Optical Counterparts of MeerKLASS L-band and UHF-band surveys
Abstract
Context: Wide-area radio continuum surveys require reliable optical and infrared counterpart identification, but high optical source densities and extended or multi-component radio morphologies make this challenging. Aims: We present optical and infrared counterpart catalogs for MeerKLASS L-band and UHF-band on-the-fly continuum sources using KiDS DR5 and DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys DR10 (LS DR10), including counterpart probabilities, redshifts, and host-galaxy properties. Methods: We developed the Stellar-mass Enhanced Density Association (SEDA) method, an empirical framework that compares candidate densities around radio positions with those in a position-displaced control catalog. For galaxies we use positional offset, stellar mass, and redshift; quasar candidates are treated separately using offset and mid-infrared selection. A second-pass search associates multi-component radio sources with common hosts. Results: In the L-band survey, we identify 20,400 KiDS-based counterparts with Ptrue>0.5, corresponding to 66% of L-band sources within the KiDS footprint. In the UHF-band survey, we identify 61,633 LS DR10 counterparts, corresponding to 81% of the radio sources. Spectroscopic redshifts are available for 22% and 44% of the L-band and UHF-band counterparts, respectively. The redshift distributions show low-redshift star-forming galaxies, intermediate-redshift radio galaxies, and a high-redshift tail dominated by quasars. SEDA also recovers rare radio-loud quasars, including QSO J2318-3113 at z=6.44 and UHF_DR1 J+111111.8+053626.6 at z=5.24. Conclusions: SEDA provides a data-driven route to counterpart identification for wide-area radio surveys with complex source morphologies. The catalogs enable future MeerKLASS studies of radio source populations, host-galaxy demographics, and rare high-redshift radio quasars.
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BibTeX
@misc{klein2026optical,
title = {{Optical Counterparts of MeerKLASS L-band and UHF-band surveys}},
author = {M Klein and S Mangla and J Mohr and S Chatterjee and K Grainge and S Paul and M.G Santos and O.M Smirnov and C Tasse and L Wolz},
howpublished = {HAL},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
eprint = {2608.05923},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05737564v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Optical Counterparts of MeerKLASS L-band and UHF-band surveys
AU - M Klein
AU - S Mangla
AU - J Mohr
AU - S Chatterjee
AU - K Grainge
AU - S Paul
AU - M.G Santos
AU - O.M Smirnov
AU - C Tasse
AU - L Wolz
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/04
PB - HAL
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05737564v1
AB - Context: Wide-area radio continuum surveys require reliable optical and infrared counterpart identification, but high optical source densities and extended or multi-component radio morphologies make this challenging. Aims: We present optical and infrared counterpart catalogs for MeerKLASS L-band and UHF-band on-the-fly continuum sources using KiDS DR5 and DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys DR10 (LS DR10), including counterpart probabilities, redshifts, and host-galaxy properties. Methods: We developed the Stellar-mass Enhanced Density Association (SEDA) method, an empirical framework that compares candidate densities around radio positions with those in a position-displaced control catalog. For galaxies we use positional offset, stellar mass, and redshift; quasar candidates are treated separately using offset and mid-infrared selection. A second-pass search associates multi-component radio sources with common hosts. Results: In the L-band survey, we identify 20,400 KiDS-based counterparts with P_true>0.5, corresponding to 66% of L-band sources within the KiDS footprint. In the UHF-band survey, we identify 61,633 LS DR10 counterparts, corresponding to 81% of the radio sources. Spectroscopic redshifts are available for 22% and 44% of the L-band and UHF-band counterparts, respectively. The redshift distributions show low-redshift star-forming galaxies, intermediate-redshift radio galaxies, and a high-redshift tail dominated by quasars. SEDA also recovers rare radio-loud quasars, including QSO J2318-3113 at z=6.44 and UHF_DR1 J+111111.8+053626.6 at z=5.24. Conclusions: SEDA provides a data-driven route to counterpart identification for wide-area radio surveys with complex source morphologies. The catalogs enable future MeerKLASS studies of radio source populations, host-galaxy demographics, and rare high-redshift radio quasars.
ER -