LOFAR MSSS: detection of a low-frequency radio transient in 400 h of monitoring of the North Celestial Pole
Date Issued
2016
Author(s)
Stewart, A. J.
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Fender, R. P.
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Broderick, J. W.
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Hassall, T. E.
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Muñoz-Darias, T.
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Rowlinson, A.
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Swinbank, J. D.
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Staley, T. D.
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Molenaar, G. J.
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Scheers, B.
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Grobler, T. L.
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Wucknitz, O.
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Yatawatta, S.
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Pietka, M.
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Heald, G.
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McKean, J. P.
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Bell, M. E.
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Breton, R. P.
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Carbone, D.
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Cendes, Y.
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Clarke, A. O.
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Corbel, S.
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Eislöffel, J.
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Falcke, H.
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Ferrari, C.
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Grießmeier, J. -M.
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Hardcastle, M. J.
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Heesen, V.
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Hessels, J. W. T.
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Horneffer, A.
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Iacobelli, M.
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Jonker, P.
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Karastergiou, A.
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Kokotanekov, G.
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Kondratiev, V. I.
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Kuniyoshi, M.
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Law, C. J.
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van Leeuwen, J.
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Markoff, S.
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Miller-Jones, J. C. A.
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Mulcahy, D.
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Orru, E.
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Pandey-Pommier, M.
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Pratley, L.
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Rol, E.
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Röttgering, H. J. A.
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Scaife, A. M. M.
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Shulevski, A.
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Sobey, C. A.
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Stappers, B. W.
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Tasse, C.
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van der Horst, A. J.
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van Velzen, S.
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van Weeren, R. J.
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Wijers, R. A. M. J.
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Wijnands, R.
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Wise, M.
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Zarka, P.
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Alexov, A.
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Anderson, J.
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Asgekar, A.
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Avruch, I. M.
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Bentum, M. J.
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Best, P.
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Breitling, F.
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Brüggen, M.
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Butcher, H. R.
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Ciardi, B.
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Conway, J. E.
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Corstanje, A.
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de Geus, E.
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Deller, A.
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Duscha, S.
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Frieswijk, W.
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Garrett, M. A.
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Gunst, A. W.
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van Haarlem, M. P.
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Hoeft, M.
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Hörandel, J.
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Juette, E.
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Kuper, G.
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Loose, M.
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Maat, P.
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McFadden, R.
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McKay-Bukowski, D.
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Moldon, J.
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Munk, H.
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Norden, M. J.
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Paas, H.
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Polatidis, A. G.
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Schwarz, D.
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Sluman, J.
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Smirnov, O.
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Steinmetz, M.
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Thoudam, S.
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Toribio, M. C.
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Vermeulen, R.
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Vocks, C.
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Wijnholds, S. J.
Abstract
We present the results of a four-month campaign searching for low-frequency radio transients near the North Celestial Pole with the Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR), as part of the Multifrequency Snapshot Sky Survey (MSSS). The data were recorded between 2011 December and 2012 April and comprised 2149 11-min snapshots, each covering 175 deg2. We have found one convincing candidate astrophysical transient, with a duration of a few minutes and a flux density at 60 MHz of 15-25 Jy. The transient does not repeat and has no obvious optical or high-energy counterpart, as a result of which its nature is unclear. The detection of this event implies a transient rate at 60 MHz of 3.9^{+14.7}_{-3.7}× 10^{-4} d-1 deg-2, and a transient surface density of 1.5 × 10-5 deg-2, at a 7.9-Jy limiting flux density and ∼10-min time-scale. The campaign data were also searched for transients at a range of other time-scales, from 0.5 to 297 min, which allowed us to place a range of limits on transient rates at 60 MHz as a function of observation duration.
Volume
456
Issue
3
Start page
2321
Issn Identifier
0035-8711
Ads BibCode
2016MNRAS.456.2321S
Rights
open.access
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