Extrapolation of the Number-flux Density Relation of Radio Stars by Scheuer's Statistical Method

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Abstract
An attempt is made to assess the usefulness of Scheuer's statistical method of analysing the records derived from a phase-switching receiver. A Monte Carlo technique is described which enables the probability distribution of the recorded deflections to be computed rapidly in EDSAC for any assumed distribution of radio sources. Some typical models are considered and it is concluded that, subject to a small enough receiver noise, the statistical method gives information about the source distribution at flux densities considerably lower than those at which the sources may be counted individually. The method is applied to some observations at 178 Mc/s using the method of aperture synthesis. It is shown that the log N –log S relation cannot have a uniform slope of −1.5. A slope of −1.8 yields good agreement provided that the source density is suitably truncated at small flux densities.

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