Large-scale Lobes Research Articles

CHANG-ES. XXX. 10 kpc Radio Lobes in the Sombrero Galaxy

We report the discovery of the 10 kpc scale radio lobes in the Sombrero galaxy (NGC 4594), using data from the Continuum Halos in Nearby Galaxies—an Expanded Very Large Array Survey project. We further examine the balance between the magnetic pressure inside the lobes and the thermal pressure of the ambient hot gas. At the radii r of ∼(1–10) kpc, the magnetic pressure inside the lobes and the thermal pressure of the ambient hot gas are generally in balance. This implies that the jets could expand into the surroundings to at least r ∼ 10 kpc. The feedback from the active galactic nucleus jet responsible for the large-scale lobes may help to explain the unusually high X-ray luminosity of this massive quiescent isolated disk galaxy, although more theoretical work is needed to further examine this possibility.

Recent north magnetic pole acceleration towards Siberia caused by flux lobe elongation

The wandering of Earth's north magnetic pole, the location where the magnetic field points vertically downwards, has long been a topic of scientific fascination. Since the first in-situ measurements in 1831 of its location in the Canadian arctic, the pole has drifted inexorably towards Siberia, accelerating between 1990 and 2005 from its historic speed of 0-15 km/yr to its present speed of 50-60 km/yr. In late October 2017 the north magnetic pole crossed the international date line, passing within 390 km of the geographic pole, and is now moving southwards. Here we show that over the last two decades the position of the north magnetic pole has been largely determined by two large-scale lobes of negative magnetic flux on the core-mantle-boundary under Canada and Siberia. Localised modelling shows that elongation of the Canadian lobe, likely caused by an alteration in the pattern of core-flow between 1970 and 1999, significantly weakened its signature on Earth's surface causing the pole to accelerate towards Siberia. A range of simple models that capture this process indicate that over the next decade the north magnetic pole will continue on its current trajectory travelling a further 390-660 km towards Siberia.

LOFAR view of NGC 3998, a sputtering AGN

Low-power radio sources dominate the radio sky. They tend to be small in size and dominated by their cores, but the origin of their properties and the evolution of their radio plasma are not well constrained. Interestingly, there is mounting evidence that low-power radio sources can significantly affect their surrounding gaseous medium and may therefore be more relevant for galaxy evolution than previously thought. In this paper, we present low radio frequency observations obtained with LOFAR at 147 MHz of the radio source hosted by NGC 3998. This is a rare example of a low-power source that is extremely dominated by its core, but that has two large-scale lobes of low surface brightness. We combine the new 147 MHz image with available 1400 MHz data to derive the spectral index over the source. Despite the low surface brightness, reminiscent of remnant structures, the lobes show an optically thin synchrotron spectral index (∼0.6). We interpret this as being due to rapid decollimation of the jets close to the core, to high turbulence of the plasma flow, and to entrainment of thermal gas. This could be the result of intermittent activity of the central active galactic nucleus, or, more likely, temporary disruption of the jet due to the interaction of the jet with the rich circumnuclear interstellar matter. Both would result in sputtering energy injection from the core, which would keep the lobes fed, albeit at a low rate. We discuss these results in connection with the properties of low-power radio sources in general. Our findings show that amorphous low surface brightness lobes should not be interpreted by default as remnant structures. Large deep surveys (in particular the LOFAR 150 MHz LoTSS and the recently started 1400 MHz Apertif survey) will identify a growing number of objects similar to NGC 3998 where these ideas can be further tested.

Duty cycle of the radio galaxy B2 0258+35

Context. Radio loud active galactic nuclei (AGN) are episodic in nature, cycling through periods of activity and quiescence. The study of this duty cycle has recently gained new relevance because of the importance of AGN feedback for galaxy evolution.Aims. In this work we investigate the duty cycle of the radio galaxy B2 0258+35, which was previously suggested to be a restarted radio galaxy based on its morphology. The radio source consists of a pair of kpc-scale jets embedded in two large-scale lobes (∼240 kpc) with relaxed shape and very low surface brightness, which resemble remnants of a past AGN activity.Methods. We have combined new LOFAR data at 145 MHz and new Sardinia Radio Telescope data at 6600 MHz with available WSRT data at 1400 MHz to investigate the spectral properties of the outer lobes and derive their age.Results. Interestingly, the spectrum of both the outer northern and southern lobes is not ultra-steep as expected for an old ageing plasma with spectral index values equal to α1451400= 0.48 ± 0.11 and α14006600= 0.69 ± 0.20 in the outer northern lobe, and α1451400= 0.73 ± 0.07 in the outer southern lobe. Moreover, despite the wide frequency coverage available for the outer northern lobe (145–6600 MHz), we do not identify a significant spectral curvature (SPC ≃ 0.2 ± 0.2).Conclusions. While mechanisms such as in-situ particle reacceleration, mixing or compression can temporarily play a role in preventing the spectrum from steepening, in no case seem the outer lobes to be compatible with being very old remnants of past activity as previously suggested (with age ≳ 80 Myr). We conclude that either the large-scale lobes are still fuelled by the nuclear engine or the jets have switched off no more than a few tens of Myr ago, allowing us to observe both the inner and outer structure simultaneously. Our study shows the importance of combining morphological and spectral properties to reliably classify the evolutionary stage of low surface brightness, diffuse emission that low frequency observations are revealing around a growing number of radio sources.

IS THE OBSERVED HIGH-FREQUENCY RADIO LUMINOSITY DISTRIBUTION OF QSOs BIMODAL?

The distribution of QSO radio luminosities has long been debated in the literature. Some argue that it is a bimodal distribution, implying that there are two separate QSO populations (normally referred to as 'radio-loud' and 'radio-quiet'), while others claim it forms a more continuous distribution characteristic of a single population. We use deep observations at 20 GHz to investigate whether the distribution is bimodal at high radio frequencies. Carrying out this study at high radio frequencies has an advantage over previous studies as the radio emission comes predominantly from the core of the AGN, hence probes the most recent activity. Studies carried out at lower frequencies are dominated by the large scale lobes where the emission is built up over longer timescales (10^7-10^8 yrs), thereby confusing the sample. Our sample comprises 874 X-ray selected QSOs that were observed as part of the 6dF Galaxy Survey. Of these, 40% were detected down to a 3 sigma detection limit of 0.2-0.5 mJy. No evidence of bimodality is seen in either the 20 GHz luminosity distribution or in the distribution of the R_20 parameter: the ratio of the radio to optical luminosities traditionally used to classify objects as being either radio-loud or radio-quiet. Previous results have claimed that at low radio luminosities, star formation processes can dominate the radio emission observed in QSOs. We attempt to investigate these claims by stacking the undetected sources at 20 GHz and discuss the limitations in carrying out this analysis. However, if the radio emission was solely due to star formation processes, we calculate that this corresponds to star formation rates ranging from ~10 solar masses/yr to ~2300 solar masses/yr.

MORPHO-KINEMATIC ANALYSIS OF THE POINT-SYMMETRIC, BIPOLAR PLANETARY NEBULAE Hb 5 AND K 3-17, A PATHWAY TO POLY-POLARITY

The kinematics of the bipolar planetary nebulae Hb~5 and K 3-17 are investigated in detail by means of a comprehensive set of spatially resolved high spectral resolution, long-slit spectra. Both objects share particularly interesting characteristics, such as a complex filamentary, rosette-type nucleus, axial point-symmetry and very fast bipolar outflows. The kinematic information of Hb~5 is combined with {\it HST} imagery to construct a detailed 3D model of the nebula using the code SHAPE. The model shows that the large scale lobes are growing in a non-homologous way. The filamentary loops in the core are proven to actually be secondary lobes emerging from what appears to be a randomly punctured, dense, gaseous core and the material that forms the point symmetric structure flows within the lobes with a distinct kinematic pattern and its interaction with the lobes has had a shaping effect on them. Hb~5 and K~3-17 may represent a class of fast evolving planetary nebulae that will develop poly-polar characteristics once the nebular core evolves and expands.

Which radio galaxies can make the highest energy cosmic rays?

Numerous authors have suggested that the ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECR) detected by the Pierre Auger Observatory and other cosmic-ray telescopes may be accelerated in the nuclei, jets or lobes of radio galaxies. Here I focus on stochastic acceleration in the lobes. I show that the requirement that they accelerate protons to the highest observed energies places constraints on the observable properties of radio lobes that are satisfied by a relatively small number of objects within the Greisen-Zat'sepin-Kuzmin (GZK) cutoff; if UHECR are protons and are accelerated within radio lobes, their sources are probably already known and catalogued radio galaxies. I show that lobe acceleration also implies a (charge-dependent) upper energy limit on the UHECR that can be produced in this way; if lobes are the dominant accelerators in the local universe and if UHECR are predominantly protons, we are unlikely to see cosmic rays much higher in energy than those we have already observed. I comment on the viability of the stochastic acceleration mechanism and the likely composition of cosmic rays accelerated in this way, based on our current understanding of the contents of the large-scale lobes of radio galaxies, and finally discuss the implications of stochastic lobe acceleration for the future of cosmic ray astronomy.

The distorted jets and gaseous environment of 3C 465

The interaction of the jets seen in radio galaxies with any surrounding gaseous medium has been shown to provide a useful diagnostic for the physical parameters of the jets themselves. In this paper, ROSAT HRI observations of the field around the wide-angle-tailed radio galaxy 3C 465 are used to derive the properties of the intracluster medium (ICM) through which the radio jets propagate. If the observed large-scale bends in the jets are attributed to ram pressure and buoyancy within this medium, then the morphology of the bent large-scale jets constrains the transverse velocity of the radio galaxy to be ≲280 km s−1. The bulk flow of material down the large-scale jet cannot be occurring at a velocity of ≥ 3000 km s−1; as expected, this value is very much smaller than the velocity previously inferred for the pc-scale jet (∼0.6c). As in many radio galaxies, there is an abrupt transition from the well-collimated small-scale radio jets to the extended large-scale lobe structure in 3C 465. One possible explanation for this transition is that it occurs at the interface between the interstellar medium (ISM) of the galaxy and the surrounding ICM. We have used the HRI data to measure the properties of the ISM of the host galaxy. These data, together with those obtained from larger radii, are consistent with the hypothesis that the jet/lobe transition coincides with the ISM/ICM interface, but data of higher spatial and spectral resolution are required to test this model more stringently.

完新世における豊平川扇状地とその下流氾濫原の形成過程

The Toyohira River has formed an alluvial fan during the Holocene. The author studied the Toyohira River alluvial fan and distal floodplain from the viewpoint of the fan-delta complex deposited through a river system. A series of lobes was found on the distal part of the Toyohira River alluvial fan. These lobes consisted of bed load gravels and natural levee deposits. The stratigraphy of the fan deposit and marginal alluvium was studied based on 14C datings and geological sections. The Holocene evolution of the Toyohira River alluvial fan and its distal floodplain can be summarized as follows (Fig. 7). During the latest Pleistocene, the Toyohira River formed a fan-delta system at the lower sea level of the last glacial age, As the sea level rose, in the early Holocene, the Toyohira River formed a confined fan delta in the western part of the bay mouth, dissecting the Pleistocene fan in the upper part of the fan-delta system. In the late Holocene, after the sea level had risen to the present stage, the Toyohira River shifted its channel gradually eastwards, and buried a lagoon confined by the Momijiyama barrier. This channel shift was accompanied by lateral erosion at the fan head, and with the formation of lobes distal to the fan. Such alluvial fan construction means that the Holocene fan surface of the Toyohira River was formed by two separate processes, erosion and deposition, independently (Fig. S). During the late Holocene, the Toyohira River alluvial fan has developed not continuously, but episodically, as is suggested by an extraordinarily large-scale lobe of ca. 3, 500y.P. P. The geomorphic process controlling such episodic fan development is not clarified.