LOFAR Deep Fields: Probing a broader population of polarized radio galaxies in ELAIS-N1

N. Herrera Ruiz, S. P. O'Sullivan, V. Vacca, V. Jelić, B. Nikiel-Wroczyński, S. Bourke, J. Sabater, R. -J. Dettmar, G. Heald, C. Horellou, S. Piras, C. Sobey, T. W. Shimwell, C. Tasse, M. J. Hardcastle, R. Kondapally, K. T. Chyży, M. Iacobelli, P. N. Best, M. BrüggenE. Carretti, I. Prandoni

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

31 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

We present deep polarimetric observations of the European Large Area ISO Survey-North 1 (ELAIS-N1) field using the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) at 114.9-177.4 MHz. The ELAIS-N1 field is part of the LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey deep fields data release I. For six eight-hour observing epochs, we align the polarization angles and stack the 20"-resolution Stokes $Q$, $U$-parameter data cubes. This produces a 16 deg$^2$ image with 1$\sigma_{\rm QU}$ sensitivity of 26 $\mu$Jy/beam in the central area. In this paper, we demonstrate the feasibility of the stacking technique, and we generate a catalog of polarized sources in ELAIS-N1 and their associated Faraday rotation measures (RMs). While in a single-epoch observation we detect three polarized sources, this number increases by a factor of about three when we consider the stacked data, with a total of ten sources. This yields a surface density of polarized sources of one per 1.6 deg$^2$. The Stokes $I$ images of three of the ten detected polarized sources have morphologies resembling those of FR I radio galaxies. This represents a greater fraction of this type of source than previously found, which suggests that more sensitive observations may help with their detection.
Original languageEnglish
Article numberA12
Number of pages13
JournalAstronomy & Astrophysics
Volume648
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 7 Apr 2021

Keywords

  • astro-ph.GA

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'LOFAR Deep Fields: Probing a broader population of polarized radio galaxies in ELAIS-N1'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this