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Description
The Very Large Array has been used in C configuration to map an area ~=0.3deg^2^ at 1.4GHz with 5{sigma} sensitivities of 0.305, 0.325, 0.380, and 0.450mJy/beam over four equal subareas. Radio properties are presented for 62 detected sources. Deep optical imaging to Gunn r ~=25mag using the Hale 5m telescope covering ~=0.21deg^2^ is reported for a subset of 43 sources. This optical follow-up is much deeper than that of existing larger area radio surveys of similar radio sensitivity. Archival J-, H-, and K-band photometry from the Two-Micron All Sky Survey is also presented. Using a robust likelihood ratio technique, we optically identified 26 radio sources with probability >~80%, nine with uncertain/ambiguous detections, and eight with empty fields. Comparisons with a stellar synthesis model that includes radio emission and dust reddening suggest that the near-infrared-optical emission in a small, bright subsample is reddened by "optically thin" dust with absorption A_V_~=22.5mag, regardless of morphological type. This is consistent with other, more direct determinations of absorption. The radio-optical(-near-infrared) flux ratios of early-type galaxies require significant contamination in the radio by an active galactic nucleus, consistent with the current paradigm. Using our simple modeling approach, we also discuss a potential diagnostic for selecting ultraluminous infrared galaxies to z~=1.6 from microJansky radio surveys.
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