20–27 Mar 2026
Wild View Resorts
Africa/Gaborone timezone

High resolution imaging of AGN jets in the Lockman Hole using eMERLIN

Not scheduled
20m
Wild View Resorts

Wild View Resorts

Plot 80 President Avenue, Kasane, Botswana
In-person - Poster Presentation 10 S&E poster Science & Engineering

Speaker

Tumisang Kedidimetse (Botswana International University of Science and Technology)

Description

We present an intermediate–resolution 1.5 GHz study of the Lockman Hole using Cycle 16 e-MERLIN observations at $\sim200$ milliarcseconds (mas). The aim of this work is to make progress in identifying compact AGN activity in a field that has been extensively observed at low frequencies. The Lockman Hole was recently imaged with the International LOFAR Telescope (ILT) at 150 MHz with $\sim300$ mas resolution, providing the deepest low-frequency view of this field. However, approximately 88% of ILT sources remain unresolved on these scales at 150 MHz , leaving open questions about which objects host compact AGN cores, and whether additional radio components exist that are not visible at low frequencies. By combining new e-MERLIN imaging with existing ILT observations, we show how some ILT sources reveal compact structure at 200 mas, providing evidence for ongoing AGN core activity. In this work, we present the calibration, self-calibration, and initial imaging of one selected e-MERLIN field, carried out using Common Astronomy Software Applications (CASA), WSClean, and the ilifu high-performance computing system. These early results begin to bridge the gap between ILT’s low-frequency, larger-scale emission and the milliarcsecond structures accessible with VLBI/European VLBI Network (EVN).

Stream Science or Engineering

Primary author

Tumisang Kedidimetse (Botswana International University of Science and Technology)

Co-authors

Jack Radcliffe (University of Manchester) John McKean (University of Pretoria) Rhodri Evans (Botswana International University of Science and Technology)

Presentation materials

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