| 21. |
- Jensen, Hannes, et al.
(författare)
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Probing reionization with LOFAR using 21-cm redshift space distortions
- 2013
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Ingår i: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966. ; 435:1, s. 460-474
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- One of the most promising ways to study the epoch of reionization (EoR) is through radio observations of the redshifted 21-cm line emission from neutral hydrogen. These observations are complicated by the fact that the mapping of redshifts to line-of-sight positions is distorted by the peculiar velocities of the gas. Such distortions can be a source of error if they are not properly understood, but they also encode information about cosmology and astrophysics. We study the effects of redshift space distortions on the power spectrum of 21-cm radiation from the EoR using large-scale N-body and radiative transfer simulations. We quantify the anisotropy introduced in the 21-cm power spectrum by redshift space distortions and show how it evolves as reionization progresses and how it relates to the underlying physics. We go on to study the effects of redshift space distortions on LOFAR observations, taking instrument noise and foreground subtraction into account. We find that LOFAR should be able to directly observe the power spectrum anisotropy due to redshift space distortions at spatial scales around k similar to 0.1 Mpc(-1) after greater than or similar to 1000 h of integration time. At larger scales, sample errors become a limiting factor, while at smaller scales detector noise and foregrounds make the extraction of the signal problematic. Finally, we show how the astrophysical information contained in the evolution of the anisotropy of the 21-cm power spectrum can be extracted from LOFAR observations, and how it can be used to distinguish between different reionization scenarios.
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| 22. |
- van der Horst, A. J., et al.
(författare)
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A comprehensive radio view of the extremely bright gamma-ray burst 130427A
- 2014
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Ingår i: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966. ; 444:4, s. 3151-3163
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- GRB130427A was extremely bright as a result of occurring at low redshift whilst the energetics were more typical of high-redshift gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). We collected well-sampled light curves at 1.4 and 4.8 GHz of GRB 130427A with the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope (WSRT); and we obtained its most accurate position with the European Very Long Baseline Interferometry Network (EVN). Our flux density measurements are combined with all the data available at radio, optical and X-ray frequencies to perform broad-band modelling in the framework of a reverse-forward shock model and a two-component jet model, and we discuss the implications and limitations of both models. The low density inferred from the modelling implies that the GRB 130427A progenitor is either a very low metallicity Wolf-Rayet star, or a rapidly rotating, low-metallicity O star. We also find that the fraction of the energy in electrons is evolving over time, and that the fraction of electrons participating in a relativistic power-law energy distribution is less than 15 per cent. We observed intraday variability during the earliest WSRT observations, and the source sizes inferred from our modelling are consistent with this variability being due to interstellar scintillation effects. Finally, we present and discuss our limits on the linear and circular polarization, which are among the deepest limits of GRB radio polarization to date.
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| 23. |
- Jelić, V., et al.
(författare)
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Linear polarization structures in LOFAR observations of the interstellar medium in the 3C 196 field
- 2015
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 583
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims: This study aims to characterize linear polarization structures in LOFAR observations of the interstellar medium (ISM) in the 3C 196 field, one of the primary fields of the LOFAR-Epoch of Reionization key science project.Methods: We have used the high band antennas (HBA) of LOFAR to image this region and rotation measure (RM) synthesis to unravel the distribution of polarized structures in Faraday depth.Results: The brightness temperature of the detected Galactic emission is 5-15 K in polarized intensity and covers the range from -3 to +8 rad m(-2) in Faraday depth. The most interesting morphological feature is a strikingly straight filament at a Faraday depth of +0.5 rad m(-2) running from north to south, right through the centre of the field and parallel to the Galactic plane. There is also an interesting system of linear depolarization canals conspicuous in an image showing the peaks of Faraday spectra. We used the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope (WSRT) at 350 MHz to image the same region. For the first time, we see some common morphology in the RM cubes made at 150 and 350 MHz. There is no indication of diffuse emission in total intensity in the interferometric data, in line with results at higher frequencies and previous LOFAR observations. Based on our results, we determined physical parameters of the ISM and proposed a simple model that may explain the observed distribution of the intervening magneto-ionic medium.Conclusions: The mean line-of-sight magnetic field component, B-parallel to, is determined to be 0.3 +/- 0.1 mu G and its spatial variation across the 3C 196 field is 0.1 mu G. The filamentary structure is probably an ionized filament in the ISM, located somewhere within the Local Bubble. This filamentary structure shows an excess in thermal electron density (n(e)B(parallel to) > 6.2 cm(-3) mu G) compared to its surroundings.
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| 24. |
- Patil, A. H., et al.
(författare)
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Upper Limits on the 21cm Epoch of Reionization Power Spectrum from One Night with LOFAR
- 2017
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 838:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present the first limits on the Epoch of Reionization 21 cm H I power spectra, in the redshift range z = 7.910.6, using the Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR) High-Band Antenna (HBA). In total, 13.0 hr of data were used from observations centered on the North Celestial Pole. After subtraction of the sky model and the noise bias, we detect a non-zero Delta(2)(I)=(56 +/- 13 mK)(2) (1-sigma) excess variance and a best 2-sigma upper limit of Delta(2)(21) < (79.6 mK)(2) at k = 0.053 h cMpc(-1) in the range z = 9.610.6. The excess variance decreases when optimizing the smoothness of the direction- and frequency-dependent gain calibration, and with increasing the completeness of the sky model. It is likely caused by (i) residual side-lobe noise on calibration baselines, (ii) leverage due to nonlinear effects, (iii) noise and ionosphere-induced gain errors, or a combination thereof. Further analyses of the excess variance will be discussed in forthcoming publications.
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| 25. |
- Dietrich, M., et al.
(författare)
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Monitoring of active galactic nuclei. IV. The Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 4593
- 1994
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 284:1, s. 33-4343
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Results of a five-month campaign of optical monitoring the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 4593 are presented. High resolution Halpha and Hbeta spectra and direct images in the Johnson U, B, V, R and I bands were obtained between January and June 1990. The emission lines and the continuum showed strong variations on time scales of weeks to days. The Halpha line varied by more than 30% within only 5 days. Cross-correlating the light curves of the Balmer lines with that of the optical continuum gives a lag of around 4 days. Therefore, this low luminosity Seyfert galaxy may have one of the smallest broad line regions known so far
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| 26. |
- Stirpe, G. M., et al.
(författare)
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Monitoring of active galactic nuclei. V. The Seyfert 1 galaxy Markarian 279
- 1994
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 285:3, s. 857-867867
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- For pt. IV see ibid., vol.284, no.1, p.33-43 (1994). Reports on the Lovers of Active Galaxies' (LAG) monitoring of the Seyfert 1 galaxy Markarian 279 from January to June 1990. The source, which was in a very bright state, gradually weakened after the first month of monitoring: the Halpha and Hbeta flux decreased by 20% and 35% respectively, and the continuum under Halpha by 30%. The luminosity-weighted radius of the broad line region (BLR), as derived from the cross-correlation function, is of the order of 10 light days. This result is very uncertain because the features in the light curves are very shallow, but it is unlikely that the radius of the BLR is more than 1 light month. The profile variations of Halpha confirm that the prevailing motions are not radial. The data of the present campaign and those obtained in previous years, when the source was in a much weaker state, show that the red asymmetry of the Balmer lines correlates positively with the broad line flux. This new effect is briefly discussed
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| 27. |
- Van Eck, C.L., et al.
(författare)
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Faraday tomography of the local interstellar medium with LOFAR: Galactic foregrounds towards IC 342∗
- 2017
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 597, s. A98-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Magnetic fields pervade the interstellar medium (ISM), but are difficult to detect and characterize. The new generation of low-frequency radio telescopes, such as the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR: a Square Kilometre Array-low pathfinder), provides advancements in our capability of probing Galactic magnetism through low-frequency polarimetry. Maps of diffuse polarized radio emission and the associated Faraday rotation can be used to infer properties of, and trace structure in, the magnetic fields in the ISM. However, to date very little of the sky has been probed at high angular and Faraday depth resolution. We observed a 5° by 5° region centred on the nearby galaxy IC 342 (ℓ = 138.2°,b = + 10.6°) using the LOFAR high-band antennae in the frequency range 115-178 MHz. We imaged this region at 4′.5x3′.84.5 × 3.8 resolution and performed Faraday tomography to detect foreground Galactic polarized synchrotron emission separated by Faraday depth (different amounts of Faraday rotation). Our Faraday depth cube shows a rich polarized structure, with up to 30 K of polarized emission at 150 MHz. We clearly detect two polarized features that extend over most of the field, but are clearly separated in Faraday depth. Simulations of the behaviour of the depolarization of Faraday-thick structures at such low frequencies show that such structures would be too strongly depolarized to explain the observations. These structures are therefore rejected as the source of the observed polarized features. Only Faraday thin structures will not be strongly depolarized at low frequencies; producing such structures requires localized variations in the ratio of synchrotron emissivity to Faraday depth per unit distance. Such variations can arise from several physical phenomena, such as a transition between regions of ionized and (mostly) neutral gas. We conclude that the observed polarized emission is Faraday thin, and propose that the emission originates from two mostly neutral clouds in the local ISM. Using maps of the local ISM to estimate distances to these clouds, we have modelled the Faraday rotation for this line of sight and estimated that the strength of the line of sight component of magnetic field of the local ISM for this direction varies between-0.86 and+0.12 μG (where positive is towards the Earth). We propose that this may be a useful method for mapping magnetic fields within the local ISM in all directions towards nearby neutral clouds.
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| 28. |
- Wanders, I., et al.
(författare)
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Spectroscopic monitoring of active galactic nuclei. II. The Seyfert-1 galaxy NGC 3516
- 1993
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 269:1-2, s. 39-5353
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The authors present the results of a five month spectroscopic monitoring campaign of the Seyfert-1 galaxy NGC 3516. Using a new calibration method and applying a correction for seeing differences during the various observations they can scale the spectra to each other with a much higher accuracy than hitherto achieved. NGC 3516 shows large amplitude variations on a time scale of several weeks. Asymmetric profile variations occur on the same time scale as the continuum variations. The authors show the presence of a varying dip on the blue wing of the Hbeta profile, which is not present on the Halpha profile, and which corresponds to the absorption features previously seen in the UV emission lines of NGC 3516. From cross-correlation analysis they find a time lag of 14plusmn2 days for the Halpha and 7plusmn3 days for the Hbeta emission-line response to continuum variations
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| 29. |
- Wiersma, R. P. C., et al.
(författare)
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LOFAR insights into the epoch of reionization from the cross-power spectrum of 21 cm emission and galaxies
- 2013
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Ingår i: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966. ; 432:3, s. 2615-2624
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Using a combination of N-body simulations, semi-analytic models and radiative transfer calculations, we have estimated the theoretical cross-power spectrum between galaxies and the 21 cm emission from neutral hydrogen during the epoch of reionization. In accordance with previous studies, we find that the 21 cm emission is initially correlated with haloes on large scales (greater than or similar to 30 Mpc), anticorrelated on intermediate (similar to 5 Mpc) and uncorrelated on small (less than or similar to 3 Mpc) scales. This picture quickly changes as reionization proceeds and the two fields become anticorrelated on large scales. The normalization of the cross-power spectrum can be used to set constraints on the average neutral fraction in the intergalactic medium and its shape can be a powerful tool to study the topology of reionization. When we apply a drop-out technique to select galaxies and add to the 21 cm signal the noise expected from the LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR) telescope, we find that while the normalization of the cross-power spectrum remains a useful tool for probing reionization, its shape becomes too noisy to be informative. On the other hand, for an Ly alpha Emitter (LAE) survey both the normalization and the shape of the cross-power spectrum are suitable probes of reionization. A closer look at a specific planned LAE observing program using Subaru Hyper-Suprime Cam reveals concerns about the strength of the 21 cm signal at the planned redshifts. If the ionized fraction at z similar to 7 is lower than the one estimated here, then using the cross-power spectrum may be a useful exercise given that at higher redshifts and neutral fractions it is able to distinguish between two toy models with different topologies.
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| 30. |
- Zaroubi, S., et al.
(författare)
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Imaging neutral hydrogen on large scales during the Epoch of Reionization with LOFAR
- 2012
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Ingår i: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966. ; 425:4, s. 2964-2973
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The first generation of redshifted 21 cm detection experiments, carried out with arrays like Low Frequency Array (LOFAR), Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) and Giant Metrewave Telescope (GMRT), will have a very low signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) per resolution element (less than or similar to 0.2). In addition, whereas the variance of the cosmological signal decreases on scales larger than the typical size of ionization bubbles, the variance of the formidable galactic foregrounds increases, making it hard to disentangle the two on such large scales. The poor sensitivity on small scales, on the one hand, and the foregrounds effect on large scales, on the other hand, make direct imaging of the Epoch of Reionization of the Universe very difficult, and detection of the signal therefore is expected to be statistical. Despite these hurdles, in this paper we argue that for many reionization scenarios low-resolution images could be obtained from the expected data. This is because at the later stages of the process one still finds very large pockets of neutral regions in the intergalactic medium, reflecting the clustering of the large-scale structure, which stays strong up to scales of approximate to 120 h(-1) comoving Mpc (approximate to 1 degrees). The coherence of the emission on those scales allows us to reach sufficient S/N (greater than or similar to 3) so as to obtain reionization 21 cm images. Such images will be extremely valuable for answering many cosmological questions but above all they will be a very powerful tool to test our control of the systematics in the data. The existence of this typical scale (approximate to 120 h(-1) comoving Mpc) also argues for designing future EoR experiments, e. g. with Square Kilometre Array, with a field of view of at least 4 degrees.
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