The e-MERGE Survey (e-MERLIN Galaxy Evolution Survey): overview and survey description
Date Issued
2020
Author(s)
Muxlow, T. W. B.
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Thomson, A. P.
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Radcliffe, J. F.
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Wrigley, N. H.
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Beswick, R. J.
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Smail, Ian
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McHardy, I. M.
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Garrington, S. T.
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Ivison, R. J.
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Jarvis, M. J.
•
•
•
•
Argo, M. K.
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Bacon, David
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Best, P. N.
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Biggs, A. D.
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Chapman, S. C.
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Coppin, K.
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Chen, H.
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Garratt, T. K.
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Garrett, M. A.
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Ibar, E.
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Kneib, Jean-Paul
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Knudsen, Kirsten K.
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Koopmans, L. V. E.
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Morabito, L. K.
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Murphy, E. J.
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Njeri, A.
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Pearson, Chris
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Pérez-Torres, M. A.
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Richards, A. M. S.
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Röttgering, H. J. A.
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Sargent, M. T.
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Serjeant, Stephen
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Simpson, C.
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Simpson, J. M.
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Swinbank, A. M.
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Varenius, E.
•
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.
Volume
495
Issue
1
Start page
1188
Issn Identifier
0035-8711
Ads BibCode
2020MNRAS.495.1188M
Rights
open.access
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