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Register a new userDetection of 2$-$4 GHz Continuum Emission from $epsilon$ Eridani
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The nearby star $rm epsilon Eridani$ has been a frequent target of radio surveys for stellar emission and extraterrestial intelligence. Using deep $rm 2-4 GHz$ observations with the Very Large Array, we have uncovered a $29 mu {rm Jy}$ compact, steady continuum radio source coincident with $rm epsilon Eridani$ to within 0.06 arcseconds ($lesssim 2sigma$; 0.2 au at the distance of the star). Combining our data with previous high frequency continuum detections of $rm epsilon Eridani$, our observations reveal a spectral turnover at $rm 6 GHz$. We ascribe the $rm 2-6 GHz$ emission to optically thick, thermal gyroresonance radiation from the stellar corona, with thermal free-free opacity likely becoming relevant at frequencies below $rm 1 GHz$. The steep spectral index ($alpha simeq 2$) of the $rm 2-6 GHz$ spectrum strongly disfavors its interpretation as stellar wind-associated thermal bremsstrahlung ($alpha simeq 0.6$). Attributing the entire observed $rm 2-4 GHz$ flux density to thermal free-free wind emission, we thus, derive a stringent upper limit of $3 times 10^{-11} M_{odot} {rm yr}^{-1}$ on the mass loss rate from $rm epsilon Eridani$. Finally, we report the non-detection of flares in our data above a $5sigma$ threshold of $rm 95 mu Jy$. Together with the optical non-detection of the most recent stellar maximum expected in 2019, our observations postulate a likely evolution of the internal dynamo of $rm epsilon Eridani$.
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We present Very Large Array observations at 33.0 GHz that detect emission coincident with $epsilon$ Eridani to within $0rlap.{}07$ (0.2 AU at the distance of this star), with a positional accuracy of $0rlap.{}05$. This result strongly supports the suggestion of previous authors that the quiescent centimeter emission comes from the star and not from a proposed giant exoplanet with a semi-major axis of $sim1rlap.{}0$ (3.4 AU). The centimeter emission is remarkably flat and is consistent with optically thin free-free emission. In particular, it can be modeled as a stellar wind with a mass loss rate of the order of $6.6 times 10^{-11}~ M_odot ~yr^{-1}$, which is 3,300 times the solar value, exceeding other estimates of this stars wind. However, interpretation of the emission in terms of other thermal mechanisms like coronal free-free and gyroresonance emission cannot be discarded.
As part of a wider search for radio emission from nearby systems known or suspected to contain extrasolar planets $epsilon$ Eridani was observed by the Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) in the 2-4 GHz and 4-8 GHz frequency bands. In addition, as part of a separate survey of thermal emission from solar-like stars, $epsilon$ Eri was observed in the 8-12 GHz and the 12-18 GHz bands of the VLA. Quasi-steady continuum radio emission from $epsilon$ Eri was detected in the three high-frequency bands at levels ranging from 67-83 $mu$Jy. No significant variability is seen in the quasi-steady emission. The emission in the 2-4 GHz emission, however, is shown to be the result of a circularly polarized (up to 50%) radio pulse or flare of a few minutes duration that occurred at the beginning of the observation. We consider the astrometric position of the radio source in each frequency band relative to the expected position of the K2V star and the purported planet. The quasi-steady radio emission at frequencies $ge !8$ GHz is consistent with a stellar origin. The quality of the 4-8 GHz astrometry provides no meaningful constraint on the origin of the emission. The location of the 2-4 GHz radio pulse is $>2.5sigma$ from the star yet, based on the ephemeris of Benedict et al. (2006), it is not consistent with the expected location of the planet either. If the radio pulse has a planetary origin, then either the planetary ephemeris is incorrect or the emission originates from another planet.
We present high resolution ALMA observations of the CO(3-2) and 350 GHz continuum emissions of the debris disc of 49 Ceti, known to be particularly rich in molecular gas in spite of its age. The main new results are: i) both CO and dust discs share a same position angle and a same inclination but the gas disc is more homogeneous, more central and thinner than the dust disc; ii) evidence is obtained for a significant deficit of observed CO(3-2) emission at Doppler velocities differing from the star systemic velocity by less than 1 kms; iii) gas velocities are accurately measured and found Keplerian over a broad range of disc radii; iv) the observed CO(3-2) line width is dominated by Keplerian shear and upper limits are obtained to the intrinsic line width. Simple phenomenological models of both CO(3-2) and mbox{350 GHz} continuum emissions are presented, requiring the use of only very few parameters. The results are discussed in the frame of currently favoured models.
We present observations of Epsilon Eridani from the Submillimeter Array (SMA) at 1.3 millimeters and from the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) at 7 millimeters that reach an angular resolution of ~4 (13 AU). These first millimeter interferometer observations of Epsilon Eridani, which hosts the closest debris disk to the Sun, reveal two distinct emission components: (1) the well-known outer dust belt, which, although patchy, is clearly resolved in the radial direction, and (2) an unresolved source coincident with the position of the star. We use direct model-fitting of the millimeter visibilities to constrain the basic properties of these two components. A simple Gaussian shape for the outer belt fit to the SMA data results in a radial location of $64.4^{+2.4}_{-3.0}$ AU and FWHM of $20.2^{+6.0}_{-8.2}$ AU (fractional width $Delta R/R = 0.3$. Similar results are obtained taking a power law radial emission profile for the belt, though the power law index cannot be usefully constrained. Within the noise obtained (0.2 mJy/beam), these data are consistent with an axisymmetric belt model and show no significant azimuthal structure that might be introduced by unseen planets in the system. These data also limit any stellocentric offset of the belt to $<9$ AU, which disfavors the presence of giant planets on highly eccentric ($>0.1$) and wide (10s of AU) orbits. The flux density of the unresolved central component exceeds predictions for the stellar photosphere at these long wavelengths, by a marginally significant amount at 1.3 millimeters but by a factor of a few at 7 millimeters (with brightness temperature $13000 pm 1600$ K for a source size of the optical stellar radius). We attribute this excess emission to ionized plasma from a stellar corona or chromosphere.
We use the Fermi-LAT gamma-ray observatory to search for gamma-ray emission from four nearby, debris disk-hosting main sequence stars: $tau$ Ceti, $epsilon$ Eridani, Fomalhaut, and Vega. For three stars ($tau$ Ceti, Fomalhaut, and Vega), we establish upper limits that are consistent with theoretical expectations. For $epsilon$ Eridani, we find a possible spatially coincident source with a soft energy spectrum of $dN/dE sim E^{-3.6}$. However, at this stage we are unable to rule out that this emission is due to a more extended feature in the diffuse background. In the interpretation that the emission is due to $epsilon$ Eridani, the $> 100$ MeV gamma-ray luminosity is $sim 10^{27}$ erg/s $simeq 3times 10^{-7}$ L$_odot$, which is $sim 10^{10}$ times the gamma-ray luminosity from the disk of the quiet Sun. We find $lesssim 2 sigma$ evidence of source variability over a $sim 7$ year timescale. In the interpretation that the gamma-ray emission from $epsilon$ Eridani itself, we consider two possible models: 1) cosmic-ray collisions with solid bodies in the debris disk which extends out $sim$60 AU from the host star, and 2) emission from the stellar activity. For the former model, assuming a total disk mass consistent with infrared measurements, we find that the size distribution of bodies is steeper than expected for a collisional cascade state. If confirmed as being associated with $epsilon$ Eridani, this would be the first indication of gamma-ray emission from the vicinity of a main sequence star other than the Sun.
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