Wide-Angle-Tail (WAT) Radio Sources

Abstract

We review the properties of Wide-Angle-Tail (WAT) radio sources. The WAT radio sources are powerful, bent radio sources typically associated with the dominant galaxy in a cluster or group. For the purpose of this review, we define the radio morphology properties of WATs as (1) a sudden jet-tail transition, (2) overall bending of the tails to one side, and (3) non-parallel tails. The mechanism for the rapid jet-tail transition is uncertain but it seems to occur near the transition from the host ISM to ICM. The jet-tail transition may make the jets easier to bend. The narrow range in radio luminosity can be understood if there is a minimum luminosity required to allow the jets to propagate undisturbed for tens of kpc and a maximum luminosity required to allow the jet disruption mechanism to act. WATs are typically hosted by the brightest cluster galaxies in clusters which are currently merging. Thus, WATs can be used as tracers of merging clusters. The merging produces large-scale bulk motions in the ICM which can provide sufficient ram pressure to bend the jets. We suggest that although the Lorentz force may not bend the jets in WATs, it may be relevant in other sources, e.g., protostellar jets.