A 3 Millimeter VLBI Continuum Source Survey

Citation:

Colin J. Lonsdale, Sheperd S. Doeleman, and Robert B. Phillips. 1998. “A 3 Millimeter VLBI Continuum Source Survey.” The Astronomical Journal, 116, Pp. 8-12.

Abstract:

A detection survey of bright extragalactic radio sources with 3 mm VLBIis described. The sample is based on a centimeter-wavelength fluxdensity limit, with account taken of the spectral shape. Of the 116sample members, 79 sources were observed and 14 were detected. Thisdetection rate is considerably lower than had been anticipated, thediscrepancy being fully attributable to attained sensitivities roughly afactor of 2 poorer than those planned, and routinely achievable withcurrent arrays. The small number of detections precludes any firmconclusions about source detectability as a function of source type,redshift, or other variable. However, the results allow us todemonstrate that, at easily attainable sensitivity levels, between 30and 50 sources would be detected in a similar survey. Because the sampledoes not include all potentially detectable sources, in particular thosewith inverted spectra above 5 GHz, these numbers represent a lower limitto the number of detectable continuum sources accessible to the current3 mm VLBI network at any given time.