Subarcsecond international LOFAR radio images of the M82 nucleus at 118 MHz and 154 MHz

The nuclear starburst in the nearby galaxy M82 provides an excellent laboratory for understanding the physics of star formation. This galaxy has been extensively observed in the past, revealing tens of radio-bright compact objects embedded in a diffuse free-free absorbing medium. Our understanding of the structure and physics of this medium in M82 can be greatly improved by high-resolution images at low frequencies where the effects of free-free absorption are most prominent. The aims of this study are, firstly, to demonstrate imaging using international baselines of the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR), and secondly, to constrain low-frequency spectra of compact and diffuse emission in the central starburst region of M82 via high-resolution radio imaging at low frequencies. The international LOFAR telescope was used to observe M82 at 110-126MHz and 146-162MHz. Images were obtained using standard techniques from very long baseline interferometry. images were obtained at each frequency range: one only using international baselines, and one only using the longest Dutch (remote) baselines. The 154MHz image obtained using international baselines is a new imaging record in terms of combined image resolution (0.3$$) and sensitivity ($sigma$=0.15mJy/beam) at low frequencies ($<327$MHz). We detected 16 objects at 154MHz, six of these also at 118MHz. Four weaker but resolved features are also found: a linear (50pc) filament and three other resolved objects, of which two show a clear shell structure. We do not detect any emission from either supernova 2008iz or from the radio transient source 43.78+59.3. The images obtained using remote baselines show diffuse emission, associated with the outflow in M82, with reduced brightness in the region of the edge-on star-forming disk.

The radio core structure of the luminous infrared galaxy NGC 4418

The galaxy NGC 4418 contains one of the most compact obscured nuclei within a luminous infrared galaxy (LIRG) in the nearby Universe. This nucleus contains a rich molecular gas environment and an unusually high ratio of infrared to radio luminosity (q-factor). The compact nucleus is powered by either a compact starburst or an active galactic nucleus (AGN). The aim of this study is to constrain the nature of the nuclear region (starburst or AGN) within NGC 4418 via very-high-resolution radio imaging. Archival data from radio observations using the EVN and MERLIN interferometers are imaged. Sizes and flux densities are obtained by fitting Gaussian intensity distributions to the image. The average spectral index of the compact radio emission is estimated from measurements at 1.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz. The nuclear structure of NGC 4418 visible with EVN and MERLIN consists of eight compact (<49 mas i.e. <8 pc) features spread within a region of 250 mas, i.e. 41 pc. We derive an inverted spectral index $alphage0.7$ ($S_ upropto u^{alpha}$) for the compact radio emission. Brightness temperatures $>10^{4.8}$ K indicate that these compact features cannot be HII-regions. The complex morphology and inverted spectrum of the eight detected compact features is evidence against the hypothesis that an AGN alone is powering the nucleus of NGC 4418. The compact features could be super star clusters (SSCs) with intense star formation, and their associated free-free absorption could then naturally explain both their inverted radio spectrum and the low radio to IR ratio of the nucleus. The required star formation area density is extreme, however, and close to the limit of what can be observed in a well-mixed thermal/non-thermal plasma produced by star-formation, and is also close to the limit of what can be physically sustained.

On the Calibration of Full-polarization 86GHz Global VLBI Observations

We report the development of a semi-automatic pipeline for the calibration of 86 GHz full-polarization observations performed with the Global Millimeter-VLBI array (GMVA) and describe the calibration strategy followed in the data reduction. Our calibration pipeline involves non-standard procedures, since VLBI polarimetry at frequencies above 43 GHz is not yet well established. We also present, for the first time, a full-polarization global-VLBI image at 86 GHz (source 3C 345), as an example of the final product of our calibration pipeline, and discuss the effect of instrumental limitations on the fidelity of the polarization images. Our calibration strategy is not exclusive for the GMVA, and could be applied on other VLBI arrays at millimeter wavelengths. The use of this pipeline will allow GMVA observers to get fully-calibrated datasets shortly after the data correlation.

The size of ABDorA from VLTI/AMBER interferometry

The pre-main sequence (PMS) star ABDorA is the main component of the quadruple system ABDoradus. The precise determination of the mass and photometry of the close companion to ABDorA, ABDorC, has provided an important benchmark for calibration of theoretical evolutionary models of low-mass stars. The limiting factor to the precision of this calibration is the age of the system, as both the mass and luminosity of ABDorA and C are well monitored by other ongoing programs. In this paper we present VLTI/AMBER observations of ABDorA which provide a direct measurement of the size of this star, 0.96+/-0.06 Rsun. The latter estimate, combined with other fundamental parameters also measured for this star, allows a precise test of PMS evolutionary models using both H-R diagrams and mass-radius relationships. We have found that our radius measurement is larger than that predicted by the models, which we interpret as an evidence of the oversizing produced by the strong magnetic activity of ABDorA. Considering, at least partially, this magnetic effect, theoretical isochrones have been used to derive constraints to the age of ABDorA, favouring an age about 40-50 Myr for this system. Older ages are not completely excluded by our data.

The expansion of SN 2008iz in M82

We present first results from the ongoing radio monitoring of SN 2008iz in M82. The VLBI images reveal a shell-like structure with circular symmetry, which expands in a self-similar way. There is strong evidence of a compact component with a steep spectrum at the center of the shell. The expansion curve obtained from our VLBI observations is marginally decelerated (m = 0.89) and can be modeled simultaneously with the available radio light curves. While the results of this simultaneous fitting are not conclusive (i.e. different combinations of values of the magnetic field, CSM density profile, and electron energy distribution, provide fits to the available data with similar quality), additional observations should allow a more robust and detailed modeling.

VLBI observations of SN 2008iz: I. Expansion velocity and limits on anisotropic expansion

We present observations of the recently discovered supernova 2008iz in M82 with the VLBI High Sensitivity Array at 22 GHz, the Very Large Array at frequencies of 1.4, 4.8, 8.4, 22 and 43 GHz, and the Chandra X-ray observatory. The supernova was clearly detected on two VLBI images, separated by 11 months. The source shows a ring-like morphology and expands with a velocity of ~23000 km/s. The most likely explosion date is in mid February 2008. The measured expansion speed is a factor of ~2 higher than expected under the assumption that synchrotron self-absorption dominates the light curve at the peak, indicating that this absorption mechanism may not be important for the radio emission. We find no evidence for an asymmetric explosion. The VLA spectrum shows a broken power law, indicating that the source was still optically thick at 1.4 GHz in April 2009. Finally, we report upper limits on the X-ray emission from SN 2008iz and a second radio transient recently discovered by MERLIN observations.

8.4GHz VLBI observations of SN2004et in NGC6946

We report on 8.4GHz Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) observations of the type II-P supernova SN2004et in the spiral galaxy NGC 6946, made on 20 February 2005 (151 days after explosion). The Very Large Array (VLA) flux density was 1.23$pm$0.07 mJy, corresponding to an isotropic luminosity at 8.4GHz of (4.45$pm$0.3)$times10^{25}$ erg s$^{-1}$ Hz$^{-1}$ and a brightness temperature of (1.3$pm$0.3)$times10^{8}$ K. We also provide an improved source position, accurate to about 0.5 mas in each coordinate. The VLBI image shows a clear asymmetry. From model fitting of the size of the radio emission, we estimate a minimum expansion velocity of 15,700$pm$2,000 km s$^{-1}$. This velocity is more than twice the expected mean expansion velocity estimated from a synchrotron self-absorbed emission model, thus suggesting that synchrotron self-absorption is not relevant for this supernova. With the benefit of an optical spectrum obtained 12 days after explosion, we favor an emission model which consists of two hot spots on an underlying expanding shell of width comparable to that of SN 1993J.