The SIRTF First-Look Survey. I. VLA Image and Source Catalog

May 2003 • 2003AJ....125.2411C

Authors • Condon, J. J. • Cotton, W. D. • Yin, Q. F. • Shupe, D. L. • Storrie-Lombardi, L. J. • Helou, G. • Soifer, B. T. • Werner, M. W.

Abstract • The First-Look Survey (FLS) of the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) will cover about 5 deg² centered on J2000.0 α=17^h18^m, δ=+59°30' in order to characterize the extragalactic infrared sky 2 orders of magnitude deeper than the IRAS survey. We expect that most of the FLS far-infrared (λ=160, 70, and 24 μm) sources will be star-forming galaxies obeying the very tight far-infrared/radio correlation and will be continuum radio sources with flux densities S>~100 μJy at ν=1.4 GHz. Conversely, radio sources stronger than 100 μJy are usually powered by star-forming galaxies, plus some active galactic nuclei, and most should be detectable by the SIRTF FLS. Thus, a sensitive radio survey can be used to select and identify most of the SIRTF FLS source population before launch. We used the B configuration of the VLA to make an image of the FLS area at ν=1.4 GHz with σ~23 μJy beam^-1 rms fluctuations, θ=5.0" resolution, and σ_α~σ_δ<~0.5" rms uncertainties in right ascension and declination. The resulting radio image and catalog of 3565 radio components with peak flux densities S_p>=5 σ=115 μJy beam^-1 have been released via the Web to expedite follow-up optical identification and spectroscopy.

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IPAC Authors
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George Helou

IPAC Executive Director

Dave Shupe

Senior Scientist