The e-MERGE Survey (e-MERLIN Galaxy Evolution Survey): overview and survey description
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, vol. 495, pp. 1188–1208
Abstract
ABSTRACT We present an overview and description of the e-MERGE Survey (e-MERLIN Galaxy Evolution Survey) Data Release 1 (DR1), a large program of high-resolution 1.5-GHz radio observations of the GOODS-N field comprising ∼140 h of observations with enhanced-Multi-Element Remotely Linked Interferometer Network (e-MERLIN) and ∼40 h with the Very Large Array (VLA). We combine the long baselines of e-MERLIN (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 arcsec) and field-of-view (∼15 × 15 arcmin2) to detect and spatially resolve star-forming galaxies and active galactic nucleus (AGN) at $z$ ≳ 1. The goal of e-MERGE 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 an ∼20-yr baseline and the development of new point spread function/primary beam models to seamlessly merge e-MERLIN and VLA data in the uv plane. We present early science results, including measurements of the luminosities and/or linear sizes of ∼500 galaxies selected at 1.5 GHz. In combination with deep Hubble Space Telescope observations, we measure a mean radio-to-optical size ratio of re-MERGE/rHST ∼ 1.02 ± 0.03, suggesting that in most high-redshift galaxies, the ∼GHz continuum emission traces the stellar light seen in optical imaging. This is the first in a series of papers that will explore the ∼kpc-scale radio properties of star-forming galaxies and AGN in the GOODS-N field observed by e-MERGE DR1.
Authors 40
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Affiliation as printed
Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, The University of Manchester, Manchester SK11 9DL, UK
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A. P. Thomson corresponding
University of Manchester · University of Southampton
Affiliation as printed
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southampton, University Road, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, The University of Manchester, Manchester SK11 9DL, UK
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University of Manchester · University of Pretoria
Affiliation as printed
Department of Physics, University of Pretoria, Lynnwood Road, Hatfield, Pretoria 0083, South Africa
Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, The University of Manchester, Manchester SK11 9DL, UK
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Affiliation as printed
Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, The University of Manchester, Manchester SK11 9DL, UK
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Affiliation as printed
Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, The University of Manchester, Manchester SK11 9DL, UK
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Affiliation as printed
Centre for Extragalactic Astronomy, Department of Physics, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southampton, University Road, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
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Affiliation as printed
Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, The University of Manchester, Manchester SK11 9DL, UK
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European Southern Observatory · Royal Observatory · University of Edinburgh
Affiliation as printed
European Southern Observatory, Karl-Schwarzschild-Straße 2, D-85748 Garching bei München, Germany
Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Royal Observatory, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh EH9 3HJ, UK
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University of Oxford · University of the Western Cape
Affiliation as printed
Astrophysics, University of Oxford, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, UK
Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of the Western Cape, Private Bag X17, Belville 7535, South Africa
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Istituto di Radioastronomia di Bologna · National Institute for Astrophysics
Affiliation as printed
INAF-Instituto di Radioastronomia, Via P. Gobetti 101, I-40129 Bologna, Italy
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Istituto di Radioastronomia di Bologna · National Institute for Astrophysics
Affiliation as printed
INAF-Instituto di Radioastronomia, Via P. Gobetti 101, I-40129 Bologna, Italy
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Istituto di Radioastronomia di Bologna · National Institute for Astrophysics
Affiliation as printed
INAF-Instituto di Radioastronomia, Via P. Gobetti 101, I-40129 Bologna, Italy
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Affiliation as printed
University of Central Lancashire, Jeremiah Horrocks Institute, Preston PR1 2HE, UK
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Affiliation as printed
Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 3FX, UK
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Royal Observatory · University of Edinburgh
Affiliation as printed
Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Royal Observatory, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh EH9 3HJ, UK
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Affiliation as printed
European Southern Observatory, Karl-Schwarzschild-Straße 2, D-85748 Garching bei München, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 3J5, Canada
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Affiliation as printed
Centre for Astrophysics Research, School of Physics, Astronomy & Mathematics, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield AL10 9AB, UK
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Shanghai Astronomical Observatory · University of Manchester · University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
Affiliation as printed
Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, The University of Manchester, Manchester SK11 9DL, UK
Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, 80 Nandan Road, Xuihui District, Shanghai 200030, China
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquanlu, Beijing 100049, China
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Affiliation as printed
Centre for Astrophysics Research, School of Physics, Astronomy & Mathematics, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield AL10 9AB, UK
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Leiden University · University of Manchester · Leiden Observatory
Affiliation as printed
Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, The University of Manchester, Manchester SK11 9DL, UK
Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, PO Box 9513m, NL-2300 RA Leiden, the Netherlands
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Affiliation as printed
Instituto de Física y Astronomía, Universidad de Valparaíso, Avda. Gran Bretaña 1111, Valparaíso, Chile
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Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Aix-Marseille Université · Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Marseille · École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Affiliation as printed
Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, LAM (Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Marseille) UMR 7326, F-13388 Marseille, France
Institute of Physics, Laboratory of Astrophysics, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Observatoire de Sauverny, CH-1290 Versoix, Switzerland
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Chalmers University of Technology
Affiliation as printed
Department of Space, Earth and Environment, Chalmers University of Technology Onsala Space Observatory, SE-439 92 Onsala, Sweden
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Affiliation as printed
Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, PO Box 800, NL-9700AV Groningen, the Netherlands
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Affiliation as printed
Centre for Extragalactic Astronomy, Department of Physics, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
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National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Affiliation as printed
National Radio Astronomy Observatory, 520 Edgemont Road, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
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Affiliation as printed
Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, The University of Manchester, Manchester SK11 9DL, UK
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Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
Affiliation as printed
RAL Space, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX, UK
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Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía
Affiliation as printed
Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucía (IAA, CSIC); Glorieta de la Astronomía s/n, E-18008 Granada, Spain
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Affiliation as printed
Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, The University of Manchester, Manchester SK11 9DL, UK
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Leiden University · Leiden Observatory
Affiliation as printed
Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, PO Box 9513m, NL-2300 RA Leiden, the Netherlands
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Affiliation as printed
Astronomy Centre, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QH, UK
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Physical Sciences, The Open University, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK
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International Gemini Observatory
Affiliation as printed
Gemini Observatory, Northern Operations Center, 670 North A‘ōhōku Place, Hilo, HI 96720-2700, USA
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Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica · Academia Sinica
Affiliation as printed
EACOA fellow: Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, No. 1, Section 4, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei 10617, Taiwan
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Affiliation as printed
Centre for Extragalactic Astronomy, Department of Physics, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
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University of Manchester · Chalmers University of Technology
Affiliation as printed
Department of Space, Earth and Environment, Chalmers University of Technology Onsala Space Observatory, SE-439 92 Onsala, Sweden
Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, The University of Manchester, Manchester SK11 9DL, UK
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Istituto di Radioastronomia di Bologna · National Institute for Astrophysics
Affiliation as printed
INAF-Instituto di Radioastronomia, Via P. Gobetti 101, I-40129 Bologna, Italy
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