The European Large Area ISO Survey (ELAIS): Optical Identifications of 15 micron and 1.4 GHz sources in N1 and N2

Abstract

We present the optical identification of mid-IR and radio sources detected in the European Large Area ISO Survey (ELAIS) areas N1 and N2. Using the r' band optical data from the Wide Field Survey we apply a likelihood ratio method to search for the counterparts of the 1056 and 691 sources detected at 15 micron and 1.4 GHz respectively, down to flux limits of S_{15}=0.5 mJy and S_{1.4 GHz}=0.135 mJy. We find that ~92% of the 15 micron ELAIS sources have an optical counterpart down to the magnitude limit of the optical data, r'=24. All mid-IR sources with fluxes S_{15} >= 3 mJy have an optical counterpart. The magnitude distribution of the sources shows a well defined peak at relatively bright magnitudes r'~18. About 20% of the identified sources show a point-like morphology; its magnitude distribution has a peak at fainter magnitudes than those of galaxies. The mid-IR-to-optical and radio-to-optical flux diagrams are presented and discussed in terms of actual galaxy models. Objects with mid-IR-to-optical fluxes larger than 1000 are found that can only be explained as highly obscured star forming galaxies or AGNs. Blank fields being 8% of the 15 micron sample have even larger ratios suggesting that they may be associated with higher redshift and higher obscured objects.