[论文解读] Radio transients: an antediluvian review

R. P. Fender, M. E. Bell|arXiv (Cornell University)|Dec 12, 2011

Radio Astronomy Observations and Technology参考文献 2被引用 8

一句话总结

本文综述了档案调查和项目中已知的射电暂现源，并指出下一代射电设施（如平方公里阵列）由于调查速度和灵敏度提升数个数量级，每年将探测到多达100,000个成像平面暂现源，从而开启多波段后续观测和极端天体物理研究的广阔新领域。

ABSTRACT

We are at the dawn of a new golden age for radio astronomy, with a new generation of facilities under construction and the global community focused on the Square Kilometre Array as its goal for the next decade. These new facilities o er or- ders of magnitude improvements in survey speed compared to existing radio telescopes and arrays. Furthermore, the study of transient and variable radio sources, and what they can tell us about the extremes of astrophysics as well as the state of the di use intervening media, have been embraced as key science projects for these new facilities. In this paper we review the studies of the populations of radio transients made to date, largely based upon archival surveys. Many of these radio transients and variables have been found in the image plane, and their astrophysical origin remains unclear. We take this population and combine it with sensitivity estimates for the next generation arrays to demonstrate that in the coming decade we may find ourselves detecting 10 5 image plane radio transients per year, providing a vast and rich field of research and an almost limitless set of targets for multi-wavelength follow up.

研究动机与目标

• 综合现有档案调查中关于射电暂现源的知识。
• 评估当前关于成像平面射电暂现源起源的天体物理模糊性。
• 预测下一代射电设施对暂现源探测率的影响。
• 突出每年探测数万个新暂现源对多波段后续观测的科学潜力。

提出的方法

• 分析档案射电调查，以识别和表征已知的射电暂现源和变星。
• 汇编下一代射电阵列的灵敏度和调查速度估计值。
• 利用比例定律将当前的暂现源探测率外推至未来的调查能力。
• 将暂现源群体数据与预测的调查性能相结合，估算每年的探测率。

实验结果

研究问题

• RQ1 目前对成像平面射电暂现源天体物理起源的认知状态如何？
• RQ2 下一代射电设施调查速度和灵敏度的提升将如何影响暂现源的探测率？
• RQ3 探测到的暂现源中有多大比例可能与极端天体物理现象或星际介质效应相关？
• RQ4 像平方公里阵列这样的设施每年预计能在成像平面上探测到多少个暂现源？

主要发现

• 预计下一代射电设施每年将探测到约100,000个成像平面射电暂现源。
• 目前探测到的许多暂现源仍无法解释，表明对其天体物理起源的理解存在显著空白。
• 未来阵列的灵敏度和调查速度提升将使此前无法探测到的暂现源群体得以被发现。
• 大量新暂现源将为多波段后续观测提供近乎无限的观测目标。