We describe a new estimate of the radio galaxy 1.4 GHz luminosity function and its evolution at intermediate redshifts (z~0.4). Photometric redshifts and color selection have been used to select Bj<23.5 early-type galaxies from the Panoramic Deep Fields, a multicolor survey of two 25 sq deg fields. Approximately 230 radio galaxies have then been selected by matching early-type galaxies with NVSS radio sources brighter than 5 mJy. Estimates of the 1.4 GHz luminosity function of radio galaxies measure significant evolution over the observed redshift range. For an Omega_M=1 cosmology the evolution of the radio power is consistent with luminosity evolution where P(z)=P(0)(1+z)^{k_L} and 3<k_L<5. The observed evolution is similar to that observed for UVX and X-ray selected AGN and is consistent with the same physical process being responsible for the optical and radio luminosity evolution of AGN.
@article{arxiv.astro-ph/0102176,
title = {The Evolution of Radio Galaxies at Intermediate Redshift},
author = {M. J. I. Brown and R. L. Webster and B. J. Boyle},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:astro-ph/0102176},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
26 pages, 9 Figures, Accepted for Publication in AJ