Deep radio continuum studies with the SKA: evolution of radio AGN populations

Abstract

Radio emission is insensitive to dust obscuration, and the breadth of the radio luminosity function ensures that sources are detected over a wide range of redshifts at all radio flux densities. As a result, radio continuum observations are an efficient and unbiased probe of both nuclear (AGN) and star-forming activity over all cosmic epochs. The SKA’s ultra-deep radio continuum surveys will provide the answers to at least three key astrophysical questions: (i) the star-formation history of the Universe, (ii) the evolution of the low-power end of the radio galaxy luminosity function and (iii) the relationship between the radio-loud AGN, star-formation and radio-quiet AGN phenomena. In this paper, we discuss the AGN science that will be enabled by the deep radio continuum studies using the SKA. It is important to recognise that the sub-μJy SKA sky will be dominated by populations other than ‘radio-loud’ AGN. In this way the SKA will not only provide an unbiased tracer of the star-formation history of the Universe but also be able to study the populations of sources we currently describe as ‘radio-quiet’. To illustrate this point we present simulations of the extragalactic radio sky based from models of the evolution of the radio luminosity function. From these simulations we predict typical source distributions and estimate the natural confusion limit to ultra-faint flux density limits relevant to the science and design goals of the SKA.