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Register a new userWavelet-Based Characterization of Small-Scale Solar Emission Features at Low Radio Frequencies
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Low radio frequency solar observations using the Murchison Widefield Array have recently revealed the presence of numerous weak, short-lived and narrow-band emission features, even during moderately quiet solar conditions. These non-thermal features occur at rates of many thousands per hour in the 30.72 MHz observing bandwidth, and hence, necessarily require an automated approach for their detection and characterization. Here, we employ continuous wavelet transform using a mother Ricker wavelet for feature detection from the dynamic spectrum. We establish the efficacy of this approach and present the first statistically robust characterization of the properties of these features. In particular, we examine distributions of their peak flux densities, spectral spans, temporal spans and peak frequencies. We can reliably detect features weaker than 1 SFU, making them, to the best of our knowledge, the weakest bursts reported in literature. The distribution of their peak flux densities follows a power law with an index of -2.23 in the 12-155 SFU range, implying that they can provide an energetically significant contribution to coronal and chromospheric heating. These features typically last for 1-2 seconds and possess bandwidths of about 4-5 MHz. Their occurrence rate remains fairly flat in the 140-210 MHz frequency range. At the time resolution of the data, they appear as stationary bursts, exhibiting no perceptible frequency drift. These features also appear to ride on a broadband background continuum, hinting at the likelihood of them being weak type-I bursts.
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Low-frequency (80-240 MHz) radio observations of the solar corona are presented using the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA), and several discoveries are reported. The corona is reviewed, followed by chapters on Type III bursts and circularly-polarized quiescent emission. The second chapter details new Type III burst dynamics. One source component at higher frequencies splits into two at lower frequencies, where the two components rapidly diverge. This is attributed to electron beams traversing a divergent magnetic field configuration, which is supported by extreme ultraviolet jet observations outlining a coronal null point. The third chapter uses Type III burst heights as density probes. Harmonic plasma emission implies ~4x enhancements over background models. This can be explained by electron beams traveling along dense fibers or by propagation effects that elevate apparent source heights. The quiescent corona is compared to model predictions to conclude that propagation effects can largely but not entirely explain the apparent density enhancements. The fourth chapter surveys over 100 spectropolarimetric observing runs. Around 700 compact sources are detected with polarization fractions from less than 0.5% to nearly 100%. They are interpreted as plasma emission noise storm sources down to levels not previously observable. A bullseye structure is reported for coronal holes, where an outer ring surrounds an oppositely-polarized central component that does not match the sign expected of thermal bremsstrahlung. The large-scale polarization structure is shown to be well-correlated with that of a global magnetic field model. The last chapter summarizes results and outlines future work. A preliminary comparison of polarization images to model predictions is shared, along with coronal mass ejection observations revealing a radio arc that is morphologically similar to the white-light structure.
Spectral variability of radio sources encodes information about the conditions of intervening media, source structure, and emission processes. With new low-frequency radio interferometers observing over wide fractional bandwidths, studies of spectral variability for a large population of extragalactic radio sources are now possible. Using two epochs of observations from the GaLactic and Extragalactic All-sky Murchison Widefield Array (GLEAM) survey that were taken one year apart, we search for spectral variability across 100--230 MHz for 21,558 sources. We present methodologies for detecting variability in the spectrum between epochs and for classifying the type of variability: either as a change in spectral shape or as a uniform change in flux density across the bandwidth. We identify 323 sources with significant spectral variability over a year-long timescale. Of the 323 variable sources, we classify 51 of these as showing a significant change in spectral shape. Variability is more prevalent in peaked-spectrum sources, analogous to gigahertz-peaked spectrum and compact steep-spectrum sources, compared to typical radio galaxies. We discuss the viability of several potential explanations of the observed spectral variability, such as interstellar scintillation and jet evolution. Our results suggest that the radio sky in the megahertz regime is more dynamic than previously suggested.
The rare intermittent pulsars pose some of the most challenging questions surrounding the pulsar emission mechanism, but typically have relatively minimal low-frequency ($lesssim$ 300 MHz) coverage. We present the first low-frequency detection of the intermittent pulsar J1107-5907 with the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) at 154 MHz and the simultaneous detection from the recently upgraded Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope (UTMOST) at 835 MHz, as part of an on-going observing campaign. During a 30-minute simultaneous observation, we detected the pulsar in its bright emission state for approximately 15 minutes, where 86 and 283 pulses were detected above a signal-to-noise threshold of 6 with the MWA and UTMOST, respectively. Of the detected pulses, 51 had counterparts at both frequencies and exhibited steep spectral indices for both the bright main pulse component and the precursor component. We find that the bright state pulse energy distribution is best parameterised by a log-normal distribution at both frequencies, contrary to previous results which suggested a power law distribution. Further low-frequency observations are required in order to explore in detail aspects such as pulse-to-pulse variability, intensity modulations and to better constrain the signal propagation effects due to the interstellar medium and intermittency characteristics at these frequencies. The spectral index, extended profile emission covering a large fraction of pulse longitude, and the broadband intermittency of PSR J1107-5907 suggests that future low-frequency pulsar searches, for instance those planned with SKA-Low, will be in an excellent position to find and investigate new pulsars of this type.
We present new, low-frequency images of the powerful FR I radio galaxy Hydra A (3C 218). Images were made with the Very Large Array (VLA) at frequencies of 1415, 330, and 74 MHz, with resolutions on the order of 20. The morphology of the source is seen to be more complex and even larger than previously known, and extends nearly 8 (530 kpc) in a North-South direction. The southern lobe is bent to the east and extends in that direction for nearly 3 (200 kpc). In addition, we find that the northern lobe has a flatter spectral slope than the southern lobe, consistent with the appearance of greater confinement to the south. We measure overall spectral indices alpha^{330}_{74} = -0.83 and alpha^{1415}_{330} = -0.89.
Dark matter annihilations in the Galactic halo inject relativistic electrons and positrons which in turn generate a synchrotron radiation when interacting with the galactic magnetic field. We calculate the synchrotron flux for various dark matter annihilation channels, masses, and astrophysical assumptions in the low-frequency range and compare our results with radio surveys from 22 MHz to 1420 MHz. We find that current observations are able to constrain particle dark matter with thermal annihilation cross-sections, i.e. (sigma v) = 3 x 10^-26 cm^3/s, and masses M_DM < 10 GeV. We discuss the dependence of these bounds on the astrophysical assumptions, namely galactic dark matter distribution, cosmic rays propagation parameters, and structure of the galactic magnetic field. Prospects for detection in future radio surveys are outlined.
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