In situ particle acceleration and physical conditions in radio tail galaxies

Abstract

view Abstract Citations (114) References (27) Co-Reads Similar Papers Volume Content Graphics Metrics Export Citation NASA/ADS In situ particle acceleration and physical conditions in radio tail galaxies. Pacholczyk, A. G. ; Scott, J. S. Abstract A model for the objects known as radio tail galaxies is presented. Independent plasmons emerging from an active radio galaxy into an intracluster medium become turbulent due to Rayleigh-Taylor and Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities. The turbulence produces both in situ betatron and second order Fermi acceleration. Predictions of the dependence of spectral index and flux on distance along the tail match observations well. Fitting provides values of physical parameters in the tail. The relevance of this method of particle acceleration for the problem of the origin of X-ray emission in clusters of galaxies is discussed. Publication: The Astrophysical Journal Pub Date: January 1976 DOI: 10.1086/154081 Bibcode: 1976ApJ...203..313P Keywords: Galactic Clusters; Galactic Structure; Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence; Particle Acceleration; Radio Galaxies; Active Galaxies; Astronomical Models; Intergalactic Media; Interstellar Gas; Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability; Relativistic Particles; Taylor Instability; Astrophysics full text sources ADS | data products SIMBAD (2) NED (1)