AKARI/IRC Deep Survey in the North Ecliptic Pole Region

Abstract

Abstract We have made a deep and wide imaging survey with all nine AKARI/IRC bands from 2 to 24$\mu$m within a half degree of the North Ecliptic Pole. The survey covered a circular area of 0.38deg$^2$ centered at RA $=$ 17h56m, Dec $=$ 66°37' where a deep optical multi-band survey has been conducted by Subaru/Suprime-Cam. The 5$\sigma$ sensitivity of the survey for point sources is 11.0, 48, 117, and 275$\mu$Jy at wavelengths 3, 7, 15, and 24$\mu$m, respectively. The survey is limited by sky noise at wavelengths from 7 to 24$\mu$m, and limited by source confusion from 2 to 4$\mu$m. We have also made a point source catalog at each band, consisting of more than 5000 sources with a 50% completeness limit of 93$\mu$Jy at 15$\mu$m. Our results are consistent with the pilot survey at faint fluxes and has better statistical significance at the bright fluxes. This is the first near- and mid-infrared sub-mJy extragalactic survey with contiguous wavelength coverage from 2 to 24$\mu$m and a large band-merged catalogue. It will provide powerful and unique diagnostics of obscured star-formation and AGN activities in the galaxies up to $z=2$.