M. Rakototafika | Searcharxiv

arXiv2026

MIGHTEE: The Host-Galaxy Associated Catalogue of the Radio Sources in MIGHTEE Continuum Data Release 1

Radio continuum surveys provide samples of active galactic nuclei (AGN) and star forming galaxies (SFGs) to high redshifts, free of biases due to dust obscuration. However, radio detected sources require multi-wavelength counterparts to understand their intrinsic properties (e.g. redshift, stellar mass) and to study the evolution of star formation and AGN activity. In this work we present host galaxy counterparts for the MeerKAT International GHz Tiered Extragalactic Exploration (MIGHTEE) survey continuum Data Release 1 in regions with the best ancillary data (totalling 7.5 sq. deg). We combine statistical cross-matching and visual inspection to identify Ks-band selected host galaxies, and additionally combine multiple radio components into single physical objects, where needed. This results in a combined radio catalogue of ~66 000 sources, with host counterparts and redshifts identified for ~95 per cent of sources in the COSMOS field, ~91 per cent in XMM-LSS and ~90 per cent in CDFS-DEEP. This includes a significant fraction of sources with spectroscopic redshifts within the COSMOS field (~50 per cent), with ~30 and ~20 per cent in the XMM-LSS and CDFS-DEEP fields respectively. Using the cross-matched catalogue, we make an initial identification of radio-excess and star forming galaxies based on comparisons of the radio luminosities to host star formation rates. Using this split as a proxy for radio loud AGN or SFGs, we present expectations for the redshift distributions of these sources, finding broad agreement with those from deep radio luminosity functions and simulated catalogues.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2026

Massive star clusters and clumps in the collisional ring galaxy Arp 147

We conduct a photometric study of star clusters (or knots) in the collisional ring galaxy (CRG) Arp 147 to trace the star formation history across its empty ring. Using HST F450W, F606W and F814W images, we find that Arp 147 hosts 211 knots and six kpc-size clumps, nearly 60 per cent of which have ages below 10 Myr, and two thirds have masses above $\rm 10^{5}\,M_{\odot}$. The cluster mass function (CMF) of knots with ages between $10 - 200$ Myr deviates from a power-law and follows a Schechter function with a characteristic truncation mass of ${\rm M}_{c} = 6.2 \times 10^{5} \, {\rm M}_{\odot}$. This shape of the CMF is more prominent for a subsample of knots in the eastern region of the ring. Over the same age interval, we derive a low rate of disruption ($δ\sim 0.25$) from the cluster age function and a cluster formation efficiency (CFE) of $\sim$ 3 per cent. In contrast, the CFE in the $1 - 10$ Myr age range is nearly 40 per cent. We note the lack of high-resolution UV and H$α$ observations to help break age-extinction degeneracy which affects the derived ages for dusty young clusters and old ones with low reddening. Nevertheless, this study has shown, at least to a first-order approximation, that collision-triggered starburst events happening across the CRG offer an ideal environment for a second generation of young blue knots to form in abundance. It also suggests that the drop-through collision between the two galaxies can fuel at least mild cluster disruption over time.

astro-ph.GA↗