The Westerbork SINGS survey

I. Overview and image atlas

¹ ASTRON, PO Box 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, The Netherlands e-mail: braun@astron.nl
² Argelander-Institut für Astronomie, Radio Astronomy Department, Auf dem Hügel 71, 53121 Bonn, Germany
³ Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Auf dem Hügel 69, 53121 Bonn, Germany

Received: 24 July 2006
Accepted: 23 September 2006

Abstract

We have obtained moderately deep radio continuum imaging at 18 and 22 cm with the Westerbork array of 34 nearby galaxies drawn from the Spitzer SINGS and Starburst samples to enable complimentary analysis. The sub-sample have an optical major axis diameter in excess of 5 arcmin and are North of Declination 125. Sub-sample galaxies span a very wide range of morphological types and star formation rates. Resolved detection was possible for every galaxy. This constitutes a first time detection at GHz radio frequencies for about half of the sample. Analysis of both total intensity and polarization properties of the sample will be published in companion papers. Both the  and OH main-lines of the target galaxies were within the observed band-pass, albeit with only coarse velocity resolution. Only two low mass elliptical galaxies were undetected in . Four of the sub-sample galaxies were detected in OH main-line absorption, including two new detections. The results are presented in the form of an image atlas for which a standard transfer function and image size are used throughout and whereby the radio continuum, DSS optical and integrated  are displayed side-by-side. Continuum and  line photometry are tabulated for all targets.