Flat-spectrum Radio Sources from the Parkes 2· 7 GHz Survey ? A Study of a Complete Sample

Abstract

We describe our complete sample, taken from the Parkes 2·7 GHz catalogue, of flat-spectrum radio sources with flux densities > 0·5 Jy. The sample covers all right ascensions and declinations from +10° to -45°, excluding the galactic plane (lhI < 10°) and contains 403 sources. Attention is drawn to the advantages of radio surveys over optical surveys. The survey is used to highlight some selection effects found in optical surveys. We also discuss how this sample can be used to give us information on the early universe