MKT J170456.2–482100: the first transient discovered by MeerKAT

• Published in: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 2020-01, Vol.491 (1), p.560-575
• Main Authors: Driessen, L N, McDonald, I, Buckley, D A H, Caleb, M, Kotze, E J, Potter, S B, Rajwade, K M, Rowlinson, A, Stappers, B W, Tremou, E, Woudt, P A, Fender, R P, Armstrong, R, Groot, P, Heywood, I, Horesh, A, van der Horst, A J, Koerding, E, McBride, V A, Miller-Jones, J C A, Mooley, K P, Wijers, R A M J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Astrophysics; Physics
• ISSN: 0035-8711; 1365-2966
• DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stz3027

We report the discovery of the first transient with MeerKAT, MKT J170456.2–482100, discovered in ThunderKAT images of the low-mass X-ray binary GX339–4. MKT J170456.2–482100 is variable in the radio, reaching a maximum flux density of $0.71\pm 0.11\, \mathrm{mJy}$ on 2019 October 12, and is undetected in 15 out of 48 ThunderKAT epochs. MKT J170456.2–482100 is coincident with the chromospherically active K-type sub-giant TYC 8332-2529-1, and $\sim 18\, \mathrm{yr}$ of archival optical photometry of the star shows that it varies with a period of $21.25\pm 0.04\, \mathrm{d}$. The shape and phase of the optical light curve changes over time, and we detect both X-ray and UV emission at the position of MKT J170456.2–482100, which may indicate that TYC 8332-2529-1 has large star spots. Spectroscopic analysis shows that TYC 8332-2529-1 is in a binary, and has a line-of-sight radial velocity amplitude of $43\, \mathrm{km\, s^{-1}}$. We also observe a spectral feature in antiphase with the K-type sub-giant, with a line-of-sight radial velocity amplitude of $\sim 12\pm 10\, \mathrm{km\, s^{-1}}$, whose origins cannot currently be explained. Further observations and investigation are required to determine the nature of the MKT J170456.2–482100 system.