# Multi-Frequency Study of the B3-VLA Sample11footnote 1Table 2 is also available in electronic from at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html II. The Database

## 1 Introduction

Homogeneous databases over a wide frequency range for a large sample of radio sources with intermediate or low flux densities are an important ingredient to modern astrophysics. We have therefore embarked on a project to obtain flux densities for the B3-VLA sample (Vigotti et al. 1989) over a frequency range as wide as possible. The aim is to study the spectral properties of a complete sample of radio sources.

The B3-VLA sample is composed of sources that are roughly equally distributed in five flux density intervals, i.e. 50 times fainter than the 3C survey (Bennett 1962). The sample now contains 1049 radio sources, instead of 1050 listed in the previous papers dealing with the B3-VLA sample: the source 2302+396 which was already indicated as a possible spurious source close to a grating ring in the B3 catalogue (Ficarra et al. 1985) was deleted from the list since it was recognized as a CLEAN artifact. In fact it could not be found neither in the WENSS nor in the NVSS catalogue.

This paper is the second of a series describing the multifrequency properties of the B3-VLA sample. In the first paper we presented the radio continuum data at 10.6 GHz obtained with the Effelsberg radio telescope (Gregorini et al. 1998, hereafter Paper I). We detected 99$`\%`$ of the radio sources, with a typical flux density error of about 1 mJy for the fainter ones.

Here we present the spectral database of the whole sample consisting of flux densities at 151 MHz, 327 MHz, 408 MHz, 1.4 GHz, 4.85 GHz, and 10.6 GHz. Additional observations were performed for 478 sources at 4.85 GHz, which were necessary to complete the information at this frequency and to measure also at 4.85 GHz the polarization detected at 10.6 GHz.

Sect. 2 describes the observations and data reduction at 4.85 GHz. In Sect. 3 we present the database, with an accurate description of the method used to obtain the flux densities and the errors at each frequency. In Sect. 4 the data table is presented with a discussion of the data quality.

## 2 Observations at 4.85 GHz

The observations reported here have been carried out between July 1994 and March 1999. Until August 1995 the old $`\lambda `$6-cm correlation receiver system was employed. This system had two feeds in the secondary focus of the 100-m telescope. The right-hand circular polarization outputs from each feed (obtained after the polarizers in the waveguides) were correlated via a 3-dB hybrid to yield a differential total-power signal of the two feeds. This double–beam ensured minimal atmospheric disturbance to the signal. Amplification in the first stage was achieved with cooled FET’s. The main horn was connected to an IF-polarimeter to deliver the Stokes U and Q parameters for full linear polarization information. The system operated at a centre frequency of 4.75 GHz, with a bandwidth of 500 MHz. The receiver system temperature was $``$70 K on the sky (zenith, clear sky).

In August 1995 this receivers were replaced by two stable total-power systems, with HEMT amplifiers in the first stage. Here the differential signal is retrieved by subtracting the calibrated signals in the computer. Each of the two total-power receivers is connected to an IF-polarimeter. This system operates at 4.85 GHz, the bandwidth is 500 MHz. The receiver system temperature has been greatly improved to 30 K on the sky (zenith, clear sky).

The half-power beam width was 147″ for the old and 143″ for the new receiver system and the beam throw was 8$`\stackrel{}{.}`$2 in both cases. The sources were observed by cross-scanning the telescope in right ascension and declination, with a scan length of 15′. The scanning speed was 30′/min., and the total number of scans was adjusted to the expected flux density of each source. Sources with angular extents significantly exceeding the beam size or exhibiting significant confusion in the cross-scans were mapped in the double-beam mode and subsequently restored to the equivalent single-beam images using the restoration algorithm of Emerson et al. (1979). The scan separation was 1′, and the map sizes adjusted such as to account for the source size and the beam separation. The total number of sources mapped this way is 6.

Telescope pointing, focussing and polarimeter adjustments were regularly checked by cross-scanning the point sources NGC 7027, 3C 48, 3C 84, 3C 138, 3C 147, 3C 196, 3C 286 and 3C 295. The latter two sources served also as flux density calibrators.

## 3 Database

In Tab. 1 we present the information available for the B3–VLA sample. Cols. 1 and 2 list the frequency and reference to the relevant paper, Col. 3 gives the percentage of sources for which the data is available.

### 3.1 151 MHz Data

These flux densities were obtained by cross-correlating the 6C survey (Hales et al. 1988) with the B3-VLA sample. The search radius used was 100″, which corresponds to a combined 3-$`\sigma `$ error for the fainter sources. We do not expect any chance coincidences, owing to the low source density at 151 MHz (4.1 sources per square degree). The values quoted in Tab. 2 are the peak flux densities for sources with an angular extent $`<`$ 100″ (extents taken from Vigotti et al. 1989), and the integrated ones (listed in the 6C, Hales et al. 1988) for larger sources. The error in the same table is computed as a constant term of 40 mJy, plus a 5% contribution due to the uncertainty of the flux density scale.

Since these data are on the flux scale of Roger et al. (1973, RBC), we used the spectral indices reported by these authors to calculate the flux density of their calibrator sources at 178 MHz. In this way we could compare the scale of Roger et al. (1973) with the one of Kellermann et al. (1969, KPW). The ratio between these two flux density scales is KPW/RBC = 0.96. Baars et al. (1977, BGPW) report a ratio of BGPW/KPW = 1.051. Thus, the ratio BGPW/RBC turns out to be 1.008; therefore no correction was applied at 151 MHz.

### 3.2 327 MHz Data

For sources with an angular extent $`<`$ 50″ we cross-correlated the B3–VLA positions with the WENSS source list (Rengelink et al. 1997) using a window of 11″ in right ascension and 22″ in declination. For the more extended ones we used a window of 40″ in right ascension and 80″ in declination. The total area searched was 0.03 square degrees. The WENSS source density is about 21.3 per square degree so that the contamination by chance coincidences is negligible. For the flux density errors we used the formula given by Rengelink et al. (1997), with a noise contribution of 4.5 mJy (which is the average value in the B3–VLA area), plus 4% due to the calibration uncertainty $`\mathrm{\Delta }_{\mathrm{cal}}`$ .

Sources with a complex structure (as marked in the WENSS catalogue; Rengelink et al. 1997) were inspected directly on the WENSS maps, and their flux densities computed with the AIPS task TVSTAT. For these sources the errors $`\mathrm{\Delta }`$S were computed as follows:

$$\mathrm{\Delta }\mathrm{S}=\sqrt{(\mathrm{\Delta }_{\mathrm{cal}}\mathrm{S})^2+\sigma _\mathrm{l}^2\frac{\mathrm{A}_\mathrm{s}}{\mathrm{A}_\mathrm{b}}}$$

.

Here $`\sigma _\mathrm{l}`$ is the local noise in the map, A<sub>s</sub> the area covered by the radio source, and A<sub>b</sub> is the beam area. The flux densities in the WENSS survey are on the scale of Baars et al. (1977).

### 3.3 408 MHz Data

The flux densities were taken from the B3 survey, except for extended sources for which an integrated flux density was used (Vigotti et al. 1989). For the computation of the errors we used 35 mJy as the constant term and 3$`\%`$ for the term proportional to the source flux density (Ficarra et al. 1985). The flux density scale of these data is based on 3C123, and agrees with the scale of Baars et al. (1977) to within 2$`\%`$. Therefore, no correction was applied.

### 3.4 1.4 GHz Data

The flux densities were computed from the maps of the NRAO VLA SKY Survey (NVSS, Condon et al. 1998), centred on the B3-VLA positions using an automatic two-component Gaussian fit algorithm similar to the AIPS task JMFIT. For the unresolved sources the difference between our flux density and that listed in the NVSS catalogue is negligible ($`<`$ 2%). The errors were calculated with the formula of Condon et al. (1998), where the noise and confusion term is 0.45 mJy/beam and the calibration uncertainty is 3%.

For the extended and complex sources the flux densities were computed using the AIPS task TVSTAT. Their errors were computed as above (Sect. 3.2). The flux densities are on the scale of Baars et al. (1977).

### 3.5 4.85 GHz Data

All sources not available in the literature (Kulkarni et al. 1990, Gregory et al. 1996) have been observed as described in Sect. 2. The flux densities of Kulkarni et al. 1990, and those observed by us before August 1995 were shifted from 4.75 GHz to 4.85 GHz using the spectral index of the radio source. For the flux densities presented in this paper we adopted 1.0 mJy as the noise contribution, and 2% as the contribution proportional to the flux density. Another 0.45 mJy is added to account for source confusion (Reich 1993). For the data of Kulkarni et al. (1990) the errors are 2 mJy and 2%, respectively. The errors of the flux densities taken from Gregory et al. (1996) are listed in the GB6 catalogue. In 2 cases, 1412+397 and 2341+396B, the sources could not be separated from a closeby confusing source. We used the flux densities from our measurements (45.8%). In cases where those were not available the flux densities reported by Kulkarni et al. (1990; 42.4%) or Gregory et al. (1996; 11.8%) were taken.

The GB6 maps of the sources with extension larger than 70″were downloaded using SkyView. In addition, the most extended ones (0136+396, 0157+405A, 0248+467, 0703+426A, 1141+374, and 1309+412A) were mapped in Effelsberg. In all cases the flux densities were determined with AIPS task TVSTAT and the errors were calculated as described above (Sect. 3.2). The flux densities are on the scale of Baars et al. (1977).

### 3.6 10.6 GHz Data

In Tab. 2 we list the integrated flux densities as well as the errors computed using the formula presented in Paper I. Here, the noise term is 0.8 mJy, confusion contributes 0.08 mJy, and the term proportional to the flux is 2%. The flux densities are on the scale of Baars et al. (1977).

## 4 Discussion

Table 2 presents the whole database. Col. 1 lists the B3-VLA name, Cols. 2 and 3 the radio centroid (equinox J2000.0) from Vigotti et al. (1989; computed as the geometric mean of the source components). The following 12 columns list the flux densities and errors at 151 MHz, 327 MHz, 408 MHz, 1.4 GHz, 4.85 GHz and 10.6 GHz, respectively (all in mJy). The last column contains the sources’ optical identifications, abbreviated as follows: g: radio galaxy identified on the POSS-I, most of which are z$`0.5`$; G: far radio galaxy with measured redshift (0.5$`\mathrm{z}`$ 3.5); Q: spectroscopically confirmed quasar; b: blue objects (i.e. non-confirmed quasars); BL: BL Lac; F: featureless spectrum; a blank means ‘empty field’, i.e. it lacks any optical counterpart down to the POSS-I limit (more that 90% are distant radio galaxies, the remaining ones being quasars with magnitudes fainter than the POSS-I).

For 19 sources the 408 MHz data are not reported. In 15 cases the flux density is affected by a nearby strong source. In four cases the B3-VLA sources were not resolved by the 408 MHz beam.

In order to complete the spectral database we observed 164 sources at 4.85 GHz whose flux densities were not available in the catalogues listed in Tab. 1; 314 sources with detected polarization at 10.6 GHz were re-observed at 4.85 GHz for future polarization studies. An analysis of the polarization data will be published in a forthcoming paper. In Fig. 1 we show the plot of our measurements versus the GB6 flux densities. Intrinsic source variability is likely to increase the scatter of the plot.

For each source we computed two spectral indices: a low-frequency index $`\alpha _l`$ (0.3 – 1.4 GHz) and a high-frequency one, $`\alpha _h`$ (4.8 – 10.6 GHz). Fig. 2 shows the histograms of $`\alpha _l`$ and $`\alpha _h`$ (shaded) of 1034 sources, for which four flux densities are available. The resulting median values for the two distributions are $`\alpha _l=0.853`$ and $`\alpha _h=1.053`$ (S $`\nu ^\alpha `$).

In Fig. 3 we show a radio colour-colour diagram illustrating the different population areas of radio galaxies and quasars. As already evident in Fig. 2, $`\alpha _h`$ covers a wider range of values (dispersion 0.40) than $`\alpha _l`$ (dispersion 0.23). This is to be expected if spectral steepening due to synchrotron and inverse Compton energy losses is important: it changes $`\alpha _h`$ first, before the sources have aged sufficiently such as to affect $`\alpha _l`$ as well. The corresponding evolutionary track in the $`\alpha _l`$$`\alpha _h`$ diagramme is that populated by the radio galaxies in Fig. 3: if these sources commence their lives with flat (injection) spectra, they should gradually move downward at a faster rate than leftward. Also evident in Fig. 3 is that radio galaxies (crosses) have on average steeper high-frequency spectra than quasars; in particular, the radio galaxies dominate the lowest part of the diagramme.

Some sources (essentially quasars) exhibit extreme values, especially those with flat $`\alpha _l`$ and/or flat $`\alpha _h`$ (populating the upper and right-hand portion of the plot). These may possess self-absorbed components that become visible in different frequency regimes, depending on their optical thickness. A thorough analysis and interpretation of our results will be presented in a forthcoming paper.

###### Acknowledgements.

We thank Helge Rottmann for his help during the Effelsberg observations. We are grateful to Dr. Heinz Andernach whose comments on the manuscript helped to improve the paper significantly. Part of this work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, grant KL533/4-2, and by the European Commission, TMR Programme, Research Network Contract ERBFMRXCT97-0034 “CERES”. We thank the Italian Ministry for University and Scientic Research (MURST) for partial financial support (grant Cofin98-02-32). We acknowledge the use NASA’s SkyView facility (http://skyview.gsfc.nasa.gov) located at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.