VLA SDSS Stripe 82 Survey: 17,969 Radio Sources at 1.4 GHz

17,969 isolated radio components cataloged from a high-resolution 1.4-GHz survey covering 92 square degrees of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Stripe 82 region. Observations were conducted with the Very Large Array (VLA) primarily in the A configuration during the 2007-2009 cycles by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO). The HEASARC created this table from the survey in August 2013.

Use Cases

• Cross-identifying optical counterparts to radio sources based on the astrometric tie to the SDSS reference frame.
• Analyzing source density and distribution based on the reported ~195 sources per square degree.
• Studying radio quasar populations, including the 76 newly detected radio quasars mentioned.
• Investigating survey completeness and resolution bias for faint, extended sources as discussed in the reference paper.

Strengths

• High astrometric accuracy with an internal rms scatter of 0.19 arcseconds in Right Ascension and Declination.
• Deep sensitivity with a median rms noise of 52 μJy/beam over a large area of 92 square degrees.
• Excellent optical reference frame tie, with mean offsets of 0.02" +/- 0.01" in RA and 0.01" +/- 0.02" in Dec compared to SDSS DR7.
• High completeness for point sources, recovering 97% of FIRST-detected quasars.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Faint, extended sources are more likely to be resolved out due to resolution bias, as noted by the authors.

Provenance

Source

National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) Very Large Array (VLA)

Collection Method

Radio observations conducted in VLA A and B configurations over two cycles (2007-2008, 2008-2009), with data reduction and catalog creation detailed in a reference paper.

Time Range

Observations from 2007 to 2009.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 17:39:42.001147; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Covers the SDSS Southern Equatorial Stripe (Stripe 82) region.