English

MeerKAT observations of Procyon at 815.5 MHz

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics 2024-10-22 v1 Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics

Abstract

We have conducted observations of the nearby (11.46 ly) star system Procyon, using MeerKAT's UHF (544-1087 MHz) receivers. We produce full-Stokes time and frequency integrated continuum images, as well as total intensity time series imaging at 8 s cadence, and full-Stokes vector-averaged dynamic spectra from the visibilities in order to search for transient activity such as flaring events. We detect no significant radio emission from the system, and estimate an upper limit on the circular polarisation fraction of 65 per cent (3σ\sigma confidence level). A comparison with previous VLA observations places a 3σ\sigma lower limit on the spectral index between 815.5 and 8400 MHz of 0.26, however long-term significant variability over the last 33 years cannot be ruled out without further, regular radio monitoring of the system.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2410.15069,
  title  = {MeerKAT observations of Procyon at 815.5 MHz},
  author = {Ian Heywood and Andrew P. V. Siemion and Daniel Czech and Steve Ertel and Jamie Drew and Kyran Grattan and Kevin Wagner and S. Pete Worden},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2410.15069},
  year   = {2024}
}

Comments

3 pages, 1 figure, published in Research Notes of the AAS