ThunderKAT,+MeerLICHT+and+the+IRSF

Transcription

1 ThunderKAT,+MeerLICHT+and+the+IRSF Requirements+for+near/infrared+follow+up+in+the+era++ of+round/the/clock+radio/op8cal+transients+searches Patrick Woudt - Department of Astronomy - University of Cape Town In collaboration with Rob Fender (Oxford), Paul Groot (Nijmegen), and the ThunderKAT and MeerLICHT teams IRSF Workshop SAAO [3 March 2016]

2 MEERKAT 64 dishes over an 8-km baseline 13.5-m offset Gregorian Field of view: 1.69 deg 2 at 1 GHz Single pixel receiver L band [ GHz] - from 2016 UHF band [ GHz] - later First MeerKAT dishes First dish constructed in 2014 (!) - currently around 14 on site MeerKAT-16 [June 2016], MeerKAT-32 [March 2017], MeerKAT-64 [end 2017]

3 MEERKAT+LARGE+SURVEY+PROJECTS Radio Pulsar Timing Bailes (AU) 7860 h Testing Einstein's theory of gravity and gravitational radiation - Investigating the physics of enigmatic neutron stars through observations of pulsars LADUMA Blyth, Holwerda, Baker (SA,NL,US) 5000 h An ultra-deep survey of neutral hydrogen gas in the early universe MESMER Heywood (UK) 6500 h Searching for CO at high red-shift (z>7) to investigate the role of molecular hydrogen in the early universe MeerKAT Absorption Line Survey Gupta, Srianand (NL, IN) 4000 h Survey for H and OH lines in absorption against distant continuum sources; OH line ratios may give clues about changes in the fundamental constants in the early universe). MHONGOOSE de Blok (NL,SA) 6000 h Investigations of different types of galaxies; dark matter and the cosmic web MeerKAT HI Survey of Fornax Serra (NL) 2450 h Galaxy formation and evolution in the cluster environment MeerGAL Thompson, Goedhart (UK,SA) 3300 h Galactic structure and dynamics, distribution of ionised gas, recombination lines, interstellar molecular gas and masers MIGHTEE Jarvis, van der Heyden (UK,SA) 1950 h Deep continuum observations of the earliest radio galaxies TRAPUM Stappers, Kramer (UK, DE) 3080 h + commensal (timing) Searching for, and investigating new and exotic pulsars ThunderKAT Woudt, Fender (SA,UK) 3000 h + commensal (imaging) Study of explosive radio transients with MeerKAT; accretion-induced outflow from compact stellar remnants, e.g. relativistic jets and (super)novae MeerKAT Large Survey Projects as defined in 2010 following an international call for large proposals (Booth et al. 2009)

4 MEERKAT+LARGE+SURVEY+PROJECTS Radio Pulsar Timing Bailes (AU) 7860 h Testing Einstein's theory of gravity and gravitational radiation - Investigating the physics of enigmatic neutron stars through observations of pulsars LADUMA Blyth, Holwerda, Baker (SA,NL,US) 5000 h An ultra-deep survey of neutral hydrogen gas in the early universe MESMER Heywood (UK) 6500 h Review of time allocation to LSPs in 2016 Searching for CO at high red-shift (z>7) to investigate the role of molecular hydrogen in the early universe in light of improved technical specifications of MeerKAT MeerKAT Absorption Line Survey Gupta, Srianand (NL, IN) 4000 h Survey for H and OH lines in absorption against distant continuum sources; OH line ratios may give clues about changes in the fundamental constants in the early universe). and updated science cases MHONGOOSE de Blok (NL,SA) 6000 h Investigations of different types of galaxies; dark matter and the cosmic web MeerKAT HI Survey of Fornax Serra (NL) 2450 h Galaxy formation and evolution in the cluster environment MeerGAL Thompson, Goedhart (UK,SA) 3300 h Galactic structure and dynamics, distribution of ionised gas, recombination lines, interstellar molecular gas and masers MIGHTEE Jarvis, van der Heyden (UK,SA) 1950 h Deep continuum observations of the earliest radio galaxies TRAPUM Stappers, Kramer (UK, DE) 3080 h + commensal (timing) Searching for, and investigating new and exotic pulsars ThunderKAT Woudt, Fender (SA,UK) 3000 h + commensal (imaging) Study of explosive radio transients with MeerKAT; accretion-induced outflow from compact stellar remnants, e.g. relativistic jets and (super)novae MeerKAT Large Survey Projects as defined in 2010 following an international call for large proposals (Booth et al. 2009)

5 TRANSIENT+RADIO+SOURCES Coherent transients Pulsars Fast Radio Bursts Time domain MeerKAT Coherent and Incoherent radio transients (Pietka, Fender, Keane 2015, MNRAS 446, 3687) Incoherent transients Synchrotron emission (shocks) Accretion induced (relativ.) outflow Imaging domain MeerKAT Boundary around ~1 second.

6 TRANSIENT+RADIO+SOURCES The Lorimer burst (Lorimer et al. 2007, Science, 318, 1459) (Keane et al. 2012, MNRAS, 425, L71) A Population of Fast Radio Bursts (FRB) at cosmological distances (Thornton et al. 2013, Science, 341, 53) The host galaxy of a Fast Radio Burst (Keane et al. 2016, Nature, 530, 453) First FRBs discovered in archival data, now in real-time searches Distance? Optical counterpart? Nature of the FRB? Cosmological probes: measuring baryon content (from DM contributions)

7 THUNDERKAT A MeerKAT Large Survey Project for synchrotron radio transients PIs: Rob Fender (U/Oxford) and Patrick Woudt (U/Cape Town) One of 10 large legacy surveys on MeerKAT Survey and monitor populations of Galactic and extragalactic synchrotron radio transients Direct and commensal observations Large international collaboration (56 co-is from 9 countries)

8 TRANSIENT+RADIO+SOURCES

9 TRANSIENT+RADIO+SOURCES relativistic jets (radio, near infrared)

10 TRANSIENT+RADIO+SOURCES compact stellar remnant relativistic jets (radio, near infrared)

11 TRANSIENT+RADIO+SOURCES compact stellar remnant accretion disc (X-ray, ultra-violet, optical) relativistic jets (radio, near infrared)

12 TRANSIENT+RADIO+SOURCES compact stellar remnant accretion disc (X-ray, ultra-violet, optical) relativistic jets (radio, near infrared) donor star (infrared)

13 TRANSIENT+RADIO+SOURCES Different flavours of incoherent radio transients: - Accreting black hole binaries - empirical connection between accretion and outflow processes - ULX/HLX (accretion at or above LEdd for stellar mass BH) - Tidal disruption events (e.g. Swift J ) - highlight I - Accreting neutron star binaries [relativistic outflow in Circinus X-1] - Accreting white dwarf binaries [novae, dwarf novae (DNe), mcvs] - accretion / outflow connection in SS Cyg? - highlight II - Supernovae, gamma-ray bursts, magnetars Aim: To understand the feedback of kinetic energy into ambient medium, the regulation of growth from (SM) black hole accretion processes, acceleration of particles in relativistic jets (composition?)

14 TRANSIENT+RADIO+SOURCES Selected highlights (I) Swift J : a stellar tidal disruption event by a supermassive black hole at z = Newly formed relativistic outflow following transient accretion onto a 10 6 MSun SMBH. Transient radio emission from Swift J (Zauderer et al. 2011, Nature 337, 554)

15 TRANSIENT+RADIO+SOURCES Selected highlights (II) Repeatable radio flares associated with optical dwarf nova outbursts in SS Cyg Revised distance vindicates standard (thermal-viscous) disc instability model Jets / collimated outflow in SS Cyg during a dwarf nova outburst (Kording et al. 2008, Science 320, 1318) Parallax of SS Cyg (dwarf nova) derived from VLBI observations (Miller-Jones et al. 2013, Science 340, 950)

16 THUNDERKAT+OBSERVING+MODES Commensal (search) Pointed (targeted) With all MeerKAT LSPs [imaging domain] 24/7 search for new transients (70%) Report via VOEventNET protocol Real-time optical-radio view of the MeerKAT sky (MeerLICHT) Regular slots for active (BH)XRBs/CVs and newly found synchrotron transients 3000 h (=100 min/day for 5 years) ToO override for (a limited number of) newly discovered transients Commensal - Astron. A project/survey conducted attached to another, and shares its data (non-invasive, focused on specific science products only). Also applies to the host itself. IRSF Swift/MAXI (X-ray) SALT LCOGT +new targets for VLBI

17 THUNDERKAT+[COMMENSAL] 5 sigma detection at 10 μjy single 8h 25 repeats of 8h obs. Commensal observing on MeerKAT a powerful tool for finding tidal disruption events. Already feasible with MeerKAT-16 Commensal observing implemented on KAT-7 (Armstrong) Revised radio transient rates (Frail et al. 2012, ApJ 747, 70)

18 MEERLICHT Simultaneous radio-optical observations of astrophysical transients PIs: Paul Groot (Radboud/U), Patrick Woudt (U/Cape Town) and Rob Fender (U/Oxford) Project manager: Project scientist: Instrument scientist: Co-investigators: Vanessa McBride (UCT/SAAO) Elmar Körding (Nijmegen) Retha Pretorius (Oxford) Marc Klein-Wolt, Ben Stappers, Christian Knigge, Michael Kramer, Erwin de Blok, Matt Jarvis, Kurt van der Heyden, Sarah Blyth, Benne Holwerda, Paolo Serra, Closely related to the BlackGEM project, which aims to use up to 20 MeerLICHT-type telescopes for optical follow up of GW triggers from advanced LIGO/VIRGO [to be located at ESO/la Silla, Chile]

19 MEERLICHT MEERLICHT AND BLACKGEM MeerLICHT (prototype of the BlackGEM telescopes) 1 telescope (SAAO) Consortium: Radboud, UCT, Oxford, NWO, SAAO/NRF BlackGEM (Array) 4-20 telescopes (ESO la Silla) Consortium: Radboud, NOVA (TexasTech, KU Leuven) MeerLICHT, as a prototype telescope for BlackGEM, shares the PDR/FDR processes of the BlackGEM project, as overseen by an independent review board.

20 MEERLICHT MEERLICHT AND BLACKGEM MeerLICHT (prototype of the BlackGEM telescopes) 1 telescope (SAAO) Consortium: Radboud, UCT, Oxford, NWO, SAAO/NRF BlackGEM (Array) 4-20 telescopes (ESO la Silla) Consortium: Radboud, NOVA (TexasTech, KU Leuven) MeerLICHT, as a prototype telescope for BlackGEM, shares the PDR/FDR processes of the BlackGEM project, as overseen by an independent review board.

21 OBSERVING+STRATEGY Whatever MeerKAT observes, MeerLICHT observes [at the same time] Main implications: - Telescope controlled (robotically) by the MeerKAT schedule - Maximise transient science enabled by commensal data policy of MeerKAT - Excellent testbed for SKA1-MID transient science (same field of view)

22 Housing - 20-inch SAAO Sutherland Telescope - 65-cm modified Dall-Kirkham design (CASTOR optical design) Detector - 10k x 10k STA CCD [2+ deg 2 at 0.51 per pixel] - cf MeerKAT f.o.v. Telescope control - linked to MeerKAT pointing (in real time)

23 OPTICAL+TO+THE+RADIO+(TRANSIENTS) Radio flux / mjy Optical flux is an extremely valuable diagnostic of a radio variable Optical flux / mjy Stewart, Munoz-Darias & Fender (in prep)

24 MEERLICHT+SCIENCE+GOALS 1. Provide real-time optical counterpart of radio transients 2. Provide an optical transient alert [with radio data or upper limits] 3. Identify and study variable stars in the MeerLICHT fields (superb cadence) 4. Release of static data products - deep images of MeerKAT survey fields (for MeerKAT PIs) - data archive 5. Ancillary science: exoplanets, pulsating stars, eclipsing binaries, sky survey. 6. Outreach: Transient zoo/app, MeerKAT/LICHT picture of the day/week

25 THUNDERKAT+OBSERVING+MODES Commensal (search) Pointed (targeted) With all MeerKAT LSPs [imaging domain] 24/7 search for new transients (70%) Real-time optical-radio view of the MeerKAT sky (MeerLICHT) Report via VOEventNET protocol Regular slots for active (BH)XRBs/CVs and newly found synchrotron transients 3000 h (=100 min/day for 5 years) ToO override for (a limited number of) newly discovered transients IRSF Swift/MAXI (X-ray) SALT LCOGT +new targets for VLBI

26 THUNDERKAT+[POINTED] Radio/X-ray diagram for BH X-ray binaries: - two tracks - upper limits at low Lrad - few sources with good coverage over one cycle MeerKAT* L-band : 60 s MeerKAT* L-band : 900 s MeerKAT* L-band : 8 h * For a Galactic BH-XRB at 8 kpc X-ray - radio correlation BH-XRBs (Corbel et al. 2013, MNRAS 428, 2500)

27 THUNDERKAT+[POINTED] enova on JVLA: - V1723 Aql best studied nova to date - unusual behaviour early in outburst - standard model fails - mass of the ejecta? - non-spherical radio ejecta models (Ribeiro et al.) MeerKAT L-band : 60 s Radio observations of V1723 Aql (Nova Aql 2010) (Weston et al. 2014, ASP CS, Stella Novae)

28 INFRARED+SURVEY+FACILITY NIR evolution of V445 Puppis: - Nova Puppis 2000 (He nova) - very slow evolution - dusty! - 13 year long baseline of IRSF Ideal for studying dust obscured novae and supernovae Long term monitoring (Lee s talk) IRSF light curve of V445 Puppis (updated version, see also Woudt et al. 2009)

29 INFRARED+SURVEY+FACILITY Cir X-1 at Radio/X-ray/NIR: - X-ray binary - Strong flaring on 17-d time scale - multi-year coverage on IRSF - coordinated MWL campaign NIR probes jet physics Long-term variations (5-year base) See poster by Taka Nagayama. Radio/X-ray light curve of Circinus X-1 Armstrong et al. 2013

30 THUNDERKAT,+MEERLICHT+AND+THE+IRSF IRSF follow up of selected transients - triggered by MeerKAT/MeerLICHT Targets - dusty SNe / X-ray binaries / CVs / FRB afterglows / LIGO alerts Instrumentation - low resolution spectroscopy & JHKs imaging/polarimetry In the era of wide-field transient surveys, spectroscopy is key