Green Bank Telescope Observations Research Articles

An Outflow-driven Water Maser Associated with Positive Black Hole Feedback in the Dwarf Galaxy Henize 2–10

Henize 2–10 is a dwarf galaxy experiencing positive black hole (BH) feedback from a radio-detected low-luminosity active galactic nucleus. Previous Green Bank Telescope (GBT) observations detected a H2O “kilomaser” in Henize 2–10, but the low angular resolution (33″) left the location and origin of the maser ambiguous. We present new Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array observations of the H2O maser line at 22.23508 GHz in Henize 2–10 with ∼2″ resolution. These observations reveal two maser sources distinct in position and velocity. The first maser source is spatially coincident with the known BH outflow and the region of triggered star formation ∼70 pc to the east. Combined with the broad width of the maser (W 50 ∼ 66 km s−1), this confirms our hypothesis that part of the maser detected with the GBT is produced by the impact of the BH outflow shocking the dense molecular gas along the flow and at the interface of the eastern star-forming region. The second maser source lies to the southeast, far from the central BH, and has a narrow width (W 50 ∼ 8 km s−1), suggesting a star formation–related origin. This work has revealed the nature of the H2O kilomaser in Henize 2–10 and illustrates the first known connection between outflow-driven H2O masers and positive BH feedback.

Algorithmic Pulsar Timer for Binaries

Pulsar timing is a powerful tool that, by accounting for every rotation of a pulsar, precisely measures the spin frequency, spin frequency derivatives, astrometric position, binary parameters when applicable, properties of the interstellar medium, and potentially general relativistic effects. Typically, this process demands fairly stringent scheduling requirements for monitoring observations as well as deep domain knowledge to “phase connect” the timing data. We present an algorithm that automates the pulsar-timing process for binary pulsars, whose timing solutions have an additional level of complexity, although the algorithm works for isolated pulsars as well. Using the statistical F-test and the quadratic dependence of the reduced χ 2 near a minimum, the global rotation count of a pulsar can be determined efficiently and systematically. We have used our algorithm to establish timing solutions for two newly discovered binary pulsars, PSRs J1748−2446aq and J1748−2446at, in the globular cluster Terzan 5, using ∼70 Green Bank Telescope observations from the last 13 yr.

Fortuitous Observations of Potential Stellar Relay Probe Positions with GBT

Recent theoretical and observational works have investigated the possibility that extraterrestrial intelligence could use the Sun as a gravitational lens in order to aid communication across interstellar distances. Unlike other targeted SETI searches where the drift rate of any artificial extraterrestrial signals may be unknown up to some large upper limit, the drift rates of any solar system relay probes would be known and set only by the motion of the Earth. One recent work used purpose-designed Green Bank Telescope (GBT) observations to search for signals from a hypothetical communications probe several hundred astronomical unit from the Sun at the antipode of the α Centauri AB system. To further aid in the advancement of relay-probe searches, we present a table of 1764 archival GBT observations which fortuitously fall near the positions of hypothetical probes communicating with stars within 100 pc and compute the drift rates for these probes.

Low NH3/H2O ratio in comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) at 0.7 au from the Sun

Context. A lower-than-solar elemental nitrogen content has been demonstrated for several comets, including 1P/Halley and 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P/C-G) with independent in situ measurements of volatile and refractory budgets. The recently discovered semi-refractory ammonium salts in 67P/C-G are thought to be the missing nitrogen reservoir in comets. Aims. The thermal desorption of ammonium salts from cometary dust particles leads to their decomposition into ammonia (NH3) and a corresponding acid. The NH3/H2O ratio is expected to increase with decreasing heliocentric distance with evidence for this in near-infrared observations. NH3 has been claimed to be more extended than expected for a nuclear source. Here, the aim is to constrain the NH3/H2O ratio in comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) during its July 2020 passage. Methods. OH emission from comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) was monitored for 2 months with the Nançay Radio Telescope (NRT) and observed from the Green Bank Telescope (GBT) on 24 July and 11 August 2020. Contemporaneously with the 24 July 2020 OH observations, the NH3 hyperfine lines were targeted with GBT. From the data, the OH and NH3 production rates were derived directly, and the H2O production rate was derived indirectly from the OH. Results. The concurrent GBT and NRT observations allowed the OH quenching radius to be determined at (5.96 ± 0.10) × 104 km on 24 July 2020, which is important for accurately deriving Q(OH). C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) was a highly active comet with Q(H2O) ≈ 2 × 1030 mol s−1 one day before perihelion. The 3σ upper limit for QNH3 / QH2O is < 0.29% at 0.7 au from the Sun. Conclusions. The obtained NH3/H2O ratio is a factor of a few lower than measurements for other comets at such heliocentric distances. The abundance of NH3 may vary strongly with time depending on the amount of water-poor dust in the coma. Lifted dust can be heated, fragmented, and super-heated; whereby, ammonium salts, if present, can rapidly thermally disintegrate and modify the NH3/H2O ratio.

Astronomical Detection of the Interstellar Anion C10H− toward TMC-1 from the GOTHAM Large Program on the Green Bank Telescope

Using data from the Green Bank Telescope (GBT) Observations of TMC-1: Hunting for Aromatic Molecules (GOTHAM) survey, we report the first astronomical detection of the C10H− anion. The astronomical observations also provided the necessary data to refine the spectroscopic parameters of C10H−. From the velocity stacked data and the matched filter response, C10H− is detected at >9σ confidence level at a column density of cm−2. A dedicated search for the C10H radical was also conducted toward TMC-1. In this case, the stacked molecular emission of C10H was detected at a ∼3.2σ confidence interval at a column density of cm−2. However, as the determined confidence level is currently <5σ, we consider the identification of C10H as tentative. The full GOTHAM data set was also used to better characterize the physical parameters including column density, excitation temperature, line width, and source size for the C4H, C6H, and C8H radicals and their respective anions, and the measured column densities were compared to the predictions from a gas/grain chemical formation model and from a machine learning analysis. Given the measured values, the C10H−/C10H column density ratio is ∼—the highest value measured between an anion and neutral species to date. Such a high ratio is at odds with current theories for interstellar anion chemistry. For the radical species, both models can reproduce the measured abundances found from the survey; however, the machine learning analysis matches the detected anion abundances much better than the gas/grain chemical model, suggesting that the current understanding of the formation chemistry of molecular anions is still highly uncertain.

Missing for 20 yr: MeerKAT Redetects the Elusive Binary Pulsar M30B

PSR J2140−2311B is a 13 ms pulsar discovered in 2001 in a 7.8 hr Green Bank Telescope observation of the core-collapsed globular cluster M30 and predicted to be in a highly eccentric binary orbit. This pulsar has eluded detection since then; therefore, its precise orbital parameters have remained a mystery until now. In this work, we present the confirmation of this pulsar using observations taken with the UHF receivers of the MeerKAT telescope as part of the TRAPUM Large Survey Project. Taking advantage of the beamforming capability of our backends, we have localized it, placing it 1.′2(1) from the cluster center. Our observations have enabled the determination of its orbit: It is highly eccentric (e = 0.879) with an orbital period of 6.2 days. We also measured the rate of periastron advance, . Assuming that this effect is fully relativistic, general relativity provides an estimate of the total mass of the system, M TOT = 2.53 ± 0.08 M ⊙, consistent with the lightest double neutron star systems known. Combining this with the mass function of the system gives the pulsar and companion masses of m p < 1.43 M ⊙ and m c > 1.10 M ⊙, respectively. The massive, undetected companion could either be a massive white dwarf or a neutron star. M30B likely formed as a result of a secondary exchange encounter. Future timing observations will allow the determination of a phase-coherent timing solution, vastly improving our uncertainty in and likely enabling the detection of additional relativistic effects, which will determine m p and m c .

Thermal formaldehyde emission in NGC 7538 IRS 1

ABSTRACT Spectral lines from formaldehyde (H2CO) molecules at cm wavelengths are typically detected in absorption and trace a broad range of environments, from diffuse gas to giant molecular clouds. In contrast, thermal emission of formaldehyde lines at cm wavelengths is rare. In previous observations with the 100 m Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT), we detected 2 cm formaldehyde emission towards NGC 7538 IRS1 – a high-mass protostellar object in a prominent star-forming region of our Galaxy. We present further GBT observations of the 2 and 1 cm H2CO lines to investigate the nature of the 2 cm H2CO emission. We conducted observations to constrain the angular size of the 2 cm emission region based on a East–West and North–South cross-scan map. Gaussian fits of the spatial distribution in the East–West direction show a deconvolved size (at half maximum) of the 2 cm emission of 50 arcsec ± 8 arcsec. The 1 cm H2CO observations revealed emission superimposed on a weak absorption feature. A non-LTE radiative transfer analysis shows that the H2CO emission is consistent with quasi-thermal radiation from dense gas (${\sim}10^5$–$10^6$ cm−3). We also report detection of four transitions of CH3OH (12.2, 26.8, 28.3, 28.9 GHz), the (8,8) transition of NH3 (26.5 GHz), and a cross-scan map of the 13 GHz SO line that shows extended emission (&amp;gt;50 arcsec).

Reactivation of the High Magnetic Field Pulsar PSR J1846–0258 with Magnetar-like Bursts

Abstract We report on the 2020 reactivation of the energetic high magnetic field pulsar PSR J1846–0258 and its pulsar wind nebula (PWN) after 14 yr of quiescence with new Chandra and Green Bank Telescope observations. The emission of short-duration bursts from J1846–0258 was accompanied by an enhancement of X-ray persistent flux and significant spectral softening, similar to those observed during its first bursting episode in 2006. The 2020 pulsar spectrum is described by a power-law model with a photon index Γ = 1.7 ± 0.3 in comparison to a Γ = 1.2 ± 0.1 before outburst, and shows evidence of an emerging thermal component with blackbody temperature kT = 0.7 ± 0.1 keV. The 0.5–10 keV unabsorbed flux increased from × 10−12 erg cm−2 s−1 in quiescence to × 10−11 erg cm−2 s−1 following the outburst. We did not detect any radio pulsations from the pulsar at 2 GHz, and we place an upper limit of 7.1 μJy and 55 mJy for the coherent pulsed emission and single pulses, respectively. The 2020 PWN spectrum, characterized by a photon index of 1.92 ± 0.04 and X-ray luminosity of (1.2 ± 0.1) × 1035 erg s−1 at a distance of 5.8 kpc, is consistent with those observed before the outburst. An analysis of regions closer to the pulsar shows small-scale time variabilities and brightness changes over the 20 yr period from 2000 to 2020, while the photon indices did not change. We conclude that the outburst in PSR J1846–0258 is a combination of crustal and magnetospheric effects, with no significant burst-induced variability in its PWN based on the current observations.

H i-MaNGA: tracing the physics of the neutral and ionized ISM with the second data release

ABSTRACT We present the second data release for the H i-MaNGA programme of H i follow-up observations for the SDSS-IV MaNGA survey. This release contains measurements for 3669 unique galaxies, combining 2108 Green Bank Telescope observations with an updated crossmatch of the MaNGA sample with the ALFALFA survey. We combine these data with MaNGA spectroscopic measurements to examine relationships between H i-to-stellar mass ratio (${\rm M_{H\, {\small I}}/{M_*}}$) and average ISM/star formation properties probed by optical emission lines. ${\rm M_{H\, {\small I}}/{M_*}}$ is very weakly correlated with the equivalent width of H α, implying a loose connection between the instantaneous star formation rate and the H i reservoir, although the link between ${\rm M_{H\, {\small I}}/{M_*}}$ and star formation strengthens when averaged even over only moderate time-scales (∼30 Myr). Galaxies with elevated H i depletion times have enhanced [O i]/H α and depressed H α surface brightness, consistent with more H i residing in a diffuse and/or shock-heated phase that is less capable of condensing into molecular clouds. Of all optical lines, ${\rm M_{H\, {\small I}}/{M_*}}$ correlates most strongly with oxygen equivalent width, EW(O), which is likely a result of the existing correlation between ${\rm M_{H\, {\small I}}/{M_*}}$ and gas-phase metallicity. Residuals in the ${\rm M_{H\, {\small I}}/{M_*}}$−EW(O) relation are again correlated with [O i]/H α and H α surface brightness, suggesting they are also driven by variations in the fraction of diffuse and/or shock-heated gas. We recover the strong anticorrelation between ${\rm M_{H\, {\small I}}/{M_*}}$ and gas-phase metallicity seen in previous studies. We also find a relationship between ${\rm M_{H\, {\small I}}/{M_*}}$ and [O i]6302/H α, suggesting that higher fractions of diffuse and/or shock-heated gas are more prevalent in gas-rich galaxies.

Scintillation Arcs in Pulsar B0450–18

Abstract We report on Green Bank Telescope observations of interstellar scintillation from the pulsar B0450−18 at 340 and 825 MHz, revealing prominent arcs in the secondary spectra at both frequencies. The arcs are successfully modeled by one-dimensional angular brightness distributions, estimated by two independent techniques. The distributions do not follow the expected shape for a Kolmogorov plasma density spectrum, and their overall angular widths follow a scaling law, versus frequency, that is slightly slower than the inverse square law expected from plasma dispersion. They also exhibit discrete peaks that are the cause of the occasional reverse sub-arcs. Over a narrow (5%) frequency range these peaks do not participate in the overall spreading, having angular positions that are fixed on the sky. However, the peaks do evolve over a wider range of frequencies and cannot be traced from 825 to 340 MHz. Our conclusions add further evidence for a widespread distribution of highly localized regions of interstellar plasma with small-scale structure that is either elongated or flattened.

Exploring Hydrodynamic Instabilities along the Infalling High-velocity Cloud Complex A

Abstract Complex A is a high-velocity cloud (HVC) that is traversing through the Galactic halo toward the Milky Way’s disk. We combine both new and archival Green Bank Telescope observations to construct a spectroscopically resolved H i 21 cm map of this entire complex at a 17.1 ≲ log ( N H I , 1 σ / cm − 2 ) ≲ 17.9 sensitivity for a FWHM = 20 km s − 1 line and Δθ = 9.′1 or 17 ≲ Δd θ ≲ 30 pc spatial resolution. We find that Complex A has a Galactic standard of rest frame velocity gradient of Δ v GSR / Δ L = 25 km s − 1 kpc − 1 along its length, that it is decelerating at a rate of 〈 a 〉 GSR = 55 km yr − 2 , and that it will reach the Galactic plane in Δt ≲ 70 Myr if it can survive the journey. We have identified numerous signatures of gas disruption. The elongated and multi-core structure of Complex A indicates that either thermodynamic instabilities or shock-cascade processes have fragmented this stream. We find Rayleigh–Taylor fingers on the low-latitude edge of this HVC; many have been pushed backward by ram pressure stripping. On the high-latitude side of the complex, Kelvin–Helmholtz instabilities have generated two large wings that extend tangentially off Complex A. The tips of these wings curve slightly forward in the direction of motion and have an elevated H i column density, indicating that these wings are forming Rayleigh–Taylor globules at their tips and that this gas is becoming entangled with unseen vortices in the surrounding coronal gas. These observations provide new insights on the survivability of low-metallicity gas streams that are accreting onto L ⋆ galaxies.

No Radio Bursts Detected from FIRST J141918.9+394036 in Green Bank Telescope Observations

Precise localization of the first-known repeating fast radio burst source, FRB 121102 (Spitler et al. 2016; Chatterjee et al. 2017), led to its association with a star-forming region inside a low-metallicity dwarf host galaxy (Tendulkar et al. 2017). This host environment is similar to that typically associated with long gamma-ray bursts (GRB) and superluminous supernovae, potentially linking these astrophysical phenomena (Metzger et al. 2017). In addition, the bursting source is found to be spatially coincident with a compact (< 0.7 pc; Marcote et al. 2017), persistent radio source (Chatterjee et al. 2017). Ofek (2017) identified similar radio sources in the Very Large Array FIRST survey (Becker et al. 1995). One of these sources, FIRST J141918.9+394036 (hereafter FIRST J1419+3940), was identified as a radio transient decaying in brightness by a factor of ~50 over several decades (Law et al. 2018). Very-long-baseline radio interferometric observations support the theory that FIRST J1419+3940 is the afterglow of a long GRB, based on the inferred physical size of the emission region (1.6 ± 0.3 pc; Marcote et al. 2019).

Radio and X-ray monitoring of the accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar IGR J17591−2342 in outburst

ABSTRACT IGR J17591−2342 is a new accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar that was recently discovered in outburst in 2018. Early observations revealed that the source’s radio emission is brighter than that of any other known neutron star low-mass X-ray binary (NS–LMXB) at comparable X-ray luminosity, and assuming its likely ≳6 kpc distance. It is comparably radio bright to black hole LMXBs at similar X-ray luminosities. In this work, we present the results of our extensive radio and X-ray monitoring campaign of the 2018 outburst of IGR J17591−2342. In total, we collected 10 quasi-simultaneous radio (VLA, ATCA) and X-ray (Swift–XRT) observations, which make IGR J17591−2342 one of the best-sampled NS–LMXBs. We use these to fit a power-law correlation index $\beta = 0.37^{+0.42}_{-0.40}$ between observed radio and X-ray luminosities (LR ∝ LXβ). However, our monitoring revealed a large scatter in IGR J17591−2342’s radio luminosity (at a similar X-ray luminosity, LX ∼1036 erg s−1, and spectral state), with LR ∼ 4 × 1029 erg s−1 during the first three reported observations, and up to a factor of 4 lower LR during later radio observations. None the less, the average radio luminosity of IGR J17591−2342 is still one of the highest among NS–LMXBs, and we discuss possible reasons for the wide range of radio luminosities observed in such systems during outburst. We found no evidence for radio pulsations from IGR J17591−2342 in our Green Bank Telescope observations performed shortly after the source returned to quiescence. None the less, we cannot rule out that IGR J17591−2342 becomes a radio millisecond pulsar during quiescence.

H i observations of IC 10 with the DRAO synthesis telescope

ABSTRACT H i observations of the nearby blue compact dwarf galaxy IC 10 obtained with the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory synthesis telescope, for a total integration of ∼1000 h, are presented. We confirm the NW faint 21 cm H i emission feature discovered in Green Bank Telescope (GBT) observations. The H i feature has an H i mass of 4.7 × 105 M⊙, which is only ∼0.6 ${{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ of the total H i mass of the galaxy (7.8 × 107 M⊙). In the inner disc, the rotation curve of IC 10 rises steeply, then flattens until the last point where it rises again, with a maximum velocity of 30 km s−1. Based on our mass models, the kinematics of the inner disc of IC 10 can be described without the need of a dark matter halo. However, this does not exclude the possible presence of dark matter on a larger scale. It is unlikely that the disturbed features seen in the outer H i disc of IC 10 are caused by an interaction with M 31. Features seen from our simulations are larger and at lower surface density than can be reached by current observations. The higher velocity dispersions seen in regions where several distinct H i features meet with the main core of IC 10 suggest that there is ongoing accretion.

A High-resolution Mosaic of the Neutral Hydrogen in the M81 Triplet

Abstract We present a 3° × 3°, 105-pointing, high-resolution neutral hydrogen (H i) mosaic of the M81 galaxy triplet, (including the main galaxies M81, M82, and NGC 3077, as well as dwarf galaxy NGC 2976) obtained with the Very Large Array C and D arrays. This H i synthesis mosaic uniformly covers the entire area and velocity range of the triplet. The observations have a resolution of ∼20″ or ∼420 pc. The data reveal many small-scale anomalous velocity features highlighting the complexity of the interacting M81 triplet. We compare our data with Green Bank Telescope observations of the same area. This comparison provides evidence for the presence of a substantial reservoir of low-column density gas in the northern part of the triplet, probably associated with M82. Such a reservoir is not found in the southern part. We report a number of newly discovered kpc-sized low-mass H i clouds with H i masses of a few times 106 M ⊙. A detailed analysis of their velocity widths show that their dynamical masses are much larger than their baryonic masses, which could indicate the presence of dark matter if the clouds are rotationally supported. However, due to their spatial and kinematical association with H i tidal features, it is more likely that the velocity widths indicate tidal effects or streaming motions. We do not find any clouds that are not associated with tidal features down to an H i mass limit of a few times 104 M ⊙. We compare the H i column densities with resolved stellar density maps and find a star formation threshold around 3–6 × 1020 cm−2. We investigate the widths of the H i velocity profiles in the triplet and find that extreme velocity dispersions can be explained by a superposition of multiple components along the line of sight near M81 as well as winds or outflows around M82. The velocity dispersions found are high enough that these processes could explain the linewidths of damped-Lyα absorbers observed at high redshift.

A Fourier Domain “Jerk” Search for Binary Pulsars

Abstract While binary pulsar systems are fantastic laboratories for a wide array of astrophysics, they are particularly difficult to detect. The orbital motion of the pulsar changes its apparent spin frequency over the course of an observation, essentially “smearing” the response of the time series in the Fourier domain. We review the Fourier domain acceleration search (FDAS), which uses a matched filtering algorithm to correct for this smearing by assuming constant acceleration for a small enough portion of the orbit. We discuss the theory and implementation of a Fourier domain “jerk” search, developed as part of the PRESTO software package, which extends the FDAS to account for a linearly changing acceleration, or constant orbital jerk, of the pulsar. We test the performance of our algorithm on archival Green Bank Telescope observations of the globular cluster Terzan 5, and show that while the jerk search has a significantly longer runtime, it improves search sensitivity to binaries when the observation duration is 5%–15% of the orbital period. Finally, we present the jerk-search-enabled detection of Ter5am (PSR J1748−2446am), a new highly accelerated pulsar in a compact, eccentric, and relativistic orbit, with a likely pulsar mass of M ⊙.

Subsonic islands within a high-mass star-forming infrared dark cloud

High-mass star forming regions are typically thought to be dominated by supersonic motions. We present combined Very Large Array and Green Bank Telescope (VLA+GBT) observations of NH3 (1,1) and (2,2) in the infrared dark cloud (IRDC) G035.39-00.33, tracing cold and dense gas down to scales of 0.07 pc. We find that, in contrast to previous, similar studies of IRDCs, more than a third of the fitted ammonia spectra show subsonic non-thermal motions (mean line width of 0.71 km s−1), and sonic Mach number distribution peaks around ℳ = 1. As possible observational and instrumental biases would only broaden the line profiles, our results provide strong upper limits to the actual value of ℳ, further strengthening our findings of narrow line widths. This finding calls for a re-evaluation of the role of turbulent dissipation and subsonic regions in massive-star and cluster formation. Based on our findings in G035.39, we further speculate that the coarser spectral resolution used in the previous VLA NH3 studies may have inhibited the detection of subsonic turbulence in IRDCs. The reduced turbulent support suggests that dynamically important magnetic fields of the 1 mG order would be required to support against possible gravitational collapse. Our results offer valuable input into the theories and simulations that aim to recreate the initial conditions of high-mass star and cluster formation.

The High-frequency Radio Emission of the Galactic Center Magnetar SGR J1745–29 during a Transitional Period

Abstract The origin of the high-frequency radio emission detected from several magnetars is poorly understood. In this paper, we report the ∼ 40 GHz properties of SGR J1745−29 measured using Jansky Very Large Array (JVLA) and Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT) observations between 2013 October 26 and 2014 May 31. Our analysis of a Q-band (45 GHz) GBT observation on 2014 April 10 resulted in the earliest detection of pulsed radio emission at high frequencies ( ≳ 20 GHz ); we found that the average pulse has a singly peaked profile with width ∼ 75 ms (∼2% of the 3.764 s pulse period) and an average pulsed flux density of ∼100 mJy. We also detected very bright, short ( &lt; 10 ms ) single pulses during ∼70% of this neutron star’s rotations, and the peak flux densities of these bright pulses follow the same log-normal distribution as measured at 8.5 GHz. Additionally, our analysis of contemporaneous JVLA observations suggest that its 41/44 GHz flux density varied between ∼1–4 mJy during this period, with a ∼ 2 × change observed on ∼20 minute timescales during a JVLA observation on 2014 May 10. Such a drastic change over short timescales is inconsistent with the radio emission resulting from a shock powered by the magnetar’s supersonic motion through the surrounding medium, but consistent with pulsed emission generated in its magnetosphere.

Timing Solution and Single-pulse Properties for Eight Rotating Radio Transients

Abstract Rotating radio transients (RRATs), loosely defined as objects that are discovered through only their single pulses, are sporadic pulsars that have a wide range of emission properties. For many of them, we must measure their periods and determine timing solutions relying on the timing of their individual pulses, while some of the less sporadic RRATs can be timed by using folding techniques as we do for other pulsars. Here, based on Parkes and Green Bank Telescope (GBT) observations, we introduce our results on eight RRATs including their timing-derived rotation parameters, positions, and dispersion measures (DMs), along with a comparison of the spin-down properties of RRATs and normal pulsars. Using data for 24 RRATs, we find that their period derivatives are generally larger than those of normal pulsars, independent of any intrinsic correlation with period, indicating that RRATs’ highly sporadic emission may be associated with intrinsically larger magnetic fields. We carry out Lomb–Scargle tests to search for periodicities in RRATs’ pulse detection times with long timescales. Periodicities are detected for all targets, with significant candidates of roughly 3.4 hr for PSR J1623−0841 and 0.7 hr for PSR J1839−0141. We also analyze their single-pulse amplitude distributions, finding that log-normal distributions provide the best fits, as is the case for most pulsars. However, several RRATs exhibit power-law tails, as seen for pulsars emitting giant pulses. This, along with consideration of the selection effects against the detection of weak pulses, imply that RRAT pulses generally represent the tail of a normal intensity distribution.

Erasing the Milky Way: new cleaning technique applied to GBT intensity mapping data

We present the first application of a new foreground removal pipeline to the current leading HI intensity mapping dataset, obtained by the Green Bank Telescope (GBT). We study the 15hr and 1hr field data of the GBT observations previously presented in Masui et al (2013) and Switzer et al (2013), covering about 41 square degrees at 0.6<z<1.0, for which cross-correlations may be measured with the galaxy distribution of the WiggleZ Dark Energy Survey. In the presented pipeline, we subtract the Galactic foreground continuum and the point source contamination using an independent component analysis technique (fastica), and develop a Fourier-based optimal estimator to compute the temperature power spectrum of the intensity maps and cross-correlation with the galaxy survey data. We show that fastica is a reliable tool to subtract diffuse and point-source emission through the non-Gaussian nature of their probability distributions. The temperature power spectra of the intensity maps is dominated by instrumental noise on small scales which fastica, as a conservative subtraction technique of non-Gaussian signals, can not mitigate. However, we determine similar GBT-WiggleZ cross-correlation measurements to those obtained by the Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) method, and confirm that foreground subtraction with fastica is robust against 21cm signal loss, as seen by the converged amplitude of these cross-correlation measurements. We conclude that SVD and fastica are complementary methods to investigate the foregrounds and noise systematics present in intensity mapping datasets.