Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/229419

Title

The Arecibo L-band Feed Array Zone of Avoidance survey I: precursor observations through the inner and outer galaxy

Author(s)

Henning, P. A.;  Springob, C. M.;  Minchin, R. F.;  Momjian, E.;  Catinella, B.;  McIntyre, T.;  Day, F.;  Muller, E.;  Koribalski, B.;  Rosenberg, J. L.;  Schneider, S.;  Staveley-Smith, L.;  van Driel, W.

Abstract

The Arecibo L-band Feed Array (ALFA) is being used to conduct a low-Galactic latitude survey, to map the distribution of galaxies and large-scale structures behind the Milky Way through detection of galaxies' neutral hydrogen (HI) 21-cm emission. This Zone of Avoidance (ZOA) survey finds new HI galaxies which lie hidden behind the Milky Way, and also provides redshifts for partially-obscured galaxies known at other wavelengths. Before the commencement of the full survey, two low-latitude precursor regions were observed, totalling 138 square degrees, with 72 HI galaxies detected. Detections through the inner Galaxy generally have no cataloged counterparts in any other waveband, due to the heavy extinction and stellar confusion. Detections through the outer Galaxy are more likely to have 2MASS counterparts. We present the results of these precursor observations, including a catalog of the detected galaxies, with their HI parameters. The survey sensitivity is well described by a flux- and linewidth-dependent signal-to-noise ratio of 6.5. ALFA ZOA galaxies which also have HI measurements in the literature show good agreement between our measurements and previous work. The inner Galaxy precursor region was chosen to overlap the HI Parkes Zone of Avoidance Survey so ALFA performance could be quickly assessed. The outer Galaxy precursor region lies north of the Parkes sky. Low-latitude large-scale structure in this region is revealed, including an overdensity of galaxies near l = 183 deg and between 5000 - 6000 km/s in the ZOA. The full ALFA ZOA survey will be conducted in two phases: a shallow survey using the observing techniques of the precursor observations, and also a deep phase with much longer integration time, with thousands of galaxies predicted for the final catalog.

Publication type

Journal article

Source

Astronomical Journal, Vol. 139, no. 6 (Jun 2010), pp. 2130-2147

Publication year

2010

FOR Code(s)

0201 Astronomical and Space Sciences

Keyword(s)

Distances;  Fundamental parameters;  Large-scale structure of universe;  Red shift;  Surveys

Publisher

Institute of Physics Publishing

ISSN

0004-6256

Publisher URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0004-6256/139/6/2130

Copyright

Copyright © 2010 The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. The American Astronomical Society does not allow Swinburne Research Bank to archive either the accepted manuscript or the published version of the article. However you can find an earlier version of the full text here: http://arxiv.org/abs/1002.2933/

Peer reviewed