arXiv subjects

C. Tasse

Publications and source records attributed to C. Tasse.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

arXiv2018

The LoTSS view of radio AGN in the local Universe. The most massive galaxies are always switched on

This paper presents a study of the local radio source population, by cross-comparing the data from the first data release (DR1) of the LOFAR Two-Metre Sky Survey (LoTSS) with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) DR7 main galaxy spectroscopic sample. The LoTSS DR1 provides deep data (median rms noise of 71 $\mathrmμ$Jy at 150 MHz) over 424 square degrees of sky, which is sufficient to detect 10615 (32 per cent) of the SDSS galaxies over this sky area. An improved method to separate active galactic nuclei (AGN) accurately from sources with radio emission powered by star formation (SF) is developed and applied, leading to a sample of 2121 local ($z < 0.3$) radio AGN. The local 150 MHz luminosity function is derived for radio AGN and SF galaxies separately, and the good agreement with previous studies at 1.4 GHz suggests that the separation method presented is robust. The prevalence of radio AGN activity is confirmed to show a strong dependence on both stellar and black hole masses, remarkably reaching a fraction of 100 per cent of the most massive galaxies ($> 10^{11} \mathrm{M_{\odot}}$) displaying radio-AGN activity with $L_{\rm 150 MHz} \geq 10^{21}$W Hz$^{-1}$; thus, the most massive galaxies are always switched on at some level. The results allow the full Eddington-scaled accretion rate distribution (a proxy for the duty cycle) to be probed for massive galaxies. More than 50 per cent of the energy is released during the $\le 2$ per cent of the time spent at the highest accretion rates, $L_{\mathrm{mech}}/L_{\mathrm{Edd}} > 10^{-2.5}$. Stellar mass is shown to be a more important driver of radio-AGN activity than black hole mass, suggesting a possible connection between the fuelling gas and the surrounding halo. This result is in line with models in which these radio AGN are essential for maintaining the quenched state of galaxies at the centres of hot gas haloes.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2018

Radio-loud AGN in the first LoTSS data release: The lifetimes and environmental impact of jet-driven sources

We constructed a sample of 23,344 radio-loud active galactic nuclei (RLAGN) from the catalogue derived from the LOFAR Two-Metre Sky Survey (LoTSS) survey of the HETDEX Spring field. Although separating AGN from star-forming galaxies remains challenging, the combination of spectroscopic and photometric techniques we used gives us one of the largest available samples of candidate RLAGN. We used the sample, combined with recently developed analytical models, to investigate the lifetime distribution of RLAGN. We show that large or giant powerful RLAGN are probably the old tail of the general RLAGN population, but that the low-luminosity RLAGN candidates in our sample, many of which have sizes $<100$ kpc, either require a very different lifetime distribution or have different jet physics from the more powerful objects. We then used analytical models to develop a method of estimating jet kinetic powers for our candidate objects and constructed a jet kinetic luminosity function based on these estimates. These values can be compared to observational quantities, such as the integrated radiative luminosity of groups and clusters, and to the predictions from models of RLAGN feedback in galaxy formation and evolution. In particular, we show that RLAGN in the local Universe are able to supply all the energy required per comoving unit volume to counterbalance X-ray radiative losses from groups and clusters and thus prevent the hot gas from cooling. Our computation of the kinetic luminosity density of local RLAGN is in good agreement with other recent observational estimates and with models of galaxy formation.

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arXiv2018

LOFAR observations of the XMM-LSS field

We present observations of the XMM Large-Scale Structure (XMM-LSS) field observed with the LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR) at 120-168 MHz. Centred at a J2000 declination of $-4.5^{\circ}$, this is a challenging field to observe with LOFAR because of its low elevation with respect to the array. The low elevation of this field reduces the effective collecting area of the telescope, thereby reducing sensitivity. This low elevation also causes the primary beam to be elongated in the north-south direction, which can introduce side lobes in the synthesised beam in this direction. However the XMM-LSS field is a key field to study because of the wealth of ancillary information, encompassing most of the electromagnetic spectrum. The field was observed for a total of 12 hours from three four-hour LOFAR tracks using the Dutch array. The final image presented encompasses $\sim 27$ deg$^2$, which is the region of the observations with a $>$50\% primary beam response. Once combined, the observations reach a central rms of 280 $μ$Jy beam$^{-1}$ at 144 MHz and have an angular resolution of $7.5 \times \ 8.5$". We present our catalogue of detected sources and investigate how our observations compare to previous radio observations. This includes investigating the flux scale calibration of these observations compared to previous measurements, the implied spectral indices of the sources, the observed source counts and corrections to obtain the true source counts, and finally the clustering of the observed radio sources.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2018

Blazars in the LOFAR Two-Metre Sky Survey First Data Release

Historically, the blazar population has been poorly understood at low frequencies because survey sensitivity and angular resolution limitations have made it difficult to identify megahertz counterparts. We used the LOFAR Two-Metre Sky Survey (LoTSS) first data release value-added catalogue (LDR1) to study blazars in the low-frequency regime with unprecedented sensitivity and resolution. We identified radio counterparts to all $98$ known sources from the Third \textit{Fermi}-LAT Point Source Catalogue (3FGL) or Roma-BZCAT Multi-frequency Catalogue of Blazars ($5^{\mathrm{th}}$ edition) that fall within the LDR1 footprint. Only the 3FGL unidentified $γ$-ray sources (UGS) could not be firmly associated with an LDR1 source; this was due to source confusion. We examined the redshift and radio luminosity distributions of our sample, finding flat-spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs) to be more distant and more luminous than BL Lacertae objects (BL Lacs) on average. Blazars are known to have flat spectra in the gigahertz regime but we found this to extend down to $144$ MHz, where the radio spectral index, $α$, of our sample is $-0.17 \pm 0.14$. For BL Lacs, $α= -0.13 \pm 0.16$ and for FSRQs, $α= -0.15 \pm 0.17$. We also investigated the radio-to-$γ$-ray connection for the $30$ $γ$-ray-detected sources in our sample. We find Pearson's correlation coefficient is $0.45$ ($p = 0.069$). This tentative correlation and the flatness of the spectral index suggest that the beamed core emission contributes to the low-frequency flux density. We compare our sample distribution with that of the full LDR1 on colour-colour diagrams, and we use this information to identify possible radio counterparts to two of the four UGS within the LDR1 field. We will refine our results as LoTSS continues.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2018

LoTSS/HETDEX: Disentangling star formation and AGN activity in gravitationally-lensed radio-quiet quasars

Determining the star-forming properties of radio-quiet quasars is important for understanding the co-evolution of star formation and black hole accretion. Here, we present the detection of the gravitationally-lensed radio-quiet quasars SDSS J1055+4628, SDSS J1313+5151 and SBS 1520+530 at 144 MHz that fall in the HETDEX Spring Field targeted in the LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey (LoTSS) first full data release. We compare their radio and far-infrared luminosities relative to the radio-infrared correlation and find that their radio luminosities can be explained by star formation. The implied star formation rates derived from their radio and infrared luminosities are between 20 and 300 $\rm{M_{\odot}~yr^{-1}}$. These detections represent the first study of gravitationally lensed sources with LOFAR, opening a new frequency window for investigating the star-forming properties of high-redshift quasars at radio wavelengths. We consider the implications for future data releases and estimate that many of the objects in our parent sample will be detected during LoTSS, significantly increasing the fraction of gravitationally lensed radio-quiet quasars with radio detections.

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arXiv2018

Baseline-dependent sampling and windowing for radio interferometry: data compression, field-of-interest shaping and outer field suppression

Traditional radio interferometric correlators produce regular-gridded samples of the true $uv$-distribution by averaging the signal over constant, discrete time-frequency intervals. This regular sampling and averaging then translate to be irregular-gridded samples in the $uv$-space, and results in a baseline-length-dependent loss of amplitude and phase coherence, which is dependent on the distance from the image phase centre. The effect is often referred to as "decorrelation" in the $uv$-space, which is equivalent in the source domain to "smearing". This work discusses and implements a regular-gridded sampling scheme in the $uv$-space (baseline-dependent sampling) and windowing that allow for data compression, field-of-interest shaping and source suppression. The baseline-dependent sampling requires irregular-gridded sampling in the time-frequency space i.e. the time-frequency interval becomes baseline-dependent. Analytic models and simulations are used to show that decorrelation remains constant across all the baselines when applying baseline-dependent sampling and windowing. Simulations using MeerKAT telescope and the European Very Long Baseline Interferometry Network show that both data compression, field-of-interest shaping and outer field-of-interest suppression are achieved.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2018

Remnant radio-loud AGN in the Herschel-ATLAS field

Only a small fraction of observed Active Galactic Nuclei display large-scale radio emission associated with jets, yet these radio-loud AGN have become increasingly important in models of galaxy evolution. In determining the dynamics and energetics of the radio sources over cosmic time, a key question concerns what happens when their jets switch off. The resulting `remnant' radio-loud AGN have been surprisingly evasive in past radio surveys, and therefore statistical information on the population of radio-loud AGN in their dying phase is limited. In this paper, with the recent developments of LOFAR and the VLA, we are able to provide a systematically selected sample of remnant radio-loud AGN in the Herschel-ATLAS field. Using a simple core-detection method, we constrain the upper limit on the fraction of remnants in our radio-loud AGN sample to 9 per cent, implying that the extended lobe emission fades rapidly once the core/jets turn off. We also find that our remnant sample has a wide range of spectral indices ($-1.5\leqslant α^{1400}_{150}\leqslant -0.5$), confirming that the lobes of some remnants may possess flat spectra at low frequencies just as active sources do. We suggest that, even with the unprecedented sensitivity of LOFAR, our sample may still only contain the youngest of the remnant population.

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arXiv2017

Faceting for direction-dependent spectral deconvolution

The new generation of radio interferometers is characterized by high sensitivity, wide fields of view and large fractional bandwidth. To synthesize the deepest images enabled by the high dynamic range of these instruments requires us to take into account the direction-dependent Jones matrices, while estimating the spectral properties of the sky in the imaging and deconvolution algorithms. In this paper we discuss and implement a wide-band wide-field spectral deconvolution framework (DDFacet) based on image plane faceting, that takes into account generic direction-dependent effects. Specifically, we present a wide-field co-planar faceting scheme, and discuss the various effects that need to be taken into account to solve for the deconvolution problem (image plane normalization, position-dependent PSF, etc). We discuss two wide-band spectral deconvolution algorithms based on hybrid matching pursuit and sub-space optimisation respectively. A few interesting technical features incorporated in our imager are discussed, including baseline dependent averaging, which has the effect of improving computing efficiency. The version of DDFacet presented here can account for any externally defined Jones matrices and/or beam patterns.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2017

LOFAR-Boötes: Properties of high- and low-excitation radio galaxies at $0.5 < z < 2.0$

This paper presents a study of the redshift evolution of radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGN) as a function of the properties of their galaxy hosts in the Boötes field. To achieve this we match low-frequency radio sources from deep $150$-MHz LOFAR observations to an $I$-band-selected catalogue of galaxies, for which we have derived photometric redshifts, stellar masses and rest-frame colours. We present spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting to determine the mid-infrared AGN contribution for the radio sources and use this information to classify them as High- versus Low-Excitation Radio Galaxies (HERGs and LERGs) or Star-Forming galaxies. Based on these classifications we construct luminosity functions for the separate redshift ranges going out to $z = 2$. From the matched radio-optical catalogues, we select a sub-sample of $624$ high power ($P_{150\mathrm{\,MHz}}>10^{25}$ W Hz$^{-1}$) radio sources between $0.5 \leq z < 2$. For this sample, we study the fraction of galaxies hosting HERGs and LERGs as a function of stellar mass and host galaxy colour. The fraction of HERGs increases with redshift, as does the fraction of sources in galaxies with lower stellar masses. We find that the fraction of galaxies that host LERGs is a strong function of stellar mass as it is in the local Universe. This, combined with the strong negative evolution of the LERG luminosity functions over this redshift range, is consistent with LERGs being fuelled by hot gas in quiescent galaxies.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2017

The MeerKAT International GHz Tiered Extragalactic Exploration (MIGHTEE) Survey

The MIGHTEE large survey project will survey four of the most well-studied extragalactic deep fields, totalling 20 square degrees to $μ$Jy sensitivity at Giga-Hertz frequencies, as well as an ultra-deep image of a single ~1 square degree MeerKAT pointing. The observations will provide radio continuum, spectral line and polarisation information. As such, MIGHTEE, along with the excellent multi-wavelength data already available in these deep fields, will allow a range of science to be achieved. Specifically, MIGHTEE is designed to significantly enhance our understanding of, (i) the evolution of AGN and star-formation activity over cosmic time, as a function of stellar mass and environment, free of dust obscuration; (ii) the evolution of neutral hydrogen in the Universe and how this neutral gas eventually turns into stars after moving through the molecular phase, and how efficiently this can fuel AGN activity; (iii) the properties of cosmic magnetic fields and how they evolve in clusters, filaments and galaxies. MIGHTEE will reach similar depth to the planned SKA all-sky survey, and thus will provide a pilot to the cosmology experiments that will be carried out by the SKA over a much larger survey volume.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2017

LOFAR MSSS: The Scaling Relation between AGN Cavity Power and Radio Luminosity at Low Radio Frequencies

We present a new analysis of the widely used relation between cavity power and radio luminosity in clusters of galaxies with evidence for strong AGN feedback. We study the correlation at low radio frequencies using two new surveys - the First Alternative Data Release of the TIFR GMRT Sky Survey (TGSS ADR1) at 148 MHz and LOFAR's first all-sky survey, the Multifrequency Snapshot Sky Survey (MSSS) at 140 MHz. We find a scaling relation $P_{\rm cav} \propto L_{148}^β$, with a logarithmic slope of $β= 0.51 \pm 0.14$, which is in good agreement with previous results based on data at 327 MHz. The large scatter present in this correlation confirms the conclusion reached at higher frequencies that the total radio luminosity at a single frequency is a poor predictor of the total jet power. We show that including measurements at 148 MHz alone is insufficient to reliably compute the bolometric radio luminosity and reduce the scatter in the correlation. For a subset of four well-resolved sources, we examine the detected extended structures at low frequencies and compare with the morphology known from higher frequency images and Chandra X-ray maps. In Perseus we discuss details in the structures of the radio mini-halo, while in the 2A 0335+096 cluster we observe new diffuse emission associated with multiple X-ray cavities and likely originating from past activity. For A2199 and MS 0735.6+7421, we confirm that the observed low-frequency radio lobes are confined to the extents known from higher frequencies. This new low-frequency analysis highlights the fact that existing cavity power to radio luminosity relations are based on a relatively narrow range of AGN outburst ages. We discuss how the correlation could be extended using low frequency data from the LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey (LoTSS) in combination with future, complementary deeper X-ray observations.

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arXiv2017

The LOFAR window on star-forming galaxies and AGN - curved radio SEDs and IR-radio correlation at $0 < z < 2.5$

We present a study of the low-frequency radio properties of star forming (SF) galaxies and active galactic nuclei (AGN) up to redshift $z=2.5$. The new spectral window probed by the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) allows us to reconstruct the radio continuum emission from 150 MHz to 1.4 GHz to an unprecedented depth for a radio-selected sample of $1542$ galaxies in $\sim 7~ \rm{deg}^2$ of the LOFAR Boötes field. Using the extensive multi-wavelength dataset available in Boötes and detailed modelling of the FIR to UV spectral energy distribution (SED), we are able to separate the star-formation (N=758) and the AGN (N=784) dominated populations. We study the shape of the radio SEDs and their evolution across cosmic time and find significant differences in the spectral curvature between the SF galaxy and AGN populations. While the radio spectra of SF galaxies exhibit a weak but statistically significant flattening, AGN SEDs show a clear trend to become steeper towards lower frequencies. No evolution of the spectral curvature as a function of redshift is found for SF galaxies or AGN. We investigate the redshift evolution of the infrared-radio correlation (IRC) for SF galaxies and find that the ratio of total infrared to 1.4 GHz radio luminosities decreases with increasing redshift: $ q_{\rm 1.4GHz} = (2.45 \pm 0.04) \times (1+z)^{-0.15 \pm 0.03} $. Similarly, $q_{\rm 150MHz}$ shows a redshift evolution following $ q_{\rm 150GHz} = (1.72 \pm 0.04) \times (1+z)^{-0.22 \pm 0.05}$. Calibration of the 150 MHz radio luminosity as a star formation rate tracer suggests that a single power-law extrapolation from $q_{\rm 1.4GHz}$ is not an accurate approximation at all redshifts.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2017

Investigating the Unification of LOFAR-detected powerful AGN in the Boötes Field

Low radio frequency surveys are important for testing unified models of radio-loud quasars and radio galaxies. Intrinsically similar sources that are randomly oriented on the sky will have different projected linear sizes. Measuring the projected linear sizes of these sources provides an indication of their orientation. Steep-spectrum isotropic radio emission allows for orientation-free sample selection at low radio frequencies. We use a new radio survey of the Boötes field at 150 MHz made with the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) to select a sample of radio sources. We identify 44 radio galaxies and 16 quasars with powers $P>10^{25.5}$ W Hz$^{-1}$ at 150 MHz using cross-matched multi-wavelength information from the AGN and Galaxy Evolution Survey (AGES), which provides spectroscopic redshifts. We find that LOFAR-detected radio sources with steep spectra have projected linear sizes that are on average 4.4$\pm$1.4 larger than those with flat spectra. The projected linear sizes of radio galaxies are on average 3.1$\pm$1.0 larger than those of quasars (2.0$\pm$0.3 after correcting for redshift evolution). Combining these results with three previous surveys, we find that the projected linear sizes of radio galaxies and quasars depend on redshift but not on power. The projected linear size ratio does not correlate with either parameter. The LOFAR data is consistent within the uncertainties with theoretical predictions of the correlation between the quasar fraction and linear size ratio, based on an orientation-based unification scheme.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2017

LOFAR MSSS: Discovery of a 2.56 Mpc giant radio galaxy associated with a disturbed galaxy group

We report on the discovery in the LOFAR Multifrequency Snapshot Sky Survey (MSSS) of a giant radio galaxy (GRG) with a projected size of $2.56 \pm 0.07$ Mpc projected on the sky. It is associated with the galaxy triplet UGC 9555, within which one is identified as a broad-line galaxy in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) at a redshift of $0.05453 \pm 1 \times 10^{-5} $, and with a velocity dispersion of $215.86 \pm 6.34$ km/s. From archival radio observations we see that this galaxy hosts a compact flat-spectrum radio source, and we conclude that it is the active galactic nucleus (AGN) responsible for generating the radio lobes. The radio luminosity distribution of the jets, and the broad-line classification of the host AGN, indicate this GRG is orientated well out of the plane of the sky, making its physical size one of the largest known for any GRG. Analysis of the infrared data suggests that the host is a lenticular type galaxy with a large stellar mass ($\log~\mathrm{M}/\mathrm{M}_\odot = 11.56 \pm 0.12$), and a moderate star formation rate ($1.2 \pm 0.3~\mathrm{M}_\odot/\mathrm{year}$). Spatially smoothing the SDSS images shows the system around UGC 9555 to be significantly disturbed, with a prominent extension to the south-east. Overall, the evidence suggests this host galaxy has undergone one or more recent moderate merger events and is also experiencing tidal interactions with surrounding galaxies, which have caused the star formation and provided the supply of gas to trigger and fuel the Mpc-scale radio lobes.

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arXiv2016

The LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey - I. Survey Description and Preliminary Data Release

The LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey (LoTSS) is a deep 120-168 MHz imaging survey that will eventually cover the entire Northern sky. Each of the 3170 pointings will be observed for 8 hrs, which, at most declinations, is sufficient to produce ~5arcsec resolution images with a sensitivity of ~0.1mJy/beam and accomplish the main scientific aims of the survey which are to explore the formation and evolution of massive black holes, galaxies, clusters of galaxies and large-scale structure. Due to the compact core and long baselines of LOFAR, the images provide excellent sensitivity to both highly extended and compact emission. For legacy value, the data are archived at high spectral and time resolution to facilitate subarcsecond imaging and spectral line studies. In this paper we provide an overview of the LoTSS. We outline the survey strategy, the observational status, the current calibration techniques, a preliminary data release, and the anticipated scientific impact. The preliminary images that we have released were created using a fully-automated but direction-independent calibration strategy and are significantly more sensitive than those produced by any existing large-area low-frequency survey. In excess of 44,000 sources are detected in the images that have a resolution of 25arcsec, typical noise levels of less than 0.5 mJy/beam, and cover an area of over 350 square degrees in the region of the HETDEX Spring Field (right ascension 10h45m00s to 15h30m00s and declination 45d00m00s to 57d00m00s).

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2016

The Lockman Hole project: LOFAR observations and spectral index properties of low-frequency radio sources

The Lockman Hole is a well-studied extragalactic field with extensive multi-band ancillary data covering a wide range in frequency, essential for characterising the physical and evolutionary properties of the various source populations detected in deep radio fields (mainly star-forming galaxies and AGNs). In this paper we present new 150-MHz observations carried out with the LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR), allowing us to explore a new spectral window for the faint radio source population. This 150-MHz image covers an area of 34.7 square degrees with a resolution of 18.6$\times$14.7 arcsec and reaches an rms of 160 $μ$Jy beam$^{-1}$ at the centre of the field. As expected for a low-frequency selected sample, the vast majority of sources exhibit steep spectra, with a median spectral index of $α_{150}^{1400}=-0.78\pm0.015$. The median spectral index becomes slightly flatter (increasing from $α_{150}^{1400}=-0.84$ to $α_{150}^{1400}=-0.75$) with decreasing flux density down to $S_{150} \sim$10 mJy before flattening out and remaining constant below this flux level. For a bright subset of the 150-MHz selected sample we can trace the spectral properties down to lower frequencies using 60-MHz LOFAR observations, finding tentative evidence for sources to become flatter in spectrum between 60 and 150 MHz. Using the deep, multi-frequency data available in the Lockman Hole, we identify a sample of 100 Ultra-steep spectrum (USS) sources and 13 peaked spectrum sources. We estimate that up to 21 percent of these could have $z>4$ and are candidate high-$z$ radio galaxies, but further follow-up observations are required to confirm the physical nature of these objects.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2016

Using baseline-dependent window functions for data compression and field-of-interest shaping in radio interferometry

In radio interferometry, observed visibilities are intrinsically sampled at some interval in time and frequency. Modern interferometers are capable of producing data at very high time and frequency resolution; practical limits on storage and computation costs require that some form of data compression be imposed. The traditional form of compression is a simple averaging of the visibilities over coarser time and frequency bins. This has an undesired side effect: the resulting averaged visibilities "decorrelate", and do so differently depending on the baseline length and averaging interval. This translates into a non-trivial signature in the image domain known as "smearing", which manifests itself as an attenuation in amplitude towards off-centre sources. With the increasing fields of view and/or longer baselines employed in modern and future instruments, the trade-off between data rate and smearing becomes increasingly unfavourable. In this work we investigate alternative approaches to low-loss data compression. We show that averaging of the visibility data can be treated as a form of convolution by a boxcar-like window function, and that by employing alternative baseline-dependent window functions a more optimal interferometer smearing response may be induced. In particular, we show improved amplitude response over a chosen field of interest, and better attenuation of sources outside the field of interest. The main cost of this technique is a reduction in nominal sensitivity; we investigate the smearing vs. sensitivity trade-off, and show that in certain regimes a favourable compromise can be achieved. We show the application of this technique to simulated data from the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) and the European Very-long-baseline interferometry Network (EVN).

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2016

LOFAR/H-ATLAS: A deep low-frequency survey of the Herschel-ATLAS North Galactic Pole field

We present LOFAR High-Band Array (HBA) observations of the Herschel-ATLAS North Galactic Pole survey area. The survey we have carried out, consisting of four pointings covering around 142 square degrees of sky in the frequency range 126--173 MHz, does not provide uniform noise coverage but otherwise is representative of the quality of data to be expected in the planned LOFAR wide-area surveys, and has been reduced using recently developed `facet calibration' methods at a resolution approaching the full resolution of the datasets ($\sim 10 \times 6$ arcsec) and an rms off-source noise that ranges from 100 $μ$Jy beam$^{-1}$ in the centre of the best fields to around 2 mJy beam$^{-1}$ at the furthest extent of our imaging. We describe the imaging, cataloguing and source identification processes, and present some initial science results based on a 5-$σ$ source catalogue. These include (i) an initial look at the radio/far-infrared correlation at 150 MHz, showing that many Herschel sources are not yet detected by LOFAR; (ii) number counts at 150 MHz, including, for the first time, observational constraints on the numbers of star-forming galaxies; (iii) the 150-MHz luminosity functions for active and star-forming galaxies, which agree well with determinations at higher frequencies at low redshift, and show strong redshift evolution of the star-forming population; and (iv) some discussion of the implications of our observations for studies of radio galaxy life cycles.

astro-ph.GA↗