Search

Context: Theoretical models of early accretion during the formation process of massive stars have predicted that HII regions exhibit radio variability on timescales of decades. However, large-scale searches for such temporal variations with sufficient sensitivity have not yet been carried out. Aims: We aim to identify HII regions with variable radio wavelength fluxes and to investigate the properties of the identified objects, especially those with the highest level of variability. Methods: We compared the peak flux densities of 86 ultracompact HII (UCHII) regions measured by the GLOSTAR and CORNISH surveys and identified variables that show flux variations higher than 30% over ~8 yr timespan between these surveys. Results: We found a sample of 38 variable UCHII regions, which is the largest sample identified to date. The overall occurrence of variability is 44$\pm$5%, suggesting that variation in UCHII regions is significantly more common than prediction. The variable UCHII regions are found to be younger than non-variable UCHII regions, all of them meeting the size criterion of hypercompact (HC) HII regions. We studied the 7 UCHII regions (the ``Top7'') that show the highest variability with variations > 100%. The Top7 variable UCHII regions are optically thick at 4--8 GHz and compact, suggesting they are in a very early evolutionary stage of HCHII or UCHII regions. There is a significant correlation between variability and the spectral index of the radio emission. No dependence is observed between the variations and the properties of the sources' natal clumps traced by submillimeter continuum emission from dust, although variable HII regions are found in clumps at an earlier evolutionary stage., Comment: 11pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics

Context. Sensitive radio continuum data could remove the difference between the number of known supernova remnants (SNRs) in the Galaxy compared to that expected, but due to confusion in the Galactic plane, faint SNRs can be challenging to distinguish from brighter HII regions and filamentary radio emission. Aims. We wish to exploit new SARAO MeerKAT 1.3 GHz Galactic Plane Survey (SMGPS) radio continuum data, which covers $251\deg \le l \le 358\deg$ and $2\deg \le l \le 61\deg$ at $|b|\le 1.5\deg$, to search for SNR candidates in the Milky Way disk. Methods. We also use MIR data from the Spitzer GLIMPSE, Spitzer MIPSGAL, and WISE surveys to help identify SNR candidates. The identified SNR candidate are sources of extended radio continuum emission that lack MIR counterparts, are not known as HII regions in the WISE Catalog of Galactic HII Regions, and are not known previously as SNRs Results. We locate 237 new Galactic SNR candidates in the SMGPS data. We also identify and confirm the expected radio morphology for 201 objects listed in the literature as being SNRs and 130 previously-identified SNR candidates. The known and candidate SNRs have similar spatial distributions and angular sizes. Conclusions. The SMGPS data allowed us to identify a large population of SNR candidates that can be confirmed as true SNRs using radio polarization measurements or by deriving radio spectral indices. If the 237 candidates are confirmed as true SNRs, it would approximately double the number of known Galactic SNRs in the survey area, alleviating much of the difference between the known and expected populations., Comment: Accepted by A&A. Images and FITS files of each source can be found here: https://doi.org/10.48479/0n8c-5q84

Over 700 bright millisecond-duration radio transients, known as Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs), have been identified to date. Nevertheless, the origin of FRBs remains unknown. The two repeating FRBs (FRB 20121102A and FRB 20190520B) have been verified to be associated with persistent radio sources (PRSs), making them the best candidates to study the nature of FRBs. Monitoring the variability in PRSs is essential for understanding their physical nature. We conducted 22 observations of the PRSs linked to FRB 20121102A and FRB 20190520B using the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA), to study their variability. We have observed significant flux variability for the PRSs of FRB 20121102A and FRB 20190520B, with a confidence level exceeding 99.99%, based on the observations covering the longest timescale recorded to date. The observed variability of the two PRSs exhibits no significant difference in amplitude across both short and long timescales. We found that the radio-derived star formation rates of the two FRB hosts are significantly higher than those measured by the optical $H_{\alpha}$ emissions, indicating that their host galaxies are highly obscured or most radio emissions are not from star formation processes. The observed timescale of PRS flux evolution constrained the magnetic field of FRB 20121102A with $B_\parallel\gtrsim1~{\rm mG}$ and FRB 20190520B with $B_\parallel\gtrsim0.1~{\rm mG}$., Comment: 16 pages, 7 figures, accepted by ApJ

We present the serendipitous discovery of a new radio-continuum ring-like object nicknamed Kyklos (J1802-3353), with MeerKAT UHF and L-band observations. The radio ring, which resembles the recently discovered odd radio circles (ORCs), has a diameter of 80 arcsec and is located just 6 deg from the Galactic plane. However, Kyklos exhibits an atypical thermal radio-continuum spectrum ({\alpha} = -0.1 +/- 0.3), which led us to explore different possible formation scenarios. We concluded that a circumstellar shell around an evolved massive star, possibly a Wolf-Rayet, is the most convincing explanation with the present data., Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, accepted in A&A

The GLOSTAR survey studies star formation with the VLA and the Effelsberg 100m telescope in the Galactic plane (-2d

We report on the results of an image-based search for pulsar candidates toward the Galactic bulge. We used mosaic images from the MeerKAT radio telescope, that were taken as part of a 173 deg**2 survey of the bulge and Galactic center of our Galaxy at L band (856-1712 MHz) in all four Stokes I, Q, U and V. The image root-mean-square noise levels of 12-17 uJy/ba represent a significant increase in sensitivity over past image-based pulsar searches. Our primary search criterion was circular polarization, but we used other criteria including linear polarization, in-band spectral index, compactness, variability and multi-wavelength counterparts to select pulsar candidates. We first demonstrate the efficacy of this technique by searching for polarized emission from known pulsars, and comparing our results with measurements from the literature. Our search resulted in a sample of 75 polarized pulsar candidates. Bright stars or young stellar objects were associated with 28 of these sources, including a small sample of highly polarized dwarf stars with pulsar-like steep spectra. Comparing the properties of this sample with the known pulsars, we identified 30 compelling candidates for pulsation follow-up, including two sources with both strong circular and linear polarization. The remaining 17 sources are either pulsars or stars, but we cannot rule out an extragalactic origin or image artifacts among the brighter, flat spectrum objects., Comment: 28 pages, 10 figures, 6 tables. ApJ, in press

We present new radio continuum images and a source catalogue from the MeerKAT survey in the direction of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). The observations, at a central frequency of 1.3 GHz across a bandwidth of 0.8 GHz, encompass a field of view ~7 x 7 degrees and result in images with resolution of 8 arcsec. The median broad-band Stokes I image Root Mean Squared noise value is ~11 microJy/beam. The catalogue produced from these images contains 108,330 point sources and 517 compact extended sources. We also describe a UHF (544-1088 MHz) single pointing observation. We report the detection of a new confirmed Supernova Remnant (SNR) (MCSNR J0100-7211) with an X-ray magnetar at its centre and 10 new SNR candidates. This is in addition to the detection of 21 previously confirmed SNRs and two previously noted SNR candidates. Our new SNR candidates have typical surface brightness an order of magnitude below those previously known, and on the whole they are larger. The high sensitivity of the MeerKAT survey also enabled us to detect the bright end of the SMC Planetary Nebulae (PNe) sample - point-like radio emission is associated with 38 of 102 optically known PNe, of which 19 are new detections. Lastly, we present the detection of three foreground radio stars amidst 11 circularly polarised sources, and a few examples of morphologically interesting background radio galaxies from which the radio ring galaxy ESO 029-G034 may represent a new type of radio object., Comment: 31 pages, 27 figures

We present the SARAO MeerKAT Galactic Plane Survey (SMGPS), a 1.3 GHz continuum survey of almost half of the Galactic Plane (251\deg $\le l \le$ 358\deg and 2\deg $\le l \le$ 61\deg at $|b| \le 1.5\deg $). SMGPS is the largest, most sensitive and highest angular resolution 1 GHz survey of the Plane yet carried out, with an angular resolution of 8" and a broadband RMS sensitivity of $\sim$10--20 $\mu$ Jy/beam. Here we describe the first publicly available data release from SMGPS which comprises data cubes of frequency-resolved images over 908--1656 MHz, power law fits to the images, and broadband zeroth moment integrated intensity images. A thorough assessment of the data quality and guidance for future usage of the data products are given. Finally, we discuss the tremendous potential of SMGPS by showcasing highlights of the Galactic and extragalactic science that it permits. These highlights include the discovery of a new population of non-thermal radio filaments; identification of new candidate supernova remnants, pulsar wind nebulae and planetary nebulae; improved radio/mid-IR classification of rare Luminous Blue Variables and discovery of associated extended radio nebulae; new radio stars identified by Bayesian cross-matching techniques; the realisation that many of the largest radio-quiet WISE HII region candidates are not true HII regions; and a large sample of previously undiscovered background HI galaxies in the Zone of Avoidance., Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. The data release is live and links can be found in the Data Availability Statement in the paper

We present the initial sample of redshifts for 3,839 galaxies in the MeerKAT DEEP2 field -- the deepest $\sim$1.4\,GHz radio field yet observed. Using a spectrophotometric technique combining coarse optical spectra with broadband photometry, we obtain redshifts with $\sigma_z \leq 0.01(1+z)$. The resulting radio luminosity functions between $0.2

As part of the GLOSTAR (GLObal view of STAR formation in the Milky Way) survey, we present the high-resolution continuum source catalog for the regions (l = 2-28, 36-40, 56-60, &|b|<1.0), observed with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) in its B-configuration. The continuum images are optimized to detect compact sources on angular scales up to 4", and have a typical noise level of 1sigma ~ 0.08mJy/beam for an angular resolution of 1", which makes GLOSTAR currently the highest resolution as well as the most sensitive radio survey of the northern Galactic plane at 4-8GHz. We extracted 13354 sources above a threshold of 5sigma and 5437 sources above 7sigma that represent the high-reliability catalog. We determined the in-band spectral index (alpha) for the sources in the 7sigma-threshold catalog. The mean value is alpha=-0.6, which indicates that the catalog is dominated by sources emitting non-thermal radio emission. We identified the most common source types detected in radio surveys: 251 HII region candidates (113 new), 282 planetary nebulae (PNe) candidates (127 new), 784 radio star candidates (581 new), and 4080 extragalactic radio source candidates (2175 new). A significant fraction of HII regions and PNe candidates have alpha<-0.1 indicating that these candidates could contain radio jets, winds or outflows from high-mass and low-mass stellar objects. We identified 245 variable radio sources by comparing the flux densities of compact sources from the GLOSTAR survey and the Co-Ordinated Radio `N' Infrared Survey for High-mass star formation (CORNISH), and find that most of them are infrared quiet. The catalog is typically 95% complete for point sources at a flux density of 0.6 mJy (i.e. typical 7sigma level) and the systematic positional uncertainty is <= 0.1". The GLOSTAR data and catalogs are available online at https://glostar.mpifr-bonn.mpg.de., Comment: 25pages, 21 figures, has been accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics (A&A)

The Time Domain Field (TDF) near the North Ecliptic Pole in JWST's continuous-viewing zone will become a premier "blank field" for extragalactic science. JWST/NIRCam data in a 16 arcmin$^2$ portion of the TDF identify 4.4 $\mu$m counterparts for 62 of 63 3 GHz sources with S(3 GHz) > 5 {\mu}Jy. The one unidentified radio source may be a lobe of a nearby Seyfert galaxy, or it may be an infrared-faint radio source. The bulk properties of the radio-host galaxies are consistent with those found by previous work: redshifts range from 0.14 to 4.4 with a median redshift of 1.33. The radio emission arises primarily from star formation in $\sim 2/3$ of the sample and from an active galactic nucleus in $\sim 1/3$, but just over half the sample shows evidence for an AGN either in the spectral energy distribution or by radio excess. All but three counterparts are brighter than magnitude 23 AB at 4.4 $\mu$m, and the exquisite resolution of JWST identifies correct counterparts for sources for which observations with lower angular resolution would mis-identify a nearby bright source as the counterpart when the correct one is faint and red. Up to 11% of counterparts might have been unidentified or misidentified absent NIRCam observations., Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. V2 adds an author and some acknowledgments inadvertently omitted

Cygnus X is one of the closest and most active high-mass star-forming regions in our Galaxy, making it one of the best laboratories for studying massive star formation. As part of the GLOSTAR Galactic plane survey, we performed large scale simultaneous H$_{2}$CO (1$_{1,0}$-1$_{1,1}$) spectral line and radio continuum imaging observations toward Cygnus X at $\lambda\sim$6 cm with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array and the Effelsberg-100 m radio telescope. Our Effelsberg observations reveal widespread H$_{2}$CO (1$_{1,0}$-1$_{1,1}$) absorption with a spatial extent of $\gtrsim$50 pc in Cygnus~X for the first time. On large scales of 4.4 pc, the relative orientation between local velocity gradient and magnetic field tends to be more parallel at H$_{2}$ column densities of $\gtrsim$1.8$\times 10^{22}$~cm$^{-2}$. On the smaller scale of 0.17 pc, our VLA+Effelsberg combined data reveal H$_{2}$CO absorption only toward three bright H{\scriptsize II} regions. Our observations demonstrate that H$_{2}$CO (1$_{1,0}$-1$_{1,1}$) is commonly optically thin. Kinematic analysis supports the assertion that molecular clouds generally exhibit supersonic motions on scales of 0.17-4.4 pc. We show a non-negligible contribution of the cosmic microwave background radiation in producing extended absorption features in Cygnus X. Our observations suggest that H$_{2}$CO ($1_{1,0}-1_{1,1}$) can trace molecular gas with H$_{2}$ column densities of $\gtrsim 5 \times 10^{21}$ cm$^{-2}$. The ortho-H$_{2}$CO fractional abundance with respect to H$_{2}$ has a mean value of 7.0$\times 10^{-10}$. A comparison of velocity dispersions on different linear scales suggests that the dominant $-3$ km s$^{-1}$ velocity component in the prominent DR21 region has nearly identical velocity dispersions on scales of 0.17-4.4 pc, which deviates from the expected behavior of classic turbulence., Comment: 27 pages, 23 figures, accepted for publication in A&A

We present the first high spatial resolution radio continuum survey of the southern Galactic plane. The CORNISH project has mapped the region defined by $295^{\circ} < l < 350^{\circ}$; $|b| < 1^{\circ}$ at 5.5-GHz, with a resolution of 2.5$^{''}$ (FWHM). As with the CORNISH-North survey, this is designed to primarily provide matching radio data to the Spitzer GLIMPSE survey region. The CORNISH-South survey achieved a root mean square noise level of $\sim$ 0.11 mJy beam$^{-1}$, using the 6A configuration of the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA). In this paper, we discuss the observations, data processing and measurements of the source properties. Above a 7$\sigma$ detection limit, 4701 sources were detected, and their ensemble properties show similar distributions with their northern counterparts. The catalogue is highly reliable and is complete to 90 per cent at a flux density level of 1.1 mJy. We developed a new way of measuring the integrated flux densities and angular sizes of non-Gaussian sources. The catalogue primarily provides positions, flux density measurements and angular sizes. All sources with IR counterparts at 8$\mu m$ have been visually classified, utilizing additional imaging data from optical, near-IR, mid-IR, far-IR and sub-millimetre galactic plane surveys. This has resulted in the detection of 524 H II regions of which 255 are ultra-compact H II regions, 287 planetary nebulae, 79 radio stars and 6 massive young stellar objects. The rest of the sources are likely to be extra-galactic. These data are particularly important in the characterization and population studies of compact ionized sources such as UCHII regions and PNe towards the Galactic mid-plane.

Context. While over 1000 supernova remnants (SNRs) are estimated to exist in the Milky Way, only less than 400 have been found to date. In the context of this apparent deficiency, more than 150 SNR candidates were recently identified in the D-configuration Very Large Array (VLA-D) continuum images of the 4--8 GHz global view on star formation (GLOSTAR) survey, in the Galactic longitude range $-2^\circ

As part of the GLOSTAR survey we have used the VLA in its B-configuration to observe the part of the Galactic plane between longitudes of 28d and 36d and latitudes from -1d to +1d at the C-band (4--8 GHz). To reduce the contamination of extended sources that are not well recovered by our coverage of the (u, v)-plane we discarded short baselines that are sensitive to emission on angular scales $<4"$. The resulting radio continuum images have an angular resolution of 1.0", and sensitivity of $\sim60 \mu$Jy~beam$^{-1}$; making it the most sensitive radio survey covering a large area of the Galactic plane with this angular resolution. An automatic source extraction algorithm was used in combination with visual inspection to identify a total of 3325 radio sources. A total of 1457 radio sources are $\geq7\sigma$ and comprise our highly reliable catalog; 72 of these are grouped as 22 fragmented sources, e.g., multiple components of an extended and resolved source. To explore the nature of the catalogued radio sources we searched for counterparts at millimeter and infrared wavelengths. Our classification attempts resulted in 93 HII region candidates, 104 radio stars, 64 planetary nebulae, while most of the remaining radio sources are suggested to be extragalactic sources. We investigated the spectral indices ($\alpha$, $S_\nu\propto\nu^\alpha$) of radio sources classified as HII region candidates and found that many have negative values. This may imply that these radio sources represent young stellar objects that are members of the star clusters around the high mass stars that excite the HII regions, but not these HII regions themselves. By comparing the peak flux densities from the GLOSTAR and CORNISH surveys we have identified 49 variable radio sources, most of them with an unknown nature. Additionally, we provide the list of 1866 radio sources detected within 5 to 7$\sigma$ levels., Comment: 25 pages, 15 figures, and 6 tables, Accepted for publication in the Astronomy \& Astrophysics

Studying the interplay between massive star formation and the interstellar medium (ISM) is paramount to understand the evolution of galaxies. Radio continuum (RC) emission serves as an extinction-free tracer of both massive star formation and the energetic components of the interstellar medium. We present a multi-band radio continuum survey of the local group galaxy M 33 down to ~30 pc linear resolution observed with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA). We calibrate the star-formation rate surface density and investigate the impact of diffuse emission on this calibration using a structural decomposition. Separating the thermal and nonthermal emission components, the correlation between different phases of the interstellar medium and the impact of massive star formation are also investigated. Radio sources with sizes <~ 200 pc constitute about 36% (46%) of the total RC emission at 1.5 GHz (6.3 GHz) in the inner 18' x 18' (or 4kpc x 4kpc) disk of M 33. The nonthermal spectral index becomes flatter with increasing star-formation rate surface density, indicating the escape of cosmic ray electrons {from their birth places}. The magnetic field strength also increases with star-formation rate following a bi-modal relation, indicating that the small-scale turbulent dynamo acts more efficiently at higher luminosities and star-formation rates. Although the correlations are tighter in star-forming regions, the nonthermal emission is correlated also with the more quiescent molecular gas in the ISM. An almost linear molecular star-formation law exists in M 33 when excluding diffuse structures. Massive star formation amplifies the magnetic field and increases the number of high-energy cosmic ray electrons, which can help the onset of winds and outflows., Comment: 20 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS journal

Recent MeerKAT radio continuum observations of the Galactic center at 20 cm show a large population of nonthermal radio filaments (NRFs) in the inner few hundred pc of the Galaxy. We have selected a sample of 57 radios ources, mainly compact objects, in the MeerKAT mosaic image that appear to be associated with NRFs. The selected sources are about 4 times the number of radio point sources associated with filaments than would be expected by random chance. Furthermore, an apparent correlation between bright IR stars and NRFs is inferred from their similar latitude distributions, suggesting that they both co-exist within the same region. To examine if compact radio sources are related to compact IR sources, we have used archival 2MASS, and {\em Spitzer} data to make spectral energy distribution of individual stellar sources coincident or close to radio sources. We provide a catalogue of radio and IR sources for future detailed observations to investigate a potential 3-way physical association between NRFs, compact radio and IR stellar sources. This association is suggested by models in which NRFs are cometary tails produced by the interaction of a large-scale nuclear outflow with stellar wind bubbles in the Galactic center., Comment: 63 pages, 3 Figures (multiple subfigures), MNRAS (in press)

Class II methanol (CH$_{3}$OH) masers are amongst the clearest signposts of recent high-mass star formation (HMSF). A complete catalogue outlines the distribution of star formation in the Galaxy, the number of young star-forming cores, and the physical conditions of their environment. The Global View on Star Formation (GLOSTAR) survey, which is a blind survey in the radio regime of 4$-$8 GHz, maps the Galactic mid-plane in the radio continuum, 6.7 GHz methanol line, the 4.8 GHz formaldehyde line, and several radio recombination lines. We present the analysis of the observations of the 6.7 GHz CH$_{3}$OH maser transition using data from the D-configuration of the Very Large Array (VLA). We analyse the data covering Galactic longitudes from $-2^{\circ}< l <60^{\circ}$ and Galactic latitudes of $|\textit{b}|<1^{\circ}$. We detect a total of 554 methanol masers, out of which 84 are new, and catalogue their positions, velocity components, and integrated fluxes. With a typical noise level of $\sim$18 mJy beam$^{-1}$, this is the most sensitive unbiased methanol survey for methanol masers to date. We search for dust continuum and radio continuum associations, and find that 97% of the sources are associated with dust, and 12% are associated with radio continuum emission., Comment: Accepted in A&A July 18, 2022

We carry out a population study of magnetized radio filaments in the Galactic center using MeerKAT data by focusing on the spacing between the filaments that are grouped. The morphology of a sample of 43 groupings containing 174 magnetized radio filaments are presented. Many grouped filaments show harp-like, fragmented cometary tail-like, or loop-like structures in contrast to many straight filaments running mainly perpendicular to the Galactic plane. There are many striking examples of a single filament splitting into two prongs at a junction, suggestive of a flow of plasma along the filaments. Spatial variations in spectral index, brightness, bending and sharpening along the filaments indicate that they are evolving on a 10^{5-6}-year time scale. The mean spacings between parallel filaments in a given grouping peaks at $\sim16''$. We argue by modeling that the filaments in a grouping all lie on the same plane and that the groupings are isotropically oriented in 3D space. One candidate for the origin of filamentation is interaction with an obstacle, which could be a compact radio source, before a filament splits and bends into multiple filaments. In this picture, the obstacle or sets the length scale of the separation between the filaments. Another possibility is synchrotron cooling instability occurring in cometary tails formed as a result of the interaction of cosmic-ray driven Galactic center outflow with obstacles such as stellar winds. In this picture, the mean spacing and the mean width of the filaments are expected to be a fraction of a parsec, consistent with observed spacing., Comment: 53 pages, 32 figures, MNRS (in press)

The curious Galactic features near G357.2$-$0.2 were observed with the MeerKAT radio interferometer array in the UHF and L bands (0.56--1.68 GHz). There are two possibly related features: a newly identified faint heart-shaped partial shell (the "Heart"), and a series of previously known but now much better imaged narrow, curved features (the "Worm") interior to the heart. Polarized emission suggests that much of the emission is nonthermal and is embedded in a dense plasma. The filaments of the worm appear to be magnetic structures powered by embedded knots that are sites of particle acceleration. The morphology of the worm broadly resembles some known pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe) but there is no known pulsar or PWN which could be powering this structure. We also present eROSITA observations of the field; no part of the nebula is detected in X-rays, but the current limits do not preclude the existence of a pulsar/PWN of intermediate spin-down luminosity., Comment: 14 pages, 14 figures

We present high-pass filtered continuum images of the inner $3.5^\circ\times2.5^\circ$ of the Galactic center at 20 cm with $6.4''$ resolution. These mosaic images are taken with MeerKAT and reveal a large number of narrow filaments, roughly an order of magnitude increase in their numbers compared to past measurements. For the first time, we carry out population studies of the spectral index and magnetic field of the entire region. The mean spectral indices of the filaments are steeper than supernova remnants (SNRs) (-0.62) with a value of $\alpha\sim-0.83$. The variation in $\alpha$ is much larger than for the SNRs, suggesting that these characteristics have a different origin. A large-scale cosmic-ray driven wind has recently been proposed to explain the origin of filaments and the large-scale 430 pc bipolar radio and X-ray structure. This favors the possibility that the large-scale bipolar radio/X-ray structure is produced by past activity of Sgr A* rather than coordinated burst of supernovae. A trend of steeper indices is also noted with increasing distance from the Galactic plane. This could be explained either by synchrotron cooling or weak shocks accelerating cosmic-ray particles in the context of the cosmic-ray driven wind. The mean magnetic field strengths along the filaments ranges from $\sim100$ to 400 $\mu$G depending on the assumed ratio of cosmic-ray protons to electrons. Given that there is a high cosmic ray pressure in the Galactic center, the large equipartition magnetic field implies that the magnetic field is weak in most of the interstellar volume of the Galactic center., Comment: 15 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal Letters

The inner $\sim$200 pc region of the Galaxy contains a 4 million M$_{\odot}$ supermassive black hole (SMBH), significant quantities of molecular gas, and star formation and cosmic ray energy densities that are roughly two orders of magnitude higher than the corresponding levels in the Galactic disk. At a distance of only 8.2 kpc, the region presents astronomers with a unique opportunity to study a diverse range of energetic astrophysical phenomena, from stellar objects in extreme environments, to the SMBH and star-formation driven feedback processes that are known to influence the evolution of galaxies as a whole. We present a new survey of the Galactic center conducted with the South African MeerKAT radio telescope. Radio imaging offers a view that is unaffected by the large quantities of dust that obscure the region at other wavelengths, and a scene of striking complexity is revealed. We produce total intensity and spectral index mosaics of the region from 20 pointings (144 hours on-target in total), covering 6.5 square degrees with an angular resolution of 4$"$,at a central frequency of 1.28 GHz. Many new features are revealed for the first time due to a combination of MeerKAT's high sensitivity, exceptional $u,v$-plane coverage, and geographical vantage point. We highlight some initial survey results, including new supernova remnant candidates, many new non-thermal filament complexes, and enhanced views of the Radio Arc Bubble, Sgr A and Sgr B regions. This project is a SARAO public legacy survey, and the image products are made available with this article., Comment: 29 pages, 15 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication in the The Astrophysical Journal. Replacement arXiv version with higher quality figures

During their lifetime, galaxy clusters grow through the accretion of matter from the filaments of the large scale structure and from mergers with other clusters. These mergers release a large amount of energy into the intracluster medium (ICM) through merger shocks and turbulence. These phenomena are associated with the formation of radio sources known as radio relics and radio halos, respectively. Radio relics and halos are unique proxies to study the complex properties of these dynamically active regions of clusters and in general the micro physics of the ICM. Abell 3667 is a spectacular examples of a merging system hosting a large pair of radio relics. Due to its proximity (z=0.0553) and large mass, the system enables the study of these sources to a uniquely high level of detail. We observed Abell 3667 with MeerKAT as part of the MeerKAT Galaxy Cluster Legacy Survey. We used these data to study the large scale emission of the cluster, including its polarisation and spectral properties. We present the most detailed view of the radio relic system in Abell 3667 to date, with a resolution reaching 3 kpc. The relics are filled with a network of filaments with different spectral and polarisation properties that are likely associated with multiple regions of particle acceleration and local enhancements of the magnetic field. Conversely, the magnetic field in the space between filaments has strengths close to that expected in unperturbed regions at the same cluster-centric distance. Comparisons with MHD simulations supports the idea of filaments as multiple acceleration sites. Our observations also confirm the presence of an elongated radio halo, developed in the wake of the bullet-like sub-cluster that merged from the South-East. Finally, we associate the process of magnetic draping to a thin polarised radio source surrounding the remnant of the bullet's cool core., Comment: 28 pages, 30 figures, accepted A&A

MeerKAT's large number of antennas, spanning 8 km with a densely packed 1 km core, create a powerful instrument for wide-area surveys, with high sensitivity over a wide range of angular scales. The MeerKAT Galaxy Cluster Legacy Survey (MGCLS) is a programme of long-track MeerKAT L-band (900-1670 MHz) observations of 115 galaxy clusters, observed for $\sim$6-10 hours each in full polarisation. The first legacy product data release (DR1), made available with this paper, includes the MeerKAT visibilities, basic image cubes at $\sim$8" resolution, and enhanced spectral and polarisation image cubes at $\sim$8" and 15" resolutions. Typical sensitivities for the full-resolution MGCLS image products are $\sim$3-5 {\mu}Jy/beam. The basic cubes are full-field and span 4 deg^2. The enhanced products consist of the inner 1.44 deg^2 field of view, corrected for the primary beam. The survey is fully sensitive to structures up to $\sim$10' scales and the wide bandwidth allows spectral and Faraday rotation mapping. HI mapping at 209 kHz resolution can be done at $0

We describe and demonstrate a technique for correcting direction dependent artifacts due to asymmetries in antenna patterns and differences among antennas used in radio interoferometric imaging. The technique can correct images in all Stokes parameters I, Q, U and V and is shown with simulated data to reduce the level of artifacts to near the level of those from the basic imaging technique. The demonstrations use simulations of a mixed array of 13.5 and 15 m antennas with asymmetric patterns. The flux densities and spectral indices of the sources in a high dynamic range realistic simulated sky model are well recovered. Source polarization properties are also recovered in tests using unpolarized and partly polarized sources. The additional computational run time for Stokes I correction is about 50\% in a realistic test described., Comment: 15 pages, 9 figures

The IRAS Revised Bright Galaxy Sample (RBGS) comprises galaxies and unresolved mergers stronger than $S = 5.24$ Jy at $\lambda = 60~\mu\mathrm{m}$ with galactic latitudes $\vert b \vert > 5^\circ$. Nearly all are dusty star-forming galaxies whose radio continuum and far-infrared luminosities are proportional to their current rates of star formation. We used the MeerKAT array of 64 dishes to make $5 \times 3$ min snapshot observations at $\nu = 1.28$ GHz covering all 298 southern (J2000 $\delta < 0^\circ$) RBGS sources identified with external galaxies. The resulting images have $\theta \approx 7.5$ arcsec FHWM resolution and rms fluctuations $\sigma \approx 20~\mu\mathrm{Jy~beam}^{-1} \approx 0.26$ K, low enough to reveal even faint disk emission. The rms position uncertainties are $\sigma_\alpha \approx \sigma_\delta \approx 1$ arcsec relative to accurate near-infrared positions, and the image dynamic ranges are DR $\gtrsim 10^4:1$., Comment: 30 pages, 7 figures To be published in the ApJS

The prominent radio source Hercules A features complex structures in its radio lobes. Although it is one of the most comprehensively studied sources in the radio sky, the origin of the ring structures in the Hercules A radio lobes remains an open question. We present the first sub-arcsecond angular resolution images at low frequencies (<300 MHz) of Hercules A, made with the International LOFAR Telescope. With the addition of data from the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array, we mapped the structure of the lobes from 144 MHz to 7 GHz. We explore the origin of the rings within the lobes of Hercules A, and test whether their properties are best described by a shock model, where shock waves are produced by the jet propagating in the radio lobe, or by an inner-lobe model, where the rings are formed by decelerated jetted plasma. From spectral index mapping our large frequency coverage reveals that the curvature of the different ring spectra increases with distance away from the central active galactic nucleus. We demonstrate that the spectral shape of the rings is consistent with synchrotron aging, which speaks in favor of an inner-lobe model where the rings are formed from the deposition of material from past periods of intermittent core activity., Comment: Accepted for a special issue of A&A on sub-arcsecond imaging with LOFAR

Interactions between AGB stars and a secondary in a close orbit are one possible explanation of why some AGB stars develop into aspherical planetary nebulae. This study uses millimeter observations of the continuum and SiO maser emission in several symbiotic Miras looking for evidence of an interaction between the two stars. New JVLA observations at ~45 mas resolution are analyzed, imaging continuum and SiO masers. Two of the three targets were detected and accurately registered continuum and line images were derived. No clear evidence of an interaction was found between components B and A in Mira. R Aqr has a well known jet arising from the secondary star. The jet may be disturbing the circumstellar envelop of the AGB star or possibly just nearly aligned with it., Comment: 7 pages, 7 figures

The nearby elliptical galaxy IC4296 has produced a large (510 kpc) low-luminosity radio source with typical FR I core/jet/lobe morphology. The unprecedented combination of brightness sensitivity, dynamic range, and angular resolution of a new 1.28 GHz MeerKAT continuum image reveals striking new morphological features which we call threads, ribbons, and rings. The threads are faint narrow emission features originating where helical Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities disrupt the main radio jets. The ribbons are smooth regions between the jets and the lobes, and they appear to be relics of jets powered by earlier activity that have since come into pressure equilibrium. Vortex rings in the outer portions of the lobes and their backflows indicate that the straight outer jets and ribbons are inclined by $i = 60 \pm 5^\circ$ from the line-of-sight, in agreement with photometric, geometric, and gas-dynamical estimates of inclination angles near the nucleus., Comment: 14 pages, 12 figures ApJ accepted

Surveys of the Milky Way at various wavelengths have changed our view of star formation in our Galaxy considerably in recent years. In this paper we give an overview of the GLOSTAR survey, a new survey covering large parts (145 square degrees) of the northern Galactic plane using the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (JVLA) in the frequency range 4-8 GHz and the Effelsberg 100-m telescope. This provides for the first time a radio survey covering all angular scales down to 1.5 arcsecond, similar to complementary near-IR and mid-IR galactic plane surveys. We outline the main goals of the survey and give a detailed description of the observations and the data reduction strategy. In our observations we covered the radio continuum in full polarization, as well as the 6.7 GHz methanol maser line, the 4.8~GHz formaldehyde line, and seven radio recombination lines. The observations were conducted in the most compact D configuration of the VLA and in the more extended B configuration. This yielded spatial resolutions of 18" and 1.5" for the two configurations, respectively. We also combined the D configuration images with the Effelsberg 100-m data to provide zero spacing information, and we jointly imaged the D- and B-configuration data for optimal sensitivity of the intermediate spatial ranges. Here we show selected results for the first part of the survey, covering the range of 28 deg

The Central Molecular Zone (CMZ), a $\sim$200 pc sized region around the Galactic Centre, is peculiar in that it shows a star formation rate (SFR) that is suppressed with respect to the available dense gas. To study the SFR in the CMZ, young stellar objects (YSOs) can be investigated. Here we present radio observations of 334 2.2 $\mu$m infrared sources that have been identified as YSO candidates. Our goal is to investigate the presence of centimetre wavelength radio continuum counterparts to this sample of YSO candidates which we use to constrain the current SFR in the CMZ. As part of the GLOSTAR survey, D-configuration VLA data was obtained for the Galactic Centre, covering -2$^{\circ}

We matched the 1.4 GHz local luminosity functions of star-forming galaxies (SFGs) and active galactic nuclei to the 1.4 GHz differential source counts from $0.25 \ \mu\mathrm{Jy}$ to 25 Jy using combinations of luminosity and density evolution. We present the most robust and complete local far-infrared (FIR)/radio luminosity correlation to date in a volume-limited sample of $\approx 4.3 \times 10^3$ nearby SFGs, finding that it is very tight but distinctly sub-linear: $L_\mathrm{FIR} \propto L_\mathrm{1.4\,GHz}^{0.85}$. If the local FIR/radio correlation does not evolve, the evolving 1.4 GHz luminosity function of SFGs yields the evolving star-formation rate density (SFRD) $\psi (M_\odot \ \mathrm{year}^{-1} \ \mathrm{Mpc}^{-3}$) as a function of time since the big bang. The SFRD measured at 1.4 GHz grows rapidly at early times, peaks at "cosmic noon" when $t \approx 3 \ \mathrm{Gyr}$ and $z \approx 2$, and subsequently decays with an $e$-folding time scale $\tau = 3.2 \ \mathrm{Gyr}$. This evolution is similar to, but somewhat stronger than, SFRD evolution estimated from UV and FIR data., Comment: 19 pages, 13 figures; accepted for publication in ApJ

The Frontier Fields project is an observational campaign targeting six galaxy clusters, with the intention of using the magnification provided by gravitational lensing to study galaxies that are extremely faint or distant. We used the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) at 3 and 6 GHz to observe three Frontier Fields: MACSJ0416.1$-$2403 ($z$ = 0.396), MACSJ0717.5+3745 ($z$ = 0.545), and MACSJ1149.5+2223 ($z$ = 0.543). The images reach noise levels of $\sim$1 $\mu$Jy beam$^{-1}$ with sub-arcsecond resolution ($\sim$2.5 kpc at $z$ = 3), providing a high-resolution view of high-$z$ star-forming galaxies that is unbiased by dust obscuration. We generate dual-frequency continuum images at two different resolutions per band, per cluster, and derive catalogs totalling 1966 compact radio sources. Components within the areas of Hubble Space Telescope and Subaru observations are cross-matched, providing host galaxy identifications for 1296 of them. We detect 13 moderately-lensed (2.1 $<$ $\mu$ $<$ 6.5) sources, one of which has a demagnified peak brightness of 0.9 $\mu$Jy beam$^{-1}$, making it a candidate for the faintest radio source ever detected. There are 66 radio sources exhibiting complex morphologies, and 58 of these have host galaxy identifications. We reveal that MACSJ1149.5+2223 is not a cluster with a double relic, as the western candidate relic is resolved as a double-lobed radio galaxy associated with a foreground elliptical at $z$ = 0.24. The VLA Frontier Fields project is a public legacy survey. The image and catalog products from this work are freely available., Comment: 29 pages, 13 figures, 6 tables, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal

Context. The properties of the population of Galactic supernova remnants (SNRs) are essential to our understanding of the dynamics of the interstellar medium (ISM) in the Milky Way. However, the completeness of the catalog of Galactic SNRs is expected to be only ${\sim}30\%$, with on order 700 SNRs yet to be detected. Deep interferometric radio continuum surveys of the Galactic plane help in rectifying this apparent deficiency by identifying low surface brightness SNRs and compact SNRs that have not been detected in previous surveys. However, SNRs are routinely confused with H II regions, which can have similar radio morphologies. Radio spectral index, polarization, and emission at mid-infrared (MIR) wavelengths can help distinguish between SNRs and H II regions. Aims. We aim to identify SNR candidates using continuum images from the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array GLObal view of the STAR formation in the Milky Way (GLOSTAR) survey. Methods. GLOSTAR is a C-band (4--8 GHz) radio wavelength survey of the Galactic plane covering $358^{\circ} \leq l \leq 60^{\circ}, |b| \leq 1^{\circ}$. The continuum images from this survey, which resulted from observations with the most compact configuration of the array, have an angular resolution of $18''$. We searched for SNRs in these images to identify known SNRs, previously identified SNR candidates, and new SNR candidates. We study these objects in MIR surveys and the GLOSTAR polarization data to classify their emission as thermal or nonthermal. Results. We identify 157 SNR candidates, of which 80 are new. Polarization measurements provide evidence of nonthermal emission from 9 of these candidates. We find that two previously identified candidates are filaments. We also detect emission from 91 of the 94 known SNRs in the survey region. Four of these are reclassified as H II regions following detection in MIR surveys. (Abridged), Comment: To be published in A&A. 36 pages, 22 figures in text, 80 figures in Appendix. Revision 1: grammar, position information of one object, other minor changes. Revision 2: added arXiv link to the main GLOSTAR paper

Brightness-weighted differential source counts $S^2 n(S)$ spanning the eight decades of flux density between $0.25\,\mu\mathrm{Jy}$ and 25 Jy at 1.4 GHz were measured from (1) the confusion brightness distribution in the MeerKAT DEEP2 image below $10\,\mu\mathrm{Jy}$, (2) counts of DEEP2 sources between $10\,\mu\mathrm{Jy}$ and $2.5\,\mathrm{mJy}$, and (3) counts of NVSS sources stronger than $2.5\,\mathrm{mJy}$. We present our DEEP2 catalog of $1.7 \times 10^4$ discrete sources complete above $S = 10\,\mu\mathrm{Jy}$ over $\Omega = 1.04\,\mathrm{deg}^2$. The brightness-weighted counts converge as $S^2 n(S) \propto S^{1/2}$ below $S = 10\,\mu\mathrm{Jy}$, so $>99\%$ of the $\Delta T_\mathrm{b} \sim 0.06\,\mathrm{K}$ sky brightness produced by active galactic nuclei and $\approx96\%$ of the $\Delta T_\mathrm{b} \sim 0.04\,\mathrm{K}$ added by star-forming galaxies has been resolved into sources with $S \geq 0.25\,\mu\mathrm{Jy}$. The $\Delta T_\mathrm{b} \approx 0.4\,\mathrm{K}$ excess brightness measured by ARCADE 2 cannot be produced by faint sources smaller than $\approx 50\,\mathrm{kpc}$ if they cluster like galaxies., Comment: 19 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ

The recent detection of an X-ray filament associated with the radio filament G0.173-0.42 adds to four other nonthermal radio filaments with X-ray counterparts, amongst the more than 100 elongated radio structures that have been identified as synchrotron-emitting radio filaments in the inner couple of degrees of the Galactic center. The synchrotron mechanism has also been proposed to explain the emission from X-ray filaments. However, the origin of radio filaments and the acceleration sites of energetic particles to produce synchrotron emission in radio and X-rays remain mysterious. Using MeerKAT, VLA, Chandra, WISE and Spitzer, we present structural details of G0.173-0.42 which consists of multiple radio filaments, one of which has an X-ray counterpart. A faint oblique radio filament crosses the radio and X-ray filaments. Based on the morphology, brightening of radio and X-ray intensities, and radio spectral index variation, we argue that a physical interaction is taking place between two magnetized filaments. We consider that the reconnection of the magnetic field lines at the interaction site leads to the acceleration of particles to GeV energies. We also argue against the synchrotron mechanism for the X-ray emission due to the short $\sim$30 year lifetime of TeV relativistic particles. Instead, we propose that the inverse Compton scattering mechanism is more likely to explain the X-ray emission by upscattering of seed photons emitted from a 10^6 solar luminosity star located at the northern tip of the X-ray filament., Comment: 13 pages, 7 figures, in press (MNRAS)

We study the environment of Sgr A* using spectral and continuum observations with the ALMA and VLA. Our analysis of sub-arcsecond H30alpha, H39alpha, H52alpha and H56alpha line emission towards Sgr A* confirm the recently published broad peak ~500 km/s~spectrum toward Sgr~A*. We also detect emission at more extreme radial velocities peaking near -2500 and 4000 km/s, within 0.2''. We then present broad band radio continuum images at multiple frequencies on scales from arcseconds to arcminutes. A number of elongated continuum structures lie parallel to the Galactic plane, extending from ~0.4'' to 10'. We note a nonthermal elongated structure on an arcminute scale emanating from Sgr A* at low frequencies between 1 and 1.4 GHz where thermal emission from the mini-spiral is depressed by optical depth effects. The position angle of this elongated structure and the sense of motion of ionized features with respect to Sgr A* suggest a symmetric, collimated jet emerging from Sgr A* with an opening angle of ~30deg and a position angle of ~60deg punching through the medium before accelerating a significant fraction of the orbiting ionized gas to high velocities. The jet with estimated mass flow rate ~1.4x10^{-5} solar mass/yr emerges perpendicular to the equatorial plane of the accretion flow near the event horizon of Sgr A* and runs along the Galactic plane. To explain a number of east-west features near Sgr A*, we also consider the possibility of an outflow component with a wider-angle launched from the accretion flow at larger radii., Comment: 26 pages, 14 figures, MNRAS, in press

We present MeerKAT 1.28 GHz total-intensity, polarization, and spectral-index images covering the giant (projected length $l \approx 1.57$~Mpc) X-shaped radio source PKS~2014$-$55 with an unprecedented combination of brightness sensitivity and angular resolution. They show the clear "double boomerang" morphology of hydrodynamical backflows from the straight main jets deflected by the large and oblique hot-gas halo of the host galaxy PGC~064440. The magnetic field orientation in PKS~2014$-$55 follows the flow lines from the jets through the secondary wings. The radio source is embedded in faint ($T_\mathrm{b} \approx 0.5 \mathrm{\,K}$) cocoons having the uniform brightness temperature and sharp outer edges characteristic of subsonic expansion into the ambient intra-group medium. The position angle of the much smaller ($l \sim 25$~kpc) restarted central source is within $5^\circ$ of the main jets, ruling out models that invoke jet re-orientation or two independent jets. Compression and turbulence in the backflows probably produce the irregular and low polarization bright region behind the apex of each boomerang as well as several features in the flow with bright heads and dark tails., Comment: 13 pages, 11 figures

Recent results from multi-wavelength observations of the inner few hundred pc of the Galactic center have added two new characteristics to the ISM in this unique region. One is the cosmic ray ionization rate derived from H$_3^+$ measurements is at least two orders of magnitudes higher than in the disk of the Galaxy. The other is the bipolar thermal X-ray and synchrotron emission from this region, suggesting a relic of past activity. We propose that the high cosmic ray pressure drives a large-scale wind away from the Galactic plane and produces the bipolar emission as well as highly blue-shifted diffuse gas detected in H$_3^+$ absorption studies. We then discuss the interaction of large-scale winds with a number of objects, such as cloudlets and stellar wind bubbles, to explain the unusual characteristics of the ISM in this region including the nonthermal radio filaments. One of the implications of this scenario is the removal of gas driven by outflowing winds may regulate star formation or black hole accretion., Comment: Four pages, one figure, in the proceedings of GCWS2019 -New Horizons in Galactic Center Astrophysics and Beyond

We present the confusion-limited 1.28 GHz MeerKAT DEEP2 image covering one $\approx 68'$ FWHM primary beam area with $7.6''$ FWHM resolution and $0.55 \pm 0.01$ $\mu$Jy/beam rms noise. Its J2000 center position $\alpha=04^h 13^m 26.4^s$, $\delta=-80^\circ 00' 00''$ was selected to minimize artifacts caused by bright sources. We introduce the new 64-element MeerKAT array and describe commissioning observations to measure the primary beam attenuation pattern, estimate telescope pointing errors, and pinpoint $(u,v)$ coordinate errors caused by offsets in frequency or time. We constructed a 1.4 GHz differential source count by combining a power-law count fit to the DEEP2 confusion $P(D)$ distribution from $0.25$ to $10$ $\mu$Jy with counts of individual DEEP2 sources between $10$ $\mu$Jy and $2.5$ mJy. Most sources fainter than $S \sim 100$ $\mu$Jy are distant star-forming galaxies obeying the FIR/radio correlation, and sources stronger than $0.25$ $\mu$Jy account for $\sim93\%$ of the radio background produced by star-forming galaxies. For the first time, the DEEP2 source count has reached the depth needed to reveal the majority of the star formation history of the universe. A pure luminosity evolution of the 1.4 GHz local luminosity function consistent with the Madau & Dickinson (2014) model for the evolution of star-forming galaxies based on UV and infrared data underpredicts our 1.4 GHz source count in the range $-5 \lesssim \log[S(\mathrm{Jy})] \lesssim -4$., Comment: 20 pages, 18 figures. Accepted for publication in ApJ

The Galactic Centre contains a supermassive black hole with a mass of 4 million suns within an environment that differs markedly from that of the Galactic disk. While the black hole is essentially quiescent in the broader context of active galactic nuclei, X-ray observations have provided evidence for energetic outbursts from its surroundings. Also, while the levels of star formation in the Galactic Centre have been approximately constant over the last few hundred Myr, there is evidence of elevated short-duration bursts, strongly influenced by interaction of the black hole with the enhanced gas density present within the ring-like Central Molecular Zone at Galactic longitude |l| < 0.7 degrees and latitude |b| < 0.2 degrees. The inner 200 pc region is characterized by large amounts of warm molecular gas, a high cosmic ray ionization rate, unusual gas chemistry, enhanced synchrotron emission, and a multitude of radio-emitting magnetised filaments, the origin of which has not been established. Here we report radio imaging that reveals bipolar bubbles spanning 1 degree x 3 degrees (140 parsecs x 430 parsecs), extending above and below the Galactic plane and apparently associated with the Galactic Centre. The structure is edge-brightened and bounded, with symmetry implying creation by an energetic event in the Galactic Centre. We estimate the age of the bubbles to be a few million years, with a total energy of 7 x 10^52 ergs. We postulate that the progenitor event was a major contributor to the increased cosmic-ray density in the Galactic Centre, and is in turn the principal source of the relativistic particles required to power the synchrotron emission of the radio filaments within and in the vicinity of the bubble cavities., Comment: 25 pages, 3 figures, 3 tables, authors' version of a Letter published in Nature on 11 September 2019

We made two new sensitive (rms noise sigma_n ~ 1 microJy/beam) high resolution (theta = 3.0" and theta = 0.66" FWHM) S--band (2 < nu < 4 GHz) images covering a single JVLA primary beam (FWHM ~ 14') centered on J2000 RA = 10 46, Dec = 59 01 in the Lockman Hole. These images yielded a catalog of 792 radio sources, 97.7 +/- 0.8% of which have infrared counterparts stronger than S ~ 2 microJy at lambda = 4.5 micron. About 91% of the radio sources found in our previously published, comparably sensitive low resolution (theta = 8" FWHM) image covering the same area were also detected at 0.66" resolution, so most radio sources with S_3GHz >~ 5 microJy have angular structure phi <~ 0.66". The ratios of peak brightness in the 0.66" and 3" images have a distribution indicating that most microJy radio sources are quite compact, with a median Gaussian angular diameter = 0.3" +/- 0.1" FWHM and an rms scatter sigma_phi <~ 0.3" of individual sizes. Most of our microJy radio sources obey the tight far-infrared/radio correlation, indicating that they are powered by star formation. The median effective angular radius enclosing half the light emitted by an exponential disk is ~ /2.43 ~ 0.12", so the median effective radius of star-forming galaxies at redshifts z~1 is ~ 1.0 kpc., Comment: 20 pages, 8 figures

Astronomical objects frequently exhibit structure over a wide range of scales whereas many telescopes, especially interferometer arrays, only sample a limited range of spatial scales. In order to properly image these objects, images from a set of instruments covering the range of scales may be needed. These images then must be combined in a manner to recover all spatial scales. This paper describes the feathering technique for image combination in the Fourier transform plane. Implementations in several packages are discussed and example combinations of single dish and interferometric observations of both simulated and celestial radio emission are given., Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures

We present 44 and 226 GHz observations of the Galactic center within 20$"$ of Sgr A*. Millimeter continuum emission at 226 GHz is detected from eight stars that have previously been identified at near-IR and radio wavelengths. We also detect a 5.8 mJy source at 226 GHz coincident with the magnetar SGR~J1745-29 located 2.39$"$ SE of Sgr A* and identify a new 2.5$"\times1.5"$ halo of mm emission centered on Sgr A*. The X-ray emission from this halo has been detected previously and is interpreted in terms of a radiatively inefficient accretion flow. The mm halo surrounds an EW linear feature which appears to arise from Sgr A* and coincides with the diffuse X-ray emission and a minimum in the near-IR extinction. We argue that the millimeter emission is produced by synchrotron emission from relativistic electrons in equipartition with a $\sim 1.5$mG magnetic field. The origin of these is unclear but its coexistence with hot gas supports scenarios in which the gas is produced by the interaction of winds either from the fast moving S-stars, the photo-evaporation of low-mass YSO disks or by a jet-driven outflow from Sgr A*. The spatial anti-correlation of the X-ray, radio and mm emission from the halo and the low near-IR extinction provides compelling evidence for an outflow sweeping up the interstellar material, creating a dust cavity within 2$"$ of Sgr A*. Finally, the radio and mm counterparts to eight near-IR identified stars within $\sim$10\arcs\ of Sgr A* provide accurate astrometry to determine the positional shift between the peak emission at 44 and 226 GHz., Comment: 22 pages, 9 figures, MNRAS, in press

We present radio and mm continuum observations of the Galactic center taken with the VLA and ALMA at 44 and 226 GHz, respectively. We detect radio and mm emission from IRS 3, lying ~4.5" NW of Sgr A*, with a spectrum that is consistent with the photospheric emission from an AGB star at the Galactic center. Millimeter images reveal that the envelope of IRS 3, the brightest and most extended 3.8$\mu$m Galactic center stellar source, consists of two semi-circular dust shells facing the direction of Sgr A*. The outer circumstellar shell at the distance of 1.6$\times10^4$ AU, appears to break up into "fingers" of dust directed toward Sgr A*. These features coincide with molecular CS (5-4) emission and a near-IR extinction cloud distributed between IRS 3 and Sgr A*. The NE-SW asymmetric shape of the IRS 3 shells seen at 3.8 micron and radio are interpreted as structures that are tidally distorted by Sgr A*. Using the kinematics of CS emission and the proper motion of IRS 3, the tidally distorted outflowing material from the envelope after 5000 years constrains the distance of IRS 3 to $\sim$0.7 pc in front of or $\sim$0.5 pc behind Sgr A*. This suggests that the mass loss by stars near Sgr A* can supply a reservoir of molecular material near Sgr A*. We also present dark features in radio continuum images coincident with the envelope of IRS 3. These dusty stars provide examples in which high resolution radio continuum images can identify dust enshrouded stellar sources embedded an ionized medium., Comment: 16 pages, 5 figures, ApJ (in press)

Using the VLA, we recently detected a large number of protoplanetary disk (proplyd) candidates lying within a couple of light years of the massive black hole Sgr A*. The bow-shock appearance of proplyd candidates point toward the young massive stars located near Sgr A*. Similar to Orion proplyds, the strong UV radiation from the cluster of massive stars at the Galactic center is expected to photoevaporate and photoionize the circumstellar disks around young, low mass stars, thus allowing detection of the ionized outflows from the photoionized layer surrounding cool and dense gaseous disks. To confirm this picture, ALMA observations detect millimeter emission at 226 GHz from five proplyd candidates that had been detected at 44 and 34 GHz with the VLA. We present the derived disk masses for four sources as a function of the assumed dust temperature. The mass of protoplanetary disks from cool dust emission ranges between 0.03 -- 0.05 solar mass. These estimates are consistent with the disk masses found in star forming sites in the Galaxy. These measurements show the presence of on-going star formation with the implication that gas clouds can survive near Sgr A* and the relative importance of high vs low-mass star formation in the strong tidal and radiation fields of the Galactic center., Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures, MNRAS (in press)