The Far-Infrared Radio Correlation at High-z: Prospects for the SKA

Abstract

In this conference proceedings article I summarize the recent work of Murphy (2009) which presents physically motivated predictions for the evolution of the Far-Infrared--radio correlation as a function of redshift arising from variations in the cosmic-ray (CR) electron cooling time-scales as Inverse Compton (IC) scattering off of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) becomes increasingly important. Since the non-thermal component of a galaxy's radio continuum is increasingly suppressed with redshift, radio continuum measurements at moderately high frequency ($\sim$10 GHz) become one of the cleanest ways to quantify the star formation activity of galaxies at high redshifts unbiased by dust. Given the focus of the conference, extra emphasis placed on what this may mean for deep radio continuum surveys using next generation radio facilities such as the Square Kilometer Array (SKA).