9C Survey: 15-GHz Radio Source Catalog for VSA CMB Fields

Three regions totaling 520 square degrees were surveyed with the Ryle Telescope at 15 GHz to identify foreground sources for the Very Small Array's cosmic microwave background observations. The catalog contains 465 sources above a 25 mJy completeness limit, with a subset of 242 sources within three specific circular fields covering 286.5 square degrees. This table was created by NASA HEASARC in November 2010 based on data from the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Use Cases

• Identifying and monitoring foreground radio sources for CMB experiments based on the 15 GHz flux density measurements.
• Studying the population and evolution of GigaHertz peaked spectrum (GPS) sources based on the multi-wavelength survey context.
• Cross-matching radio source catalogs using the provided J2000.0 right ascension and declination coordinates for the 465 sources.
• Analyzing source density and distribution within the three specific VSA fields (VSA1, VSA2, VSA3) defined in the catalog.

Strengths

• Covers a significant area of 520 square degrees across three distinct sky regions.
• Contains 465 sources above a defined 25 mJy completeness limit, providing a reliable sample.
• Includes a curated subset of 242 sources within three circular fields specifically defined for VSA observations.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Last updated 2026-03-13 19:44:04.635024; freshness should be verified as the underlying observations are older.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA HEASARC), based on data from CDS catalog J/MNRAS/342/915.

Collection Method

Observational survey conducted with the Ryle Telescope at 15 GHz.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 19:44:04.635024

Geography

Three sky regions centered at specific J2000.0 coordinates: RA=00h20m, Dec=+30°; RA=09h40m, Dec=+32°; RA=15h40m, Dec=+43°.