SUMSS: A wide-field radio imaging survey of the southern sky. I. Science goals, survey design, and instrumentation

The Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope, operating at 843 MHz with a 5 deg(2) field of view, is carrying out a radio imaging survey of the sky south of declination -30 degrees. This survey (the Sydney University Molonglo Sky Survey, or SUMSS) produces images with a resolution of 43" x 43" csc /delta/ and an rms noise level of similar to 1 mJy beam(-1). The SUMSS is therefore similar in sensitivity and resolution to the northern NRAO VLA Sky Survey. The survey is progressing at a rate of about 1000 deg(2) per year, yielding individual and statistical data for many thousands of weak radio sources. This paper describes the main characteristics of the survey and presents sample images from the first year of observations.