Extragalactic radio source evolution & unification: clues to the demographics of blazars

Abstract

In this paper we discuss the demographics of the radio blazar population: (i) what are their parent (`unbeamed') sources and (ii) what magnitude and/or type of evolution have they undergone ? The discussion is based on models of radio source evolution and beaming based on a `dual population' unification paradigm. These models, developed from radio blazar properties in bright samples, predict blazar demographic trends at the lower flux-density levels; samples from deep mJy-level surveys (e.g. NVSS and FIRST) may now provide direct tests of these predictions.