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The ASKAP Variables and Slow Transients Survey (VAST)
is designed to detect highly variable and transient radio sources on timescales from 5 seconds
to ∼5 years.
Murphy et al. have recently presented the survey description, observation strategy and initial results
from the VAST Phase I Pilot Survey. This pilot survey consists of ∼162 hours of observations conducted
at a central frequency of 888 MHz between 2019 August and 2020 August, with a typical rms sensitivity
of 0.24 mJy/beam and angular resolution of 12 − 20 arcseconds.
A total of 113 fields were observed for a 12 minutes integration time, with between 5 and 13 repeats, and
cadences between 1 day and 8 months.
The total area of the pilot survey footprint is 5131 square degrees, covering six
distinct regions of the sky, as shown in the figure above.
An initial search of two of these regions, totalling 1646 square degrees,
revealed 28 highly variable and/or transient sources, selection of which
will be covered in ADAPs this week.
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