The LOFAR Multifrequency Snapshot Sky Survey (MSSS) I. Survey description and first results
Journal article, 2015
We present the Multifrequency Snapshot Sky Survey (MSSS), the first northern-sky Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) imaging survey. In this introductory paper, we first describe in detail the motivation and design of the survey. Compared to previous radio surveys, MSSS is exceptional due to its intrinsic multifrequency nature providing information about the spectral properties of the detected sources over more than two octaves (from 30 to 160 MHz). The broadband frequency coverage, together with the fast survey speed generated by LOFAR's multibeaming capabilities, make MSSS the first survey of the sort anticipated to be carried out with the forthcoming Square Kilometre Array (SKA). Two of the sixteen frequency bands included in the survey were chosen to exactly overlap the frequency coverage of large-area Very Large Array (VLA) and Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) surveys at 74MHz and 151MHz respectively. The survey performance is illustrated within the MSSS Verification Field (MVF), a region of 100 square degrees centered at (alpha, delta)(J2000) = (15(h), 69 degrees). The MSSS results from the MVF are compared with previous radio survey catalogs. We assess the flux and astrometric uncertainties in the catalog, as well as the completeness and reliability considering our source finding strategy. We determine the 90% completeness levels within the MVF to be 100 mJy at 135 MHz with 108 '' resolution, and 550 mJy at 50 MHz with 166 '' resolution. Images and catalogs for the full survey, expected to contain 150 000-200 000 sources, will be released to a public web server. We outline the plans for the ongoing production of the final survey products, and the ultimate public release of images and source catalogs.
surveys
radio continuum: general
Author
G. H. Heald
University of Groningen
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
R. F. Pizzo
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
E. Orru
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
R. P. Breton
University of Southampton
D. Carbone
University of Amsterdam
C. Ferrari
Observatoire de la Cote d'Azur
M. J. Hardcastle
University of Hertfordshire
W. Jurusik
Jagiellonian University in Kraków
G. Macario
Observatoire de la Cote d'Azur
D. Mulcahy
University of Southampton
Max-Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy
D. Rafferty
University of Hamburg
A. Asgekar
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
M. Brentjens
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
R. A. Fallows
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
W. Frieswijk
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
M. C. Toribio
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
B. Adebahr
Max-Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy
M. Arts
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
M. R. Bell
Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics
A. Bonafede
University of Hamburg
J. Bray
University of Southampton
J. Broderick
University of Oxford
University of Southampton
T. Cantwell
University of Southampton
P. Carroll
University of Washington
Y. Cendes
University of Amsterdam
A. O. Clarke
University of Southampton
J. Croston
University of Southampton
S. Daiboo
Paris Diderot University
F. De Gasperin
University of Hamburg
J. Gregson
Open University
J. Harwood
University of Hertfordshire
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
T. Hassall
University of Southampton
V. Heesen
University of Southampton
A. Horneffer
Max-Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy
A. J. van der Horst
University of Amsterdam
M. Iacobelli
Leiden University
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
V. Jelic
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
University of Groningen
D. Jones
Radboud University
D. kant
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
G. Kokotanekov
University of Amsterdam
P. Martin
University of Southampton
J. P. McKean
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
University of Groningen
L. K. Morabito
Leiden University
B. Nikiel-Wroczynski
Jagiellonian University in Kraków
A. Offringa
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
V. N. Pandey
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
M. Pandey-Pommier
Université de Lyon
M. Pietka
University of Southampton
University of Oxford
L. Pratley
Victoria University of Wellington
C. Riseley
University of Southampton
A. Rowlinson
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
J. Sabater
University of Edinburgh
A. M. M. Scaife
University of Southampton
L. H. A. Scheers
Stichting Centrum voor Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI)
K. Sendlinger
Ruhr-Universität Bochum
A. Shulevski
University of Groningen
M. Sipior
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
C. Sobey
Max-Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy
A. J. Stewart
University of Oxford
University of Southampton
A. Stroe
Leiden University
J. Swinbank
University of Amsterdam
C. Tasse
Paris Diderot University
Square Kilometre Array, South Africa
Rhodes University
J. Trustedt
University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU)
University of Würzburg
Eskil Varenius
Chalmers, Earth and Space Sciences, Radio Astronomy and Astrophysics
S. van Velzen
Johns Hopkins University
N. Vilchez
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
R. J. van Weeren
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
S. Wijnholds
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
W. L. Williams
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
Leiden University
A. G. de Bruyn
University of Groningen
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
R. Nijboer
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
M. Wise
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
A. Alexov
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)
J. Anderson
German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ)
I. M. Avruch
Netherlands Institute for Space Research (SRON)
University of Groningen
R. Beck
Max-Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy
M. E. Bell
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
I. van Bemmel
Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe (JIVE)
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
M. J. Bentum
University of Twente
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
G. Bernardi
Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (UNS)
P. Best
University of Edinburgh
F. Breitling
Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam
W. N. Brouw
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
University of Groningen
M. Brüggen
University of Hamburg
H. R. Butcher
Australian National University
B. Ciardi
Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics
John Conway
Chalmers, Earth and Space Sciences, Onsala Space Observatory
E. de Geus
SmarterVision BV
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
A. de Jong
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
M. de Vos
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
A. Deller
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
R. J. Dettmar
Ruhr-Universität Bochum
S. Duscha
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
J. Eisloffel
Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg
D. Engels
Hamburg Observatory
H. Falcke
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
R. Fender
University of Oxford
M. A. Garrett
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
J. Griessmeier
University of Orléans
Paris Observatory
A. W. Gunst
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
J. P. Hamaker
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
J. W. T. Hessels
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
University of Amsterdam
M. Hoeft
Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg
J. Horandel
Radboud University
H. A. Holties
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
H. Intema
Leiden University
National Radio Astronomy Observatory
N. J. Jackson
University of Manchester
E. Jutte
Ruhr-Universität Bochum
A. Karastergiou
University of Oxford
W. F. A. Klijn
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
V. I. Kondratiev
Astro Space Center of Lebedev Physical Institute
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
L. V. E. Koopmans
University of Groningen
M. Kuniyoshi
Max-Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
G. Kuper
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
C. Law
University of California
J. van Leeuwen
University of Amsterdam
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
M. Loose
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
P. Maat
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
S. Markoff
University of Amsterdam
R. McFadden
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
D. McKay-Bukowski
STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
University of Oulu
M. Mevius
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
University of Groningen
J. C. A. Miller-Jones
University of Amsterdam
Curtin University
R. Morganti
University of Groningen
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
H. Munk
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
A. Nelles
Radboud University
J. E. Noordam
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
M. J. Norden
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
H. Paas
University of Groningen
A. G. Polatidis
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
W. Reich
Max-Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy
A. Renting
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
H. Rottgering
Leiden University
A. Schoenmakers
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
D. Schwarz
University of Twente
J. Sluman
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
O. Smirnov
Rhodes University
Square Kilometre Array, South Africa
B. W. Stappers
University of Manchester
M. Steinmetz
Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam
M. Tagger
University of Orléans
Y. Tang
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
S. ter Veen
Radboud University
S. Thoudam
Radboud University
R. Vermeulen
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
C. Vocks
Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam
C. Vogt
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
Ramj Wijers
University of Amsterdam
O. Wucknitz
Max-Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy
S. Yatawatta
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
P. Zarka
Paris Diderot University
Astronomy and Astrophysics
0004-6361 (ISSN) 1432-0746 (eISSN)
Vol. 582 22- A123Subject Categories
Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology
DOI
10.1051/0004-6361/201425210