No Arabic abstract
We have used the Very Large Array (VLA), linked with the Pie Town Very Long Baseline Array antenna, to determine astrometric positions of 46 radio stars in the International Celestial Reference Frame (ICRF). Positions were obtained in the ICRF directly through phase referencing of the stars to nearby ICRF quasars whose positions are accurate at the 0.25 mas level. Radio star positions are estimated to be accurate at the 10 mas level, with position errors approaching a few milli-arcseconds for some of the stars observed. Our measured positions were combined with previous measurements taken from as early as 1978 to obtain proper motion estimates for all 46 stars with average uncertainties of ~1.7 mas/yr. We compared our radio star positions and proper motions with the Hipparcos Catalogue data, and find consistency in the reference frames produced by each data set on the 1-sigma level, with errors of ~2.7 mas per axis for the reference frame orientation angles at our mean epoch of 2003.78. No significant spin is found between our radio data frame and the Hipparcos Celestial Reference Frame (HCRF) with largest rotation rates of +0.55 and -0.41 mas/yr around the x and z axes, respectively, with 1-sigma errors of 0.36 mas/yr. Thus, our results are consistent with a non-rotating Hipparcos frame with respect to the ICRF.
AR Scorpii is unique amongst known white dwarf binaries in showing powerful pulsations extending to radio frequencies. Here we aim to investigate the multi-frequency radio emission of AR Sco in detail, in order to constrain its origin and emission mechanisms. We present interferometric radio frequency imaging of AR Sco at 1.5, 5 and 9 GHz, analysing the total flux and polarization behaviour of this source at high time resolution (10, 3 and 3 s), across a full 3.6 hr orbital period in each band. We find strong modulation of the radio flux on the orbital period and the orbital sideband of the white dwarfs spin period (also known as the beat period). This indicates that, like the optical flux, the radio flux arises predominantly from on or near the inner surface of the M-dwarf companion star. The beat-phase pulsations of AR Sco decrease in strength with decreasing frequency. They are strongest at 9 GHz and at an orbital phase ~0.5. Unlike the optical emission from this source, radio emission from AR Sco shows weak linear polarization but very strong circular polarization, reaching ~30% at an orbital phase ~0.8. We infer the probable existence of a non-relativistic cyclotron emission component, which dominates at low radio frequencies. Given the required magnetic fields, this also likely arises from on or near the M-dwarf.
We present the results of a multiwavelength study of the z=0.23 radio source PKS1932-46. VIMOS IFU spectroscopy is used to study the morphology, kinematics and ionisation state of the EELR surrounding this source, and also a companion galaxy at a similar redshift. Near- and far-IR imaging observations obtained using the NTT and SPITZER are used to analyse the underlying galaxy morphologies and the nature of the AGN. The host galaxy is identified as an ~M* elliptical. Combining Spitzer mid-IR with X-ray, optical and near-IR imaging observations of this source, we conclude that its AGN is underluminous for a radio source of this type, despite its status as a BLRG. However, given its relatively large [OIII] luminosity it is likely that the AGN was substantially more luminous in the recent past (<10^4 years ago). The EELR is remarkably extensive and complex, reminiscent of the systems observed around sources at higher redshifts/radio powers, and the gas is predominantly ionised by a mixture of AGN photoionisation and emission from young stars. We confirm the presence of a series of star-forming knots extending N-S from the host galaxy, with more prodigious star formation occuring in the merging companion galaxy to the northeast, which has sufficient luminosity at mid- to far-IR wavelengths to be classified as a LIRG. The most plausible explanation of our observations is that PKS1932-46 is a member of an interacting galaxy group, and that the impressive EELR is populated by star-forming, tidal debris. We suggest that the AGN itself may currently be fuelled by material associated either with the current interaction, or with a previous merger event. Surprisingly, it is the companion object, rather than the radio source host galaxy, which is undergoing the bulk of the star formation activity within the group.
We report multiple epoch VLA/JVLA observations of 89 northern hemisphere sources, most with 37,GHz flux density > 1 Jy, observed at 4.8, 8.5, 33.5, and 43.3 GHz. The high frequency selection leads to a predominantly flat spectrum sample, with 85% of our sources being in the Planck Early Release Compact Source Catalog (ERCSC). These observations allow us to: 1) validate Plancks 30 and 44 GHz flux density scale, 2) extend the radio SEDs of Planck sources to lower frequencies allowing for the full 5-857GHz regime to be studied, and 3) characterize the variability of these sources. At 30 GHz and 44 GHz, the JVLA and Planck flux densities agree to within 3%. On timescales of less than two months the median variability of our sources is 2%. On timescales of about a year the median variability increases to 14%. Using the WMAP 7-year data, the 30 GHz median variability on a 1-6 years timescale is 16%.
The close active binary HR 5110 was observed at six epochs over 26 days using a global VLBI array at 15.4~GHz. We used phase-referencing to determine the position of the radio centroid at each epoch with an uncertainty significantly smaller than the component separation. After correcting for proper motion and parallax, we find that the centroid locations of all six epochs have barycenter separations consistent with an emission source located on the KIV secondary, and not in an interaction region between the stars or on the F primary. We used a homogeneous power-law gyrosynchrotron emission model to reproduce the observed flux densities and fractional circular polarization. The resulting ranges of mean magnetic field strength and relativistic electron densities are of order 10 G and $10^5$ cm$^{-3}$ respectively in the source region.
We present new deep multi-frequency radio-polarimetric images of a sample of high redshift radio galaxies (HzRGs), having redshift between 1.7 and 4.1. The radio data at 4.7 and 8.2 GHz were taken with the Very Large Array in the A configuration and provide a highest angular resolution of 0.2. Maps of total intensity, radio spectral index, radio polarization and internal magnetic field are presented for each source. The morphology of most objects is that of standard FRII double radio sources, but several contain multiple hot-spots in one or both lobes. Compared to similar samples of HzRGs previously imaged, there is a higher fraction (29%) of compact steep spectrum sources (i.e. sources with a projected linear size less than 20 kpc). Radio cores are identified in about half of the sample and tend to have relatively steep spectra (alpha < -1). Polarization is detected in all but 4 sources, with typical polarization at 8.2 GHz of around 10-20%. The Faraday rotation can be measured in most of the radio galaxies: the observed rotation measure (RM) of 8 radio sources exceeds 100 rad m^{-2} in at least one of the lobes, with large gradients between the two lobes. We find no dependence of Faraday rotation with other properties of the radio sources. If the origin of the Faraday rotation is local to the sources, as we believe, then the intrinsic RM is more than a 1000 rad m^{-2}. Because low redshift radio galaxies residing at the center of clusters usually show extreme RMs, we suggest that the high-z large RM sources also lie in very dense environments. Finally, we find that the fraction of powerful radio galaxies with extreme Faraday rotation increases with redshift, as would be expected if their average environment tends to become denser with decreasing cosmic epoch.