Transformer-Based Source Detection and Morphological Classification in LOFAR Deep-Field Continuum Images

Abstract

Radio source detection and morphological classification are fundamental for exploiting the scientific potential of modern radio continuum surveys. However, the rapidly increasing data volumes and the wide diversity of radio morphologies make traditional visual inspection infeasible and pose significant challenges for automated source finding. We apply a transformer-based set-prediction detector (RF-DETR) to 150\,MHz continuum images from the LOFAR Deep Fields for instance-level source detection and morphological classification. The method is adapted to multi-frequency-synthesis images of interferometric data and trained with a morphology-driven scheme using five mutually exclusive classes. The model is trained on the ELAIS-N1 Deep Field, where it achieves high detection and classification performance ($\mathrm{F1}\simeq 91$ per cent), and is then applied without retraining to the other three LOFAR Deep Fields. Across all four fields, the model yields consistent catalogues with modest field-to-field differences arising from survey depth and calibration. Compared with widely used PyBDSF catalogues, RF-DETR recovers the majority of PyBDSF sources while representing classical multi-component radio galaxies as single source-level detections rather than fragmented Gaussian components. Artefact-affected and spurious detections are identified as explicit classes, allowing these detections to be distinguished from general astrophysical sources in the resulting catalogues. As external validation, RF-DETR recovers the majority of visually identified extended and giant radio galaxies in the LOFAR Deep Fields and assigns them predominantly to extended morphological classes. These results indicate that transformer-based detectors provide a practical, scalable, morphology-aware approach to source finding in deep radio surveys, with clear relevance for forthcoming facilities such as SKA-Low.