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Euclid will provide deep NIR imaging to $\sim$26.5 AB magnitude over $\sim$59 deg$^2$ in its deep and auxiliary fields. The Cosmic DAWN survey complements the deep Euclid data with matched depth multiwavelength imaging and spectroscopy in the UV--IR to provide consistently processed Euclid selected photometric catalogs, accurate photometric redshifts, and measurements of galaxy properties to a redshift of $z\sim 10$. In this paper, we present an overview of the survey, including the footprints of the survey fields, the existing and planned observations, and the primary science goals for the combined data set., Comment: 16 pages, 10 figures, submitted to A&A; Updated references; Updated author list

A fraction of galaxy clusters harbor diffuse radio sources known as radio halos. The currently adopted scenario for their formation is based on second-order Fermi re-acceleration of seed electrons that is driven by merger-driven turbulence in the intra-cluster medium. This mechanism is expected to be inefficient, which implies that a significant fraction of halos should have very steep ($\alpha < -1.5$) energy spectra. We start investigating the potential and current limitations of the combination of the two surveys conducted by LOFAR, LoTSS (144 MHz) and LoLSS (54 MHz), to probe the origin of radio halos. We follow up the 20 radio halos detected in the DR1 of LoTSS, which covers the HETDEX field, with the LoLSS survey, and we study their spectral properties between 54 and 144 MHz. After the removal of compact sources, 9 halos were excluded due to unreliable halo flux density measurements at 54 MHz. Our main finding is that 7 out of 11 ($\sim$ 64%) exhibit an ultra-steep spectrum ($\alpha < -1.5$), which is a key prediction of turbulent re-acceleration models. We also note a tentative trend for more massive systems to host flatter halos, although the currently poor statistics does not allow for a deeper analysis. Our sample suffers from low angular resolution at 54 MHz, which limits the accuracy of the compact-sources subtraction. Nevertheless, this study is the first step towards providing compelling evidence for the existence of a large fraction of radio halos with very steep spectrum, which is a fundamental prediction of turbulent re-acceleration models. In this regard, the forthcoming second data release of LoLSS, along with the integration of LOFAR international stations and the instrumental upgrade to LOFAR2.0, will improve both the statistics and the low-frequency angular resolution, allowing to conclusively determine the origin of radio halos in galaxy clusters., Comment: A&A Letter; 11 pages, 12 figures

The Near-Infrared Spectrometer and Photometer (NISP) on board the Euclid satellite provides multiband photometry and R>=450 slitless grism spectroscopy in the 950-2020nm wavelength range. In this reference article we illuminate the background of NISP's functional and calibration requirements, describe the instrument's integral components, and provide all its key properties. We also sketch the processes needed to understand how NISP operates and is calibrated, and its technical potentials and limitations. Links to articles providing more details and technical background are included. NISP's 16 HAWAII-2RG (H2RG) detectors with a plate scale of 0.3" pix^-1 deliver a field-of-view of 0.57deg^2. In photo mode, NISP reaches a limiting magnitude of ~24.5AB mag in three photometric exposures of about 100s exposure time, for point sources and with a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 5. For spectroscopy, NISP's point-source sensitivity is a SNR = 3.5 detection of an emission line with flux ~2x10^-16erg/s/cm^2 integrated over two resolution elements of 13.4A, in 3x560s grism exposures at 1.6 mu (redshifted Ha). Our calibration includes on-ground and in-flight characterisation and monitoring of detector baseline, dark current, non-linearity, and sensitivity, to guarantee a relative photometric accuracy of better than 1.5%, and relative spectrophotometry to better than 0.7%. The wavelength calibration must be better than 5A. NISP is the state-of-the-art instrument in the NIR for all science beyond small areas available from HST and JWST - and an enormous advance due to its combination of field size and high throughput of telescope and instrument. During Euclid's 6-year survey covering 14000 deg^2 of extragalactic sky, NISP will be the backbone for determining distances of more than a billion galaxies. Its NIR data will become a rich reference imaging and spectroscopy data set for the coming decades., Comment: Paper submitted as part of the A&A special issue 'Euclid on Sky', which contains Euclid key reference papers and first results from the Euclid Early Release Observations

The current standard model of cosmology successfully describes a variety of measurements, but the nature of its main ingredients, dark matter and dark energy, remains unknown. Euclid is a medium-class mission in the Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 programme of the European Space Agency (ESA) that will provide high-resolution optical imaging, as well as near-infrared imaging and spectroscopy, over about 14,000 deg^2 of extragalactic sky. In addition to accurate weak lensing and clustering measurements that probe structure formation over half of the age of the Universe, its primary probes for cosmology, these exquisite data will enable a wide range of science. This paper provides a high-level overview of the mission, summarising the survey characteristics, the various data-processing steps, and data products. We also highlight the main science objectives and expected performance., Comment: Accepted for publication in the A&A special issue`Euclid on Sky'

This paper presents the specification, design, and development of the Visible Camera (VIS) on the ESA Euclid mission. VIS is a large optical-band imager with a field of view of 0.54 deg^2 sampled at 0.1" with an array of 609 Megapixels and spatial resolution of 0.18". It will be used to survey approximately 14,000 deg^2 of extragalactic sky to measure the distortion of galaxies in the redshift range z=0.1-1.5 resulting from weak gravitational lensing, one of the two principal cosmology probes of Euclid. With photometric redshifts, the distribution of dark matter can be mapped in three dimensions, and, from how this has changed with look-back time, the nature of dark energy and theories of gravity can be constrained. The entire VIS focal plane will be transmitted to provide the largest images of the Universe from space to date, reaching m_AB>24.5 with S/N >10 in a single broad I_E~(r+i+z) band over a six year survey. The particularly challenging aspects of the instrument are the control and calibration of observational biases, which lead to stringent performance requirements and calibration regimes. With its combination of spatial resolution, calibration knowledge, depth, and area covering most of the extra-Galactic sky, VIS will also provide a legacy data set for many other fields. This paper discusses the rationale behind the VIS concept and describes the instrument design and development before reporting the pre-launch performance derived from ground calibrations and brief results from the in-orbit commissioning. VIS should reach fainter than m_AB=25 with S/N>10 for galaxies of full-width half-maximum of 0.3" in a 1.3" diameter aperture over the Wide Survey, and m_AB>26.4 for a Deep Survey that will cover more than 50 deg^2. The paper also describes how VIS works with the other Euclid components of survey, telescope, and science data processing to extract the cosmological information., Comment: Paper submitted as part of the A&A special issue `Euclid on Sky', which contains Euclid key reference papers and first results from the Euclid Early Release Observations (A&A reference aa50996-24). This revision is the version accepted by A&A on 19 September 2024. Other than changes to the author list, changes are limited to editorial and journal style

Radio observations of a few cool-core galaxy clusters have revealed the presence of diffuse emission on cluster scales, similar to what was found in merging clusters in the form of radio halos. These sources might suggest that a minor merger, while not sufficiently energetic to disrupt the cool core, could still trigger particle acceleration in the intracluster medium on scales of hundreds of kpc. We observed with LOFAR at 144 MHz a sample of twelve cool-core galaxy clusters presenting some level of dynamical disturbances, according to X-ray data. We also performed a systematic search of cold fronts in these clusters, re-analysing archival Chandra data. The clusters PSZ1G139.61+24, A1068 (new detection), MS 1455.0+2232, and RX J1720.1+2638 present diffuse radio emission on a cluster scale. This emission is characterised by a double component: a central mini-halo confined by cold fronts and diffuse emission on larger scales, whose radio power at 144 MHz is comparable to that of radio halos detected in merging systems. The cold fronts in A1068 are a new detection. We also found a candidate plasma depletion layer in this cluster. No sloshing features are found in the other eight clusters. Two of them present a mini-halo, with diffuse radio emission confined to the cluster core. We also found a new candidate mini-halo. Whereas, for the remaining five clusters, we did not detect halo-like emission. For clusters without cluster-scale halos, we derived upper limits to the radio halo power. We found that cluster-scale diffuse radio emission is not present in all cool-core clusters when observed at a low frequency, but it is correlated to the presence of cold fronts. This morphology requires a specific configuration of the merger and so it puts some constraints on the turbulence, which deserves to be investigated in the future with theoretical works., Comment: 34 pages, 30 figures. Accepted for publication in A&A

Covering $\sim$5600 deg$^2$ to rms sensitivities of $\sim$70$-$100 $\mu$Jy beam$^{-1}$, the LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey Data Release 2 (LoTSS-DR2) provides the largest low-frequency ($\sim$150 MHz) radio catalogue to date, making it an excellent tool for large-area radio cosmology studies. In this work, we use LoTSS-DR2 sources to investigate the angular two-point correlation function of galaxies within the survey. We discuss systematics in the data and an improved methodology for generating random catalogues, compared to that used for LoTSS-DR1, before presenting the angular clustering for $\sim$900,000 sources $\geq$$1.5$ mJy and a peak signal-to-noise $\geq$$7.5$ across $\sim$$80\%$ of the observed area. Using the clustering we infer the bias assuming two evolutionary models. When fitting {angular scales of $0.5 \leq\theta<5\,\deg$, using a linear bias model, we find LoTSS-DR2 sources are biased tracers of the underlying matter, with a bias of $b_{C}= 2.14^{+0.22}_{-0.20}$ (assuming constant bias) and $b_{E}(z=0)= 1.79^{+0.15}_{-0.14}$ (for an evolving model, inversely proportional to the growth factor), corresponding to $b_E= 2.81^{+0.24}_{-0.22}$ at the median redshift of our sample, assuming the LoTSS Deep Fields redshift distribution is representative of our data. This reduces to $b_{C}= 2.02^{+0.17}_{-0.16}$ and $b_{E}(z=0)= 1.67^{+0.12}_{-0.12}$ when allowing preferential redshift distributions from the Deep Fields to model our data. Whilst the clustering amplitude is slightly lower than LoTSS-DR1 ($\geq$2 mJy), our study benefits from larger samples and improved redshift estimates., Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. 29 pages, 24 figures

We present the low-frequency radio spectra of 9 high-redshift quasars at $5.6 \leq z \leq 6.6$ using the Giant Metre Radio Telescope band-3, -4, and -5 observations ($\sim$300-1200 MHz), archival Low Frequency Array (LOFAR; 144 MHz), and Very Large Array (VLA; 1.4 and 3 GHz) data. Five of the quasars in our sample have been discovered recently, representing some of the highest redshift radio bright quasars known at low-frequencies. We model their radio spectra to study their radio emission mechanism and age of the radio jets by constraining the spectral turnover caused by synchrotron self-absorption (SSA) or free-free absorption (FFA). Besides J0309+2717, a blazar at $z=6.1$, our quasars show no sign of a spectral flattening between 144 MHz and a few GHz, indicating there is no strong SSA or FFA absorption in the observed frequency range. However, we find a wide range of spectral indices between $-1.6$ and $0.05$, including the discovery of 3 potential ultra-steep spectrum quasars. Using further archival VLBA data, we confirm that the radio SED of the blazar J0309+2717 likely turns over at a rest-frame frequency of 0.6-2.3 GHz (90-330 MHz observed frame), with a high-frequency break indicative of radiative ageing of the electron population in the radio lobes. Ultra-low frequency data below 50 MHz are necessary to constrain the absorption mechanism for J0309+2717 and the turnover frequencies for the other high-$z$ quasars in our sample. A relation between linear radio jet size and turnover frequency has been established at low redshifts. If this relation were to hold at high redshifts, the limits on the turnover frequency of our sample suggest the radio jet sizes must be more extended than the typical sizes observed in other radio-bright quasars at similar redshift. To confirm this deep radio follow-up observations with high spatial resolution are required., Comment: 15 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in A&A, minor correction Tab. 1

We present the serendipitous discovery of 8 distant ($>$ 50 pc) late M dwarfs with plausible associated radio emission at 144 MHz. The M dwarf nature of our sources has been confirmed with optical spectroscopy performed using HET/LRS2 and Subaru/FOCAS, and their radio flux densities are within the range of 0.5-1.0 mJy at 144 MHz. Considering the radio-optical source separation and source densities of the parent catalogues, we suggest that it is statistically probable the M dwarfs are associated with the radio emission. However, it remains plausible that for some of the sources the radio emission originates from an optically faint and red galaxy hiding behind the M dwarf. The isotropic radio luminosities ($\sim10^{17-18}$ erg s$^{-1}$ Hz$^{-1}$) of the M dwarfs suggest that if the association is real, the radio emission is likely driven by a coherent emission process produced via plasma or electron-cyclotron maser instability processes, which is potentially caused by binary interaction. Long term monitoring in the radio and high-resolution radio follow-up observations are necessary to search for any variability and pinpoint the radio emission to determine whether our tentative conclusion that these ultracool dwarfs are radio emitting is correct. If the low-frequency radio emission is conclusively associated with the M dwarfs, this would reveal a new population of optically faint and distant ($>$ 50 pc) radio emitting M dwarfs., Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in A&A

Many relaxed cool-core clusters host diffuse radio emission on scales of hundreds of kiloparsecs: mini-haloes. However, the mechanism responsible for generating them, as well as their connection with central active galactic nuclei, is elusive and many questions related to their physical properties and origins remain unanswered. This paper presents new radio observations of the galaxy cluster Abell 1413 performed with MeerKAT (L-band; 872 to 1712 MHz) and LOFAR HBA (120 to 168 MHz) as part of a statistical and homogeneous census of mini-haloes. Abell 1413 is unique among mini-halo clusters as it is a moderately-disturbed non-cool-core cluster. Our study reveals an asymmetric mini-halo up to 584 kpc in size at 1283 MHz, twice as large as first reported at similar frequencies. The spectral index is flatter than previously reported, with an integrated value of $\alpha = -1.01 \pm 0.06$, shows significant spatial variation, and a tentative radial steepening. We studied the point-to-point X-ray/radio surface brightness correlation to investigate the thermal/non-thermal connection: our results show a strong connection between these components, with a super-linear slope of $b = 1.63 \pm 0.10$ at 1283 MHz and $b = 1.20 \pm 0.12$ at 145 MHz. We also explore the X-ray surface brightness/radio spectral index correlation, finding a slope of $b = 0.59 \pm 0.11$. Both investigations support the evidence of spectral steepening. Finally, in the context of understanding the particle acceleration mechanism, we present a simple theoretical model which demonstrates that hybrid scenarios - secondary electrons (re-)accelerated by turbulence - reproduce a super-linear correlation slope., Comment: 19 pages, 11 figures, 4 tables. Accepted for publication in MNRAS

The Virgo cluster is the nearest massive galaxy cluster and thus a prime target to study astrophysical processes in dense large-scale environments. In the radio band, we can probe the non-thermal components of the inter-stellar medium (ISM), intracluster medium (ICM) and of active galactic nuclei (AGN). With the ViCTORIA (Virgo Cluster multi-Telescope Observations in Radio of Interacting galaxies and AGN) project, we are carrying out multiple wide-field surveys of the Virgo cluster at different frequencies. We aim to investigate the impact of the environment on the evolution of galaxies and the contribution of AGN to the ICM-heating, from the inner cluster regions out to beyond the virial radius. We present a survey of the cluster at 120-168 MHz using LOFAR. We image a 132 deg$^2$ region of the cluster, reaching an order of magnitude greater sensitivity than existing wide-field radio surveys of this field at three times higher spatial resolution compared to other low-frequency observations. We developed a tailored data processing strategy to subtract the bright central radio galaxy M87 from the data. This allowed us to correct for the systematic effects due to ionospheric variation as a function of time and direction. In the final mosaic with a resolution of 9"x5", we reach a median noise level of 140 ${\mu}$Jy/beam inside the virial radius and 280 ${\mu}$Jy/beam for the full area. We detect 112 Virgo member galaxies and 114 background galaxies. In at least 18 cases, the radio morphology of the cluster member galaxies shows clear signs of ram-pressure stripping. This includes three previously unreported candidates. In addition, we reveal for the first time 150 kpc long tails from a previous epoch of AGN activity for NGC 4472 (M 49). While no cluster-scale diffuse radio sources are discovered, we find the presence of an extended radio signature of the W$'$-group., Comment: 18 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in A&A

Source classifications, stellar masses and star formation rates are presented for 80,000 radio sources from the first data release of the Low Frequency Array Two-metre Sky Survey (LoTSS) Deep Fields, which represents the widest deep radio survey ever undertaken. Using deep multi-wavelength data spanning from the ultraviolet to the far-infrared, spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting is carried out for all of the LoTSS-Deep host galaxies using four different SED codes, two of which include modelling of the contributions from an active galactic nucleus (AGN). Comparing the results of the four codes, galaxies that host a radiative AGN are identified, and an optimised consensus estimate of the stellar mass and star-formation rate for each galaxy is derived. Those galaxies with an excess of radio emission over that expected from star formation are then identified, and the LoTSS-Deep sources are divided into four classes: star-forming galaxies, radio-quiet AGN, and radio-loud high-excitation and low-excitation AGN. Ninety-five per cent of the sources can be reliably classified, of which more than two-thirds are star-forming galaxies, ranging from normal galaxies in the nearby Universe to highly-starbursting systems at z>4. Star-forming galaxies become the dominant population below 150-MHz flux densities of about 1 mJy, accounting for 90 per cent of sources at a 150-MHz flux density of 100 microJy. Radio-quiet AGN comprise around 10 per cent of the overall population. Results are compared against the predictions of the SKADS and T-RECS radio sky simulations, and improvements to the simulations are suggested., Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. Catalogues available at www.lofar-surveys.org/deepfields.html. 27 pages

The Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) is the only existing radio interferometer able to observe at ultra-low frequencies (<100 MHz) with high resolution (<15") and high sensitivity (<1 mJy/beam). To exploit these capabilities, the LOFAR Surveys Key Science Project is using the LOFAR Low Band Antenna (LBA) to carry out a sensitive wide-area survey at 41-66 MHz named the LOFAR LBA Sky Survey (LoLSS). LoLSS is covering the whole northern sky above declination 24 deg with a resolution of 15" and a sensitivity of 1-2 mJy/beam (1 sigma) depending on declination, field properties, and observing conditions. Here we present the first data release. An automated pipeline was used to reduce the 95 fields included in this data release. The data reduction procedures developed for this project have general application and are currently being used to process LOFAR LBA interferometric observations. Compared to the preliminary release, direction-dependent errors have been corrected for during the calibration process. This results in a typical sensitivity of 1.55 mJy/beam at the target resolution of 15". The first data release of the LOFAR LBA Sky Survey covers 650 sqdeg in the HETDEX spring field. The resultant data products released to the community include mosaic images (I and V Stokes) of the region, and a catalogue of 42463 detected sources and related Gaussian components used to describe sources' morphologies. Separate catalogues for 6 in-band frequencies are also released. The first data release of LoLSS shows that, despite the influences of the ionosphere, LOFAR can conduct large-scale surveys in the frequency window 42-66 MHz with unprecedentedly high sensitivity and resolution. The data can be used to derive unique information on the low-frequency spectral properties of many thousands of sources with a wide range of applications in extragalactic and galactic astronomy., Comment: 20 pages, 22 figures, images and catalogues available at https://www.lofar-surveys.org/lolss.html

High redshift quasars ($z>5$) that also shine brightly at radio wavelengths are unique signposts of supermassive black hole activity in the early universe. However, bright radio sources at $z\ge5$ are extremely rare and therefore we have started a campaign to search for new high-$z$ quasars by combining an optical dropout selection driven by the $g$, $r$, and $z$ bands from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Legacy Imaging Surveys with low-frequency radio observations from the LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey (LoTSS). Currently, LoTSS covers a large fraction of the northern sky (5720 deg$^2$) to such a depth (median noise level of 83 $\mu$Jy beam$^{-1}$) that about 30% of the general quasar population is detected $-$ which is a factor of 5-10 more than previous large sky radio surveys such as NVSS and FIRST, respectively. In this paper, we present the discovery of 20 new quasars (and the independent confirmation of 4) between $4.9\leq z\leq 6.6$. Out of the 24 quasars, 21 satisfy the traditional radio-loudness criterion of $R=f_{5\text{GHz}}/f_{4400A} > 10$, with the full sample spanning $R\sim$6-1000, thereby more than doubling the sample of known radio-loud quasars at $z \ge 5$. Our radio detection requirement strongly decreases the contamination of stellar sources and allows one to select these quasars in a broad redshift range. Despite selecting our quasar candidates using fewer and less conservative colour restrictions, both the optical and near-infrared colours, Ly$\alpha$ emission line properties, and dust reddening, $E(B-V)$, measurements of our quasar sample do not deviate from the known radio-quiet quasar population, suggesting similar optical quasar properties of the radio-loud and radio-quiet quasar population at high-$z$. Our campaign demonstrates the potential for discovering new high-$z$ quasar populations through next generation radio continuum surveys., Comment: 19 pages, 11 figures, Tab A1 corrected, accepted for publication in A&A

We present the X-ray imaging and spectral analysis of the diffuse emission around the Spiderweb galaxy at z=2.16 and of its nuclear emission, based on a deep (700 ks) Chandra observation. We characterize the nuclear emission and computed the contamination in the surrounding regions due to the wings of the instrument PSF. Then, we quantified the extended emission within 12". We find that the Spiderweb galaxy hosts a mildly absorbed quasar, with modest yet significant variability on a timescale of ~1 year. We find that the emission in the jet regions is well described by a power law with Gamma~2-2.5, and it is consistent with IC upscattering of the CMB photons by the relativistic electrons. We also find a roughly symmetric, diffuse emission within a radius of ~100 kpc. This emission is consistent with thermal bremsstrahlung from a hot ICM with a temperature of kT=2.0_{-0.4}^{+0.7} keV, and a metallicity of Z<1.6Z_sun. The average electron density within 100 kpc is n_e=(1.51+-0.24+-0.14)E-2 cm^{-3}, corresponding to an upper limit for the total ICM mass of <=(1.76+-0.30+-0.17)E+12 M_sun (where error bars are 1 sigma statistical and systematic, respectively). If we apply hydrostatic equilibrium to the ICM, we measure a total gravitational mass M(<100 kpc)=(1.5^{+0.5}_{-0.3})E+13 M_sun and, extrapolating at larger radii, we estimate a total mass M_{500}=(3.2^{+1.1}_{-0.6})E+13 M_sun within a radius of r_{500}=(220+-30) kpc. We conclude that the Spiderweb protocluster shows significant diffuse emission within a radius of 12 arcsec, whose major contribution is provided by IC scattering associated with the radio jets. Outside the jet regions, we also identified thermal emission within a radius of ~100 kpc, revealing the presence of hot, diffuse baryons that may represent the embryonic virialized halo of the forming cluster., Comment: 19 pages, 16 figures, accepted in Astronomy & Astrophysics

The central regions of galaxy clusters are permeated by magnetic fields and filled with relativistic electrons. When clusters merge, the magnetic fields are amplified and relativistic electrons are re-accelerated by turbulence in the intra cluster medium. These electrons reach energies of 1 -- 10 GeV and, in the presence of magnetic fields, produce diffuse radio halos that typically cover an area of ~1 square Mpc. Here we report observations of four clusters whose radio halos are embedded in much more extended, diffuse radio emission, filling a volume 30 times larger than that of radio halos. The emissivity in these larger features is about 20 times lower than the emissivity in radio halos. We conclude that relativistic electrons and magnetic fields extend far beyond radio halos, and that the physical conditions in the outer regions of the clusters are quite different from those in the radio halos., Comment: 21 pages, 8 figures, Nature in press

We present deep broadband radio polarization observations of the Spiderweb radio galaxy (J1140-2629) in a galaxy proto-cluster at $z=2.16$. These yield the most detailed polarimetric maps yet made of a high redshift radio galaxy. The intrinsic polarization angles and Faraday Rotation Measures (RMs) reveal coherent magnetic fields spanning the $\sim60$ kpc length of the jets, while $\sim50$% fractional polarizations indicate these fields are well-ordered. Source-frame absolute RM values of $\sim1,000$ rad/m/m are typical, and values up to $\sim11,100$ rad/m/m are observed. The Faraday-rotating gas cannot be well-mixed with the synchrotron-emitting gas, or stronger-than-observed depolarization would occur. Nevertheless, an observed spatial coincidence between a localized absolute RM enhancement of $\sim1,100$ rad/m/m, a bright knot of Ly$\alpha$ emission, and a deviation of the radio jet provide direct evidence for vigorous jet-gas interaction. We detect a large-scale RM gradient totaling $\sim1,000$s rad/m/m across the width of the jet, suggesting a net clockwise (as viewed from the AGN) toroidal magnetic field component exists at 10s-of-kpc-scales, which we speculate may be associated with the operation of a Poynting-Robertson cosmic battery. We conclude the RMs are mainly generated in a sheath of hot gas around the radio jet, rather than the ambient foreground proto-cluster gas. The estimated magnetic field strength decreases by successive orders-of-magnitude going from the jet hotspots ($\sim90$ $\mu$G) to the jet sheath ($\sim10$ $\mu$G) to the ambient intracluster medium ($\sim1$ $\mu$G). Synthesizing our results, we propose that the Spiderweb radio galaxy is actively magnetizing its surrounding proto-cluster environment, with possible implications for theories of the origin and evolution of cosmic magnetic fields., Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures, 2 tables. Accepted for publication in ApJ

Deep Chandra and VLA imaging reveals a clear correlation between X-ray and radio emission on scales $\sim 100$~kpc in the Spiderweb radio galaxy at z=2.16. The X-ray emission associated with the extended radio source is likely dominated by inverse Compton up-scattering of cosmic microwave background photons by the radio emitting relativistic electrons. For regions dominated by high surface brightness emission, such as hot spots and jet knots, the implied magnetic fields are $\sim 50~\mu$G to $70~\mu$G. The non-thermal pressure is these brighter regions is then $\sim 9\times 10^{-10}$ dyne cm$^{-2}$, or three times larger than the non-thermal pressure derived assuming minimum energy conditions, and an order of magnitude larger than the thermal pressure in the ambient cluster medium. Assuming ram pressure confinement implies an average advance speed for the radio source of $\sim 2400$ km s$^{-1}$, and a source age of $\sim 3\times 10^7$ years. Considering the lower surface brightness, diffuse radio emitting regions, we identify an evacuated cavity in the Ly$\alpha$ emission coincident with the tail of the eastern radio lobe. Making reasonable assumptions for the radio spectrum, we find that the relativistic electrons and fields in the lobe are plausibly in pressure equilibrium with the thermal gas, and close to a minimum energy configuration. The radio morphology suggests that the Spiderweb is a high-$z$ example of the rare class of hybrid morphology radio sources (or HyMoRS), which we attribute to interaction with the asymmetric gaseous environment indicated by the Ly$\alpha$ emission., Comment: 8 figures, 25 pages, to appear in the ApJ

(Abridged) We present an analysis of the 700 ks Chandra ACIS-S observation of the field around the Spiderweb Galaxy at z=2.156, focusing on the nuclear activity in the associated large-scale environment. We identify unresolved X-ray sources down to flux limits of 1.3X10^{-16} and 3.9X10^{-16} erg/s/cm^2 in the soft and hard band, respectively. We search for counterparts in the optical, NIR and submm bands to identify X-ray sources belonging to the protocluster. We detect 107 X-ray unresolved sources within 5 arcmin (corresponding to 2.5 Mpc) of J1140-2629, among which 13 have optical counterparts with spectroscopic redshift 2.11~1.84+-0.04. The best-fit intrinsic absorption for 5 protocluster X-ray members is N_H>10^{23} cm^{-2}, while other 6 have upper limits of the order of fewX10^{22} cm^{-2}. Two sources can only be fitted with very flat \Gamma<=1, and are therefore considered Compton-thick candidates. Their 0.5-10 keV rest frame luminosities are larger than 2X10^{43} erg/s, significantly greater than X-ray luminosities expected from star formation activity. The X-ray luminosity function of AGN in the volume associated to the Spiderweb protocluster in the range 10^{43}10.5, corresponding to an enhancement of 6.0^{+9.0}_{-3.0} with respect to the COSMOS field at comparable redshifts and stellar mass range. We conclude that the galaxy population in the Spiderweb Protocluster is characterized by enhanced X-ray nuclear activity triggered by environmental effects on Mpc scales., Comment: Astronomy & Astrophysics. Minor changes in this version. Version accepted in A&A

We present LOw Frequency ARray observations of the Coma cluster field at 144\,MHz. The cluster hosts one of the most famous radio halos, a relic, and a low surface-brightness bridge. We detect new features that allow us to make a step forward in the understanding of particle acceleration in clusters. The radio halo extends for more than 2 Mpc, which is the largest extent ever reported. To the North-East of the cluster, beyond the Coma virial radius, we discover an arc-like radio source that could trace particles accelerated by an accretion shock. To the West of the halo, coincident with a shock detected in the X-rays, we confirm the presence of a radio front, with different spectral properties with respect to the rest of the halo. We detect a radial steepening of the radio halo spectral index between 144 MHz and 342 MHz, at $\sim 30^{\prime}$ from the cluster centre, that may indicate a non constant re-acceleration time throughout the volume. We also detect a mild steepening of the spectral index towards the cluster centre. For the first time, a radial change in the slope of the radio-X-ray correlation is found, and we show that such a change could indicate an increasing fraction of cosmic ray versus thermal energy density in the cluster outskirts. Finally, we investigate the origin of the emission between the relic and the source NGC 4789, and we argue that NGC4789 could have crossed the shock originating the radio emission visible between its tail and the relic., Comment: submitted to ApJ

We study the properties and the origin of the radio emission in the most luminous early-type galaxies (ETGs) in the nearby Universe (MK<-25, recession velocity < 7,500 km/s) as seen by the 150 MHz Low-Frequency ARray (LOFAR) observations. LOFAR images are available for 188 of these giant ETGs (gETGs) and 146 (78%) of them are detected above a typical luminosity of ~10E21 W/Hz. They show a large spread in power, reaching up to ~10E26 W/Hz. We confirm a positive link between the stellar luminosity of gETGs and their median radio power, the detection rate, and the fraction of extended sources. About two-thirds (91) of the detected gETGs are unresolved, with sizes <4 kpc, confirming the prevalence of compact radio sources in local sources. Forty-six gETGs show extended emission on scales ranging from 4 to 340 kpc, at least 80% of which have a FRI class morphology. Based on the morphology and spectral index of the extended sources, ~30% of them might be remnant or restarted sources but further studies are needed to confirm this. Optical spectroscopy (available for 44 gETGs) indicates that for seven of them the nuclear gas is ionized by young stars suggesting a contribution to their radio emission from star forming regions. Their radio luminosities correspond to a star formation rate (SFR) in the range 0.1-8 Msun/yr and a median specific SFR of 0.8x10E-12 yr-1. The gas flowing toward the center of gETGs can accrete onto the supermassive black hole but also stall at larger radii and form new stars, an indication that feedback does not completely quench star formation. The most luminous gETGs (25 galaxies with MK < -25.8) are all detected at 150 MHz however they are not all currently turned on: at least four of them are remnant sources and at least one is likely powered by star formation., Comment: Pre-proofs version - Accepted for publication in A&A

We used the Rotation Measure (RM) catalogue derived from the LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey Data Release 2 (LoTSS DR2) at 144-MHz to measure the evolution with redshift of the extragalactic RM (RRM: Residual RM) and the polarization fraction ($p$) of sources in low density environments. We also measured the same at 1.4-GHz by cross-matching with the NRAO VLA Sky Survey RM catalogue. We find that RRM versus redshift is flat at 144-MHz, but, once redshift-corrected, it shows evolution at high significance. Also $p$ evolves with redshift with a decrement by a factor of $\sim$8 at $z\sim2$. Comparing the 144-MHz and 1.4-GHz data, we find that the observed RRM and $p$ are most likely to have an origin local to the source at 1.4-GHz, while a cosmic web filament origin is favoured at 144-MHz. If we attribute the entire signal to filaments, we infer a mean rest frame RRM per filament of RRM_{0,f} = 0.71 \pm 0.07 rad m^{-2} and a magnetic field per filament of B_f = 32 \pm 3 nG. This is in agreement with estimates obtained with a complementary method based on synchrotron emission stacking, and with cosmological simulations if primordial magnetic fields are amplified by astrophysical source field seeding. The measurement of an RRM_{0,f} supports the presence of diffuse baryonic gas in filaments. We also estimated a conservative upper limit of the filament magnetic turbulence of \sigma_{ RRM_{0,f}} =0.039 \pm 0.001 rad m^{-2}, concluding that the ordered magnetic field component dominates in filaments., Comment: Accepted for publication on MNRAS

Previous studies have shown that physically small, low-luminosity radio galaxies, which we refer to as galaxy scale jets (GSJ), could potentially have a significant effect upon the host galaxy's evolution. Using 6 arcsec resolution images taken from the first release of the LOFAR Two Metre Sky Survey (LoTSS DR1), we identified a representative sample of nine potential GSJ for which we obtained high-resolution, 2-4 GHz data using the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA). Using these data we aim to verify the GSJ nature of these sources as well as investigating the potential role of feedback. Our VLA images reveal a diversity of structures, confirm the hosts for four of the sources and find that a fifth is the first known example of a galaxy-scale remnant showing that some radio galaxies never grow beyond the GSJ stage. We also derive spectral ages and the first estimates of the lobe expansion speeds of GSJ. We find our GSJ have maximum spectral ages of 60 Myr with most between about 5 and 20 Myr, consistent with being located along an evolutionary path joining compact sources and larger radio galaxies. We find lobe advance speeds a few times the local sound speed, with most GSJ predicted to be driving strong shocks into their environment and having a significant impact upon the host's evolution. Our discovery of a remnant GSJ, which will eventually transfer all of its energy directly into the local environment, represents an important and previously hidden aspect of AGN life cycles., Comment: 19 pages, 12 figures, accepted by MNRAS

Coherent low-frequency ($\lesssim 200$ MHz) radio emission from stars encodes the conditions of the outer corona, mass-ejection events, and space weather. Previous low-frequency searches for radio emitting stellar systems have lacked the sensitivity to detect the general population, instead largely focusing on targeted studies of anomalously active stars. Here we present 19 detections of coherent radio emission associated with known M~dwarfs from a blind flux-limited low-frequency survey. Our detections show that coherent radio emission is ubiquitous across the M~dwarf main sequence, and that the radio luminosity is independent of known coronal and chromospheric activity indicators. While plasma emission can generate the low-frequency emission from the most chromospherically active stars of our sample, the origin of the radio emission from the most quiescent sources is yet to be ascertained. Large-scale analogues of the magnetospheric processes seen in gas-giant planets likely drive the radio emission associated with these quiescent stars. The slowest-rotating stars of this sample are candidate systems to search for star-planet interaction signatures., Comment: Accepted to Nature Astronomy; 31 pages, 9 figures, and 2 tables

Diffuse radio emission at the centre of galaxy clusters has been observed both in merging clusters on scales of Mpc, called giant radio haloes, and in relaxed systems with a cool-core on smaller scales, named mini haloes. Giant radio haloes and mini haloes are thought to be distinct classes of sources. However, recent observations have revealed the presence of diffuse radio emission on Mpc scales in clusters that do not show strong dynamical activity. RX J1720.1+2638 is a cool-core cluster, presenting both a bright central mini halo and a fainter diffuse, steep-spectrum emission extending beyond the cluster core that resembles giant radio halo emission. In this paper, we present new observations performed with the LOFAR Low Band Antennas (LBA) at 54 MHz. These observations, combined with data at higher frequencies, allow us to constrain the spectral properties of the radio emission. The large-scale emission presents an ultra-steep spectrum with $\alpha_{54}^{144}\sim3.2$. The radio emission inside and outside the cluster core have strictly different properties, as there is a net change in spectral index and they follow different radio-X-ray surface brightness correlations. We argue that the large-scale diffuse emission is generated by particles re-acceleration after a minor merger. While for the central mini halo we suggest that it could be generated by secondary electrons and positrons from hadronic interactions of relativistic nuclei with the dense cool-core gas, as an alternative to re-acceleration models., Comment: 13 pages, 10 figures; accepted for publication in MNRAS

We examine the distribution of radio emission from ~42,000 quasars from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, as measured in the LOFAR Two-Metre Sky Survey (LoTSS). We present a model of the radio luminosity distribution of the quasars that assumes that every quasar displays a superposition of two sources of radio emission: active galactic nuclei (jets) and star-formation. Our two-component model provides an excellent match to the observed radio flux density distributions across a wide range of redshifts and quasar optical luminosities; this suggests that the jet-launching mechanism operates in all quasars but with different powering efficiency. The wide distribution of jet powers allows for a smooth transition between the 'radio-quiet' and 'radio-loud' quasar regimes, without need for any explicit bimodality. The best-fit model parameters indicate that the star-formation rate of quasar host galaxies correlates strongly with quasar luminosity and also increases with redshift at least out to z~2. For a model where star-formation rate scales as $SFR \propto L_{bol}^\alpha (1+z)^\beta$, we find $\alpha = 0.47 \pm 0.01$ and $\beta = 1.61 \pm 0.05$, in agreement with far-infrared studies. Quasars contribute ~0.15 per cent of the cosmic star-formation rate density at z=0.5, rising to 0.4 per cent by z=2. The typical radio jet power is seen to increase with both increasing optical luminosity and black hole mass independently, but does not vary with redshift, suggesting intrinsic properties govern the production of the radio jets. We discuss the implications of these results for the triggering of quasar activity and the launching of jets., Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. 21 pages

Numerous examples of ram pressure stripping in galaxy clusters are present in literature; however, substantially less work has been focused on ram pressure stripping in lower mass groups. In this work we use the LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey (LoTSS) to search for jellyfish galaxies in ~500 SDSS groups (z<0.05), making this the most comprehensive search for ram pressure stripping in groups to date. We identify 60 jellyfish galaxies in groups with extended, asymmetric radio continuum tails, which are found across the entire range of group mass from $10^{12.5} < M_\mathrm{group} < 10^{14}\,h^{-1}\,\mathrm{M_\odot}$. We compare the group jellyfish galaxies identified in this work with the LoTSS jellyfish galaxies in clusters presented in Roberts et al. (2021), allowing us to compare the effects of ram pressure stripping across three decades in group/cluster mass. We find that jellyfish galaxies are most commonly found in clusters, with the frequency decreasing towards the lowest mass groups. Both the orientation of observed radio continuum tails, and the positions of group jellyfish galaxies in phase space, suggest that galaxies are stripped more slowly in groups relative to clusters. Finally, we find that the star formation rates of jellyfish galaxies in groups are consistent with `normal' star-forming group galaxies, which is in contrast to cluster jellyfish galaxies that have clearly enhanced star formation rates. On the whole, there is clear evidence for ongoing ram pressure stripping in galaxy groups (down to very low group masses), though the frequency of jellyfish galaxies and the strength of ram pressure stripping appears smaller in groups than clusters. Differences in the efficiency of ram pressure stripping in groups versus clusters likely contributes to the positive trend between quenched fraction and host halo mass observed in the local Universe., Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, 1 appendix, accepted for publication in A&A

In this paper we present a large sample of jellyfish galaxies in low redshift clusters (z<0.05), identified through 120-168 MHz radio continuum from the LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey (LoTSS). From a parent sample of 29 X-ray-detected SDSS galaxy clusters and their spectroscopic members, we visually identify 95 star-forming, LoTSS jellyfish galaxies with 144 MHz radio tails. Star formation rates (SFRs) and stellar masses are obtained for all galaxies from SED fits. For each jellyfish galaxy we determine the tail orientation with respect to the cluster centre and quantify the prominence of the radio tails with the 144 MHz shape asymmetry. After carefully accounting for redshift-dependent selection effects, we find that the frequency of jellyfish galaxies is relatively constant from cluster to cluster. LoTSS jellyfish galaxies are preferentially found at small clustercentric radius and large velocity offsets within their host clusters and have radio tails that are oriented away from the cluster centre. These galaxies also show enhanced star formation, relative to both 'normal' cluster galaxies and isolated field galaxies, but generally fall within the scatter of the L144MHz - SFR relation. The properties of the LoTSS jellyfish galaxies identified in this work are fully consistent with expectations from ram pressure stripping. This large sample of jellyfish galaxies will be valuable for further constraining ram pressure stripping and star formation quenching in nearby galaxy clusters. We show that LOFAR is a powerful instrument for identifying ram pressure stripped galaxies across extremely wide fields. Moving forward we will push the search for jellyfish galaxies beyond this initial cluster sample, including a comprehensive survey of the galaxy group regime., Comment: 15 pages plus appendix, 10 figures, accepted for publication in A&A

The low-frequency radio spectra of the hotspots within powerful radio galaxies can provide valuable information about the physical processes operating at the site of the jet termination. These processes are responsible for the dissipation of jet kinetic energy, particle acceleration, and magnetic-field generation. Here we report new observations of the powerful radio galaxy Cygnus A using the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) between 109 and 183 MHz, at an angular resolution of ~3.5 arcsec. The radio emission of the lobes is found to have a complex spectral index distribution, with a spectral steepening found towards the centre of the source. For the first time, a turnover in the radio spectrum of the two main hotspots of Cygnus A has been directly observed. By combining our LOFAR imaging with data from the Very Large Array at higher frequencies, we show that the very rapid turnover in the hotspot spectra cannot be explained by a low-energy cut-off in the electron energy distribution, as has been previously suggested. Thermal (free-free) absorption or synchrotron self absorption models are able to describe the low-frequency spectral shape of the hotspots, however, as with previous studies, we find that the implied model parameters are unlikely, and interpreting the spectra of the hotspots remains problematic., Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

We report extremely faint 144 MHz radio emission from two gravitationally lensed quasars, SDSS J1004+4112 (z = 1.730) and SDSS J2222+2745 (z = 2.803), using the LOFAR Two Metre Sky Survey (LoTSS) data release 2. After correcting for the lensing magnifications, the two objects have intrinsic flux-densities of 13+/-2 and 58+/-6 uJy, respectively, corresponding to 144 MHz rest-frame luminosities of 10^(23.2+/-0.2) and 10^(24.42+/-0.05) W / Hz, respectively. In the case of SDSS J1004+4112, the intrinsic flux density is close to the confusion limit of LoTSS, making this radio source the faintest to be detected thus far at low frequencies, and the lowest luminosity known at z > 0.65. Under the assumption that all of the radio emission is due to star-formation processes, the quasar host galaxies are predicted to have star-formation rates of 5.5^(+1.8)_(-1.4) and 73^(+34)_(-22) M / yr, respectively. Further multi-wavelength observations at higher angular resolution will be needed to determine if any of the detected radio emission is due to weak jets associated with the quasars., Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure, accepted for publication in MNRAS Letters

Radio synchrotron emission from the bridges of low-density gas connecting galaxy clusters and groups is a challenge for particle acceleration processes. In this work, we analyse the Coma radio bridge using new LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR) observations at 144 MHz. LOFAR detects the bridge and its substructures with unprecedented sensitivity and resolution. We find that the radio emission peaks on the NGC 4839 group. Towards the halo, in front of the NGC 4839 group, the radio brightness decreases and streams of radio emission connect the NGC 4839 group to the radio relic. Using X-ray observations, we find that thermal and non-thermal plasma are moderately correlated with a sub-linear scaling. We use archival radio data at 326 MHz to constrain the spectral index in the bridge, and quantify the distribution of particles and magnetic field at different frequencies. We find that the spectrum is steeper than $-1.4 \pm 0.2$, and that the emission could be clumpier at 326 MHz than at 144 MHz. Using cosmological simulations and a simplified approach to compute particle acceleration, we derive under which conditions turbulent acceleration of mildly relativistic electrons could generate the radio emission in the bridge. Assuming that the initial energy ratio of the seed electrons is $3 \cdot 10^{-4}$ with respect to the thermal gas, we are able to reproduce the observed luminosity. Our results suggest that the seed electrons released by radiogalaxies in the bridge and the turbulence generated by the motion of gas and galaxies are essential to produce the radio emission., Comment: 16 pages, 8 figures, accepted by the Astrophysical Journal

We provide the most accurate estimate yet of the bright end of the infrared (IR) luminosity functions (LFs) and the abundance of hyperluminous IR galaxies (HLIRGs) with IR luminosities > 10^13 L_solar, thanks to the combination of the high sensitivity, angular resolution, and large area of the LOFAR Deep Fields, which probes an unprecedented dynamic range of luminosity and volume. We cross-match Herschel sources and LOFAR sources in Bootes (8.63 deg^2), Lockman Hole (10.28 deg^2), and ELAIS-N1 (6.74 deg^2) with rms sensitivities of around 32, 22, and 20 mJy per beam, respectively. We divide the matched samples into unique and multiple categories. For the multiple matches, we de-blend the Herschel fluxes using the LOFAR positions and the 150-MHz flux densities as priors. We perform spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting, combined with multi-wavelength counterpart identifications and photometric redshift estimates, to derive IR luminosities. The depth of the LOFAR data allows us to identify highly complete (around 92% completeness) samples of bright Herschel sources with a simple selection based on the 250 micron flux density (45, 40, and 35 mJy in Bootes, Lockman Hole, and ELAIS-N1, respectively). Most of the bright Herschel sources fall into the unique category (i.e. a single LOFAR counterpart). For the multiple matches, there is excellent correspondence between the radio emission and the far-IR emission. We find a good agreement in the IR LFs with a previous study out to z around 6 which used de-blended Herschel data. Our sample gives the strongest and cleanest indication to date that the population of HLIRGs has surface densities of around 5 to 18 / deg^2 (with variations due to a combination of the applied flux limit and cosmic variance) and an uncertainty of a factor of 2. In comparison, the GALFORM semi-analytic model significantly under-predicts the abundance of HLIRGs., Comment: 16 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in A&A as part of the LOFAR Deep Fields Paper Splash

In recent years, the level of the extragalactic radio background has become a point of considerable interest, with some lines of argument pointing to an entirely new cosmological synchrotron background. The contribution of the known discrete source population to the sky temperature is key to this discussion. Because of the steep spectral index of the excess over the cosmic microwave background, it is best studied at low frequencies where the signal is strongest. The Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR) wide and deep sky surveys give us the best constraints yet on the contribution of discrete extragalactic sources at 144 MHz, and in particular allow us to include contributions from diffuse, low-surface-brightness emission that could not be fully accounted for in previous work. We show that, even with these new data, known sources can still only account for around a quarter of the estimated extragalactic sky temperature at LOFAR frequencies., Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures. This paper is part of the 1st data release of the LoTSS Deep Fields

Supermassive black holes at the centres of galaxies can cycle through periods of activity and quiescence. Characterising the duty cycle of active galactic nuclei is crucial for understanding the impact of the energy they release on the host galaxy. For radio AGN, this can be done by identifying dying (remnant) and restarted radio galaxies from their radio spectral properties. Using the combination of images at 1400 MHz produced by Apertif, the new phased-array feed receiver installed on the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope, and images at 150 MHz provided by LOFAR, we have derived resolved spectral index images (at a resolution of ~15 arcsec) for all the sources within ~6 deg^2 area of the Lockman Hole region. We were able to select 15 extended radio sources with emission (partly or entirely) characterised by extremely steep spectral indices (steeper than 1.2). These objects represent radio sources in the remnant or the restarted phases of their life cycle. Our findings suggest this cycle to be relatively fast. They also show a variety of properties relevant for modelling the evolution of radio galaxies. For example, the restarted activity can occur while the remnant structure from a previous phase of activity is still visible. This provides constraints on the duration of the 'off' (dying) phase. In extended remnants with ultra-steep spectra at low frequencies, the activity likely stopped a few hundred megayears ago, and they correspond to the older tail of the age distribution of radio galaxies, in agreement with simulations of radio source evolution. We find remnant radio sources with a variety of structures (from double-lobed to amorphous), suggesting different types of progenitors. The present work sets the stage for exploiting low-frequency spectral index studies of extended sources by taking advantage of the large areas common to the LOFAR and the Apertif surveys., Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A. This paper is part of the 1st data release of the LoTSS Deep Fields. 17 pages, 10 figures

The LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey (LoTSS) will cover the full northern sky and, additionally, aims to observe the LoTSS deep fields to a noise level of ~10 microJy/bm over several tens of square degrees in areas that have the most extensive ancillary data. This paper presents the ELAIS-N1 deep field, the deepest of the LoTSS deep fields to date. With an effective observing time of 163.7 hours, it reaches a root mean square (RMS) noise level below 20 microJy/bm in the central region (and below 30 microJy/bm over 10 square degrees). The resolution is 6 arcsecs and 84862 radio sources were detected in the full area (68 sq. deg.) with 74127 sources in the highest quality area at less than 3 degrees from the pointing centre. The observation reaches a sky density of more than 5000 sources per sq. deg. in the central ~5 sq. deg. region. We present the calibration procedure, which addresses the special configuration of some observations and the extended bandwidth covered (115 to 177 MHz; central frequency 146.2 MHz) compared to standard LoTSS. We also describe the methods used to calibrate the flux density scale using cross-matching with sources detected by other radio surveys in the literature. We find the flux density uncertainty related to the flux density scale to be ~6.5%. By studying the variations of the flux density measurements between different epochs, we show that relative flux density calibration is reliable out to about a 3 degree radius, but that additional flux density uncertainty is present for all sources at about the 3 per cent level; this is likely to be associated with residual calibration errors, and is shown to be more significant in datasets with poorer ionosphere conditions. We also provide intra-band spectral indices, which can be useful to detect sources with unusual spectral properties. The final uncertainty in the flux densities is estimated to be ~10% for ELAIS-N1., Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A. This paper is part of the 1st data release of the LoTSS Deep Fields. Electronic data catalogues will be made available on journal publication. 21 pages, 17 figures

The effects of feedback from high luminosity radio-loud AGN have been extensively discussed in the literature, but feedback from low-luminosity radio-loud AGN is less well understood. The advent of high sensitivity, high angular resolution, large field of view telescopes such as LOFAR is now allowing wide-area studies of such faint sources for the first time. Using the first data release of the LOFAR Two Metre Sky Survey (LoTSS) we report on our discovery of a population of 195 radio galaxies with 150 MHz luminosities between $3\times10^{22}$ and $1.5\times10^{25}\text{ W Hz}^{-1}$ and total radio emission no larger than 80 kpc. These objects, which we term galaxy-scale jets (GSJ), are small enough to be directly influencing the evolution of the host on galaxy scales. We report upon the typical host properties of our sample, finding that 9 per cent are hosted by spirals with the remainder being hosted by elliptical galaxies. Two of the spiral-hosted GSJ are highly unusual with low radio luminosities and FRII-like morphology. The host properties of our GSJ show that they are ordinary AGN observed at a stage in their life shortly after the radio emission has expanded beyond the central regions of the host. Based on our estimates, we find that about half of our GSJ have internal radio lobe energy within an order of magnitude of the ISM energy so that, even ignoring any possible shocks, GSJ are energetically capable of affecting the evolution of the host. The current sample of GSJ will grow in size with future releases of LoTSS and can also form the basis for further studies of feedback from low-luminosity radio sources., Comment: 23 pages, accepted by MNRAS

Magnetospheric processes seen in gas-giants such as aurorae and circularly-polarized cyclotron maser radio emission have been detected from some brown dwarfs. However, previous radio observations targeted known brown dwarfs discovered via their infrared emission. Here we report the discovery of BDR J1750+3809, a circularly polarized radio source detected around 144 MHz with the LOFAR telescope. Follow-up near-infrared photometry and spectroscopy show that BDR J1750+3809 is a cold methane dwarf of spectral type T$6.5\pm 1$ at a distance of $65^{+9}_{-8}\,{\rm pc}$. The quasi-quiescent radio spectral luminosity of BDR J1750+3809 is $\approx 5\times 10^{15}\,{\rm erg}\,{\rm s}^{-1}\,{\rm Hz}^{-1}$ which is over two orders of magnitude larger than that of the known population of comparable spectral type. This could be due to a preferential geometric alignment or an electrodynamic interaction with a close companion. In addition, as the emission is expected to occur close to the electron gyro-frequency, the magnetic field strength at the emitter site in BDR J1750+3809 is $B\gtrsim 25\,{\rm G}$, which is comparable to planetary-scale magnetic fields. Our discovery suggests that low-frequency radio surveys can be employed to discover sub-stellar objects that are too cold to be detected in infrared surveys., Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJL

We explore the low-frequency radio properties of the sources in the Fanaroff-Riley class 0 catalog (FR0CAT) as seen by the LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR) observations at 150 MHz. This sample includes 104 compact radio active galactic nuclei (AGN) associated with nearby (z<0.05) massive early-type galaxies. Sixty-six FR0CAT sources are in the sky regions observed by LOFAR and all of them are detected, usually showing point-like structures with sizes smaller than 3-6 kpc. However, 12 FR0s present resolved emission of low surface brightness which contributes between 5% and 40% of the total radio power at 150 MHz, usually with a jetted morphology extending between 15 and 50 kpc. No extended emission is detected around the other FR0s, with a typical luminosity limit of 5 x 10$^{22}$ W/Hz over an area of 100 kpc x 100 kpc. The spectral slopes of FR0s between 150 MHz and 1.4 GHz span a broad range (-0.7 < $\alpha$ < 0.8) with a median value of $\overline\alpha \sim 0.1$; 20% of them have a steep spectrum ($\alpha$ > 0.5), an indication of the presence of substantial extended emission confined within the spatial resolution limit. The fraction of FR0s showing evidence for the presence of jets, by including both spectral and morphological information, is at least ~40%. This study confirms that FR0s and FRIs can be interpreted as two extremes of a continuous population of jetted sources, with the FR0s representing the low end in size and radio power., Comment: Pre-proofs version - Accepted for publication in A&A

We present an overview and description of the eMERLIN Galaxy Evolution survey (eMERGE) Data Release 1 (DR1), a large program of high-resolution 1.5 GHz radio observations of the GOODS-N field comprising $\sim140$ hours of observations with eMERLIN and $\sim40$ hours with the Very Large Array (VLA). We combine the long baselines of eMERLIN (providing high angular resolution) with the relatively closely-packed antennas of the VLA (providing excellent surface brightness sensitivity) to produce a deep 1.5 GHz radio survey with the sensitivity ($\sim 1.5\mu$Jy beam$^{-1}$), angular resolution ($0.2"$--$0.7"$) and field-of-view ($\sim15' \times 15'$) to detect and spatially resolve star-forming galaxies and AGN at $z\gtrsim 1$. The goal of eMERGE is to provide new constraints on the deep, sub-arcsecond radio sky which will be surveyed by SKA1-mid. In this initial publication, we discuss our data analysis techniques, including steps taken to model in-beam source variability over a $\sim20$ year baseline and the development of new point spread function/primary beam models to seamlessly merge eMERLIN and VLA data in the $uv$ plane. We present early science results, including measurements of the luminosities and/or linear sizes of $\sim500$ galaxes selected at 1.5 GHz. In combination with deep Hubble Space Telescope observations, we measure a mean radio-to-optical size ratio of $r_{\rm eMERGE}/r_{\rm HST}\sim1.02\pm0.03$, suggesting that in most high-redshift galaxies, the $\sim$GHz continuum emission traces the stellar light seen in optical imaging. This is the first in a series of papers which will explore the $\sim$kpc-scale radio properties of star-forming galaxies and AGN in the GOODS-N field observed by eMERGE DR1., Comment: 21 pages, 12 colour figures, 3 tables -- accepted for publication in MNRAS

We present LOFAR observations at 150 MHz of the borderline FRI/FRII giant radio galaxy NGC 6251. This paper presents the most sensitive and highest-resolution images of NGC 6251 at these frequencies to date, revealing for the first time a low-surface-brightness extension to the northern lobe, and a possible backflow associated with the southern lobe. The integrated spectra of components of NGC 6251 are consistent with previous measurements at higher frequencies, similar to results from other LOFAR studies of nearby radio galaxies. We find the outer structures of NGC 6251 to be either at equipartition or slightly electron dominated, similar to those of FRII sources rather than FRIs; but this conclusion remains tentative because of uncertainties associated with the geometry and the extrapolation of X-ray measurements to determine the external pressure distribution on the scale of the outer lobes. We place lower limits on the ages of the extension of the northern lobe and the backflow of the southern lobe of $t \gtrsim 250$ Myr and $t \gtrsim 210$ Myr respectively. We present the first detection of polarisation at 150 MHz in NGC 6251. Taking advantage of the high Faraday resolution of LOFAR, we place an upper limit on the magnetic field in the group of $B < 0.2 (\Lambda_B / 10 {\rm kpc})^{-0.5} \mu$G for a coherence scale of $\Lambda_B < 60 {\rm kpc}$ and $B < 13 \mu$G for $\Lambda_B = 240$ kpc., Comment: 19 pages, 17 figures; accepted by MNRAS

(abridged) Radio recombination lines (RRLs) at frequencies $\nu$ < 250 MHz trace the cold, diffuse phase of the ISM. Next generation low frequency interferometers, such as LOFAR, MWA and the future SKA, with unprecedented sensitivity, resolution, and large fractional bandwidths, are enabling the exploration of the extragalactic RRL universe. We observed the radio quasar 3C 190 (z~1.2) with the LOFAR HBA. In reducing this data for spectroscopic analysis, we have placed special emphasis on bandpass calibration. We devised cross-correlation techniques to significantly identify the presence of RRLs in a low frequency spectrum. We demonstrate the utility of this method by applying it to existing low-frequency spectra of Cassiopeia A and M 82, and to the new observations of 3C 190. RRLs have been detected in the foreground of 3C 190 at z = 1.12355 (assuming a carbon origin), owing to the first detection of RRLs outside of the local universe (first reported in Emig et al. 2019). Towards the Galactic supernova remnant Cas A, we uncover three new detections: (1) C$\epsilon$-transitions ($\Delta$n = 5) for the first time at low radio frequencies, (2) H$\alpha$-transitions at 64 MHz with a FWHM of 3.1 km/s, the most narrow and one of the lowest frequency detections of hydrogen to date, and (3) C$\alpha$ at v$_{LSR}$ = 0 km/s in the frequency range 55-78 MHz for the first time. Additionally we recover C$\alpha$, C$\beta$, C$\gamma$, and C$\delta$ from the -47 km/s and -38 km/s components. In the nearby starburst galaxy, M 82, we do not find a significant feature. Our current searches for RRLs in LOFAR observations are limited to narrow (< 100 km/s) features, owing to the relatively small number of channels available for continuum estimation. Future strategies making use of larger contiguous frequency coverage would aid calibration to deeper sensitivities and broader features., Comment: 21 pages, 21 figures, accepted in A&A

Aims. We aim to study the far-infrared radio correlation (FIRC) at 150 MHz in the local Universe (at a median redshift z~0:05) and improve the use of the rest-frame 150-MHz luminosity, L150, as a star-formation rate (SFR) tracer, which is unaffected by dust extinction. Methods. We cross-match the 60-um selected Revised IRAS Faint Source Survey Redshift (RIFSCz) catalogue and the 150-MHz selected LOFAR value-added source catalogue in the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX) Spring Field. We estimate L150 for the cross-matched sources and compare it with the total infrared (IR) luminosity, LIR, and various SFR tracers. Results. We find a tight linear correlation between log L150 and log LIR for star-forming galaxies, with a slope of 1.37. The median qIR value (defined as the logarithm of the LIR to L150 ratio) and its rms scatter of our main sample are 2.14 and 0.34, respectively. We also find that log L150 correlates tightly with the logarithm of SFR derived from three different tracers, i.e., SFR_Halpha based on the Halpha line luminosity, SFR_60 based on the rest-frame 60-um luminosity and SFR_IR based on LIR, with a scatter of 0.3 dex. Our best-fit relations between L150 and these SFR tracers are, log L150 (Lsun) = 1.35(0.06) x log SFR_Halpha (Msun/yr) + 3.20(0.06), log L150 (Lsun) = 1.31(0.05) x log SFR_60 (Msun/yr) + 3.14(0.06), and log L150 (Lsun) = 1.37(0.05) x log SFR_IR (Msun/yr) + 3.09(0.05), which show excellent agreement with each other., Comment: 13 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in A&A

The relative positions of the high and low surface brightness regions of radio-loud active galaxies in the 3CR sample were found by Fanaroff and Riley to be correlated with their luminosity. We revisit this canonical relationship with a sample of 5805 extended radio-loud AGN from the LOFAR Two-Metre Sky Survey (LoTSS), compiling the most complete dataset of radio-galaxy morphological information obtained to date. We demonstrate that, for this sample, radio luminosity does *not* reliably predict whether a source is edge-brightened (FRII) or centre-brightened (FRI). We highlight a large population of low-luminosity FRIIs, extending three orders of magnitude below the traditional FR break, and demonstrate that their host galaxies are on average systematically fainter than those of high-luminosity FRIIs and of FRIs matched in luminosity. This result supports the jet power/environment paradigm for the FR break: low-power jets may remain undisrupted and form hotspots in lower mass hosts. We also find substantial populations that appear physically distinct from the traditional FR classes, including candidate restarting sources and ``hybrids''. We identify 459 bent-tailed sources, which we find to have a significantly higher SDSS cluster association fraction (at $z<0.4$) than the general radio-galaxy population, similar to the results of previous work. The complexity of the LoTSS faint, extended radio sources demonstrates the need for caution in the automated classification and interpretation of extended sources in modern radio surveys, but also reveals the wealth of morphological information such surveys will provide and its value for advancing our physical understanding of radio-loud AGN., Comment: 21 pages, 4 tables, 16 Figures. Accepted for publication on Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS). Our LoTSS morphological catalogue containing classifications for 5805 extended radio-loud AGN is available from www.lofar-surveys.org/releases.html

We present new 144-MHz LOFAR observations of the prototypical `X-shaped' radio galaxy NGC 326, which show that the formerly known wings of the radio lobes extend smoothly into a large-scale, complex radio structure. We argue that this structure is most likely the result of hydrodynamical effects in an ongoing group or cluster merger, for which pre-existing X-ray and optical data provide independent evidence. The large-scale radio structure is hard to explain purely in terms of jet reorientation due to the merger of binary black holes, a previously proposed explanation for the inner structure of NGC 326. For this reason, we suggest that the simplest model is one in which the merger-related hydrodynamical processes account for all the source structure, though we do not rule out the possibility that a black hole merger has occurred. Inference of the black hole-black hole merger rate from observations of X-shaped sources should be carried out with caution in the absence of deep, sensitive low-frequency observations. Some X-shaped sources may be signposts of cluster merger activity, and it would be useful to investigate the environments of these objects more generally., Comment: 7 pages, 2 colour figures. Accepted by MNRAS

LOFAR is a leading aperture synthesis telescope operated in the Netherlands with stations across Europe. The LOFAR Two-meter Sky Survey (LoTSS) will produce more than 3000 14 TB data sets, mapping the entire northern sky at low frequencies. The data produced by this survey is important for understanding the formation and evolution of galaxies, supermassive black holes and other astronomical phenomena. All of the LoTSS data needs to be processed by the LOFAR Direction Independent (DI) pipeline, prefactor. Understanding the performance of this pipeline is important when trying to optimize the throughput for large projects, such as LoTSS and other deep surveys. Making a model of its completion time will enable us to predict the time taken to process large data sets, optimize our parameter choices, help schedule other LOFAR processing services, and predict processing time for future large radio telescopes. We tested the prefactor pipeline by scaling several parameters, notably number of CPUs, data size and size of calibration sky model. We present these results as a comprehensive model which will be used to predict processing time for a wide range of processing parameters. We also discover that smaller calibration models lead to significantly faster calibration times, while the calibration results do not significantly degrade in quality. Finally, we validate the model and compare predictions with production runs from the past six months, quantifying the performance penalties incurred by processing on a shared cluster. We conclude by noting the utility of the results and model for the LoTSS Survey, LOFAR as a whole and for other telescopes., Comment: 17 pages, 24 figures

Giant radio galaxies (GRGs) are a subclass of radio galaxies which have grown to megaparsec scales. GRGs are much rarer than normal sized radio galaxies (< 0.7 Mpc) and the reason for their gigantic sizes is still debated. Here, we report the biggest sample of GRGs identified to date. These objects were found in the LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey (LoTSS) first data release images, which cover a 424 square degrees region. Of the 239 GRGs found, 225 are new discoveries. The GRGs in our sample have sizes ranging from 0.7 to 3.5 Mpc and have redshifts (z) between 0.1 and 2.3. Seven GRGs have sizes above 2 Mpc and one has a size of ~ 3.5 Mpc. The sample contains 40 GRGs hosted by spectroscopically confirmed quasars. Here, we present the search techniques employed and the resulting catalogue of the newly discovered large sample of GRGs along with their radio properties. We, here also show for the first time that the spectral index of GRGs is similar to that of normal sized radio galaxies, indicating that most of the GRG population is not dead or is not like remnant type radio galaxy. We find 20/239 GRGs in our sample are located at the centres of clusters and present our analysis on their cluster environment and radio morphology., Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics

We report optical observations of TGSS J1054+5832, a candidate high-redshift ($z=4.8\pm2$) steep-spectrum radio galaxy, in $r$ and $i$ bands using the faint object spectrograph and camera mounted on 3.6-m Devasthal Optical Telescope (DOT). The source previously detected at 150 MHz from Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope and at 1420 MHz from Very Large Array has a known counterpart in near-infrared bands with $K$-band magnitude of AB 22. The source is detected in $i$-band with AB$24.3\pm0.2$ magnitude in the DOT images presented here. The source remains undetected in the $r$-band image at a 2.5$\sigma$ depth of AB 24.4 mag over an $1.2''\times1.2''$ aperture. An upper limit to $i-K$ color is estimated to be $\sim$2.3, suggesting youthfulness of the galaxy with active star formation. These observations highlight the importance and potential of the 3.6-m DOT for detections of faint galaxies., Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures, Accepted in Jr. of Astrophysics & Astronomy (JApA)

Recombination lines involving high principal quantum numbers populate the radio spectrum in large numbers. Low-frequency (<1 GHz) observations of radio recombination lines (RRLs) primarily from carbon and hydrogen offer a new, if not unique, way to probe cold, largely atomic gas and warm, ionised gas in other galaxies. Furthermore, RRLs can be used to determine the physical state of the emitting regions, such as temperature and density. These properties make RRLs, potentially, a powerful tool of extragalactic ISM physics. At low radio frequencies, its conceivable to detect RRLs out to cosmological distances when illuminated by a strong radio continuum. However, they are extremely faint (tau ~ 1e-3 -- 1e-4) and have so far eluded detection outside of the local universe. With LOFAR observations of the radio quasar 3C 190 (z=1.1946), we aim to demonstrate that the ISM can be explored out to great distances through low-frequency RRLs. We report the detection of RRLs in the frequency range 112--163 MHz in the spectrum of 3C 190. Stacking 13 a-transitions with principal quantum numbers n=266-301, a peak 6sigma feature of optical depth, tau(peak) = (1.0 +\- 0.2) x 1e-3 and FWHM = 31.2 +/- 8.3 km/s was found at z=1.124. This corresponds to a velocity offset of -9965 km/s with respect to the systemic redshift of 3C 190. We consider three interpretations of the origin of the RRL emission: an intervening dwarf-like galaxy, an AGN-driven outflow, and the inter-galactic medium. We argue that the RRLs most likely originate in a dwarf-like galaxy (M ~ 1e9 Msun) along the line of sight, although we cannot rule out an AGN-driven outflow. We do find the RRLs to be inconsistent with an inter-galactic medium origin. With this detection, we have opened up a new way to study the physical properties of cool, diffuse gas out to cosmological distances., Comment: 5 figures, 2 tables and 9 pages. This paper is part of the LOFAR surveys data release 1 and has been accepted for publication in a special edition of A&A that will appear in Feb 2019, volume 622. The catalogues and images from the data release will be publicly available on lofar-surveys.org upon publication of the journal

We constructed a sample of 23,344 radio-loud active galactic nuclei (RLAGN) from the catalogue derived from the LOFAR Two-Metre Sky Survey (LoTSS) survey of the HETDEX Spring field. Although separating AGN from star-forming galaxies remains challenging, the combination of spectroscopic and photometric techniques we used gives us one of the largest available samples of candidate RLAGN. We used the sample, combined with recently developed analytical models, to investigate the lifetime distribution of RLAGN. We show that large or giant powerful RLAGN are probably the old tail of the general RLAGN population, but that the low-luminosity RLAGN candidates in our sample, many of which have sizes $<100$ kpc, either require a very different lifetime distribution or have different jet physics from the more powerful objects. We then used analytical models to develop a method of estimating jet kinetic powers for our candidate objects and constructed a jet kinetic luminosity function based on these estimates. These values can be compared to observational quantities, such as the integrated radiative luminosity of groups and clusters, and to the predictions from models of RLAGN feedback in galaxy formation and evolution. In particular, we show that RLAGN in the local Universe are able to supply all the energy required per comoving unit volume to counterbalance X-ray radiative losses from groups and clusters and thus prevent the hot gas from cooling. Our computation of the kinetic luminosity density of local RLAGN is in good agreement with other recent observational estimates and with models of galaxy formation., Comment: 21 pages, 11 colour figures. This paper is part of the LOFAR surveys data release 1 and has been accepted for publication in a special edition of A&A that will appear in Feb 2019, volume 622. The catalogues and images from the data release will be publicly available at https://lofar-surveys.org/ upon publication of the journal