Context . Quantifying the number density and physical characteristics of extragalactic polarized sources is important for the successful planning of future studies based on Faraday rotation measure ...(RM) grids of polarized sources to probe foreground Galactic and intergalactic magnetic fields. However, it is proving very hard to detect polarized signal from the population of very faint (sub-mJy) polarized sources at low radio frequencies, and their properties are mostly unknown. LOFAR can play an important role in such studies thanks to its sensitivity and angular resolution, combined with the precision on the inferred RM values that can be achieved through low-frequency broad-band polarimetry. Aims . The aim of this study is to probe the sub-mJy polarized source population with LOFAR. In this first paper, we present the method used to stack LOFAR polarization datasets, the resulting catalog of polarized sources, and the derived polarized source counts. Methods . The European Large Area ISO Survey-North 1 (ELAIS-N1) field, one of the deepest of the LOFAR Two-Metre Sky Survey (LoTSS) Deep Fields so far, was selected for a polarimetric study at 114.9–177.4 MHz. A total area of 25 deg 2 was imaged at 6″-resolution in the Stokes Q and U parameters. Alignment of polarization angles was done both in frequency and in Faraday space before stacking datasets from 19 eight-hour-long epochs taken in two different LOFAR observing cycles. A search for polarized sources was carried out in the final, stacked dataset, and the properties of the detected sources were examined. The depolarization level of sources known to be polarized at 1.4 GHz was quantified. Results . A one-sigma noise level, σ QU , of 19 µJy beam −1 was reached in the central part of the field after stacking. Twenty-five polarized sources were detected above 8 σ QU , five of which had not been detected in polarization at any other radio frequencies before. Seven additional polarized components were found by lowering the threshold to 6 σ QU at positions corresponding to sources known to be polarized at 1.4 GHz. In two radio galaxies, polarization was detected from both radio lobes, so the final number of associated radio continuum sources is 31. The detected sources are weakly polarized, with a median degree of polarization of 1.75% for the sample of sources detected in polarized emission. For the 10 polarized sources previously identified in a pilot LOFAR study of the ELAIS-N1 field at 20″-resolution, the RM values are consistent but the degrees of polarization are higher in the 6″-resolution data. The sources previously detected in polarization at 1.4 GHz are significantly depolarized at 150 MHz. The catalog is used to derive the polarized source counts at 150 MHz. Conclusions . This is the deepest and highest-resolution polarization study at 150 MHz to date. A full characterization of the sources and an analysis of the catalog will be presented in Paper II.
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Context.
Apertif is a multi-beam receiver system for the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope that operates at 1.1–1.5 GHz, which overlaps with various radio services, resulting in contamination of ...astronomical signals with radio-frequency interference (RFI).
Aims.
We analyse approaches to mitigate Apertif interference and design an automated detection procedure for its imaging mode. Using this approach, we present long-term RFI detection results of over 300 Apertif observations.
Methods.
Our approach is based on the AOFlagger detection approach. We introduce several new features, including ways to deal with ranges of invalid data (e.g. caused by shadowing) in both the SumThreshold and scale-invariant rank operator steps; pre-calibration bandpass calibration; auto-correlation flagging; and HI flagging avoidance. These methods have been implemented in a new framework that uses the Lua language for scripting, which is new in AOFlagger version 3.
Results.
Our approach removes RFI fully automatically, and it is robust and effective enough for further calibration and (continuum) imaging of these data. The analysis of 304 observations shows an average of 11.1% of lost data due to RFI with a large spread. We observe 14.6% RFI in auto-correlations. Computationally, AOFlagger achieves a throughput of 370 MB/s on a single computing node. Compared to published machine learning results, the method is one to two orders of magnitude faster.
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We present a new image of a 26.5 square degrees region in the Boötes constellation obtained at 1.4 GHz using the Aperture Tile in Focus (Apertif) system on the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope. ...We use a newly developed processing pipeline that includes direction-dependent self-calibration, which provides a significant improvement in the quality of the images compared to those released as part of the Apertif first data release. For the Boötes region, we mosaicked 187 Apertif images and extracted a source catalog. The mosaic image has an angular resolution of 27 × 11.5″ and a median background noise of 40 μJy beam
−1
. The catalog has 8994 sources and is complete down to the 0.3 mJy level. We combined the Apertif image with LOFAR images of the Boötes field at 54 and 150 MHz to study the spectral properties of the sources. We find a spectral flattening toward sources with a low flux density. Using the spectral index limits from Apertif nondetections, we derive that up to 9% of the sources have ultrasteep spectra with a slope below −1.2. A steepening of the spectral index with increasing redshift is also seen in the data, which shows a different dependence for the low-and high-frequency spectral index. The explanation probably is that a population of sources has concave radio spectra with a turnover frequency of about the LOFAR band. Additionally, we discuss cases of individual extended sources with an interesting resolved spectral structure. With the improved pipeline, we aim to continue to process data from the Apertif wide-area surveys and release the improved 1.4-GHz images of several well-known fields.
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The first data release from Apertif survey contains 3074 radio continuum images, covering a thousand square degrees of the sky. The observations were performed between August 2019 and July 2020. The ...continuum images were produced at a central frequency 1355 MHz, with a bandwidth of ~150 MHz and angular resolution of up to 10″. In this work, we introduce and apply a new method to obtain a primary beam model based on a machine-learning approach, namely, Gaussian process regression. The primary beam models obtained with this method have been published, along with the data products for the first Apertif data release. We applied the method to the continuum images, carried out a mosaicking process on their basis, and extracted the source catalog. The catalog contains 249672 radio sources, many of which have been detected for the first time at these frequencies. We cross-matched the coordinates with the NVSS, LOFAR/DR1/value-added, and LOFAR/DR2 catalogs – resulting in 44523, 22825, and 152824 common sources, respectively. The first sample provides a unique opportunity for detecting long-term transient sources, which have significantly changed their flux density over the past 25 yr. A combination of the second and the third samples provides valuable information on the spectral properties of the sources in addition to redshift estimates.
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Carbon radio recombination lines (RRLs) at low frequencies (<500 MHz) trace the cold, diffuse phase of the interstellar medium, which is otherwise difficult to observe. We present the detection of ...carbon RRLs in absorption in M82 with the Low Frequency Array in the frequency range of 48-64 MHz. This is the first extragalactic detection of RRLs from a species other than hydrogen, and below 1 GHz. Since the carbon RRLs are not detected individually, we cross-correlated the observed spectrum with a template spectrum of carbon RRLs to determine a radial velocity of 219 km s super(-1). Using this radial velocity, we stack 22 carbon-alpha transitions from quantum levels n = 468-508 to achieve an 8.5sigma detection. The absorption line profile exhibits a narrow feature with peak optical depth of 3 x 10 super(-3) and FWHM of 31 km s super(-1). Closer inspection suggests that the narrow feature is superimposed on a broad, shallow component. The total line profile appears to be correlated with the 21 cm H I line profile reconstructed from H I absorption in the direction of supernova remnants in the nucleus. The narrow width and centroid velocity of the feature suggests that it is associated with the nuclear starburst region. It is therefore likely that the carbon RRLs are associated with cold atomic gas in the direction of the nucleus of M82.
Context.
Phased array feeds (PAFs) are multi-element receivers in the focal plane of a telescope that make it possible to simultaneously form multiple beams on the sky by combining the complex gains ...of the individual antenna elements. Recently, the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope (WSRT) was upgraded with PAF receivers to carry out several observing programs, including two imaging surveys and a time-domain survey. The Apertif imaging surveys use a configuration of 40 partially overlapping compound beams (CBs) simultaneously formed on the sky and arranged in an approximately rectangular shape.
Aims.
This work is aimed at characterising the response of the 40 Apertif CBs to create frequency-resolved I, XX, and YY polarization empirical beam shapes. The measured CB maps can be used for the image deconvolution, primary beam correction, and mosaicking processes of Apertif imaging data.
Methods.
We used drift scan measurements to measure the response of each of the 40 Apertif CBs. We derived beam maps for all individual beams in I, XX, and YY polarisation in 10 or 18 frequency bins over the same bandwidth as the Apertif imaging surveys. We sampled the main lobe of the beams and the side lobes up to a radius of 0.6 degrees from the beam centres. In addition, we derived beam maps for each individual WSRT dish.
Results.
We present the frequency and time dependence of the beam shapes and sizes. We compared the compound beam shapes derived with the drift scan method to beam shapes derived with an independent method using a Gaussian Process Regression comparison between the Apertif continuum images and the NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS) catalogue. We find a good agreement between the beam shapes derived with the two independent methods.
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Galaxy mergers have been observed to trigger nuclear activity by feeding gas to the central supermassive black hole. One such class of objects are Ultra Luminous InfraRed Galaxies (ULIRGs), which are ...mostly late stage major mergers of gas-rich galaxies. Recently, large-scale (∼100 kpc) radio continuum emission has been detected in a select number of ULIRGs, all of which also harbour powerful Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN). This hints at the presence of large-scale radio emission being evidence for nuclear activity. Exploring the origin of this radio emission and its link to nuclear activity requires high sensitivity multi-frequency data. We present such an analysis of the ULIRG Mrk 273. Using the International LOFAR telescope (ILT), we detected spectacular large-scale arcs in this system. This detection includes, for the first time, a giant ∼190 kpc arc in the north. We propose these arcs are fuelled by a low power radio AGN triggered by the merger. We also identified a bright ∼45 kpc radio ridge, which is likely related to the ionised gas nebula in that region. We combined this with high sensitivity data from APERture Tile In Focus (Apertif) and archival data from the Very Large Array (VLA) to explore the spectral properties. The ILT simultaneously allowed us to probe the nucleus at a resolution of ∼0.3″, where we detected three components, and, for the first time, diffuse emission around these components. Combining this with archival high frequency VLA images of the nucleus allowed us to detect absorption in one component, and a steep spectrum radio AGN in another. We then extrapolate from this case study to the importance of investigating the presence of radio emission in more ULIRGs and what it can tell us about the link between mergers and the presence of radio activity.
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39.
The VMC Survey Zivkov, Viktor; Oliveira, Joana M.; Petr-Gotzens, Monika G. ...
Astronomy and astrophysics (Berlin),
12/2018, Volume:
620
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Context
. Detailed studies of intermediate- and low-mass pre-main-sequence (PMS) stars outside the Galaxy have so far been conducted only for small targeted regions harbouring known star formation ...complexes. The VISTA Survey of the Magellanic Clouds (VMC) provides an opportunity to study PMS populations down to solar masses on a galaxy-wide scale.
Aims
. Our goal is to use near-infrared data from the VMC survey to identify and characterise PMS populations down to ∼1
M
⊙
across the Magellanic Clouds. We present our colour–magnitude diagram method, and apply it to a ∼1.5 deg
2
pilot field located in the Large Magellanic Cloud.
Methods
. The pilot field is divided into equal-size grid elements. We compare the stellar population in every element with the population in nearby control fields by creating
K
s
/(
Y
−
K
s
) Hess diagrams; the observed density excesses over the local field population are used to classify the stellar populations.
Results
. Our analysis recovers all known star formation complexes in this pilot field (N 44, N 51, N 148, and N 138) and for the first time reveals their true spatial extent. In total, around 2260 PMS candidates with ages ≲10 Myr are found in the pilot field. PMS structures, identified as areas with a significant density excess of PMS candidates, display a power-law distribution of the number of members with a slope of −0.86 ± 0.12. We find a clustering of the young stellar populations along ridges and filaments where dust emission in the far-infrared (FIR) (70
μ
m–500
μ
m) is bright. Regions with young populations lacking massive stars show a lower degree of clustering and are usually located in the outskirts of the star formation complexes. At short FIR wavelengths (70
μ
m,100
μ
m) we report a strong dust emission increase in regions hosting young massive stars, which is less pronounced in regions populated only by less massive (≲4
M
⊙
) PMS stars.
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We describe the APERture Tile In Focus (Apertif) system, a phased array feed (PAF) upgrade of the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope that transforms this telescope into a high-sensitivity, ...wide-field-of-view L-band imaging and transient survey instrument. Using novel PAF technology, up to 40 partially overlapping beams are formed on the sky simultaneously, significantly increasing the survey speed of the telescope. With this upgraded instrument, an imaging survey covering an area of 2300 deg2 is being performed that will deliver both continuum and spectral line datasets, of which the first data have been publicly released. In addition, a time domain transient and pulsar survey covering 15 000 deg2 is in progress. An overview of the Apertif science drivers, hardware, and software of the upgraded telescope is presented, along with its key performance characteristics.
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