Galactic Center P-Band Survey: Radio Imagery at 330 MHz

The Galactic Center P-Band (330 MHz) Survey (GCPS) provides wide-field, subarcminute-resolution Very Large Array (VLA) imagery of the Galactic center region. Observations were conducted in two sets: one in October 1996 and another between March 1998 and May 1999. This Browse table was created by NASA's HEASARC in May 2005 based on catalog data from the CDS.

Use Cases

• Cataloging small-diameter radio sources in the Galactic center based on the improved sensitivity mentioned in the description.
• Identifying and analyzing nonthermal filament (NTF) structures based on the detection of new NTFs and candidates.
• Searching for pulsar candidates among the detected radio sources.
• Studying the radio emission properties of Sagittarius A* at low frequencies based on its first detection in this range.

Strengths

• Provides a significant increase in resolution (~7"x12") and sensitivity (rms noise of 1.6 mJy/beam) over previous VLA imagery at 330 MHz.
• More than tripled the census of small-diameter sources and detected new objects, including two new nonthermal filaments.
• First detection of Sagittarius A* at the 330 MHz frequency range.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data was last updated in 2026; freshness should be verified for current research needs.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA HEASARC), based on CDS Catalog J/AJ/128/1646.

Collection Method

Observations from the Very Large Array (VLA) in A and B configurations.

Time Range

Observations from October 1996 and between March 1998 and May 1999.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 19:55:36.062948

Geography

Galactic center region.