistic jet and the interstellar medium or persistent pulsar-like emission from the spin-down of the magnetar. However, in the case of a more powerful SGRB (a gamma-ray fluence an order of magnitude higher than GRB 180805A and/or a brighter X-ray counterpart), our MWA observations may be sensitive enough to detect coherent radio emission from the jet-ISM interaction and/or the magnetar remnant. Finally, we demonstrate that of all current low-frequency radio telescopes, only the MWA has the sensitivity and response times capable of probing prompt emission models associated with the initial SGRB merger event.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2021

Discovery of an Extremely Short Duration Flare from Proxima Centauri Using Millimeter through FUV Observations

We present the discovery of an extreme flaring event from Proxima Cen by ASKAP, ALMA, HST, TESS, and the du Pont Telescope that occurred on 2019 May 1. In the millimeter and FUV, this flare is the brightest ever detected, brightening by a factor of >1000 and >14000 as seen by ALMA and HST, respectively. The millimeter and FUV continuum emission trace each other closely during the flare, suggesting that millimeter emission could serve as a proxy for FUV emission from stellar flares and become a powerful new tool to constrain the high-energy radiation environment of exoplanets. Surprisingly, optical emission associated with the event peaks at a much lower level with a time delay. The initial burst has an extremely short duration, lasting for <10 sec. Taken together with the growing sample of millimeter M dwarf flares, this event suggests that millimeter emission is actually common during stellar flares and often originates from short burst-like events.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2021

A search for radio afterglows from gamma-ray bursts with the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder

We present a search for radio afterglows from long gamma-ray bursts using the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP). Our search used the Rapid ASKAP Continuum Survey, covering the entire celestial sphere south of declination $+41^\circ$, and three epochs of the Variables and Slow Transients Pilot Survey (Phase 1), covering $\sim 5,000$ square degrees per epoch. The observations we used from these surveys spanned a nine-month period from 2019 April 21 to 2020 January 11. We crossmatched radio sources found in these surveys with 779 well-localised (to $\leq 15''$) long gamma-ray bursts occurring after 2004 and determined whether the associations were more likely afterglow- or host-related through the analysis of optical images. In our search, we detected one radio afterglow candidate associated with GRB 171205A, a local low-luminosity gamma-ray burst with a supernova counterpart SN 2017iuk, in an ASKAP observation 511 days post-burst. We confirmed this detection with further observations of the radio afterglow using the Australia Telescope Compact Array at 859 days and 884 days post-burst. Combining this data with archival data from early-time radio observations, we showed the evolution of the radio spectral energy distribution alone could reveal clear signatures of a wind-like circumburst medium for the burst. Finally, we derived semi-analytical estimates for the microphysical shock parameters of the burst: electron power-law index $p = 2.84$, normalised wind-density parameter $A_* = 3$, fractional energy in electrons $ε_{e} = 0.3$, and fractional energy in magnetic fields $ε_{B} = 0.0002$.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2021

A circular polarisation survey for radio stars with the Australian SKA Pathfinder

We present results from a circular polarisation survey for radio stars in the Rapid ASKAP Continuum Survey (RACS). RACS is a survey of the entire sky south of $δ=+41^\circ$ being conducted with the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder telescope (ASKAP) over a 288 MHz wide band centred on 887.5 MHz. The data we analyse includes Stokes I and V polarisation products to an RMS sensitivity of 250 $μ$Jy PSF$^{-1}$. We searched RACS for sources with fractional circular polarisation above 6 per cent, and after excluding imaging artefacts, polarisation leakage, and known pulsars we identified radio emission coincident with 33 known stars. These range from M-dwarfs through to magnetic, chemically peculiar A- and B-type stars. Some of these are well known radio stars such as YZ CMi and CU Vir, but 23 have no previous radio detections. We report the flux density and derived brightness temperature of these detections and discuss the nature of the radio emission. We also discuss the implications of our results for the population statistics of radio stars in the context of future ASKAP and Square Kilometre Array surveys.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2021

A scalable transient detection pipeline for the Australian SKA Pathfinder VAST survey

The Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) collects images of the sky at radio wavelengths with an unprecedented field of view, combined with a high angular resolution and sub-millijansky sensitivities. The large quantity of data produced is used by the ASKAP Variables and Slow Transients (VAST) survey science project to study the dynamic radio sky. Efficient pipelines are vital in such research, where searches often form a `needle in a haystack' type of problem to solve. However, the existing pipelines developed among the radio-transient community are not suitable for the scale of ASKAP datasets. In this paper we provide a technical overview of the new "VAST Pipeline": a modern and scalable Python-based data pipeline for transient searches, using up-to-date dependencies and methods. The pipeline allows source association to be performed at scale using the Pandas DataFrame interface and the well-known Astropy crossmatch functions. The Dask Python framework is used to parallelise operations as well as scale them both vertically and horizontally, by means of a cluster of workers. A modern web interface for data exploration and querying has also been developed using the latest Django web framework combined with Bootstrap.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2021

ASKAP observations of multiple rapid scintillators reveal a degrees-long plasma filament

We present the results from an Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder search for radio variables on timescales of hours. We conducted an untargeted search over a 30 deg$^2$ field, with multiple 10-hour observations separated by days to months, at a central frequency of 945 MHz. We discovered six rapid scintillators from 15-minute model-subtracted images with sensitivity of $\sim 200\,μ$Jy/beam; two of them are extreme intra-hour variables with modulation indices up to $\sim 40\%$ and timescales as short as tens of minutes. Five of the variables are in a linear arrangement on the sky with angular width $\sim 1$ arcmin and length $\sim 2$ degrees, revealing the existence of a huge plasma filament in front of them. We derived kinematic models of this plasma from the annual modulation of the scintillation rate of our sources, and we estimated its likely physical properties: a distance of $\sim 4$ pc and length of $\sim 0.1$ pc. The characteristics we observe for the scattering screen are incompatible with published suggestions for the origin of intra-hour variability leading us to propose a new picture in which the underlying phenomenon is a cold tidal stream. This is the first time that multiple scintillators have been detected behind the same plasma screen, giving direct insight into the geometry of the scattering medium responsible for enhanced scintillation.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2020

A Flare-Type IV Burst Event from Proxima Centauri and Implications for Space Weather

Studies of solar radio bursts play an important role in understanding the dynamics and acceleration processes behind solar space weather events, and the influence of solar magnetic activity on solar system planets. Similar low-frequency bursts detected from active M-dwarfs are expected to probe their space weather environments and therefore the habitability of their planetary companions. Active M-dwarfs produce frequent, powerful flares which, along with radio emission, reveal conditions within their atmospheres. However, to date, only one candidate solar-like coherent radio burst has been identified from these stars, preventing robust observational constraints on their space weather environment. During simultaneous optical and radio monitoring of the nearby dM5.5e star Proxima Centauri, we detected a bright, long-duration optical flare, accompanied by a series of intense, coherent radio bursts. These detections include the first example of an interferometrically detected coherent stellar radio burst temporally coincident with a flare, strongly indicating a causal relationship between these transient events. The polarization and temporal structure of the trailing long-duration burst enable us to identify it as a type IV burst. This represents the most compelling detection of a solar-like radio burst from another star to date. Solar type IV bursts are strongly associated with space weather events such as coronal mass ejections and solar energetic particle events, suggesting that stellar type IV bursts may be used as a tracer of stellar coronal mass ejections. We discuss the implications of this event for the occurrence of coronal mass ejections from Proxima Cen and other active M-dwarfs.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2020

The Rapid ASKAP Continuum Survey I: Design and First Results

The Rapid ASKAP Continuum Survey (RACS) is the first large-area survey to be conducted with the full 36-antenna Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) telescope. RACS will provide a shallow model of the ASKAP sky that will aid the calibration of future deep ASKAP surveys. RACS will cover the whole sky visible from the ASKAP site in Western Australia, and will cover the full ASKAP band of $700-1800$ MHz. The RACS images are generally deeper than the existing NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS) and Sydney University Molonglo Sky Survey (SUMSS) radio surveys and have better spatial resolution. All RACS survey products will be public, including radio images (with $\sim 15$ arcsecond resolution) and catalogues of about three million source components with spectral index and polarisation information. In this paper, we present a description of the RACS survey and the first data release of 903 images covering the sky south of declination $+41^\circ$ made over a 288 MHz band centred at 887.5 MHz.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2020

The mobile phone as a free-rotation laboratory

Modern mobile phones contain a three-axis microelectromechanical system (MEMS) gyroscope, capable of taking accurate measurements of the angular velocity along the three principal axes of the phone with a sampling rate of 100 Hz or better. If the phone is tossed in the air, then, neglecting air resistance, it is in free rotation (rotation in the absence of a torque) with respect to its centre of mass, and the phone's gyroscope can be used to record the rotational dynamics. This enables experimental investigation of free rotation. In this paper, we use a mobile phone to demonstrate the steady states for rotation of the phone about two of its principal axes, and the instability in rotation about the third corresponding to the intermediate moment of inertia. We also show the approximate conservation of angular momentum and rotational kinetic energy during motion in the air, and compare the data with numerical solution of Euler's equations for free rotation. Our results demonstrate the capability of smartphones for investigating free rotation, and should be of interest to college and university teachers developing "at home" physics labs for remote learning.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2020

The capability of the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder to detect prompt radio bursts from neutron star mergers

We discuss observational strategies to detect prompt bursts associated with gravitational wave events using the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP). Many theoretical models of binary neutron stars mergers predict that bright, prompt radio emission would accompany the merger. The detection of such prompt emission would greatly improve our knowledge of the physical conditions, environment, and location of the merger. However, searches for prompt emission are complicated by the relatively poor localisation for gravitational wave events, with the 90\% credible region reaching hundreds or even thousands of square degrees. Operating in fly's eye mode, the ASKAP field of view can reach $\sim$1000 deg$^2$ at $\sim 888\,{\rm MHz}$. This potentially allows observers to cover most of the 90\% credible region quickly enough to detect prompt emission. We use skymaps for GW170817 and GW190814 from LIGO/Virgo's third observing run to simulate the probability of detecting prompt emission for gravitational wave events in the upcoming fourth observing run. With only alerts released after merger we find it difficult to slew the telescope sufficiently quickly as to capture any prompt emission. However, with the addition of alerts released \textit{before} merger by negative-latency pipelines we find that it should be possible to search for nearby, bright prompt FRB-like emission from gravitational wave events. Nonetheless, the rates are low: we would expect to observe $\sim$0.012 events during the fourth observing run, assuming that the prompt emission is emitted microseconds around the merger

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2020

Serendipitous Discovery of PSR J1431-6328 as a Highly-Polarized Point Source with the Australian SKA Pathfinder

We identified a highly-polarized, steep-spectrum radio source in a deep image with the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) telescope at 888 MHz. After considering and rejecting a stellar origin for this source, we discovered a new millisecond pulsar (MSP) using observations from the Parkes radio telescope. This pulsar has period 2.77 ms and dispersion measure 228.27 pc/cm**3. Although this pulsar does not yet appear to be particularly remarkable, the short spin period, wide profile and high dispersion measure do make it relatively hard to discover through traditional blind periodicity searches. Over the course of several weeks we see changes in the barycentric period of this pulsar that are consistent with orbital motion in a binary system, but the properties of any binary need to be confirmed by further observations. While even a deep ASKAP survey may not identify large numbers of new MSPs compared to the existing population, it would be competitive with existing all-sky surveys and could discover interesting new MSPs at high Galactic latitude without the need for computationally-expensive all-sky periodicity searches.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2020

International Coordination of Multi-Messenger Transient Observations in the 2020s and Beyond: Kavli-IAU White Paper

This White Paper summarizes the discussions from a five-day workshop, involving 50 people from 18 countries, held in Cape Town, South Africa in February 2020. Convened by the International Astronomical Union's Executive Committee Working Group on Global Coordination of Ground and Space Astrophysics and sponsored by the Kavli Foundation, we discussed existing and potential bottlenecks for transient and multi-messenger astronomy, identifying eight broad areas of concern. Some of these are very similar to the challenges faced by many astronomers engaging in international collaboration, for example, data access policies, funding, theoretical and computational resources and workforce equity. Others, including, alerts, telescope coordination and target-of-opportunity implementation, are strongly linked to the time domain and are particularly challenging as we respond to transients. To address these bottlenecks we offer thirty-five specific recommendations, some of which are simply starting points and require development. These recommendations are not only aimed at collaborative groups and individuals, but also at the various organizations who are essential to making transient collaborations efficient and effective: including the International Astronomical Union, observatories, projects, scientific journals and funding agencies. We hope those involved in transient research will find them constructive and use them to develop collaborations with greater impact and more inclusive teams.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2020

A population analysis of pulse broadening in ASKAP Fast Radio Bursts

The pulse morphology of fast radio bursts (FRBs) provides key information in both understanding progenitor physics and the plasma medium through which the burst propagates. We present a study of the profiles of 33 bright FRBs detected by the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder. We identify seven FRBs with measureable intrinsic pulse widths, including two FRBs that have been seen to repeat. In our modest sample we see no evidence for bimodality in the pulse width distribution. We also identify five FRBs with evidence of millisecond timescale pulse broadening caused by scattering in inhomogeneous plasma. We find no evidence for a relationship between pulse broadening and extragalactic dispersion measure. The scattering could be either caused by extreme turbulence in the host galaxy or chance propagation through foreground galaxies. With future high time resolution observations and detailed study of host galaxy properties we may be able to probe line-of-sight turbulence on gigaparsec scales.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2020

A non-equipartition shockwave traveling in a dense circumstellar environment around SN2020oi

We report the discovery and panchromatic followup observations of the young Type Ic supernova, SN2020oi, in M100, a grand design spiral galaxy at a mere distance of $14$ Mpc. We followed up with observations at radio, X-ray and optical wavelengths from only a few days to several months after explosion. The optical behaviour of the supernova is similar to those of other normal Type Ic supernovae. The event was not detected in the X-ray band but our radio observation revealed a bright mJy source ($L_ν \approx 1.2 \times 10^{27} {\rm erg\,s}^{-1} {\rm Hz}^{-1}$). Given, the relatively small number of stripped envelope SNe for which radio emission is detectable, we used this opportunity to perform a detailed analysis of the comprehensive radio dataset we obtained. The radio emitting electrons initially experience a phase of inverse Compton cooling which leads to steepening of the spectral index of the radio emission. Our analysis of the cooling frequency points to a large deviation from equipartition at the level of $ε_e/ε_B \gtrsim 200$, similar to a few other cases of stripped envelope SNe. Our modeling of the radio data suggests that the shockwave driven by the SN ejecta into the circumstellar matter (CSM) is moving at $\sim 3\times 10^{4}\,{\rm km\,s}^{-1}$. Assuming a constant mass-loss from the stellar progenitor, we find that the mass-loss rate is $\dot{M} \approx 1.4\times 10^{-4}\,{M}_{\odot}\,{\rm yr}^{-1}$, for an assumed wind velocity of $1000\,{\rm km\,s}^{-1}$. The temporal evolution of the radio emission suggests a radial CSM density structure steeper than the standard $r^{-2}$.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2020

Constraining properties of neutron star merger outflows with radio observations

The jet opening angle and inclination of GW170817 -- the first detected binary neutron star merger -- were vital to understand its energetics, relation to short gamma-ray bursts, and refinement of the standard siren-based determination of the Hubble constant, $H_0$. These basic quantities were determined through a combination of the radio lightcurve and Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) measurements of proper motion. In this paper we discuss and quantify the prospects for the use of radio VLBI observations and observations of scintillation-induced variability to measure the source size and proper motion of merger afterglows, and thereby infer properties of the merger including inclination angle, opening angle and energetics. We show that these techniques are complementary as they probe different parts of the circum-merger density/inclination angle parameter space and different periods of the temporal evolution of the afterglow. We also find that while VLBI observations will be limited to the very closest events it will be possible to detect scintillation for a large fraction of events beyond the range of current gravitational wave detectors. Scintillation will also be detectable with next generation telescopes such as the Square Kilometre Array, 2000 antenna Deep Synoptic Array and the next generation Very Large Array, for a large fraction of events detected with third generation gravitational wave detectors. Finally, we discuss prospects for the measurement of the $H_0$ with VLBI observations of neutron star mergers and compare this technique to other standard siren methods.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2019

Candidate radio supernova remnants observed by the GLEAM survey over $345^\circ < l < 60^\circ$ and $180^\circ < l < 240^\circ$

We examined the latest data release from the GaLactic and Extragalactic All-sky Murchison Widefield Array (GLEAM) survey covering $345^\circ < l < 60^\circ$, $180^\circ < l < 240^\circ$, using these data and that of the Widefield Infrared Survey Explorer to follow up proposed candidate Supernova Remnants from other sources. Of the 101 candidates proposed in the region, we are able to definitively confirm ten as SNRs, tentatively confirm two as SNRs, and reclassify five as Hii regions. A further two are detectable in our images but difficult to classify; the remaining 82 are undetectable in these data. We also investigated the 18 unclassified Multi-Array Galactic Plane Imaging Survey (MAGPIS) candidate SNRs, newly confirming three as SNRs, reclassifying two as Hii regions, and exploring the unusual spectra and morphology of two others.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2019

New candidate radio supernova remnants detected in the GLEAM survey over $345^\circ < l < 60^\circ$, $180^\circ < l < 240^\circ$

We have detected 27 new supernova remnants (SNRs) using a new data release of the GLEAM survey from the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) telescope, including the lowest surface-brightness SNR ever detected, G0.1-9.7. Our method uses spectral fitting to the radio continuum to derive spectral indices for 26/27 candidates, and our low-frequency observations probe a steeper-spectrum population than previously discovered. None of the candidates have coincident Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer mid-IR emission, further showing that the emission is non-thermal. Using pulsar associations we derive physical properties for six candidate SNRs, finding G0.1-9.7 may be younger than 10kyr. 60% of the candidates subtend areas larger than 0.2deg$^{2}$ on the sky, compared to $<25$% of previously-detected SNRs. We also make the first detection of two SNRs in the Galactic longitude range $220^\circ-240^\circ$.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2019

GaLactic and Extragalactic All-sky Murchison Widefield Array (GLEAM) survey II: Galactic Plane $345^\circ < l < 67^\circ$, $180^\circ < l < 240^\circ$

This work makes available a further 2,860deg$^2$ of the GLEAM survey, covering half of the accessible Galactic Plane, across twenty frequency bands sampling $72-231$MHz, with resolution $4'-2'$. Unlike previous GLEAM data releases, we used multi-scale clean to better deconvolve large-scale Galactic structure. For the Galactic longitude ranges $345^\circ < l < 67^\circ$, $180^\circ < l < 240^\circ$, we provide a compact source catalogue of 22,037 components selected from a 60-MHz bandwidth image centred at 200-MHz, with RMS noise $\approx10-20$mJy beam$^{-1}$ and position accuracy better than $2"$. The catalogue has a completeness of 50% at $\approx120$mJy, and a reliability of 99.86%. It covers Galactic latitudes $1^\circ\leq|b|\leq10^\circ$ toward the Galactic Centre and $|b|\leq10^\circ$ for other regions, and is available from Vizier; images covering $|b|\leq10^\circ$ for all longitudes are made available on the GLEAM VO server and SkyView.

astro-ph.GA↗