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A radio telescope for the calibration of radio sources at 32 gigahertz

A 1.5-m-diameter radio telescope has been designed, developed, and assembled to directly measure the flux density of radio sources in the 32-GHz (Ka-band) frequency band. The main goal of the design and development was to provide a system that could yield the greatest absolute accuracy yet possible with such a system. The accuracy of the measurements have a heritage that is traceable to the National Institute of Standards and Technology. At the present time, the absolute accuracy of flux density measurements provided by this telescope system, during Venus observations at nearly closest approach to Earth, is plus or minus 5 percent, with an associated precision of plus or minus 2 percent. Combining a cooled high-electron mobility transistor low-noise amplifier, twin-beam Dicke switching antenna, and accurate positioning system resulted in a state-of-the-art system at 32 GHz. This article describes the design and performance of the system as it was delivered to the Owens Valley Radio Observatory to support direct calibrations of the strongest radio sources at Ka-band.

Gatti, M. S.

Radio Sources Associated with Intermediate X-ray Luminosity Objects in Merging Galaxy Systems

We present new, high-resolution 6, 3.6, and 2 cm radio images of a time-ordered sequence of merging galaxy systems. The new data have a resolution of less than 100pc and a sensitivity comparable to a few x Cas A. We detect compact radio sources in all systems, generally embedded in more diffuse radio emission at the longer wavelengths. Several of the compact radio sources are coincident with compact Intermediate-luminosity X-ray Objects (IXOs) in these systems, and many more are within the 3$/sigma$ Chandra position errors for other IXOs. The fraction of radio identifications and the nature of the radio sources changes as a function of merger stage. These data suggest that the IXOs are associated with complexes of supernova remnants, and therefore with star formation that has occurred within the last $/sim$10$circumflex7$ yr, but are not located in HII regions where copious star formation is occurring currently.

Neff, S. G.

The Second LBA Calibrator Survey of Southern Compact Extragalactic Radio Sources – LCS2

We present the second catalogue of accurate positions and correlated flux densities for 1100 compact extragalactic radio sources that were not observed before 2008 at high angular resolution. The catalogue spans the declination range [-90◦, -30◦] and was constructed from 19 24-h VLBI observing sessions with the Australian Long Baseline Array at 8.3 GHz. The catalogue presents the final part of the program that was started in 2008. The goals of that campaign were (1) to extend the number of compact radio sources with precise coordinates and measure their correlated flux densities, which can be used for phase referencing very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) and Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations, geodetic VLBI, search for sources with significant offsets with respect to Gaia positions, and space navigation; (2) to extend the complete flux-limited sample of compact extragalactic sources to the Southern hemisphere; and (3) to investigate the parsec-scale properties of sources from the high-frequency AT20G survey. The median uncertainty of the source positions is 3.5 mas. As a result of this VLBI campaign, the number of compact radio sources south of declination -40◦ that have measured VLBI-correlated flux densities and positions known to milliarcsecond accuracy has increased by over a factor of 6.

Petrov, Leonid

The Physics of Cooling Flow Clusters with Central Radio Sources

Central galaxies in rich clusters are the sites of cluster cooling flows, with large masses of gas cooling through part of the X-ray band. Many of these galaxies host powerful radio sources. These sources can displace and compress the X-ray gas leading to enhanced cooling and star formation. We observed the bright cooling flow Abell 2626 with a strangely distorted central radio source. We wished to understand the interaction of radio and X-ray thermal plasma, and to determine the dynamical nature of this cluster. One aim was to constrain the source of additional pressure in radio "holes" in the X-ray emission needed to support overlying shells of X-ray gas. We also aimed to study the problem of the lack of kT < 1-2 keV gas in cooling flows by searching for abundance inhomogeneities, heating from the radio source, and excess absorption. We also have a Chandra observation of this cluster. There were problems with the pipeline processing of this data due to a telemetry dropout. We are publishing the Chandra and XMM data together. Delays with the Chandra data have slowed up the publication. At the center of the cluster, there is a complex interaction of the odd, Z-shaped radio source, and the X-ray plasma. However, there are no clear radio bubbles. Also, the cluster SO galaxy IC 5337, which is projected 1.5 arcmin west of the cluster center, has unusual tail-like structures in both the radio and X-ray. It appears to be falling into the cluster center. There is a hot, probably shocked region of gas to the southwest, which is apparently due to the merger of a subcluster in this part of the system. There is also a merging subcluster to the northeast. The axes of these two mergers agrees with a supercluster filament structure.

Sarazin, Craig L.

Selection of radio sources for Venus balloon-Pathfinder Delta-DOR navigation at 1.7 GHz

In order to increase the success rate of the Delta-DOR (Delta-Differential One-way Range) VLBI navigational support for the French-Soviet Venus Balloon and Halley Pathfinder projects, forty-four extragalactic radio sources were observed in advance of these projects to determine which were suitable for use as reference sources. Of these forty-four radio sources taken from the existing JPL radio source catalogue, thirty-six were determined to be of sufficient strength for use in Delta-DOR VLBI navigation.

Liewer, K. M

Observations of stationary radio sources: Coronal polar plumes?

Observations and preliminary results of polar radio sources which are often brighter than streamers are presented. The results are preliminary and an analysis is needed using a larger data set to firmly establish the properties such as time variability of these sources. Data which are not corrected for ionospheric refraction are used, thus the determination of rotational characteristics is not accurate. Thermal and/or weak nonthermal emission from polar plumes may be responsible for the polar radio sources. However, nonthermal process may be necessary to explain time variability.

Gopalswamy, Natchimuthkonar

Radio Sources Toward Galaxy Clusters at 30 GHz

Extra-galactic radio sources are a significant contaminant in cosmic microwave background and Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect experiments. Deep interferometric observations with the BIMA and OVRO arrays are used to characterize the spatial, spectral, and flux distributions of radio sources toward massive galaxy clusters at 28.5 GHz. We compute counts of mJy source fluxes from 89 fields centered on known massive galaxy clusters and 8 non-cluster fields. We find that source counts in the inner regions of the cluster fields (within 0.5 arcmin of the cluster center) are a factor of 8.9 (+4.2 to -3.8) times higher than counts in the outer regions of the cluster fields (radius greater than 0.5 arcmin). Counts in the outer regions of the cluster fields are in turn a factor of 3.3 (+4.1 -1.8) greater than those in the noncluster fields. Counts in the non-cluster fields are consistent with extrapolations from the results of other surveys. We compute spectral indices of mJy sources in cluster fields between 1.4 and 28.5 GHz and find a mean spectral index of al[ja = 0.66 with an rms dispersion of 0.36, where flux S varies as upsilon(sup -alpha). The distribution is skewed, with a median spectral index of 0.72 and 25th and 75th percentiles of 0.51 and 0.92, respectively. This is steeper than the spectral indices of stronger field sources measured by other surveys.

Coble, K.

The earth as a radio source

Satellite measurements of the natural LF radio emission of the earth's magnetosphere are summarized, and the earth is compared as radio source to such familiar sources as Jupiter, Saturn and the sun. Two principal modes of radio emission from the earth's magnetosphere have been identified: auroral km-wavelength radiation and a continuum radiation. Characteristic spectra of the two modes are displayed. Other modes, not yet studied in much detail, are: dayside km-wavelength radiation, emission upstream of the bow shock, and narrow-bandwidth radio bursts. Emissions from the Jovian moon Io and from pulsars are also drawn upon for comparison. Current views on the sources of these terrestrial radio emissions are summarized.

Gurnett, D. A.

Study of the brightness and polarization structure of extragalactic radio sources

The brightness and linear-polarization structure of 19 extended extragalactic radio sources are determined at a frequency of 10.7 GHz. Compact components with self-absorption spectra coincident with the nucleus of an associated galaxy are fairly common, while many sources display regions of high-percentage polarization, sometimes greater than 40%. Comparison of our results with other studies, all at lower frequencies (generally not exceeding 5 GHz), has yielded information on spectra, depolarization rates, and Faraday rotation of the polarization plane in various source regions. At least four distinct classes of extragalactic radio sources are identified. These classes form a sequence along which the prominence of the compact central component declines relative to that of the extended outer regions, while those outer regions become more ordered in their structure and assume specific polarization characteristics. It is suggested that this sequence is in fact an evolutionary sequence.

Stull, M. A.

Superluminal radio sources - What does X-ray emission tell us?

In a study on superluminal radio sources, statistical relationships between X-ray, optical, and radio luminosities among different categories of active galactic nuclei are compared to search for common energy mechanisms. The X-ray versus optical and X-ray versus radio correlations of radio-loud QSOs and superluminal radio sources are found to be similar, arguing against a model in which the emission in only one or two of the three wave bands is relativistically boosted. A regression analysis shows that highly polarized QSOs and optically violently variable QSOs are more similar to other flat-spectrum, radio-loud QSOs than to BL Lac objects, and it is reasonable to assume that self-Compton emission dominates the X-ray emission from at least half of the sources in this class. The X-ray versus radio correlation for BL Lac objects is poor, and there is support for the hypothesis that their X-ray emission is dominated by an isotropic component which is not directly related to relativistically boosted radio emission.

Worrall, Diana M.

VLA observations of radio sources in interacting galaxy pairs in poor clusters

Observations of 16 radio sources in interacting galaxies in 14 poor clusters were made using the Very Large Array in the B configuration at lambda of 6 and 2 cm. These sources had been unresolved in earlier observations at lambda of 21 cm, and were chosen as a sample to determine which of three models for radio source formation actually pertains in interacting galaxies. From the analysis of this sample, the starburst model appears most successful, but the 'central monster' model could pertain in some cases.

Batuski, David J.

The Effects of Correlated Noise in Phased-Array Observations of Radio Sources

Arrays of radio telescopes are now routinely used to provide increased signal-to-noise when obseving faint point sources. However, calculation of the achievable sensitivity is complicated if there are sources in the field of view other than the target source. These additional sources not only increase the system temperatures of the individual antennas, but may also contribute significant

radio

Search for X-ray emission from bursting radio sources

Results are reported for a systematic search with the A-2 experiment aboard HEAO 1 for X-ray emission from 28 radio sources that were actually bursting at the epoch of the X-ray observations. Two of these sources are found to lie within the positional errors of X-ray sources: the moderately redshifted quasars NRAO 140 and NRAO 530. The positions of 30 historically variable radio sources that were not active at the time of the search are compared with those of detectable X-ray sources, but no X-ray emission is detected from any of these positions. The implications of the results are discussed in terms of models for the radio emission from compact extragalactic sources. Several possible explanations are presented for the general absence of Compton X-ray emission from the bursting radio sources surveyed.

Marscher, A. P.

ROSAT observations of clusters with wide-angle tailed radio sources

The goal of these ROSAT PSPC pointed observations was to understand the nature of X-ray emission associated clusters that contain luminous wide-angle tailed (WAT) radio sources identified with the centrally dominant cluster galaxies. These 500 kpc diameter radio sources are strongly affected by confinement and interaction with the intracluster medium. So, a complete picture of the origin and evolution of these radio sources is not possible without detailed X-ray observations which sample the distribution and temperature of the surrounding hot gas. Two WAT clusters have been observed with the ROSAT PSPC to date. The first is Abell 2634 which contains the WAT 3C 465 and was approved for observations in AO-1. Unfortunately, these observations were broken into two widely separated pieces in time. The first data set containing about 9000 sec of integration arrived in mid-March, 1992. The second data set containing about 10,500 sec arrived just recently in early April (after a first tape was destroyed in the mail). The second cluster is 1919+479 which was approved for observations in AO-2. These ROSAT data arrived in October 1992.

Burns, Jack O.