TXS 0128+554: A young gamma‐ray emitting active galactic nucleus with episodic jet activity

Abstract

AbstractWe carried out a Chandra X‐ray and multi‐frequency very long baseline array (VLBA) study of TXS 0128+554, which is associated with the Fermi γ‐ray source 4FGL J0131.2+5547. The active galactic nuclei (AGN) is unresolved in a 19.3 ks Chandra X‐ray image, and its X‐ray spectrum is well fit by a simple absorbed power law model, with no distinguishable spectral features. Its relatively soft X‐ray spectrum compared to other compact symmetric object (CSOs) may be indicative of a thermal emission component, for which we were able to obtain an upper‐temperature limit of kT <0.08 keV. The compact radio morphology and advanced speed of indicating a kinematic age of 82 ±17 years, placing TXS 0128+554 among the youngest members of the CSO class. The lack of compact, inverted spectrum hotspots, and an emission gap between the bright inner jet and outer radio lobe structure indicate that the jets have undergone episodic activity, and were re‐launched a decade ago. The predicted γ‐ray emission from the lobes, based on an inverse Compton‐emitting cocoon model, is three orders of magnitude below the observed Fermi‐LAT flux. A comparison to other Fermi‐detected and non‐Fermi detected CSOs with redshift indicates that the γ‐ray emission likely originates in the inner jet/core region, and that nearby, recently launched AGN jets are primary candidates for detection by Fermi.