The VLA Galactic Plane Survey

Abstract

The VLA Galactic Plane Survey (VGPS) is a survey of HI and 21-cm continuum emission in the Galactic plane between longitude 18 degrees 67 degr. with latitude coverage from |b| < 1.3 degr. to |b| < 2.3 degr. The survey area was observed with the Very Large Array (VLA) in 990 pointings. Short-spacing information for the HI line emission was obtained by additional observations with the Green Bank Telescope (GBT). HI spectral line images are presented with a resolution of 1 arcmin x 1 arcmin x 1.56 km/s (FWHM) and rms noise of 2 K per 0.824 km/s channel. Continuum images made from channels without HI line emission have 1 arcmin (FWHM) resolution. VGPS images are compared with images from the Canadian Galactic Plane Survey (CGPS) and the Southern Galactic Plane Survey (SGPS). In general, the agreement between these surveys is impressive, considering the differences in instrumentation and image processing techniques used for each survey. The differences between VGPS and CGPS images are small, < 6 K (rms) in channels where the mean HI brightness temperature in the field exceeds 80 K. A similar degree of consistency is found between the VGPS and SGPS. The agreement we find between arcminute resolution surveys of the Galactic plane is a crucial step towards combining these surveys into a single uniform dataset which covers 90% of the Galactic disk: the International Galactic Plane Survey (IGPS). The VGPS data will be made available on the World Wide Web through the Canadian Astronomy Data Centre (CADC).

Accepted for publication in The Astronomical Journal. 41 pages, 13 figures. For information on data release, colour images etc. see http://www.ras.ucalgary.ca/VGPS

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• The Molecular Properties of Galactic HII Regions
• The Distance and Age of the SNR Kes 73 and AXP 1E 1841-045
• The Distances of SNR W41 and overlapping HII regions
• The Distances of SNRs Kes 69 and G21.5-0.9 from HI and 13CO Spectra
• VLA and XMM-Newton observations of the SNR W41/TeV Gamma-ray source HESS J1834-087
• Multiwavelength spectral and high time resolution observations of SWIFT J1753.5-0127: new activity?
• Distance Determination to the Crab-like PWN G54.1+0.3 and Search for its Supernova Remnant Shell
• Radio and X-ray images of SNR G18.8+0.3 interacting with molecular clouds
• Massive-Star Forming Infrared Loop around the Crab-like Supernova Remnant G54.1+0.3: Post Main-Sequence Triggered Star Formation?
• Three-Dimensional Simulations of Magnetized Superbubbles: New Insights into the Importance of MHD Effects on Observed Quantities
• PSR J1856+0245: Arecibo Discovery of a Young, Energetic Pulsar Coincident with the TeV Gamma-ray Source HESS J1857+026
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