A multi-epoch VLBI survey of the kinematics of CJF sources^*

I. Model-fit parameters and maps

¹ Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Auf dem Hügel 69, 53121 Bonn, Germany e-mail: sbritzen@mpifr-bonn.mpg.de
² ASTRON, Netherlands Foundation for Research in Astronomy, Oude Hoogeveensedijk 4, PO Box 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
³ Landessternwarte, Königstuhl, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
⁴ Kavli Institute of particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
⁵ National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Socorro, NM 87801, USA
⁶ Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe, Oude Hoogeveensedijk 4, PO Box 2, 7991 PD Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
⁷ California Institute of Technology, Department of Astronomy, 105-24, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
⁸ University of Manchester, Nuffield Radio Astronomy Laboratories, Jodrell Bank, Macclesfield, Cheshire SK11 9 DL, UK

Received: 11 January 2005
Accepted: 2 May 2007

Abstract

Context.This is the first of a series of papers presenting VLBI observations of the 293 Caltech-Jodrell Bank Flat-Spectrum (hereafter CJF) sources and their analysis.

Aims.One of the major goals of the CJF is to make a statistical study of the apparent velocities of the sources.

Methods.We have conducted global VLBI and VLBA observations at 5 GHz since 1990, accumulating thirteen separate observing campaigns.

Results.We present here an overview of the observations, give details of the data reduction and present the source parameters resulting from a model-fitting procedure. For every source at every observing epoch, an image is shown, built up by restoring the model-fitted components, convolved with the clean beam, into the residual image, which was made by Fourier transforming the visibility data after first subtracting the model-fitted components in the uv-plane. Overplotted we show symbols to represent the model components.

Conclusions.We have produced VLBI images of all but 5 of the 293 sources in the complete CJF sample at several epochs and investigated the kinematics of 266 AGN.