Open AccessOn the redshift cut‐off for steep‐spectrum radio sources
Author(s) -
Jarvis Matt J.,
Rawlings Steve,
Willott Chris J.,
Blundell Katherine M.,
Eales Steve,
Lacy Mark
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-8711.2001.04778.x
Subject(s) - physics , redshift , astrophysics , quasar , luminosity , luminosity function , cosmology , cosmic cancer database , gaussian , flux (metallurgy) , astronomy , galaxy , materials science , quantum mechanics , metallurgy
We use three samples (3CRR, 6CE and 6C*) selected at low radio frequency to constrain the cosmic evolution in the radio luminosity function (RLF) for the ‘most luminous’ steep‐spectrum radio sources. Though intrinsically rare, such sources give the largest possible baseline in redshift for the complete flux‐density‐limited samples currently available. Using parametric models to describe the RLF, incorporating distributions in radio spectral shape and linear size, as well as the usual luminosity and redshift, we find that the data are consistent with a constant comoving space density between and . We find that this model is favoured over a model with similar evolutionary behaviour to that of optically selected quasars (i.e., a roughly Gaussian distribution in redshift) with probability ratios of and for spatially flat cosmologies with and respectively. Within the uncertainties, this evolutionary behaviour may be reconciled with the shallow decline preferred for the comoving space density of flat‐spectrum sources by Dunlop & Peacock and Jarvis & Rawlings, in line with the expectations of unified schemes.