The MeerKAT Absorption Line Survey (MALS) Data Release. I. Stokes I Image Catalogs at 1–1.4 GHz

The MeerKAT Absorption Line Survey (MALS) has observed 391 telescope pointings at the L band (900–1670 MHz) at δ ≲ +20°. We present radio continuum images and a catalog of 495,325 (240,321) radio sources detected at a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) > 5 over an area of 2289 deg² (1132 deg²) at 1006 MHz (1381 MHz). Every MALS pointing contains a central bright radio source (S _{1 GHz} ≳ 0.2 Jy). The median spatial resolution is 12″ (8″). The median rms noise away from the pointing center is 25 μJy beam^‑1 (22 μJy beam^‑1) and is within ∼15% of the achievable theoretical sensitivity. The flux density scale ratio and astrometric accuracy deduced from multiply observed sources in MALS are <1% (8% scatter) and 1″, respectively. Through comparisons with NVSS and FIRST at 1.4 GHz, we establish the catalog's accuracy in the flux density scale and astrometry to be better than 6% (15% scatter) and 0.″8, respectively. The median flux density offset is higher (9%) for an alternate beam model based on holographic measurements. The MALS radio source counts at 1.4 GHz are in agreement with literature. We estimate spectral indices (α) of a subset of 125,621 sources (S/N > 8), confirm the flattening of spectral indices with decreasing flux density, and identify 140 ultra-steep-spectrum (α < ‑1.3) sources as prospective high-z radio galaxies (z > 2). We have identified 1308 variable and 122 transient radio sources comprising primarily active galactic nuclei that demonstrate long-term (26 yr) variability in their observed flux densities. The MALS catalogs and images are publicly available at https://mals.iucaa.in.