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Creators/Authors contains: "Duchesne, Stefan W"

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  1. Abstract Late-time (∼a year) radio follow-up of optically discovered tidal disruption events (TDEs) is increasingly resulting in detections at radio wavelengths, and there is growing evidence for this late-time radio activity to be common to the broad class of subrelativistic TDEs. Detailed studies of some of these TDEs at radio wavelengths are also challenging the existing models for radio emission. Using all-sky multiepoch data from the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP), taken as a part of the Rapid ASKAP Continuum Survey (RACS), we searched for radio counterparts to a sample of optically discovered TDEs. We detected late-time emission at RACS frequencies (742–1032 MHz) in five TDEs, reporting the independent discovery of radio emission from TDE AT 2019ahk and extending the time baseline out to almost 3000 days for some events. Overall, we find that at least 22 11 + 15 % of the population of optically discovered TDEs has detectable radio emission in the RACS survey, while also noting that the true fraction can be higher given the limited cadence (two epochs separated by ∼3 yr) of the survey. Finally, we project that the ongoing higher-cadence (∼2 months) ASKAP Variable and Slow Transients survey can detect ∼20 TDEs in its operational span (4 yr), given the current rate from optical surveys. 
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  2. Abstract We present the detection of rotationally modulated, circularly polarized radio emission from the T8 brown dwarf WISE J062309.94−045624.6 between 0.9 and 2.0 GHz. We detected this high-proper-motion ultracool dwarf with the Australian SKA Pathfinder in 1.36 GHz imaging data from the Rapid ASKAP Continuum Survey. We observed WISE J062309.94−045624.6 to have a time and frequency averaged Stokes I flux density of 4.17 ± 0.41 mJy beam −1 , with an absolute circular polarization fraction of 66.3% ± 9.0%, and calculated a specific radio luminosity of L ν ∼ 10 14.8 erg s −1 Hz −1 . In follow-up observations with the Australian Telescope Compact Array and MeerKAT we identified a multipeaked pulse structure, used dynamic spectra to place a lower limit of B > 0.71 kG on the dwarf’s magnetic field, and measured a P = 1.912 ± 0.005 hr periodicity, which we concluded to be due to rotational modulation. The luminosity and period we measured are comparable to those of other ultracool dwarfs observed at radio wavelengths. This implies that future megahertz to gigahertz surveys, with increased cadence and improved sensitivity, are likely to detect similar or later-type dwarfs. Our detection of WISE J062309.94−045624.6 makes this dwarf the coolest and latest-type star observed to produce radio emission. 
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  3. Abstract We present a systematic search for radio counterparts of novae using the Australian Square Kilometer Array Pathfinder (ASKAP). Our search used the Rapid ASKAP Continuum Survey, which covered the entire sky south of declination $$+41^{\circ}$$ ( $$\sim$$ $34000$ square degrees) at a central frequency of 887.5 MHz, the Variables and Slow Transients Pilot Survey, which covered $$\sim$$ $5000$ square degrees per epoch (887.5 MHz), and other ASKAP pilot surveys, which covered $$\sim$$ 200–2000 square degrees with 2–12 h integration times. We crossmatched radio sources found in these surveys over a two–year period, from 2019 April to 2021 August, with 440 previously identified optical novae, and found radio counterparts for four novae: V5668 Sgr, V1369 Cen, YZ Ret, and RR Tel. Follow-up observations with the Australian Telescope Compact Array confirm the ejecta thinning across all observed bands with spectral analysis indicative of synchrotron emission in V1369 Cen and YZ Ret. Our light-curve fit with the Hubble Flow model yields a value of $$1.65\pm 0.17 \times 10^{-4} \rm \:M_\odot$$ for the mass ejected in V1369 Cen. We also derive a peak surface brightness temperature of $$250\pm80$$ K for YZ Ret. Using Hubble Flow model simulated radio lightcurves for novae, we demonstrate that with a 5 $$\sigma$$ sensitivity limit of 1.5 mJy in 15-min survey observations, we can detect radio emission up to a distance of 4 kpc if ejecta mass is in the range $$10^{-3}\rm \:M_\odot$$ , and upto 1 kpc if ejecta mass is in the range $$10^{-5}$$ – $$10^{-3}\rm \:M_\odot$$ . Our study highlights ASKAP’s ability to contribute to future radio observations for novae within a distance of 1 kpc hosted on white dwarfs with masses $0.4$ – $$1.25\:\rm M_\odot$$ , and within a distance of 4 kpc hosted on white dwarfs with masses $0.4$ – $$1.0\:\rm M_\odot$$ . 
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