Source analysis on radio maps from the Cambridge Low Frequency Synthesis Telescope

• Published in: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Vol. 265; no. 4; pp. 853 - 866
• Main Authors: Waldram, E. M., Riley, J. M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Oxford University Press 15-12-1993; Blackwell Science
• Subjects: Astronomy; catalogues; Catalogues, atlases, databases, retrieval systems, etc; Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental astronomy and astrophysics. Instrumentation, techniques, and astronomical observations; Mathematical procedures and computer techniques; methods: data analysis; Observation and data reduction techniques. Computer modeling and simulation; radio continuum: galaxies; surveys; techniques: interferometric; Data analysis; Radio map; Radio galaxies; Catalogs
• ISSN: 0035-8711; 1365-2966
• DOI: 10.1093/mnras/265.4.853

An earlier paper by Waldram & McGilchrist has described the use of beam-sets in the analysis of wide-field maps from the Cambridge Low Frequency Synthesis Telescope (CLFST) to produce source catalogues. There the main emphasis was on the application of the method to unresolved point sources. This paper contains more details of source analysis on the CLFST, including the treatment of extended, complex and confused sources. We consider the errors – in particular, ionosphere phase errors – which can affect the synthesized beam-shape and hence the accuracy of the source parameters. Our aim is to make the whole process of reduction of maps to source catalogues as automatic and objective as possible.