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At least 541 records · Page 30
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Radio transients and variables in the tenth Deeper, Wider, Faster observing run

The Deeper, Wider, Faster (DWF) program coordinates observations with telescopes across the electromagnetic spectrum, searching for transients on time-scales of milliseconds to days. The tenth DWF observing run was carried out in near real-time during September 2021, and consisted of six consecutive days of observations of the NGC 6744 galaxy group and a field containing the repeating fast radio burst FRB 190711 with the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder, the Dark Energy Camera, the Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope, and the Parkes 64-m ‘Murriyang’ radio telescope. Here, in this work, we present the results of an image-domain search for transient, variable, and circularly polarized sources carried out with ASKAP, using data from the observing run along with test observations prior to the run and follow-up observations carried out during and after the run. We identified eight variable radio sources, consisting of one pulsar, six stellar systems (five of which exhibit circularly polarized emission), and one previously uncatalogued source. Of particular interest is the detection of pulses from the ultra-cool dwarf SCR J1845–6357 with a period of 14.2 ± 0.3 h in good agreement with the known optical rotation period, making this the slowest rotating radio-loud ultra-cool dwarf discovered.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Discovery of a z ∼ 0.8 ultra steep spectrum radio halo in the MeerKAT-South Pole Telescope Survey

Radio haloes are diffuse synchrotron sources that trace the turbulent intracluster medium (ICM) of galaxy clusters. However, their origin remains unknown. Two main formation models have been proposed: the hadronic model, in which relativistic electrons are continuously injected by cosmic-ray protons; and the leptonic turbulent re-acceleration model, where cluster mergers re-energize electrons in situ. A key discriminant between the two models would be the existence of ultra-steep spectrum radio haloes (USSRHs), which can only be produced through turbulent re-acceleration. Here, we report the discovery of an USSRH in the galaxy cluster SPT-CLJ2337–5942 at redshift $z = 0.78$ in the MeerKAT-South Pole Telescope 100 deg$^2$ UHF (0.58–1.09 GHz) survey. This discovery is noteworthy for two primary reasons: it is the highest redshift USSRH system to date; and the close correspondence of the radio emission with the thermal ICM as traced by Chandra X-ray observations, further supporting the leptonic re-acceleration model. The halo is underluminous for its mass, consistent with a minor merger origin, which produces steep-spectrum, lower luminosity haloes. This result demonstrates the power of wide-field, high-fidelity, low-frequency ($\lesssim 1$ GHz) surveys like the MeerKAT-SPT 100 deg$^2$ programme to probe the origin and evolution of radio haloes over cosmic time, ahead of the Square Kilometre Array.

X-rays: galaxies↗
DOE OSTI2021

The Dependence of the Fraction of Radio Luminous Quasars on Redshift and its Theoretical Implications

While radio emission in quasars can be contributed to by a variety of processes (involving star-forming regions, accretion disk coronas and winds, and jets), the powering of the radio loudest quasars must involve very strong jets, presumably launched by the Blandford–Znajek mechanism incorporating the magnetically arrested disk (MAD) scenario. Here, we focus on the latter and investigate the dependence of their fraction on redshift. We also examine the dependence of the radio-loud fraction (RLF) on BH mass ( M BH ) and Eddington ratio (λ Edd ), while excluding the redshift bias by narrowing its range. In both of these investigations, we remove the bias associated with: (1) the diversity of source selection by constructing two well-defined, homogeneous samples of quasars (first within 0.7 ≤ z ≤ 1.9, second within 0.5 ≤ z ≤ 0.7); and (2) a strong drop in the RLF of quasars at smaller BH masses by choosing those with BH masses larger than 10 8.5 M ⊙ . We confirm some of the previous results showing the increase in the fraction of radio-loud quasars with cosmic time and that this trend can be even steeper if we account for the bias introduced by the dependence of the RLF on BH mass, whereas the bias introduced by the dependence of the RLF on Eddington ratio is shown to be negligible. Assuming that quasar activities are triggered by galaxy mergers, we argue that such an increase can result from the slower drop with cosmic time of mixed mergers than of wet mergers.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2012

Lunar Radio Telescopes: A Staged Approach for Lunar Science, Heliophysics, Astrobiology, Cosmology, and Exploration

Observations with radio telescopes address key problems in cosmology, astrobiology, heliophysics, and planetary science including the first light in the Universe (Cosmic Dawn), magnetic fields of extrasolar planets, particle acceleration mechanisms, and the lunar ionosphere. The Moon is a unique science platform because it allows access to radio frequencies that do not penetrate the Earth's ionosphere and because its far side is shielded from intense terrestrial emissions. The instrument packages and infrastructure needed for radio telescopes can be transported and deployed as part of Exploration activities, and the resulting science measurements may inform Exploration (e.g., measurements of lunar surface charging). An illustrative roadmap for the staged deployment of lunar radio telescopes

Moon science platform↗
NASA NTRS2016

Multi-Objective Reinforcement Learning for Cognitive Radio-Based Satellite Communications

Previous research on cognitive radios has addressed the performance of various machine-learning and optimization techniques for decision making of terrestrial link properties. In this paper, we present our recent investigations with respect to reinforcement learning that potentially can be employed by future cognitive radios installed onboard satellite communications systems specifically tasked with radio resource management. This work analyzes the performance of learning, reasoning, and decision making while considering multiple objectives for time-varying communications channels, as well as different cross-layer requirements. Based on the urgent demand for increased bandwidth, which is being addressed by the next generation of high-throughput satellites, the performance of cognitive radio is assessed considering links between a geostationary satellite and a fixed ground station operating at Ka-band (26 GHz). Simulation results show multiple objective performance improvements of more than 3.5 times for clear sky conditions and 6.8 times for rain conditions.

software defined radio↗
NASA NTRS2016

Multi-Objective Reinforcement Learning for Cognitive Radio Based Satellite Communications

Previous research on cognitive radios has addressed the performance of various machine learning and optimization techniques for decision making of terrestrial link properties. In this paper, we present our recent investigations with respect to reinforcement learning that potentially can be employed by future cognitive radios installed onboard satellite communications systems specifically tasked with radio resource management. This work analyzes the performance of learning, reasoning, and decision making while considering multiple objectives for time-varying communications channels, as well as different crosslayer requirements. Based on the urgent demand for increased bandwidth, which is being addressed by the next generation of high-throughput satellites, the performance of cognitive radio is assessed considering links between a geostationary satellite and a fixed ground station operating at Ka-band (26 GHz). Simulation results show multiple objective performance improvements of more than 3:5 times for clear sky conditions and 6:8 times for rain conditions.

ionosphere↗
DOE OSTI2021

FAST discovery of an extremely radio-faint millisecond pulsar from the Fermi -LAT unassociated source 3FGL J0318.1+0252

High sensitivity radio searches of unassociated γ-ray sources have proven to be an effective way of finding new pulsars. Using the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) during its commissioning phase, we have carried out a number of targeted deep searches of Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) γ-ray sources. On February 27, 2018 we discovered an isolated millisecond pulsar (MSP), PSR J0318+0253, coincident with the unassociated γ-ray source 3FGL J0318.1+0252. PSR J0318+0253 has a spin period of 5.19 ms, a dispersion measure (DM) of 26 pc cm –3 corresponding to a DM distance of about 1.3 kpc, and a period-averaged flux density of (~11±2) µJy at L-band (1.05–1.45 GHz). Among all high energy MSPs, PSR J0318+0253 is the faintest ever detected in radio bands, by a factor of at least ~4 in terms of L-band fluxes. With the aid of the radio ephemeris, an analysis of 9.6 years of Fermi-LAT data revealed that PSR J0318+0253 also displays strong γ-ray pulsations. Follow-up observations carried out by both Arecibo and FAST suggest a likely spectral turn-over around 350 MHz. This is the first result from the collaboration between FAST and the Fermi-LAT teams as well as the first confirmed new MSP discovery by FAST, raising hopes for the detection of many more MSPs. Finally, such discoveries will make a significant contribution to our understanding of the neutron star zoo while potentially contributing to the future detection of gravitational waves, via pulsar timing array (PTA) experiments.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Measuring the giant radio galaxy length distribution with the LoTSS

Many massive galaxies launch jets from the accretion disk of their central black hole, but only ~10 3 instances are known in which the associated outflows form giant radio galaxies (GRGs, or giants): luminous structures of megaparsec extent that consist of atomic nuclei, relativistic electrons, and magnetic fields. Large samples are imperative to understanding the enigmatic growth of giants, and recent systematic searches in homogeneous surveys constitute a promising development. For the first time, it is possible to perform meaningful precision statistics with GRG lengths, but a framework to do so is missing. We measured the intrinsic GRG length distribution by combining a novel statistical framework with a LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey (LoTSS) sample of freshly discovered giants. In turn, this allowed us to answer an array of questions on giants. For example, we can now assess how rare a 5 Mpc giant is compared with one of 1 Mpc, and how much larger – given a projected length – the corresponding intrinsic length is expected to be. Notably, we can now also infer the GRG number density in the Local Universe. We assumed the intrinsic GRG length distribution to be Paretian (i.e. of power-law form) with tail index ξ, and predicted the observed distribution by modelling projection and selection effects. To infer ξ, we also systematically searched the LoTSS for hitherto unknown giants and compiled the largest catalogue of giants to date. We show that if intrinsic GRG lengths are Pareto distributed with index ξ, then projected GRG lengths are also Pareto distributed with index ξ. Selection effects induce curvature in the observed projected GRG length distribution: angular length selection flattens it towards the lower end, while surface brightness selection steepens it towards the higher end. We explicitly derived a GRG’s posterior over intrinsic lengths given its projected length, laying bare the ξ dependence. We also discovered 2060 giants within LoTSS DR2 pipeline products; our sample more than doubles the known population. Spectacular discoveries include the largest, second-largest, and fourth-largest GRG known (l p = 5.1 Mpc, l p = 5.0 Mpc, and l p = 4.8 Mpc), the largest GRG known hosted by a spiral galaxy (l p = 2.5 Mpc), and the largest secure GRG known beyond redshift 1 (l p = 3.9 Mpc). We increase the number of known giants whose angular length exceeds that of the Moon from 10 to 23; among the discoveries is the angularly largest known radio galaxy in the Northern Sky, which is also the angularly largest known GRG ($\phi$ = 2°). Combining theory and data, we determined that intrinsic GRG lengths are well described by a Pareto distribution, and measured the index ξ = –3.5 ± 0.5. This implies that, given its projected length, a GRG’s intrinsic length is expected to be just 15% larger. Finally, we determined the comoving number density of giants in the Local Universe to be n GRG = 5 ± 2(100 Mpc) –3 . We developed a practical mathematical framework that elucidates the statistics of giant radio galaxy lengths. Through a LoTSS search, we also discovered 2060 new giants. By combining both advances, we determined that intrinsic GRG lengths are well described by a Pareto distribution with index ξ = –3.5 ± 0.5, and that giants are truly rare in a cosmological sense: most clusters and filaments of the Cosmic Web are not currently home to a giant. Thus, our work yields new observational constraints for analytical models and simulations featuring radio galaxy growth.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Measurement of the anisotropy power spectrum of the radio synchrotron background

We present the first targeted measurement of the power spectrum of anisotropies of the radio synchrotron background, at 140 MHz, where it is the overwhelmingly dominant photon background. This measurement is important for understanding the background level of radio sky brightness, which is dominated by steep-spectrum synchrotron radiation at frequencies below ν ~ 0.5 GHz and has been measured to be significantly higher than that produced by known classes of extragalactic sources and most models of Galactic halo emission. We determine the anisotropy power spectrum on scales ranging from 2° to 0.2 arcmin with Low-Frequency Array observations of two 18-deg 2 fields – one centred on the Northern hemisphere’s coldest patch of radio sky where the Galactic contribution is smallest and the other offset from that location by 15°. We find that the anisotropy power is higher than that attributable to the distribution of point sources above 100 μJy in flux. Furthermore, this level of radio anisotropy power indicates that if it results from point sources, those sources are likely at low fluxes and incredibly numerous, and likely clustered in a specific manner.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

The complex intracluster medium of Abell 1569 and its interaction with central radio galaxies

ABSTRACT We present the first in-depth study of X-ray emission from a nearby (z ∼ 0.0784) galaxy cluster Abell 1569 using an archival Chandra observation. A1569 consists of two unbound subclusters – a northern subcluster (A1569N) hosting a double-lobed radio galaxy 1233+169 at its centre, and a southern subcluster (A1569S) harbouring a wide-angle-tailed (WAT) radio source 1233+168. X-ray emission from A1569N and A1569S extends to a radius r ∼248 kpc and r ∼370 kpc, respectively, indicating that the two gas clumps are group-scale systems. The two subclusters have low X-ray luminosities (∼1042–43 erg s−1), average elemental abundances ∼1/4 Z⊙, low average temperatures (∼2 keV), and lack large (r ≳ 40–50 kpc) cool cores associated with the intracluster gas. We detect a pair of cavities coincident with the radio lobes of 1233+169 in A1569N. The total mechanical power associated with the cavity pair is an order of magnitude larger than the X-ray radiative loss in the cavity-occupied region, providing corroborating evidence for cavity-induced heating of the intragroup gas in A1569N. A1569S exhibits possible evidence for a small-scale cluster-subcluster merger, as indicated by its high central entropy, and the presence of local gas elongation and a density discontinuity in between the bent radio tails of 1233+168. The discontinuity is indicative of a weak merger shock with Mach Number, M ∼ 1.7. The most plausible geometry for the ongoing interaction is a head-on merger occurring between A1569S and a subcluster falling in from the west along the line bisecting the WAT tails.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Possible jet reorientation in low-frequency radio structures of blazars

ABSTRACT Blazars are active galactic nuclei (AGNs) observed at small viewing angles to the observer’s line of sight; hence most of them are compact sources in the radio regime. At low radio frequencies, we may observe additional extended structures, considered to be lobes propagating directly towards Earth. However, there are rare cases of blazars whose morphologies are interpreted in the framework of an episodic jet activity with a reorientation of the jet axis. In this paper, we aim to find other candidates for sources of this kind and present Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) observations of seven blazars with rare morphologies composed of kiloparsec-scale jets and elongated multihundred kiloparsec-scale features. Based on their radio images and physical parameters, we propose that jets could change the direction of propagation out of the sky plane during the lifetime of at least some of these sources and with such we may observe morphologically different AGN types simultaneously, similar to the previously discovered blazar SBS B1646+499. Several plausible origin scenarios are presented, including fast realignment and precession. We also derive the 144 MHz fluxes of the compact and extended structures, the total radio luminosities, the spectral indices for the diffuse haloes, and the core-dominance parameters. We also discuss the possibility that these objects are actually giant blazars with rare Fanaroff–Riley I (FR I) morphology. The previously discovered blazar SBS B1646+499 should be classified as a giant independently of its inclination with regard to the observer.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Constraints on the origin of the radio synchrotron background via angular correlations

ABSTRACT The origin of the radio synchrotron background (RSB) is currently unknown. Its understanding might have profound implications in fundamental physics or might reveal a new class of radio emitters. In this work, we consider the scenario in which the RSB is due to extragalactic radio sources and measure the angular cross-correlation of Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR) images of the diffuse radio sky with matter tracers at different redshifts, provided by galaxy catalogues and cosmic microwave background lensing. We compare these measured cross-correlations to those expected for models of RSB sources. We find that low-redshift populations of discrete sources are excluded by the data, while higher redshift explanations are compatible with available observations. We also conclude that at least 20 per cent of the RSB surface brightness level must originate from populations tracing the large-scale distribution of matter in the Universe, indicating that at least this fraction of the RSB is of extragalactic origin. Future measurements of the correlation between the RSB and tracers of high-redshift sources will be crucial to constraining the source population of the RSB.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Origin of Pulsed Radio Emission from Magnetars

Extended periods of radio pulsations have been observed for six magnetars, displaying characteristics different from those of ordinary pulsars. In this Letter, we argue that radio emission is generated in a closed, twisted magnetic flux bundle originating near the magnetic pole and extending beyond 100 km from the magnetar. The electron–positron flow in the twisted bundle has to carry electric current and, at the same time, experiences a strong drag from the radiation field of the magnetar. This combination forces the plasma into a “radiatively locked” state with a sustained two-stream instability, generating radio emission. We demonstrate this mechanism using novel first-principles simulations that follow the plasma behavior by solving the relativistic Vlasov equation with the discontinuous Galerkin method. First, using one-dimensional simulations, we demonstrate how radiative drag induces the two-stream instability, sustaining turbulent electric fields. When extended to two dimensions, the system produces electromagnetic waves, including superluminal modes capable of escaping the magnetosphere. We measure their frequency and emitted power and incorporate the local simulation results into a global magnetospheric model. The model explains key features of the observed radio emission from magnetars: its appearance after an X-ray outburst, wide pulse profiles, luminosities ∼10 30 erg s −1 , and a broad range of frequencies extending up to ∼100 GHz.

Astronomical simulations↗
NASA NTRS1982

A symbiotic approach to SETI observations: use of maps from the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope

High spatial resolution continuum radio maps produced by the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope (WSRT) of The Netherlands at frequencies near the 21 cm HI line have been examined for anomalous sources of emmission coincident with the locations of nearby bright stars. From a total of 542 stellar positions investigated, no candidates for radio stars or ETI signals were discovered to formal limits on the minimum detectable signal ranging from 7.7 x 10(-22) W/m2 to 6.4 x 10(-24) W/m2. This preliminary study has verified that data collected by radio astronomers at large synthesis arrays can profitably be analysed for SETI signals (in a non-interfering manner) provided only that the data are available in the form of a more or less standard two dimensional map format.

Exobiology/methods↗
NASA NTRS2013

Radio-loud CMEs from the Disk Center Lacking Shocks at 1 AU

A coronal mass ejection (CME) associated with a type II burst and originating close to the center of the solar disk typically results in a shock at Earth in 2-3 days and hence can be used to predict shock arrival at Earth. However, a significant fraction (about 28%) of such CMEs producing type II bursts were not associated with shocks at Earth. We examined a set of 21 type II bursts observed by the Wind/WAVES experiment at decameter-hectometric (DH) wavelengths that had CME sources very close to the disk center (within a central meridian distance of 30 degrees), but did not have a shock at Earth. We find that the near-Sun speeds of these CMEs average to ~644 km/s, only slightly higher than the average speed of CMEs associated with radio-quiet shocks. However, the fraction of halo CMEs is only ~30%, compared to 54% for the radio-quiet shocks and 91% for all radio-loud shocks. We conclude that the disk-center radio-loud CMEs with no shocks at 1 AU are generally of lower energy and they drive shocks only close to the Sun and dissipate before arriving at Earth. There is also evidence for other possible processes that lead to the lack of shock at 1 AU: (i) overtaking CME shocks merge and one observes a single shock at Earth, and (ii) deflection by nearby coronal holes can push the shocks away from the Sun-Earth line, such that Earth misses these shocks. The probability of observing a shock at 1 AU increases rapidly above 60% when the CME speed exceeds 1000 km/s and when the type II bursts propagate to frequencies below 1 MHz.

Type II radio burst↗
NASA NTRS2014

A Measurement of the Millimeter Emission and the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect Associated with Low-Frequency Radio Sources

We present a statistical analysis of the millimeter-wavelength properties of 1.4 GHz-selected sources and a detection of the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect associated with the halos that host them. We stack data at 148, 218 and 277 GHz from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope at the positions of a large sample of radio AGN selected at 1.4 GHz. The thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effect associated with the halos that host the AGN is detected at the 5 sigma level through its spectral signature, representing a statistical detection of the SZ effect in some of the lowest mass halos (average M(sub 200) approximately equals 10(sup 13) solar mass h(sub 70)(exp −1) ) studied to date. The relation between the SZ effect and mass (based on weak lensing measurements of radio galaxies) is consistent with that measured by Planck for local bright galaxies. In the context of galaxy evolution models, this study confirms that galaxies with radio AGN also typically support hot gaseous halos. Adding Herschel observations allows us to show that the SZ signal is not significantly contaminated by dust emission. Finally, we analyze the contribution of radio sources to the angular power spectrum of the cosmic microwave background.

radio continuum↗
NASA NTRS2012

Celestial Reference Frames at Multiple Radio Wavelengths

In 1997 the IAU adopted the International Celestial Reference Frame (ICRF) built from S/X VLBI data. In response to IAU resolutions encouraging the extension of the ICRF to additional frequency bands, VLBI frames have been made at 24, 32, and 43 gigahertz. Meanwhile, the 8.4 gigahertz work has been greatly improved with the 2009 release of the ICRF-2. This paper discusses the motivations for extending the ICRF to these higher radio bands. Results to date will be summarized including evidence that the high frequency frames are rapidly approaching the accuracy of the 8.4 gigahertz ICRF-2. We discuss current limiting errors and prospects for the future accuracy of radio reference frames. We note that comparison of multiple radio frames is characterizing the frequency dependent systematic noise floor from extended source morphology and core shift. Finally, given Gaia's potential for high accuracy optical astrometry, we have simulated the precision of a radio-optical frame tie to be approximately10-15 microarcseconds ((1-sigma) (1-standard deviation), per component).

quasars↗
NASA NTRS2016

Design and Validation of High Date Rate Ka-Band Software Defined Radio for Small Satellite

The Design and Validation of High Date Rate Ka- Band Software Defined Radio for Small Satellite project will develop a novel Ka-band software defined radio (SDR) that is capable of establishing high data rate inter-satellite links with a throughput of 500 megabits per second (Mb/s) and providing millimeter ranging precision. The system will be designed to operate with high performance and reliability that is robust against various interference effects and network anomalies. The Ka-band radio resulting from this work will improve upon state of the art Ka-band radios in terms of dimensional size, mass and power dissipation, which limit their use in small satellites.

Small satellites↗