Complete samples of active extragalactic objects. II. A deep 1. 452-GHz VLA survey centered on. cap alpha. = 08/sup h/52/sup m/15/sup s/, delta = +17/sup 0/16'

Journal Article · Mon Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1982 · Astron. J.; (United States)

OSTI ID:7063972

Condon, J J; Mitchell, K J

A single primary-beam area centered on ..cap alpha.. = 08/sup h/52/sup m/15/sup s/, delta = +17/sup 0/16' (1950.0) was surveyed with the Very Large Array at 1.452 GHz. The rms map noise is 0.030 +- 0.001 mJy, and the resulting source list is complete to a map peak flux density s/sub p/ = 0.2 mJy within 25 arcmin of the field center. Source counts between 0.2 and 5 mJy were determined. Our best-fit model for the counts suggests that the faintest sources have absolute radio luminosities L<10/sup 24/ W Hz/sup -1/ and do not evolve significantly. Sources stronger than 0.2 mJy appear to account for most of the radio-source background. The rms sky-temperature fluctuation in the central 10 x 10 arcmin/sup 2/ of the map is less than 0.029 K (>99% confidence) on an angular scale phiroughly-equal19 arcsec. This limit constrains theories which attribute the cosmic microwave background to thermalized radiation from massive pregalactic stars or bursts of star formation in young galaxies.

• Research Organization: National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Edgemont Road, Charlottesville, Virginia 22901
• OSTI ID: 7063972
• Journal Information: Astron. J.; (United States), Vol. 87:11
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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