Limits on the Event Rates of Fast Radio Transients from the V-FASTR

We present the first results from the V-FASTR experiment, a commensal search for fast transient radio bursts using the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA). V-FASTR is unique in that the widely spaced VLBA antennas provide a discriminant against non-astronomical signals and a mechanism for the localizati...

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Main Authors: Wayth, Randall, Tingay, Steven, Deller, A, Brisken, Walter, Thompson, David, Wagstaff, K, Majid, Walid
Format: Journal Article
Published: Institute of Physics Publishing Ltd. 2012
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/35269
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author Wayth, Randall
Tingay, Steven
Deller, A
Brisken, Walter
Thompson, David
Wagstaff, K
Majid, Walid
author_facet Wayth, Randall
Tingay, Steven
Deller, A
Brisken, Walter
Thompson, David
Wagstaff, K
Majid, Walid
author_sort Wayth, Randall
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description We present the first results from the V-FASTR experiment, a commensal search for fast transient radio bursts using the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA). V-FASTR is unique in that the widely spaced VLBA antennas provide a discriminant against non-astronomical signals and a mechanism for the localization and identification of events that is not possible with single dishes or short baseline interferometers. Thus, far V-FASTR has accumulated over 1300 hr of observation time with the VLBA, between 90 cm and 3 mm wavelength (327 MHz-86 GHz), providing the first limits on fast transient event rates at high radio frequencies (> 1.4 GHz). V-FASTR has blindly detected bright individual pulses from seven known pulsars but has not detected any single-pulse events that would indicate high-redshift impulsive bursts of radio emission. At 1.4 GHz, V-FASTR puts limits on fast transient event rates comparable with the PALFA survey at the Arecibo telescope, but generally at lower sensitivities, and comparable to the "fly's eye" survey at the Allen Telescope Array, but with less sky coverage. We also illustrate the likely performance of the Phase 1 SKA dish array for an incoherent fast transient search fashioned on V-FASTR
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publishDate 2012
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-352692023-02-22T06:24:24Z Limits on the Event Rates of Fast Radio Transients from the V-FASTR Wayth, Randall Tingay, Steven Deller, A Brisken, Walter Thompson, David Wagstaff, K Majid, Walid methods radio continuum observational pulsars general We present the first results from the V-FASTR experiment, a commensal search for fast transient radio bursts using the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA). V-FASTR is unique in that the widely spaced VLBA antennas provide a discriminant against non-astronomical signals and a mechanism for the localization and identification of events that is not possible with single dishes or short baseline interferometers. Thus, far V-FASTR has accumulated over 1300 hr of observation time with the VLBA, between 90 cm and 3 mm wavelength (327 MHz-86 GHz), providing the first limits on fast transient event rates at high radio frequencies (> 1.4 GHz). V-FASTR has blindly detected bright individual pulses from seven known pulsars but has not detected any single-pulse events that would indicate high-redshift impulsive bursts of radio emission. At 1.4 GHz, V-FASTR puts limits on fast transient event rates comparable with the PALFA survey at the Arecibo telescope, but generally at lower sensitivities, and comparable to the "fly's eye" survey at the Allen Telescope Array, but with less sky coverage. We also illustrate the likely performance of the Phase 1 SKA dish array for an incoherent fast transient search fashioned on V-FASTR 2012 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/35269 10.1088/2041-8205/753/2/L36 Institute of Physics Publishing Ltd. unknown
spellingShingle methods
radio continuum
observational
pulsars
general
Wayth, Randall
Tingay, Steven
Deller, A
Brisken, Walter
Thompson, David
Wagstaff, K
Majid, Walid
Limits on the Event Rates of Fast Radio Transients from the V-FASTR
title Limits on the Event Rates of Fast Radio Transients from the V-FASTR
title_full Limits on the Event Rates of Fast Radio Transients from the V-FASTR
title_fullStr Limits on the Event Rates of Fast Radio Transients from the V-FASTR
title_full_unstemmed Limits on the Event Rates of Fast Radio Transients from the V-FASTR
title_short Limits on the Event Rates of Fast Radio Transients from the V-FASTR
title_sort limits on the event rates of fast radio transients from the v-fastr
topic methods
radio continuum
observational
pulsars
general
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/35269