1. The LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey: I. Survey description and preliminary data release
- Author
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Jeremy J. Harwood, Matthias Steinmetz, W. van Driel, Leah K. Morabito, Emanuela Orru, Magdalena Kunert-Bajraszewska, D. A. Rafferty, Isabella Prandoni, A. Horneffer, Huub Röttgering, R. J. van Weeren, Adam Deller, Subhash C. Mandal, J. Sabater, G. Calistro Rivera, M. Sipior, Daniel J. Smith, Frank P. Israel, Aleksandar Shulevski, John McKean, Marijke Haverkorn, D. Engels, Krzysztof T. Chyzy, Chiara Ferrari, P. van der Werf, Philip Best, J. B. R. Oonk, A. Drabent, Elizabeth K. Mahony, Raffaella Morganti, Marisa Brienza, Timothy W. Shimwell, Michael W. Wise, Annalisa Bonafede, Martin J. Hardcastle, Rainer Beck, S. S. Sridhar, Marcus Brüggen, Neal Jackson, Dominik J. Schwarz, M. A. Garrett, Cathy Horellou, Matthias Hoeft, J. A. Zensus, Gianfranco Brunetti, N. R. Mohan, George K. Miley, Andra Stroe, John Conway, Anna D. Kapińska, E. Retana-Montenegro, D. J. McKay, A. O. Clarke, I. van Bemmel, Glenn J. White, George Heald, Volker Heesen, Heino Falcke, Matt J. Jarvis, F. de Gasperin, Huib Intema, D. N. Hoang, Cyril Tasse, R. Pizzo, Eskil Varenius, S. Fröhlich, A. P. Mechev, D. Cseh, Wendy L. Williams, Rossella Cassano, Jonathan T. L. Zwart, T. J. Dijkema, Leiden Observatory [Leiden], Universiteit Leiden, Institute for Astronomy [Edinburgh] (IfA), University of Edinburgh, Centre for Astrophysics Research, University of Hertfordshire [Hatfield] (UH), Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON), Hamburger Sternwarte/Hamburg Observatory, Universität Hamburg (UHH), Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie (MPIFR), Galaxies, Etoiles, Physique, Instrumentation (GEPI), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), Harvard University-Smithsonian Institution, Istituto di Radioastronomia [Bologna] (IRA), Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), Astronomical Observatory [Kraków], Uniwersytet Jagielloński w Krakowie = Jagiellonian University (UJ), Onsala Space Observatory (OSO), Chalmers University of Technology [Göteborg], Radboud University [Nijmegen], Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, University of Manchester [Manchester], Oxford Astrophysics, University of Oxford, Department of Physics and Astronomy [Milton Keynes], The Open University [Milton Keynes] (OU), Astronomical Institute Anton Pannekoek (AI PANNEKOEK), University of Amsterdam [Amsterdam] (UvA), Astrophysique Interprétation Modélisation (AIM (UMR7158 / UMR_E_9005 / UM_112)), Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg (TLS), Unité Scientifique de la Station de Nançay (USN), Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers en région Centre (OSUC), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université d'Orléans (UO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université d'Orléans (UO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institute for Mathematics, Astrophysics and Particle Physics (IMAPP), Joseph Louis LAGRANGE (LAGRANGE), Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (1965 - 2019) (UNS), COMUE Université Côte d'Azur (2015-2019) (COMUE UCA)-COMUE Université Côte d'Azur (2015-2019) (COMUE UCA)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, COMUE Université Côte d'Azur (2015-2019) (COMUE UCA)-Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)-Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Ruhr-Universität Bochum [Bochum], School of Physics and Astronomy [Southampton], University of Southampton, Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe (JIVE ERIC), Department of Earth and Space Sciences [Göteborg], The University of Western Australia (UWA), Torun Centre for Astronomy (TCfA), Nicolaus Copernicus University [Toruń], University of Oulu, National Centre for Radio Astrophysics [Pune] (NCRA), Tata Institute for Fundamental Research (TIFR), Universität Bielefeld, Leibniz-Institut für Astrophysik Potsdam (AIP), European Southern Observatory (ESO), University of the Western Cape (UWC), European Project: 320745,EC:FP7:ERC,ERC-2012-ADG_20120216,RADIOLIFE(2013), Astronomy, Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, Universiteit Leiden [Leiden], Harvard University [Cambridge]-Smithsonian Institution, Radboud university [Nijmegen], University of Oxford [Oxford], Astrophysique Interprétation Modélisation (AIM (UMR_7158 / UMR_E_9005 / UM_112)), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers en région Centre (OSUC), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université d'Orléans (UO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université d'Orléans (UO), Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)-Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (... - 2019) (UNS), COMUE Université Côte d'Azur (2015-2019) (COMUE UCA)-COMUE Université Côte d'Azur (2015-2019) (COMUE UCA)-Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)-COMUE Université Côte d'Azur (2015-2019) (COMUE UCA)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), University of the Western Cape, High Energy Astrophys. & Astropart. Phys (API, FNWI), PSL Research University (PSL)-PSL Research University (PSL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Smithsonian Institution-Harvard University [Cambridge], Istituto di Radioastronomia INAF, Jagiellonian University [Krakow] (UJ), Onsala Space Observatory, Istituto di Radioastronomia (IRA), Université d'Orléans (UO)-Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers en région Centre (OSUC), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université d'Orléans (UO)-Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University (PSL)-PSL Research University (PSL)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université d'Orléans (UO)-Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University (PSL)-PSL Research University (PSL)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University (PSL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (... - 2019) (UNS), Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)-Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)-Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research [Bombay] (TIFR)
- Subjects
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics (astro-ph.CO) ,010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Astronomy ,radio continuum: general ,FOS: Physical sciences ,techniques: image processing ,01 natural sciences ,Declination ,Spectral line ,RADIO RECOMBINATION LINES ,techniques image processing ,surveys ,CALIBRATOR SURVEY ,0103 physical sciences ,Calibration ,radio-continuum ,Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics (astro-ph.IM) ,010303 astronomy & astrophysics ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,Remote sensing ,media_common ,[SDU.ASTR]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph] ,image processing [techniques] ,QUASAR SURVEY ,Astronomy and Astrophysics ,HERSCHEL-ATLAS ,LOFAR ,1ST SURVEY ,Galaxy ,WIDE-FIELD ,Space and Planetary Science ,Sky ,LUMINOSITY FUNCTION ,general ,ComputingMethodologies_DOCUMENTANDTEXTPROCESSING ,general [radio continuum] ,CHANDRA OBSERVATIONS ,Astrophysics - Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics ,Right ascension ,FOLLOW-UP ,GALAXY CLUSTERS ,surveys – catalogs – radio continuum: general – techniques: image processing ,Geology ,Noise (radio) ,catalogs ,Astrophysics - Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics - Abstract
The LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey (LoTSS) is a deep 120-168 MHz imaging survey that will eventually cover the entire Northern sky. Each of the 3170 pointings will be observed for 8 hrs, which, at most declinations, is sufficient to produce ~5arcsec resolution images with a sensitivity of ~0.1mJy/beam and accomplish the main scientific aims of the survey which are to explore the formation and evolution of massive black holes, galaxies, clusters of galaxies and large-scale structure. Due to the compact core and long baselines of LOFAR, the images provide excellent sensitivity to both highly extended and compact emission. For legacy value, the data are archived at high spectral and time resolution to facilitate subarcsecond imaging and spectral line studies. In this paper we provide an overview of the LoTSS. We outline the survey strategy, the observational status, the current calibration techniques, a preliminary data release, and the anticipated scientific impact. The preliminary images that we have released were created using a fully-automated but direction-independent calibration strategy and are significantly more sensitive than those produced by any existing large-area low-frequency survey. In excess of 44,000 sources are detected in the images that have a resolution of 25arcsec, typical noise levels of less than 0.5 mJy/beam, and cover an area of over 350 square degrees in the region of the HETDEX Spring Field (right ascension 10h45m00s to 15h30m00s and declination 45d00m00s to 57d00m00s)., Comment: 23 pages, 15 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication in A&A
- Published
- 2017
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