Interplanetary Scintillation with the Murchison Widefield Array V: An All-sky Survey of Compact Sources using a Modern Low-frequency Radio Telescope

Abstract

We describe the parameters of a low-frequency all-sky survey of compact radio sources using Interplanetary Scintillation (IPS), undertaken with the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA). While this survey gives important complementary information to low-resolution survey such as the MWA GLEAM survey, providing information on the subarsecond structure of every source, a survey of this kind has not been attempted in the era of low-frequency imaging arrays such as the MWA and LOFAR. Here we set out the capabilities of such a survey, describing the limitations imposed by the heliocentric observing geometry and by the instrument itself. We demonstrate the potential for IPS measurements at any point on the celestial sphere and we show that at 160MHz, reasonable results can be obtained within 30deg of the ecliptic (2π str: half the sky). We also suggest some observational strategies and describe the first such survey, the MWA Phase I IPS survey. Finally we analyse the potential of the recently-upgraded MWA and discuss the potential of the SKA-low to use IPS to probe sub-mJy flux density levels at sub-arcsecond angular resolution.

arXiv comment21 pages, 11 figures. Accepted for publication in 'Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia'

References in corpus (25)

• The Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey of SDSS-III
• The Murchison Widefield Array: the Square Kilometre Array Precursor at low radio frequencies
• GaLactic and Extragalactic All-sky Murchison Widefield Array (GLEAM) survey I: A low-frequency extragalactic catalogue
• A semi-empirical simulation of the extragalactic radio continuum sky for next generation radio telescopes
• Science with the Murchison Widefield Array
• GLEAM: The GaLactic and Extragalactic All-sky MWA survey
• Compact continuum source-finding for next generation radio surveys
• The Phase II Murchison Widefield Array: Design Overview
• Extragalactic Peaked-Spectrum Radio Sources at Low Frequencies
• Confusion errors in astrometry and counterpart association
• Pulsar Scintillation and the Local Bubble
• Parametrising Epoch of Reionization foregrounds: A deep survey of low-frequency point-source spectra with the MWA
• Understanding Instrumental Stokes Leakage in Murchison Widefield Array Polarimetry
• Characterization of a Low-Frequency Radio Astronomy Prototype Array in Western Australia
• Calibration and Stokes Imaging with Full Embedded Element Primary Beam Model for the Murchison Widefield Array
• The 154 MHz radio sky observed by the Murchison Widefield Array: noise, confusion and first source count analyses
• Interplanetary Scintillation studies with the Murchison Wide-field Array II: Properties of sub-arcsecond compact sources at low radio frequencies
• Interplanetary Scintillation with the Murchison Widefield Array I: A sub-arcsecond Survey over 900 square degrees at 79 and 158 MHz
• Type III Solar Radio Burst Source Region Splitting Due to a Quasi-Separatrix Layer
• Fitting Formula for Flux Scintillation of Compact Radio Sources
• Emergence and disappearance of micro-arcsecond structure in the scintillating quasar J1819+3845
• Separating Nightside Interplanetary and Ionospheric Scintillation with LOFAR
• Murchison Widefield Array Observations of Anomalous Variability: A Serendipitous Night-time Detection of Interplanetary Scintillation
• Interplanetary Scintillation studies with the Murchison Wide-field Array III: Comparison of source counts and densities for radio sources and their sub-arcsecond components at 162 MHz
• Interplanetary Scintillation studies with the Murchison Wide-field Array IV: The hosts of sub-arcsecond compact sources at low radio frequencies

Cited by in corpus (13)

• Interplanetary Scintillation studies with the Murchison Wide-field Array II: Properties of sub-arcsecond compact sources at low radio frequencies
• Science with the Murchison Widefield Array: Phase I Results and Phase II Opportunities
• Sub-arcsecond imaging with the International LOFAR Telescope: II. Completion of the LOFAR Long-Baseline Calibrator Survey
• Dual Polarization Measurements of MWA Beampatterns at 137 MHz
• Investigating the Contribution of Extended Radio Sources to the Epoch of Reionisation Power Spectrum
• Detection and Characterisation of a Coronal Mass Ejection using Interplanetary Scintillation measurements from the Murchison Widefield Array
• First measurement of interplanetary scintillation with the ASKAP radio telescope: implications for space weather
• A census of compact sources at 162MHz: first data release from the MWA Phase II IPS Survey
• Resolving moving heliospheric structures using interplanetary scintillation observations with the Murchison Widefield Array
• A Measurement of Source Noise at Low Frequency: Implications for Modern Interferometers
• Preparing for Solar and Heliospheric Science with the SKAO: An Indian Perspective
• The GLEAMing of the first supermassive black holes: II. A new sample of high-redshift radio galaxy candidates
• History of Astronomy in Australia: Big-Impact Astronomy from World War II until the Lunar Landing (1945-1969)