Radio observations of the UK deep X-ray survey area.

In this thesis results of VLA radio observations of the UK Deep X-ray Survey Area are presented. To a 4s peak flux detection limit at 1.4 GHz of 30 mJy/beam a total of 462 sources are found. The log(N)-log(S) differential source count confirms the results of other deep radio surveys at 1.4 GHz showing an upturn in source counts below 1 mJy. Data at 4.86 GHz is also available to a 3s peak flux detection limit of 100 mJy/beam which found 116 sources of which 53 had 1.4 GHz counterparts allowing two-point radio spectral indices to be accurately determined. For other sources at either frequency it possible to determine upper or lower limits to the two-point radio spectral index. The correlation of the radio sources with the deep optical data is also presented (R ~ 27 and B ~ 26.5). In R-band 83% of the radio sources had optical counterparts and 64% had B-band counterparts. The radio sources show a wide range of radio to optical flux ratios (0.01 - 104) consistent with many different types of sources with a large range of properties contributing to the radio background. For radio sources with optical R-band counterparts with R £ 20.5, 96 our of 124 have optical spectra. These optical counterparts are dominated by Narrow Emission Line galaxies, but also include quasars, normal galaxies and clusters. From a deep Chandra survey 68 of 214 X-ray sources are found to have radio counterparts. Examples of how a well sampled spectral energy distribution is vital in understanding the emission mechanisms of the faint X-ray/radio population are given. It is found that many classes of object make up the X-ray background radiation including quasars, BL Lacs, starburst galaxies, clusters, normal galaxies and galaxies with both AGN and starburst activity.