A new method for short-duration transient detection in radio images: searching for transient sources in MeerKAT data of NGC 5068
Fijma S, Rowlinson A, Wijers RA, de Ruiter I, de Blok WJ, Chastain S, van der Horst AJ, Meyers ZS, van der Meulen K, Fender R, Woudt PA, Andersson A, Zijlstra A, Healy J, Maccagni FM (2024)
Publication Type: Journal article
Publication year: 2024
Journal
Book Volume: 528
Pages Range: 6985-6996
Journal Issue: 4
Abstract
Transient surveys are a vital tool in e xploring the dynamic Universe, with radio transients acting as beacons for explosive and highly energetic astrophysical phenomena. However, performing commensal transient surveys using radio imaging can require a significant amount of computing power, data storage, and time. With the instrumentation available to us, and with new and exciting radio interferometers in development, it is essential that we develop efficient methods to probe the radio transient sky. In this paper, we present results from a commensal short-duration transient survey, on time-scales of 8 s, 128 s, and 1 h, using data from the MeerKAT radio telescope. The data set used was obtained as part of a galaxy observing campaign, and we focus on the field of NGC 5068. We present a quick, wide-field imaging strategy to enable fast imaging of large data sets, and develop methods to efficiently filter detected transient candidates. No transient candidates were identified on the time-scales of 8 s, 128 s, and 1 h, leading to competitive limits on the transient surface densities of 6.7 × 10−5, 1.1 × 10−3, and 3.2 ×10−2 deg−1 at sensitivities of 56.4, 19.2, and 3.9 mJy following primary beam correction for the respective time-scales. We find one possible candidate that could be associated with a stellar flare, which was rejected due to strict image quality control. Further short time-scale radio observations of this candidate could give definite results about its origin.
Involved external institutions
Astron
Netherlands (NL)
University of Amsterdam
Netherlands (NL)
George Washington University (GWU)
United States (USA) (US)
University of Cape Town (UCT)
South Africa (ZA)
University of Oxford
United Kingdom (GB)
University of Manchester
United Kingdom (GB)
Netherlands (NL)
University of Amsterdam
Netherlands (NL)
George Washington University (GWU)
United States (USA) (US)
University of Cape Town (UCT)
South Africa (ZA)
University of Oxford
United Kingdom (GB)
University of Manchester
United Kingdom (GB)
How to cite
APA:
Fijma, S., Rowlinson, A., Wijers, R.A., de Ruiter, I., de Blok, W.J., Chastain, S.,... Maccagni, F.M. (2024). A new method for short-duration transient detection in radio images: searching for transient sources in MeerKAT data of NGC 5068. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 528(4), 6985-6996. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stae382
MLA:
Fijma, S., et al. "A new method for short-duration transient detection in radio images: searching for transient sources in MeerKAT data of NGC 5068." Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 528.4 (2024): 6985-6996.
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