The superMIGHTEE project: MeerKAT and GMRT Together to Unveil the Deep Radio Sky

Abstract

An international team of researchers has come together to undertake an ultra-broadband exploration of the deep radio sky. The superMIGHTEE project combines data from the MIGHTEE project, using the precursor Square Kilometre Array (SKA) MeerKAT telescope in South Africa, with observations from the upgraded Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (uGMRT) in India to produce deep images at several $\mu$Jy sensitivity over a frequency range of 200 MHz--2.5 GHz, with an angular resolution of a few arcseconds. This paper describes the initial superMIGHTEE uGMRT data release, comprising total intensity continuum images covering a total of 9.9 deg$^2$ at 650 MHz and 6.9 deg$^2$ at 400 MHz in the XMM-LSS, COSMOS, and E-CDFS deep fields. The associated radio source catalogs include 27,101 sources at 650 MHz and 10,946 sources at 400 MHz. The redshift distribution of the sources extends to $z\sim4$ with a median value of $z=1$. An overview of the broadband spectra of the sources, in combination with the MeerKAT MIGHTEE 1280 MHz data, reveals a clear change in spectral properties at the transition from an active galactic nuclei-dominated population to a population dominated by star-forming galaxies at flux densities of a few mJy. At higher frequencies, the star-forming galaxy population exhibits an optically thin synchrotron spectral index indicative of energy injection from supernovae. At lower frequencies, the spectra flatten significantly with decreasing flux density, and the fraction of sources with peaked spectra increases. This is the first superMIGHTEE uGMRT data release. Subsequent releases will include spectropolarimetric and spectral line image cubes, as well as images at lower frequencies. The goal of the superMIGHTEE ultra-wideband dataset is to enhance our understanding of the evolution of active galactic nuclei and star-forming galaxies over cosmic time, (abridged).