Optical spectroscopy of radio jets in 3C 31, 3C 75, 3C 83.1B, and 3C 465

Abstract

We present preliminary results of optical spectroscopy of four radio galaxies with jets (3C 75, 3C 465, 3C 31, and 3C 83. 1B (NGC 1265)). We examined selected regions in and around the radio jets for evidence of the interaction of the jets with their external medium (e.g., entrainment or bending through collision with clouds). We searched for the emission lines expected from ionized gas at a temperature of T ~ 104 K (e.g., Hα and [NII]) as well as those expected at higher temperatures (T ~ 106 K, Fe X (λ6374) and Fe XIV (λ5303)).We found no extranuclear emission in the regions searched in 3C 75, 3C 465, and 3C 83.1B. Assuming values for the pressure in the environment of the radio sources, we found the upper limits to the line emission correspond to model-dependent lower limits to the temperature in the range T ≥ 1.5–3 × 106 K and upper limits to the electron density in the range ne ≤ 5 × 10−2−5 × 10−3 cm−3.In 3C 31, we detected extended Hα and [NII] emission that is peaked on the nucleus and exhibits a velocity gradient. The [NII] emission has a total velocity width of ~800 km∙s−1. It is not yet clear whether any of this emission is associated with the jet (e.g., entrained gas) or whether it is associated with a known dust lane in the galaxy NGC 383.