A MeerKAT 1.28 GHz Atlas of Southern Sources in the IRAS Revised Bright Galaxy Sample

Abstract

The IRAS Revised Bright Galaxy Sample (RBGS) comprises galaxies and unresolved mergers stronger than S = 5.24 Jy at λ = 60 μ m with Galactic latitudes ∣ b ∣ > 5°. Nearly all are dusty star-forming galaxies whose radio continuum and far-infrared luminosities are proportional to their current rates of star formation. We used the MeerKAT array of 64 dishes to make 5 × 3 minutes snapshot observations at ν = 1.28 GHz covering all 298 southern (J2000 δ < 0°) RBGS sources identified with external galaxies. The resulting images have θ ≈ 7.″5 FWHM resolution and rms fluctuations σ ≈ 20 μ Jy beam −1 ≈ 0.26 K low enough to reveal even faint disk emission. The rms position uncertainties are σ α ≈ σ δ ≈ 1″ relative to accurate near-infrared positions, and the image dynamic ranges are DR ≳ 10 4 : 1. Cropped MeerKAT images of all 298 southern RBGS sources are available in FITS format from 10.48479/dnt7-6q05 .