Predictions for high-frequency radio surveys of extragalactic sources

Abstract

We present detailed predictions of the contributions of the various source populations to the counts at frequencies of tens of GHz. New evolutionary models are worked out for flat-spectrum radio quasars, BL Lac objects, and steep-spectrum sources. Source populations characterized by spectra peaking at high radio frequencies, such as extreme GPS sources, ADAF/ADIOS sources and early phases of gamma-ray burst afterglows are also dealt with. The counts of different populations of star-forming galaxies (normal spirals, starbursts, high-z galaxies detected by SCUBA and MAMBO surveys, interpreted as proto-spheroidal galaxies) are estimated taking into account both synchrotron and free-free emission, and dust re-radiation. Our analysis is completed by updated counts of Sunyaev-Zeldovich effects in clusters of galaxies and by a preliminary estimate of galactic-scale Sunyaev-Zeldovich signals associated to proto-galactic plasma.