A MeerKAT 1.28 GHz Atlas of Southern Sources in the IRAS Revised Bright
  Galaxy Sample
  The IRAS Revised Bright Galaxy Sample (RBGS) comprises galaxies and
unresolved mergers stronger than $S = 5.24$ Jy at $\lambda = 60~\mu\mathrm{m}$
with galactic latitudes $\vert b \vert > 5^\circ$. Nearly all are dusty
star-forming galaxies whose radio continuum and far-infrared luminosities are
proportional to their current rates of star formation. We used the MeerKAT
array of 64 dishes to make $5 \times 3$ min snapshot observations at $\nu =
1.28$ GHz covering all 298 southern (J2000 $\delta < 0^\circ$) RBGS sources
identified with external galaxies. The resulting images have $\theta \approx
7.5$ arcsec FHWM resolution and rms fluctuations $\sigma \approx
20~\mu\mathrm{Jy~beam}^{-1} \approx 0.26$ K, low enough to reveal even faint
disk emission. The rms position uncertainties are $\sigma_\alpha \approx
\sigma_\delta \approx 1$ arcsec relative to accurate near-infrared positions,
and the image dynamic ranges are DR $\gtrsim 10^4:1$.
