{
  "id": "astro-ph/0309814",
  "version": "v3",
  "published": "2003-09-30T09:04:38.000Z",
  "updated": "2003-10-10T13:57:28.000Z",
  "title": "A search for distant radio galaxies from SUMSS and NVSS: I. Sample definition, radio and K-band imaging",
  "authors": [
    "Carlos De Breuck",
    "Dick Hunstead",
    "Elaine Sadler",
    "Brigitte Rocca-Volmerange",
    "Ilana Klamer"
  ],
  "comment": "17 Pages, including 76 PostScript figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS. No changes to the text. Version with all figures available from http://www.eso.org/~cdebreuc/papers.html (updated web page adress)",
  "journal": "Mon.Not.Roy.Astron.Soc.347:837,2004",
  "doi": "10.1111/j.1365-2966.2004.07270.x",
  "categories": [
    "astro-ph"
  ],
  "abstract": "We present the first results from a pilot study to search for distant radio galaxies in the southern hemisphere (delta < -32). Within a 360 deg^2 region of sky, we define a sample of 76 ultra-steep spectrum (USS) radio sources from the 843 MHz Sydney University Molonglo Sky Survey (SUMSS) and 1.4 GHz NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS) radio surveys with alpha_843^1400 < -1.3 and S_1400 > 15 mJy. We observed 71 sources without bright optical or near-infrared counterparts at 1.385 GHz with the ATCA, providing ~5\" resolution images and sub-arcsec positional accuracy. To identify their host galaxies, we obtained near-IR K-band images with IRIS2 at the AAT and SofI at the NTT. We identify 92% of the USS sources down to K~20.5. The SUMSS-NVSS USS sources have a surface density more than 4 times higher than USS sources selected at lower frequencies. This is due to the higher effective selection frequency, and the well-matched resolutions of both surveys constructed using the same source fitting algorithm. The scattering of alpha >-1.3 sources into the USS sample due to spectral index uncertainties can account for only 35% of the observed USS sources. Since our sample appears to contain a similar fraction of very distant (z>3) galaxies, selecting USS sources from SUMSS-NVSS should allow us to identify large numbers of massive galaxies at high redshift.",
  "revisions": [
    {
      "version": "v3",
      "updated": "2003-10-10T13:57:28.000Z"
    }
  ],
  "analyses": {
    "keywords": [
      "distant radio galaxies",
      "sample definition",
      "k-band imaging",
      "sub-arcsec positional accuracy",
      "near-ir k-band images"
    ],
    "tags": [
      "journal article"
    ],
    "publication": {
      "publisher": "Wiley-Blackwell",
      "journal": "J. Finance"
    },
    "note": {
      "typesetting": "TeX",
      "pages": 17,
      "language": "en",
      "license": "arXiv",
      "status": "editable",
      "inspire": 629412
    }
  }
}