arXiv subjects

Valentina Vacca

Publications and source records attributed to Valentina Vacca.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2021

A high-resolution view of the filament of gas between Abell 399 and Abell 401 from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope and MUSTANG-2

We report a significant detection of the hot intergalactic medium in the filamentary bridge connecting the galaxy clusters Abell 399 and Abell 401. This result is enabled by a low-noise, high-resolution map of the thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich signal from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) and Planck satellite. The ACT data provide the $1.65'$ resolution that allows us to clearly separate the profiles of the clusters, whose centres are separated by $37'$, from the gas associated with the filament. A model that fits for only the two clusters is ruled out compared to one that includes a bridge component at $>5σ$. Using a gas temperature determined from Suzaku X-ray data, we infer a total mass of $(3.3\pm0.7)\times10^{14}\,\mathrm{M}_{\odot}$ associated with the filament, comprising about $8\%$ of the entire Abell 399-Abell 401 system. We fit two phenomenological models to the filamentary structure; the favoured model has a width transverse to the axis joining the clusters of ${\sim}1.9\,\mathrm{Mpc}$. When combined with the Suzaku data, we find a gas density of $(0.88\pm0.24)\times10^{-4}\,\mathrm{cm}^{-3}$, considerably lower than previously reported. We show that this can be fully explained by a geometry in which the axis joining Abell 399 and Abell 401 has a large component along the line of sight, such that the distance between the clusters is significantly greater than the $3.2\,\mathrm{Mpc}$ projected separation on the plane of the sky. Finally, we present initial results from higher resolution ($12.7"$ effective) imaging of the bridge with the MUSTANG-2 receiver on the Green Bank Telescope.

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arXiv2021

Pilot study and early results of the Cosmic Filaments and Magnetism Survey with Nenufar: the Coma cluster field

NenuFAR, the New Extension in Nancay Upgrading LOFAR, is currently in its early science phase. It is in this context that the Cosmic Filaments and Magnetism Pilot Survey is observing sources with the array as it is still under construction - with 57 (56 core, 1 distant) out of a total planned 102 (96 core, 6 distant) mini-arrays online at the time of observation - to get a first look at the low-frequency sky with NenuFAR. One of its targets is the Coma galaxy cluster: a well-known object, host of the prototype radio halo. It also hosts other features of scientific import, including a radio relic, along with a bridge of emission connecting it with the halo. It is thus a well-studied object. In this paper, we show the first confirmed NenuFAR detection of the radio halo and radio relic of the Coma cluster at 34.4 MHz, with associated intrinsic flux density estimates: we find an integrated flux value of 106.3 +- 3.5 Jy for the radio halo, and 102.0 +- 7.4 Jy for the radio relic. These are upper bound values, as they do not include point-source subtraction. We also give an explanation of the technical difficulties encountered in reducing the data, along with steps taken to resolve them. This will be helpful for other scientific projects which will aim to make use of standalone NenuFAR imaging observations in the future.

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arXiv2021

The Galactic Faraday rotation sky 2020

This work gives an update to existing reconstructions of the Galactic Faraday rotation sky by processing almost all Faraday rotation data sets available at the end of the year 2020. Observations of extra-Galactic sources in recent years have, among other regions, further illuminated the previously under-constrained southern celestial sky, as well as parts of the inner disc of the Milky Way. This has culminated in an all-sky data set of 55,190 data points, which is a significant expansion on the 41,330 used in previous works, hence making an updated separation of the Galactic component a promising venture. The increased source density allows us to present our results in a resolution of about $1.3\cdot 10^{-2}\, \mathrm{deg}^2$ ($46.8\,\mathrm{arcmin}^2$), which is a twofold increase compared to previous works. As for previous Faraday rotation sky reconstructions, this work is based on information field theory, a Bayesian inference scheme for field-like quantities which handles noisy and incomplete data. In contrast to previous reconstructions, we find a significantly thinner and pronounced Galactic disc with small-scale structures exceeding values of several thousand $\mathrm{rad}\,\mathrm{m}^{-2}$. The improvements can mainly be attributed to the new catalog of Faraday data, but are also supported by advances in correlation structure modeling within numerical information field theory. We furthermore give a detailed discussion on statistical properties of the Faraday rotation sky and investigate correlations to other data sets.

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arXiv2020

Spectro-polarimetric observations of the CIZA J2242.8+5301 northern radio relic: no evidence of high-frequency steepening

Observations of radio relics at very high frequency (>10 GHz) can help to understand how particles age and are (re-)accelerated in galaxy cluster outskirts and how magnetic fields are amplified in these environments. In this work, we present new single-dish 18.6 GHz Sardinia Radio Telescope and 14.25 GHz Effelsberg observations of the well known northern radio relic of CIZA J2242.8+5301. We detected the relic which shows a length of $\sim$1.8 Mpc and a flux density equal to $\rm S_{14.25\,GHz}=(9.5\pm3.9)\,mJy$ and $\rm S_{18.6\,GHz}=(7.67\pm0.90)\,mJy$ at 14.25 GHz and 18.6 GHz respectively. The resulting best-fit model of the relic spectrum from 145 MHz to 18.6 GHz is a power-law spectrum with spectral index $α=1.12\pm0.03$: no evidence of steepening has been found in the new data presented in this work. For the first time, polarisation properties have been derived at 18.6 GHz, revealing an averaged polarisation fraction of $\sim40\%$ and a magnetic field aligned with the 'filaments' or 'sheets' of the relic.

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arXiv2020

Low(er) frequency follow-up of 28 candidate, large-scale synchrotron sources

We follow up on a report by Vacca et al. (2018) of 28 candidate large-scale diffuse synchrotron sources in an 8°$\times$8° area of the sky (centred at RA 5h0m0s Dec 5°48'0''). These sources were originally observed at 1.4 GHz using a combination of the single-dish Sardinia Radio Telescope (SRT) and archival NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS) data. They are in an area with nine massive galaxy clusters at z $\approx$ 0.1, and are candidates for the first detection of filaments of the synchrotron cosmic web. We attempt to verify these candidate sources with lower frequency observations at 154 MHz with the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) and at 887 MHz with the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP). We use a novel technique to calculate the surface brightness sensitivity of these instruments to show that our lower frequency observations, and in particular those by ASKAP, are ideally suited to detect large-scale, extended synchrotron emission. Nonetheless, we are forced to conclude that none of these sources are likely to be synchrotron in origin or associated with the cosmic web.

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arXiv2020

Magnetism Science with the Square Kilometre Array

The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) will answer fundamental questions about the origin, evolution, properties, and influence of magnetic fields throughout the Universe. Magnetic fields can illuminate and influence phenomena as diverse as star formation, galactic dynamics, fast radio bursts, active galactic nuclei, large-scale structure, and Dark Matter annihilation. Preparations for the SKA are swiftly continuing worldwide, and the community is making tremendous observational progress in the field of cosmic magnetism using data from a powerful international suite of SKA pathfinder and precursor telescopes. In this contribution, we revisit community plans for magnetism research using the SKA, in the light of these recent rapid developments. We focus in particular on the impact that new radio telescope instrumentation is generating, thus advancing our understanding of key SKA magnetism science areas, as well as the new techniques that are required for processing and interpreting the data. We discuss these recent developments in the context of the ultimate scientific goals for the SKA era.

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arXiv2019

Rotation Measure synthesis applied on synthetic SKA images of galaxy clusters

Future observations with next generation radio telescopes will help us to understand the presence and the evolution of magnetic fields in galaxy clusters through the determination of the so-called Rotation Measure (RM). In this work, we applied the RM-synthesis technique on synthetic SKA1-MID radio images of a pair of merging galaxy clusters, measured between 950 and 1750 MHz with a resolution of 10 arcsec and a thermal noise of 0.1$μ$Jy/beam. The results of our RM-synthesis analysis are compared to the simulations' input parameters. We study two cases: one with radio haloes at the cluster centres, and another without. We found that the information obtained with the RM-synthesis is in general agreement with the input information. Some discrepancies are however present. We characterise them in this work, with the final goal of determining the potential impact of SKA1-MID on the study of cluster magnetic fields.

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arXiv2019

A multi-wavelength pipeline for pulsar searches

Pulsar studies in the recent years have shown, more than others, to have benefited from a multi-wavelength approach. The INAF - Astronomical Observatory in Cagliari (INAF-OAC) is a growing facility with a young group devoted to pulsar and fast transients studies across the electromagnetic spectrum. Taking advantage of this expertise we have worked to provide a suite of multi-wavelength software and databases for the observations of pulsars and compact Galactic objects at the Sardinia Radio Telescope (SRT). In turn, radio pulsar observations at SRT will be made available, in a processed format, to gamma-ray searches using AGILE and Fermi gamma-ray satellite and, in a near future, they will be complementary to polarimetric X-ray observations with IXPE.

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arXiv2018

Statistical properties of Faraday rotation measure from large-scale magnetic fields in intervening disc galaxies

To constrain the large-scale magnetic field strengths in cosmologically distant galax- ies, we derive the probability distribution function of Faraday rotation measure (RM) when random lines of sight pass through a sample of disc galaxies, with axisymmetric large-scale magnetic fields. We find that the width of the RM distribution of the galaxy sample is directly related to the mean large-scale field strength of the galaxy population, provided the dispersion within the sample is lower than the mean value. In the absence of additional constraints on parameters describing the magneto-ionic medium of the intervening galaxies, and in the situation where RMs produced in the intervening galaxies have already been statistically isolated from other RM contributions along the lines of sight, our simple model of the magneto-ionic medium in disc galaxies suggests that the mean large-scale magnetic field of the population can be measured to within ~ 50% accuracy.

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arXiv2018

IMAGINE: A comprehensive view of the interstellar medium, Galactic magnetic fields and cosmic rays

In this white paper we introduce the IMAGINE Consortium and its scientific background, goals and structure. Our purpose is to coordinate and facilitate the efforts of a diverse group of researchers in the broad areas of the interstellar medium, Galactic magnetic fields and cosmic rays, and our goal is to develop more comprehensive insights into the structures and roles of interstellar magnetic fields and their interactions with cosmic rays. To achieve a higher level of self-consistency, depth and rigour can only be achieved by the coordinated efforts of experts in diverse areas of astrophysics involved in observational, theoretical and numerical work. We present our view of the present status of this topic, identify its key unsolved problems and suggest a strategy that will underpin our work. The backbone of the consortium is the Interstellar MAGnetic field INference Engine, a publicly available Bayesian platform that employs robust statistical methods to explore the multi-dimensional likelihood space using any number of modular inputs. It provides an interpretation and modelling framework that has the power and flexibility to include a variety of observational, theoretical and numerical lines of evidence into a self-consistent and comprehensive picture of the thermal and non-thermal interstellar media. An important innovation is that a consistent understanding of the phenomena that are directly or indirectly influenced by the Galactic magnetic field, such as the deflection of ultra-high energy cosmic rays or extragalactic backgrounds, is made an integral part of the modelling. The IMAGINE Consortium, which is informal by nature and open to new participants, hereby presents a methodological framework for the modelling and understanding of Galactic magnetic fields that is available to all communities whose research relies on a state-of-the-art solution to this problem. (Abridged.)

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arXiv2018

Statistical properties of Faraday rotation measure in external galaxies -- I: intervening disc galaxies

Deriving the Faraday rotation measure (RM) of quasar absorption line systems, which are tracers of high-redshift galaxies intervening background quasars, is a powerful tool for probing magnetic fields in distant galaxies. Statistically comparing the RM distributions of two quasar samples, with and without absorption line systems, allows one to infer magnetic field properties of the intervening galaxy population. Here, we have derived the analytical form of the probability distribution function (PDF) of RM produced by a single galaxy with an axisymmetric large-scale magnetic field. We then further determine the PDF of RM for one random sight line traversing each galaxy in a population with a large-scale magnetic field prescription. We find that the resulting PDF of RM is dominated by a Lorentzian with a width that is directly related to the mean axisymmetric large-scale field strength $\langle B_0 \rangle$ of the galaxy population if the dispersion of $B_0$ within the population is smaller than $\langle B_0 \rangle$. Provided that RMs produced by the intervening galaxies have been successfully isolated from other RM contributions along the line of sight, our simple model suggests that $\langle B_0 \rangle$ in galaxies probed by quasar absorption line systems can be measured within $\approx50$ per cent accuracy without additional constraints on the magneto-ionic medium properties of the galaxies. Finally, we discuss quasar sample selection criteria that are crucial to reliably interpret observations, and argue that within the limitations of the current database of absorption line systems, high-metallicity damped Lyman-$α$ absorbers are best suited to study galactic dynamo action in distant disc galaxies.

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arXiv2017

Radio Polarization Properties of Quasars and Active Galaxies at High Redshifts

We present the largest ever sample of radio polarization properties for $z>4$ sources, with 14 sources having significant polarization detections. Using wideband data from the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array, we obtained the rest-frame total intensity and polarization properties of 37 radio sources, nine of which have spectroscopic redshifts in the range $1 \le z \le 1.4$, with the other 28 having spectroscopic redshifts in the range $3.5 \le z \le 6.21$. Fits are performed for the Stokes $I$ and fractional polarization spectra, and Faraday rotation measures are derived using Rotation measure synthesis and $QU$ fitting. Using archival data of 476 polarized sources, we compare high redshift ($z>3$) source properties to a $15\,$GHz rest-frame luminosity matched sample of low redshift ($z<3$) sources to investigate if the polarization properties of radio sources at high redshifts are intrinsically different than those at low redshift. We find a mean of the rotation measure absolute values, corrected for Galactic rotation, of $50 \pm 22\,$rad m$^{-2}$ for $z>3$ sources and $57 \pm 4\,$rad m$^{-2}$ for $z<3$. Although there is some indication of lower intrinsic rotation measures at high-$z$ possibly due to higher depolarization from the high density environments, using several statistical tests we detect no significant difference between low and high redshift sources. Larger samples are necessary to determine any true physical difference.

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arXiv2017

Narrow head-tail radio galaxies at very high resolution

Aims. Narrow-angle tailed (NAT) sources in clusters of galaxies can show on the large scale very narrow tails that are unresolved even at arcsecond resolution. These sources could therefore be classified as one-sided jets. The aim of this paper is to gain new insight into the structure of these sources, and establish whether they are genuine one-sided objects, or if they are two-sided sources. Methods. We observed a sample of apparently one-sided NAT sources at subarcsecond resolution to obtain detailed information on their structure in the nuclear regions of radio galaxies. Results. Most radio galaxies are found to show two-sided jets with sharp bends, and therefore the sources are similar to the more classical NATs, which are affected by strong projection effects.

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arXiv2017

The Galaxy in circular polarization: all-sky radio prediction, detection strategy, and the charge of the leptonic cosmic rays

The diffuse Galactic synchrotron emission should exhibit a low level of diffuse circular polarization (CP) due to the circular motions of the emitting relativistic electrons. This probes the Galactic magnetic field in a similar way as the product of total Galactic synchrotron intensity times Faraday depth. We use this to construct an all sky prediction of the so far unexplored Galactic CP from existing measurements. This map can be used to search for this CP signal in low frequency radio data even prior to imaging. If detected as predicted, it would confirm the expectation that relativistic electrons, and not positrons, are responsible for the Galactic radio emission. Furthermore, the strength of real to predicted circular polarization would provide statistical information on magnetic structures along the line-of-sights.

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arXiv2017

fastRESOLVE: fast Bayesian imaging for aperture synthesis in radio astronomy

The standard imaging algorithm for interferometric radio data, CLEAN, is optimal for point source observations, but suboptimal for diffuse emission. Recently, RESOLVE, a new Bayesian algorithm has been developed, which is ideal for extended source imaging. Unfortunately, RESOLVE is computationally very expensive. In this paper we present fastRESOLVE, a modification of RESOLVE based on an approximation of the interferometric likelihood that allows us to avoid expensive gridding routines and consequently gain a factor of roughly 100 in computation time. Furthermore, we include a Bayesian estimation of the measurement uncertainty of the visibilities into the imaging, a procedure not applied in aperture synthesis before. The algorithm requires little to no user input compared to the standard method CLEAN while being superior for extended and faint emission. We apply the algorithm to VLA data of Abell 2199 and show that it resolves more detailed structures.

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arXiv2016

A Strong Merger Shock in Abell 665

Deep (103 ks) \chandra\ observations of Abell 665 have revealed rich structures in this merging galaxy cluster, including a strong shock and two cold fronts. The newly discovered shock has a Mach number of $M$ = 3.0 $\pm$ 0.6, propagating in front of a cold disrupted cloud. This makes Abell~665 the second cluster where a strong merger shock of $M \approx$ 3 has been detected, after the Bullet cluster. The shock velocity from jump conditions is consistent with (2.7 $\pm$ 0.7) $\times$ 10$^3$ km sec$^{-1}$. The new data also reveal a prominent southern cold front, with potentially heated gas ahead of it. Abell 665 also hosts a giant radio halo. There is a hint of diffuse radio emission extending to the shock at the north, which needs to be examined with better radio data. This new strong shock provides a great opportunity to study the re-acceleration model with the X-ray and radio data combined.

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arXiv2015

Using SKA Rotation Measures to Reveal the Mysteries of the Magnetised Universe

We know that magnetic fields are pervasive across all scales in the Universe and over all of cosmic time and yet our understanding of many of the properties of magnetic fields is still limited. We do not yet know when, where or how the first magnetic fields in the Universe were formed, nor do we fully understand their role in fundamental processes such as galaxy formation or cosmic ray acceleration or how they influence the evolution of astrophysical objects. The greatest challenge to addressing these issues has been a lack of deep, broad bandwidth polarimetric data over large areas of the sky. The Square Kilometre Array will radically improve this situation via an all-sky polarisation survey that delivers both high quality polarisation imaging in combination with observations of 7-14 million extragalactic rotation measures. Here we summarise how this survey will improve our understanding of a range of astrophysical phenomena on scales from individual Galactic objects to the cosmic web.

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arXiv2015

The Denoised, Deconvolved, and Decomposed Fermi $γ$-ray sky - An application of the D$^3$PO algorithm

We analyze the 6.5yr all-sky data from the Fermi LAT restricted to gamma-ray photons with energies between 0.6-307.2GeV. Raw count maps show a superposition of diffuse and point-like emission structures and are subject to shot noise and instrumental artifacts. Using the D3PO inference algorithm, we model the observed photon counts as the sum of a diffuse and a point-like photon flux, convolved with the instrumental beam and subject to Poissonian shot noise. D3PO performs a Bayesian inference in this setting without the use of spatial or spectral templates;i.e., it removes the shot noise, deconvolves the instrumental response, and yields estimates for the two flux components separately. The non-parametric reconstruction uncovers the morphology of the diffuse photon flux up to several hundred GeV. We present an all-sky spectral index map for the diffuse component. We show that the diffuse gamma-ray flux can be described phenomenologically by only two distinct components: a soft component, presumably dominated by hadronic processes, tracing the dense, cold interstellar medium and a hard component, presumably dominated by leptonic interactions, following the hot and dilute medium and outflows such as the Fermi bubbles. A comparison of the soft component with the Galactic dust emission indicates that the dust-to-soft-gamma ratio in the interstellar medium decreases with latitude. The spectrally hard component exists in a thick Galactic disk and tends to flow out of the Galaxy at some locations. Furthermore, we find the angular power spectrum of the diffuse flux to roughly follow a power law with an index of 2.47 on large scales, independent of energy. Our first catalog of source candidates includes 3106 candidates of which we associate 1381(1897) with known sources from the 2nd(3rd) Fermi catalog. We observe gamma-ray emission in the direction of a few galaxy clusters hosting radio halos.

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