Extragalactic VLBI surveys in the MeerKAT era

TL;DR

This paper discusses the potential of integrating MeerKAT into VLBI networks to enhance extragalactic radio observations, highlighting technical advances, limitations, and scientific prospects for large survey projects.

Contribution

It provides an overview of how MeerKAT-VLBI can advance extragalactic surveys, emphasizing the scientific benefits and current limitations of the integration.

Findings

MeerKAT integration will significantly boost VLBI sensitivity and resolution.

Current limitations include band overlap issues and small field-of-view.

MeerKAT's large survey projects will benefit from enhanced VLBI capabilities.

Abstract

The past decade has seen significant advances in cm-wave VLBI extragalactic observations due to a wide range of technical successes, including the increase in processed field-of-view and bandwidth. The future inclusion of MeerKAT into global VLBI networks would provide further enhancement, particularly the dramatic sensitivity boost to >7000 km baselines. This will not be without its limitations, however, considering incomplete MeerKAT band overlap with current VLBI arrays and the small (real-time) field-of-view afforded by the phased up MeerKAT array. We provide a brief overview of the significant contributions MeerKAT-VLBI could make, with an emphasis on the scientific output of several MeerKAT extragalactic Large Survey Projects.