Robust Constraint of Luminosity Function Evolution Through MCMC Sampling

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new galaxy survey simulation tool that uses MCMC sampling to robustly constrain the evolution of the infrared luminosity function, aiding in survey analysis and comparison.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel simulation package combining MCMC with galaxy evolution models for survey characterization.

Findings

Initial results align with previous studies.

Method provides a flexible framework for survey analysis.

Potential for broader application in galaxy evolution studies.

Abstract

We present a new galaxy survey simulation package, which combines the power of Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling with a robust and adaptable model of galaxy evolution. The aim of this code is to aid in the characterization and study of new and existing galaxy surveys. In this paper we briefly describe the MCMC implementation and the survey simulation methodology and associated tools. A test case of this full suite was to constrain the evolution of the IR Luminosity Function (LF) based on the HerMES (Herschel SPIRE) survey of the Spitzer First Look Survey field. The initial results are consistent with previous studies, but our more general approach should be of wider benefit to the community.