2015/02/04 by Brian D. Metzger, Peter K. G. Williams, Metzger, Brian D. +3
Physics and Astronomy · #Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena #FOS: Physical sciences #Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae #High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena (astro-ph.HE) #Radio Astronomy Observations and Technology
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1502.01350
openalex publication_date 2015/02/04 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
The impending era of wide-field radio surveys has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of astrophysical transients. Here we evaluate the prospects of a wide range of planned and hypothetical radio surveys using the properties and volumetric rates of known and hypothetical classes of extragalactic synchrotron radio transients (e.g., on- and off-axis gamma-ray bursts [GRB], supernovae, tidal disruption events [TDE], compact object mergers). Utilizing these sources and physically motivated considerations we assess the allowed phase-space of radio luminosity and peak timescale for extragalactic transients. We also include for the first time effects such as redshift evolution of the rates, K-corrections, and non-Euclidean luminosity distance, which affect the detection rates of the most sensitive surveys. The number of detected events is calculated by means of a Monte Carlo method, using the various survey properties (depth, cadence, area) and realistic detection criteria that include a cut on the minimum variability of the transients during the survey and an assessment of host galaxy contamination. Near-term GHz frequency surveys (ASKAP/VAST, Very Large Array Sky Survey) will detect few events: