ATLAS: Deep Radio Observations of Six Square Degrees

Abstract

We are using the Australia Telescope Compact Array to image about six square degrees surrounding the Chandra Deep Field South and European Large Area ISO Survey - South 1 regions, with the aim of producing the widest deep radio survey ever attempted, in fields with deep optical, infrared, and X-ray data. Our goal is to penetrate the heavy dust extinction which is found in active galaxies at all redshifts, and study the star formation activity and active galactic nuclei buried within. Although we are only about half-way through the survey, our data are proving remarkably fruitful. For example, we have discovered a new and unexpected class of object (the Infrared-Faint Radio Sources), we have found that the radio-FIR correlation extends to low flux densities, and we havefound powerful AGN-like radio objects in galaxies with a star-forming SED.