LOFAR 150-MHz observations of the Bootes field: catalogue and source counts
Journal article, 2016

We present the first wide area (19 deg(2)), deep (a parts per thousand 120-150 mu Jy beam(-1)), high-resolution (5.6 x 7.4 arcsec) LOFAR High Band Antenna image of the Bootes field made at 130-169 MHz. This image is at least an order of magnitude deeper and 3-5 times higher in angular resolution than previously achieved for this field at low frequencies. The observations and data reduction, which includes full direction-dependent calibration, are described here. We present a radio source catalogue containing 6 276 sources detected over an area of 19 deg(2), with a peak flux density threshold of 5 sigma. As the first thorough test of the facet calibration strategy, introduced by van Weeren et al., we investigate the flux and positional accuracy of the catalogue. We present differential source counts that reach an order of magnitude deeper in flux density than previously achieved at these low frequencies, and show flattening at 150-MHz flux densities below 10 mJy associated with the rise of the low flux density star-forming galaxies and radio-quiet AGN.

techniques: interferometric

radio continuum: galaxies

surveys

galaxies: active

Author

W. L. Williams

Leiden University

University of Hertfordshire

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

R. J. van Weeren

Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

H. Rottgering

Leiden University

P. Best

Royal Observatory

T. J. Dijkema

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

F. De Gasperin

University of Hamburg

M. J. Hardcastle

University of Hertfordshire

G. Heald

University of Groningen

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

I. Prandoni

INAF OAS Bologna

J. Sabater

Royal Observatory

T. W. Shimwell

Leiden University

C. Tasse

Paris Diderot University

I. van Bemmel

Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe (JIVE)

M. Brüggen

University of Hamburg

G. Brunetti

INAF OAS Bologna

John Conway

Chalmers, Earth and Space Sciences, Onsala Space Observatory

T.A. Enßlin

Max Planck Society

D. Engels

University of Hamburg

H. Falcke

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

Radboud University

C. Ferrari

Observatoire de la Cote d'Azur

M. Haverkorn

Radboud University

Leiden University

N. Jackson

University of Manchester

M. J. Jarvis

University of Oxford

University of the Western Cape

A. D. Kapinska

University of Portsmouth

ARC Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics (CAASTRO)

University of Western Australia

E. Mahony

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

G. K. Miley

Leiden University

L. K. Morabito

Leiden University

R. Morganti

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

University of Groningen

E. Orru

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

E. Retana-Montenegro

Leiden University

S. S. Sridhar

University of Groningen

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

M. C. Toribio

Leiden University

G. J. White

Open University

STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory

M. W. Wise

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy

J. T L Zwart

University of Cape Town

University of the Western Cape

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

0035-8711 (ISSN) 1365-2966 (eISSN)

Vol. 460 3 2385-2412

Subject Categories

Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology

DOI

10.1093/mnras/stw1056

More information

Latest update

5/20/2021