MeerKAT

Abstract:

Abstract We report the discovery and characterisation of MKT J032848.4–271904.6, a new radio transient identified in the LADUMA field using SARAO Science Data Processor SDP UHF-band images from approximately one year of MeerKAT observations. Using the Transient Pipeline TraP and advanced filtering techniques, we identified a number of candidate variable radio sources in the field. All but one show variability consistent with refractive interstellar scintillation, leaving MKT J032848.4–271904.6 as the sole source exhibiting intrinsic variability. In addition, MKT J032848.4–271904.6 shows intrinsic variability at 0.816 GHz, with 13 radio detections across 41 epochs and a peak flux density of 1.041 ± 0.043 mJy. We associate this emission with a low-mass M-dwarf star LP 888–63, located 23 pc from the Sun and identified as a companion to the white dwarf binary system LAWD 14 WD 0326–273. LP 888–63 displays active flaring behaviour across the electromagnetic spectrum including multi-band optical data from MeerLICHT. TESS photometry reveals a periodic modulation in the blended light curve of 5.780 ± 0.507 days, consistent with rotational variability of a mid-M dwarf. Archival ESO spectra reveal Hα emission, confirming magnetic activity. These findings highlight the capability of MeerKAT’s SDP imaging and facilities like MeerLICHT for real-time detection and characterisation of stellar transients.

Abstract:

Abstract Blue asymmetries (“Blueshifts”) in the C iv 1550Å emission line are common in luminous quasars. If they are formed in winds, how much energy, momentum and mass do those winds transport? We address this question by considering how much mass must be supplied through the line-forming region to maintain a given density and ionization state. Using a combination of 1D analytic and 2D numerical models, we find that for blueshifted C iv lines to form in a wind, the wind must have mass outflow rates of ~50fV times the accretion rate, where fV ≤ 1 is the volume filling factor accounting for clumping. Our results therefore disfavour line formation in a smooth disc wind and point towards one of two scenarios: either the wind is clumpy, with required clumping factors suggestively close to those in hot star winds; alternatively, if the mass is instead swept up from the ambient medium, the wind need not be clumpy and MHD and radiative winds can provide the original source of momentum and energy. The power of the outflow depends on the square of the terminal velocity of the flow, v∞. If the wind is also the BAL outflow, with v∞ ~ 10, 000 km s−1, the wind power is significant and important for feedback. There are various caveats which moderate our conclusions, motivating i) a better theoretical understanding of wind driving and clump formation physics and ii) improved observational constraints on the physical conditions where the lines are formed.

Abstract:

Abstract Radio continuum surveys provide samples of active galactic nuclei (AGN) and star forming galaxies (SFGs) to high redshifts, free of biases due to dust obscuration. However, radio detected sources require multi-wavelength counterparts to understand their intrinsic properties (e.g. redshift, stellar mass) and to study the evolution of star formation and AGN activity. In this work we present host galaxy counterparts for the MeerKAT International GHz Tiered Extragalactic Exploration (MIGHTEE) survey continuum Data Release 1 in regions with the best ancillary data (totalling 7.5 sq. deg). We combine statistical cross-matching and visual inspection to identify Ks-band selected host galaxies, and additionally combine multiple radio components into single physical objects, where needed. This results in a combined radio catalogue of ~66 000 sources, with host counterparts and redshifts identified for ~95 per cent of sources in the COSMOS field, ~91 per cent in XMM-LSS and ~90 per cent in CDFS-DEEP. This includes a significant fraction of sources with spectroscopic redshifts within the COSMOS field (~50 per cent), with ~30 and ~20 per cent in the XMM-LSS and CDFS-DEEP fields respectively. Using the cross-matched catalogue, we make an initial identification of radio-excess and star forming galaxies based on comparisons of the radio luminosities to host star formation rates. Using this split as a proxy for radio loud AGN or SFGs, we present expectations for the redshift distributions of these sources, finding broad agreement with those from deep radio luminosity functions and simulated catalogues.

Abstract:

Abstract Remnant radio galaxies, whose lobes are no longer replenished by jets from the active galactic nucleus (AGN), offer key constraints on AGN duty cycles and the timescales of radio jets. We present a spectral-ageing study of 14 candidate remnant radio galaxies in the XMM−LSS field, combining new broad-band data from the MeerKAT MIGHTEE (L-band) and uGMRT superMIGHTEE (band-3 and band-4) surveys with complementary observations from LOFAR, GMRT, and JVLA, covering 144 MHz−1.5 GHz. Spectral modeling confirms 12 sources as genuine remnants, while two are reclassified as active, emphasising the importance of sensitive, multi-frequency coverage for robust remnant identification. Pixel-based spectral age maps yield results (~3-43 Myr) broadly consistent with integrated estimates, revealing relatively short spectral ages (~8-42 Myr). These ages likely reflect enhanced inverse-Compton losses at higher redshifts (0.35 ≤ z ≤ 2.85; median z = 1.25) and possible rapid lobe expansion in low-density environments. The ratios of remnant to total source ages (tOFF/ts) span 0.04-0.83, indicating that the sample traces a broad range of evolutionary stages. Our findings reveal a previously underrepresented population of faint, rapidly fading remnants, suggesting that the remnant phase may be shorter and more dynamic than previously thought. This study highlights the crucial role of MIGHTEE and superMIGHTEE surveys in reliably classifying genuine remnants and provides a framework for constraining AGN life cycles in preparation for forthcoming SKA surveys.

Abstract:

We report multiwavelength studies of the transient EP250916a, detected by the Einstein Probe on 2025 September 16. Located at low Galactic latitude, the source exhibited a rapid X-ray brightening, reaching an unabsorbed 0.5–10 keV flux of (6.4 ± 0.1) × 10−10 erg cm−2 s−1, followed by a plateau and a two-stage decay lasting over 40 days. Swift/X-Ray Telescope (XRT) monitoring shows a persistently hard spectrum (Γ ≈ 1.6–2.2) with only modest softening during decay, while a Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) observation confirms a hard-state continuum extending up to 70 keV. Timing analysis of XMM-Newton data reveals a weak quasiperiodic oscillation (QPO) at ∼13 Hz. No other coherent pulsations or thermonuclear bursts are detected. Broadband spectral modeling favors a nonthermal power-law continuum with partial-covering absorption and shows no significant thermal disk component. Optical imaging obtained with Nordic Optical Telescope, Las Campanas Observatory, and GaiaDR3 identifies two faint sources within the 2″ Swift/XRT positional uncertainty. A MeerKAT observation at 1.28 GHz yielded no radio counterpart, with a 3σ upper limit of 60 μJy beam−1. The combination of a long-lasting outburst, a hard nonthermal X-ray spectrum, a weak QPO detection, the absence of coherent timing features, and faint potential optical counterparts disfavors a stellar-flare or extragalactic origin and supports an accreting compact-object scenario. Comparisons with similar faint, hard-state transients place EP250916a within a growing population of low-luminosity, hard-state black hole X-ray binary candidates.