Journal article
Serendipitous discovery of radio flaring behaviour from a nearby M dwarf with MeerKAT
- Abstract:
- We report on the detection of MKT J174641.0−321404, a new radio transient found in untargeted searches of wide-field MeerKAT radio images centred on the black hole X-ray binary H1743−322. MKT J174641.0−321404 is highly variable at 1.3 GHz and was detected three times during 11 observations of the field in late 2018, reaching a maximum flux density of 590 ± 60 μJy. We associate this radio transient with a high proper motion, M dwarf star SCR 1746−3214 12 pc away from the Sun. Multiwavelength observations of this M dwarf indicate flaring activity across the electromagnetic spectrum, consistent with emission expected from dMe stars, and providing upper limits on quiescent brightness in both the radio and X-ray regimes. TESS photometry reveals a rotational period for SCR 1746−3214 of 0.2292 ± 0.0025 days, which at its estimated radius makes the star a rapid rotator, comparable to other low mass systems. Dedicated spectroscopic follow up confirms the star as a mid-late spectral M dwarf with clear magnetic activity indicated by strong Hα emission. This transient’s serendipitous discovery by MeerKAT, along with multiwavelength characterisation, make it a prime demonstration of both the capabilities of the current generation of radio interferometers and the value of simultaneous observations by optical facilities such as MeerLICHT. Our results build upon the literature of of M dwarfs’ flaring behaviour, particularly relevant to the habitability of their planetary systems.
- Publication status:
- Published
- Peer review status:
- Peer reviewed
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(Preview, Version of record, 5.0MB, Terms of use)
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- Publisher copy:
- 10.1093/mnras/stac1002
Authors
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- Journal:
- Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society More from this journal
- Volume:
- 513
- Issue:
- 3
- Pages:
- 3482–3492
- Publication date:
- 2022-04-13
- Acceptance date:
- 2022-04-04
- DOI:
- EISSN:
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1365-2966
- ISSN:
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0035-8711
- Language:
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English
- Keywords:
- Pubs id:
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1249951
- Local pid:
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pubs:1249951
- Deposit date:
-
2022-04-14
Terms of use
- Copyright holder:
- Andersson et al.
- Copyright date:
- 2022
- Rights statement:
- ©2022 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Royal Astronomical Society. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
- Licence:
- CC Attribution (CC BY)
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