A 610-MHz survey of the Lockman Hole with the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope - I. Observations, data reduction and source catalogue for the central 5 deg2

Abstract

We present observations of the Lockman Hole taken at 610 MHz with the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT). Twelve pointings were observed, covering a total area of ∼5 deg2 with a resolution of 6 × 5 arcsec2, position angle +45°. The majority of the pointings have a rms noise of ∼60 μJy beam-1 before correction for the attenuation of the GMRT primary beam. Techniques used for data reduction and production of a mosaicked image of the region are described, and the final mosaic is presented along with a catalogue of 2845 sources detected above 6σ. Radio source counts are calculated at 610 MHz and combined with existing 1.4-GHz source counts, in order to show that pure luminosity evolution of the local radio luminosity functions for active galactic nuclei and starburst galaxies is sufficient to account for the two source counts simultaneously. © 2008 The Authors.