Detailed Description of Catalogue VIII/15/

Individual files cannot be fetched presently from this page, but an FTP access to the files described here is provided.
VIII/15         Parkes Radio Sources Catalogue (PKSCAT90)  (Wright+ 1990)
================================================================================
Parkes Radio Sources Catalogue, Version 1.01
    Wright A.E. and Otrupcek R.
   <Australia Telescope National Facility, Parkes (1990)>
================================================================================
ADC_Keywords: Radio sources - 685

Description:
    PKSCAT90 consists of radio and optical data for 8264 radio sources.
    It covers essentially all the sky south of declination +27 degrees but
    largely excludes the Galactic Plane and the Magellanic Cloud regions.
    The latter zones have been the subject of other, specialist surveys.
    A few data errors in Version 1.00 have been corrected in the present
    edition. This version of the Parkes Radio source Catalogue entitled
    "PKSCAT90 Version 1.01" is intended for use on IBM PC-type machines.
Note by A. Wright:
    Users should note that PKSCAT90 was produced at a time when relational
    databases were in their infancy. In the future we anticipate making
    the individual data sources available separately --- through such
    search systems as SIMBAD --- rather than in an "omnibus" catalogue
    like PKSCAT90. For both the Northern and Southern hemispehre, superior
    and deeper finding surveys now exist: the 87GB Catalog in the North,
    (Condon et al., catalog VIII/14) and the PMN catalogues (Griffith
    and Wright, catalog VIII/38) in the South.

File Summary:

      
  FileName      Lrecl  Records   Explanations

ReadMe             80        .   This file
pkscat90          172     8264   The Catalogue
refs              121      164   References


Byte-by-byte Description of file: pkscat90

   Bytes Format  Units   Label    Explanations

   1- 10  A10    ---     Bname    B1950 source name
  11- 17  A7     ---     Alias    Alias/other catalogue names
  18- 19  I2     h       RAh      Right Ascension B1950.0 (hours)
  21- 22  I2     min     RAm      Right Ascension B1950.0 (minutes)
  24- 27  F4.1   s       RAs      Right Ascension B1950.0 (seconds)
      28  A1     ---     DE-      Declination B1950.0 (sign)
  29- 30  I2     deg     DEd      Declination B1950.0 (degrees)
  32- 33  I2     arcmin  DEm      Declination B1950.0 (minutes)
  35- 36  I2     arcsec  DEs      Declination B1950.0 (seconds)
  37- 40  A4     ---     Ident    Identification (1)
  41- 44  A4     mag     Mag      ? Magnitude
                                   (the format is either F4.1 or F4.2)
  45- 49  A5     ---     z        Redshift (z)
                                    or Year.Month for which an optical
                                    spectrum was obtained, but from which a
                                    definite redshift could not be determined
                                    (thus, 83.07 refers to 1983 July)
  50- 54  A5     Jy      S80      Flux density at 80 MHz
  55- 59  A5     Jy      S178     Flux density at 178 MHz
  60- 64  A5     Jy      S408     Flux density at 408 MHz
  65- 69  A5     Jy      S635     Flux density at 635 MHz
  70- 74  A5     Jy      S1410    Flux density at 1410 MHz
  75- 79  A5     Jy      S2700    Flux density at 2700 MHz
  80- 84  A5     Jy      S5000    Flux density at 5000 MHz
  85- 89  A5     Jy      S8400    Flux density at 8400 MHz
  90- 94  A5     Jy      S22000   Flux density at 22000 MHz
  95- 96  I2     h       RAh2000  Right Ascension J2000 (hours)
  98- 99  I2     min     RAm2000  Right Ascension J2000 (minutes)
 101-107  F7.4   s       RAs2000  Right Ascension J2000 (seconds)
     108  A1     ---     DE-2000  Declination J2000 (sign)
 109-110  I2     deg     DEd2000  Declination J2000 (degrees)
 112-113  I2     arcmin  DEm2000  Declination J2000 (minutes)
 115-120  F6.3   arcsec  DEs2000  Declination J2000 (seconds)
 121-130  A10    ---     Jname    J2000 Name
 131-135  A5     arcsec  errPos   positional accuracy in arcsec.
                                    (to be read as "better than")
 136-155  A20    ---     RefID    reference code for Identification
                                    (see file refs)
 156-175  A20    ---     RefZ     reference code for redshifts
                                    (see file refs)

Note (1) :
    Beginning with this version of the catalogue, new identification and
    field classification codes have been used, mainly for the unidentified
    or "blank-field" sources. The following table lists both the new and
    the old codes.
   -------------------------------------------------------------------
    Code  Description                                        Old Code
   -------------------------------------------------------------------
    ===>  Identified sources:
    BLC   BL Lacertae object                                   BLC
    D     Diffuse galaxy, bright galaxies in clusters          D
    DB    Double galaxy                                        DB
    E     Elliptical Galaxy                                    E
    G     Galaxy too faint to classify                         G
    HII   HII region                                           HII
    IRR   Irregular object                                     IRR
    N     N galaxy, bright cored galaxy                        N
    PN    Planetary Nebular                                    PN
    Q     Quasi-stellar object or Quasar (confirmed)           Q
    QC    Quasar with a continuous optical spectrum            QC
    S     Spiral galaxy                                        S
    SB    Barred Spiral galaxy                                 SB
    Sc    Spiral galaxy (type C)                               SC
    SNR   SuperNova Remnant                                    SNR
    S0    Spiral galaxy with ellipticity of zero               S0
           (nearly circular)
    *     Stellar object of neutral colour                     IIIS
           in good positional agreement with
           the radio source
    ===>  Unidentified Sources
    Xg    one or more galaxies in the area                     II
           covered by the position error of the source
           but no identification claimed
    Xs    blank field: one or more stars of normal colour      III
           in the error box
    Xsa   blank field: obscured by absorption                  IIIA
    X     blank field: no absorption apparent                  IIIB
    Xs+   blank field: crowded star field                      IIIC
    Xa    blank field: heavily obscured.                       IV
   -------------------------------------------------------------------
   NOTE: a ? following any code specifies that that property is uncertain
   -------------------------------------------------------------------

================================================================================
Notes from H. Andernach (hja@hja.vilspa.esa.es
   a) The source B0000-177 is NOT 3C465
   b) The last source B0420-086 is MISPLACED


Further notes on June 28, 1993:
   BE66b BE66b  is AuJP 19, 275 (not p. 27)
   W67  is MN 135, p. 339 (not p.24)

History:

     The original  Parkes radio  catalogue was compiled from
  major radio  surveys with  the  Parkes  radiotelescope  at
  frequencies of  408 MHz  and 2700 MHz. This work spanned a
  period of  nearly 20   years and was undertaken largely by
  John Bolton  and  his  colleagues.  Since  then,  improved
  positions, optical identifications and redshifts have been
  obtained  for  many  of  the  sources  in  the  Catalogue.
  Furthermore, flux  densities at  several frequencies  have
  supplemented the original surveys so that the measurements
  now cover  the frequency  range 80  - 22,000  MHz. However
  coverage at the highest frequencies is still sparse.

     Important  contributions   to  the  usefulness  of  the
  catalogue have  been radio  data from the Molonglo 408 MHz
  survey and the 80 MHz Culgoora measurements of Slee et al.
  PKSCAT90 should  thus be regarded as a compendium of radio
  and optical  data about southern radiosources. However, at
  the moment,  it contains  only sources originally found in
  the Parkes  2700 MHz  Survey (see  e.g. Part 14, Bolton et
  al, 1979,  Aust  J  Phys,  Astrophys  Suppl,  No.  46  and
  references therein)

     The original radio survey data of the Catalogue and the
  optical identifications have been published in a series of
  papers in  the Australian  Journal of  Physics (see  above
  reference). The  associated optical spectral data on which
  redshifts were  obtained   has also been published, mainly
  in Astrophysical  Journal and Monthly Notices of the Royal
  Astronomical Society.

     About  the  completeness  levels  of  the  Catalogue in
  various  parts  of the sky:  users  should note  that  the
  sky  zone  between   -4  and   +4  degrees  has  been  the
  subject of a re-survey and is now complete to 0.25 Jy.

About PKSCAT90:

  The PKSCAT90 database is made available for astronomical
  research purposes at a cost of $40.00 to cover the cost of
  floppy disks, packing and postage. However we request that
  users acknowledge their use of the catalogue data in
  publications as:

  Parkes Catalogue, 1990, Australia Telescope National Facility

The New Version Of The Catalogue:

  This catalogue  differs in  several important  ways  from  the
  older (VAX/VMS  only) version  (which we  shall  refer  to  as
  "PKSCAT85") in that:

    1. It  has a  different  and  more  compact  structure  than
    PKSCAT85 and thus takes up less disc space.

    2. It  contains J2000 (FK5) positions and names. This is the
    IAU-preferred  system.  Generally  the  B1950  data  is  for
    convenience only  and is  given to  a limited precision of 1
    arcsec.

    3. Improved  positions for  many sources have been included.
    Following the  J2000 position  is an explicit upper limit to
    the positional accuracy in arcsecs.

    5. The  new catalogue  contains 8400MHz  fluxes from  recent
    Parkes measurements of around 1100 of the stronger sources.

    6. References to identifications and redshifts are available
    for some  sources in  the catalogue.  The codes placed after
    the J2000  position can  be used  to refer  to sources  in a
    table at the end of this information.

About Names:

  In the past, Parkes source names have been given in a format
  similar to:

       1934-638

  Unfortunately this is inconsistent with the IAU
  recommendations as to nomenclature (see e.g. Dickel et al,
  1987, A & A Suppl. 68, 75-80
  or http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/iau-spec.html)
  since:

    (i) it  doesn't specify  the Equinox and Equator (e.g. B1950
    or J2000) of the position from which the name is derived and
    (ii) decimal  fractions of  degrees are not permitted in the
    "declination-part" of the name

  However, because they are so widely used, we have kept the
  existing nomenclature for all "1950-type" names, but include a
  B in front of them.

  The J2000 names are given as:

       J1229+0203

  where the letter signifies J2000 equinox and equator (FK5-type
  position), the next 4 digits are the hours and minutes of
  right ascension and the sign and final digits are the degrees
  and minutes of declination.

  Thus, the source 3C273 in the new system will be referred to
  as:

  PKSB1226+023 or PKSJ1229+0203 if the observatory designation
  is important or, more informally,  B1226+023 or J1229+0203

  The latter style of naming has been adopted for the catalogue
  software.

For the Future:

  In the future, the catalogue will be expanded to include extra
  information from: new radio surveys, new identifications, many
  more references, improved positions and variability of fluxes.

  Furthermore we propose to extend the coverage of the Catalogue
  northward of  +27 degrees  declination  using  data  from  the
  northern surveys  so as  eventually  to  produce  an  all-sky,
  "Master" radio catalogue.

  Most  importantly,   we  would   very  much  like  to  receive
  references  to   pre-print  and  published  information  which
  supersedes or  augments data  in the present catalogue. Please
  assist by sending such material to:

          Alan Wright & Robina Otrupcek, PKSCAT Project
                           ATNF, Parkes
                           P.O. Box 276
                              PARKES
                             NSW 2870
                            Australia

  Alternatively we can be contacted by E-MAIL on:

                   PKSCAT@ATPARKES.RP.CSIRO.AU

  Next, in addition to the IBM/ PC version, a mainframe
  version of PKSCAT90 is now available in VAX/VMS format
  together with suitable interrogation  and report
  generating programs. We are also preparing an Apple
  Macintosh version of PKSCAT90 for those users who have
  access to the FileMaker database program. Distribution is
  planned for later this year. The handling and postage
  prices will be the same as for the PC version.

  Finally, we are preparing a Radio Atlas of the southern
  sky using data from the PKSCAT90 database. This will be in
  a similar format to the optical, "Norton's" star atlas and
  should be available by 1 August 1990.

            Alan Wright & Robina Otrupcek   10 May 1990
================================================================================
(End)              Alan Wright [Parkes], Francois Ochsenbein [CDS]   10-May-1996
CDS Catalogue Service