Young Radio Sources Research Articles

Clues of the restarting active galactic nucleus activity of Mrk 1498 from GTC/MEGARA integral field spectroscopy data

Some giant radio galaxies selected at X-rays with active galactic nuclei (AGN) show signs of a restarted nuclear activity (old lobes plus a nuclear young radio source probed by giga-hertz peaked spectra). The study of these sources gives us insights into the AGN activity history. More specifically, the kinematics and properties of the outflows can be used as a tool to describe the activity of the source. One object in this peculiar class is Mrk\,1498, a giant low-frequency double radio source that shows extended emission in O\,III . This emission is likely related to the history of the nuclear activity of the galaxy. We investigate whether this bubble-like emission might trace an outflow from either present or past AGN activity. Using a medium-resolution spectroscopy (R\,sim \,10\,000) available with MEGARA/GTC, we derived kinematics and fluxes of the ionised gas from modelling the O\,III and Hbeta features. We identified three kinematic components and mapped their kinematics and flux. All the components show an overall blue to red velocity pattern, with similar peak-to-peak velocities but a different velocity dispersion. At a galactocentric distance of sim \,2.3\,kpc, we found a blob with a velocity up to 100\ and a high velocity dispersion (sim \,170\ that is spatially coincident with the direction of the radio jet. The observed O\,III /Hbeta line ratio indicates possible ionisation from AGN or shocks nearly everywhere. The clumpy structure visibile in HST images at kiloparsec scales show the lowest values of log O\,III /Hbeta ($<$\,1), which is likely not related to the photoionisation by the AGN. Taking optical and radio activity into account, we propose a scenario of two different ionised gas features over the radio AGN lifecycle of Mrk\,1498. The radio emission suggests at least two main radio activity episodes: an old episode at megaparsec scales (formed during a time span of sim \,100\,Myr), and a new episode from the core ($>$\,2000\,yr ago). At optical wavelengths, we observe clumps and a blob that are likely associated with fossil outflow. The latter is likely powered by past episodes of the flickering AGN activity that may have occurred between the two main radio phases.

Turbulent circumnuclear disc and cold gas outflow in the newborn radio source 4C 31.04

We present deep kiloparsec- and parsec-scale neutral atomic hydrogen (H I) absorption observations of a very young radio source (≤5000 years), 4C 31.04, using the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope (WSRT) and the Global Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) array. Using z = 0.0598, derived from molecular gas observations, we detect, at both kpc and pc scales, a broad absorption feature (FWZI = 360 km s−1) centred at the systemic velocity, and narrow absorption (FWZI = 6.6 km s−1) redshifted by 220 km s−1, both previously observed. Additionally, we detect a new blueshifted, broad, shallow absorption wing. At pc scales, the broad absorption at the systemic velocity is detected across the entire radio source while the shallow wing is only seen against part of the eastern lobe. The gas has higher H I column density along the eastern lobe than along the western one. The velocity dispersion of the gas is high (≥40 km s−1) along the entire radio continuum, and is highest (≥60 km s−1) in the region including the outflow and the radio hot spot. While we detect a velocity gradient along the western lobe and parts of the eastern lobe at PA ∼ 5° −10°, most of the gas along the rest of the eastern lobe exhibits no signs of rotation. Earlier optical spectroscopy suggests that the optical AGN is very weak. We therefore conclude that the radio lobes of 4C 31.04 are expanding into a circumnuclear disc, partially disrupting it and making the gas highly turbulent. The distribution of gas is predominantly smooth at the spatial resolution of ∼4 pc studied here. However, clumps of gas are also present, particularly along the eastern lobe. This lobe appears to be strongly interacting with the clouds and driving an outflow ∼35 pc from the radio core, with a mass-outflow rate of 0.3 ≤ Ṁ ≤ 1.4 M⊙ year−1. It is likely that this interaction has caused the eastern lobe to be rebrightened, giving the source an asymmetric morphology. We compare our observations with the predictions of a recent analytical model regarding the survival of atomic gas clouds in radio-jet-driven outflows and find that the existence of a subkpc-scale outflow in this case could imply inefficient mixing of the cold gas with the hot medium and high gas density, leading to very short cooling times. Overall, our study provides further evidence of the strong impact of radio jets on the cold interstellar medium (ISM) in the early stages of their evolution and supports the predictions of numerical simulations regarding jet–ISM interactions and the nature of the circumnuclear gas into which the jets expand.

Shocks, clouds, and atomic outflows in active galactic nuclei hosting relativistic jets

Context. A number of observations have revealed atomic and/or molecular lines in active galaxies hosting jets and outflows. Line widths indicate outward motions of hundreds to a few thousands of kilometers per second. They appear to be associated with the presence of radio emission in Gigahert-peaked spectrum (GPS) and/or compact steep spectrum (CSS) sources, with linear sizes of ≤10 kpc. Numerical simulations have shown that the bow shocks triggered by relativistic jets in their host galaxies drive ionization and turbulence in the interstellar medium (ISM). However, the presence of atomic lines requires rapid recombination of ionized gas, which appears challenging to explain from the physical conditions revealed thus far based on numerical simulations of powerful jets. Aims. The aim of this paper is to provide a global framework to explain the presence of lines in terms of jet and shock evolution and to fix the parameter space where the atomic and molecular outflows might occur. Methods. This parameter space is inspired by numerical simulations and basic analytical models of jet evolution as a background. Results. Our results show that a plausible general explanation involves momentum transfer and heating to the interstellar medium gas by jet triggered shocks within the inner kiloparsecs. The presence of post-shock atomic gas is possible in the case of shocks interacting with dense clouds that remain relatively stable after the shock passage. Conclusions. According to our results, current numerical simulations cannot reproduce the physical conditions to explain the presence of atomic and molecular outflows in young radio sources. However, I show that these outflows might occur in low-power jets at all scales and I predict a trend towards powerful jets showing lines at CSS scales, when clouds have cooled to recombination temperatures.

Radio WISSH: tuning on the most luminous quasars in the Universe

AbstractIn the past years, the results obtained by the WISSH quasar project provided a novel general picture on the distinctive multi-band properties of hyper-luminous (Lbol > 1047 erg/s) quasars at high redshift (z ∼ 2-4), unveiling interesting relations among active galactic nuclei, winds and interstellar medium, in these powerful sources at cosmic noon. Since 2022, we are performing a systematic and statistically-significant VLA study of the radio properties of WISSH. We carried out high-resolution VLA observations aiming at: 1) identifying young radio source from the broad-band spectral shape of these objects; 2) sample an unexplored high redshift/high luminosity regime, tracking possible evolutionary effects on the radio-loud/radio-quiet dichotomy; 3) quantifying orientation effects on the observed winds/outflows properties.

The AGN fuelling/feedback cycle in nearby radio galaxies

We present Australia Compact Telescope Array (ATCA) 21 cm observations of the nearby low-excitation radio galaxy (LERG) NGC 3100. This is the brightest galaxy of a loose group and it hosts a young (∼2 Myr) radio source. The ATCA observations reveal for the first time the presence of neutral hydrogen (H I) gas in absorption in the centre of this radio galaxy, and in emission in two low-mass galaxies of the group and in a diffuse dark cloud in the proximity of NGC 3100. The sensitivity to low-column density gas (NHI ∼ 1019 cm−2) allows us to reveal asymmetries in the periphery of most of the H I-detected galaxies, suggesting that tidal interactions may be ongoing. The diffuse cloud does not show a stellar counterpart down to 27 mag arcsec−2 and could be the remnant of these interactions. The analysis of the H I absorption complex in NGC 3100 indicates that the atomic phase of the hydrogen is distributed in the same way as its molecular phase (observed at arcsecond resolution through several carbon monoxide emission lines). We suggest that the interactions occurring within the group are causing turbulent cold gas clouds in the intra-group medium to be slowly accreted towards the centre of NGC 3100. This caused the recent formation of the cold circum-nuclear disc, which is likely sustaining the young nuclear activity.

Young but fading radio sources: searching for remnants among compact steep-spectrum radio sources

ABSTRACT The incidence of young but fading radio sources provides important information on the life cycle of radio emission in radio-loud active galactic nuclei. Despite its importance for constraining the models of radio source evolution, there are no systematic studies of remnants in complete samples of young radio sources. We report results of the study of 18 compact steep-spectrum (CSS) radio sources, selected from the statistically complete B3-VLA (Very Large Array) CSS sample, characterized by a steep optically thin spectrum (α ≥ 1.0) and no core detection in earlier studies. Our deep multifrequency VLA, pc-scale Very Long Baseline Array, and enhanced Multi Element Remotely Linked Interferometer Network (e-MERLIN) observations allowed us to locate the core component in 10 objects. In three CSS sources, there is no clear evidence of present-time active regions, suggesting that they are likely in a remnant phase. Among sources with core detection, we find three objects that have no clear active regions (hotspots) at the edges of the radio structure, suggesting that the radio emission may have just restarted. Our results support a power-law distribution of the source ages, although the poor statistics prevents us from setting solid constraints on the percentage of remnants and restarted sources in subpopulations of radio sources.

High-Frequency and High-Resolution VLBI Observations of GHz Peaked Spectrum Objects

Observational studies of GHz peaked spectrum (GPS) sources contribute to the understanding of the radiative properties and interstellar environment of host galaxies. We present the results from the multi-frequency high-resolution VLBI observations of a sample of nine GPS sources at 8, 15, and 43 GHz. All sources show core-jet structure. Four sources show relativistic jets with Doppler boosting factors ranging from 2.0 to 5.0 and a jet viewing angle between 10° and 30°. The core brightness temperatures of the other five sources are below the equipartition brightness temperature limit with their jet viewing angles in the range of 13.6° to 71.9°, which are systematically larger than those of relativistic jets in this sample. The sources show diverse variability properties, with variability levels ranging from 0.11 to 0.56. The measured turnover frequency in the radio spectrum ranges from 6.2 and 31.8 GHz (in the source’s rest frame). We estimate the equipartition magnetic field strength to be between 9 and 48 mG. These results strongly support the notion that these GPS sources are young radio sources in the very early stage of their evolution.

Young Radio Sources Expanding in Gas-Rich ISM: Using Cold Molecular Gas to Trace Their Impact

We present an overview of the results obtained from the study of the resolved distribution of molecular gas around eight young (≲106yr), peaked-spectrum radio galaxies. Tracing the distribution and kinematics of the gas around these radio sources allows us to trace the interplay between the jets and the surrounding medium. For three of these sources, we present new CO(1-0) observations, obtained with the Northern Extended Millimeter Array (NOEMA) with arcsecond resolution. In two of these targets, we also detected CN lines, both in emission and absorption. Combining the new observations with already published data, we discuss the main results obtained. Although we found that a large fraction of the cold molecular gas was distributed in disc-like rotating structures, in the vast majority of the sources, high turbulence and deviations from purely quiescent gas (including outflows) were observed in the region co-spatial with the radio continuum emission. This suggests the presence of an interaction between radio plasma and cold molecular gas. In particular, we found that newly born and young radio jets, even those with low power i.e., Pjet < 1045 erg s−1), are able to drive massive outflows of cold, molecular gas. The outflows are, however, limited to the sub-kpc regions and likely short lived. On larger scales (a few kpc), we observed cases where the molecular gas appears to avoid the radio lobes and, instead, wraps around them. The results suggest the presence of an evolutionary sequence, which is consistent with previous simulations, where the type of impact of the radio plasma changes as the jet expands, going from a direct jet-cloud interaction able to drive gas outflows on sub-kpc scales to a more gentle pushing aside of the gas, increasing its turbulence and likely limiting its cooling on kpc scales. This effect can be mediated by the cocoon of shocked gas inflated by the jet–cloud interactions. Building larger samples of young and evolved radio sources for observation at a similar depth and spatial resolution to test this scenario is now needed and may be possible thanks to more data becoming available in the growing public archives.

Milliarcsecond structures of variable-peaked spectrum sources

Abstract Spectral variability offers a new technique to identify small scale structures from scintillation, as well as determining the absorption mechanism for peaked-spectrum (PS) radio sources. In this paper, we present very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) imaging using the long baseline array (LBA) of two PS sources, MRC 0225–065 and PMN J0322–4820, identified as spectrally variable from observations with the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA). We compare expected milliarcsecond structures based on the detected spectral variability with direct LBA imaging. We find MRC 0225–065 is resolved into three components, a bright core and two fainter lobes, roughly 430 pc projected separation. A comprehensive analysis of the magnetic field, host galaxy properties, and spectral analysis implies that MRC 0225–065 is a young radio source with recent jet activity over the last $10^2$ – $10^3$ yr. We find PMN J0322–4820 is unresolved on milliarcsecond scales. We conclude PMN J0322–4820 is a blazar with flaring activity detected in 2014 with the MWA. We use spectral variability to predict morphology and find these predictions consistent with the structures revealed by our LBA images.

The Origin of High-energy Emission in the Young Radio Source PKS 1718–649

We present a model for the broadband radio-to-γ-ray spectral energy distribution of the compact radio source PKS 1718–649. Because of its young age (≃100 yr) and proximity (z = 0.014), PKS 1718–649 offers a unique opportunity to study the nuclear conditions and the jet/host galaxy feedback process at the time of the initial radio jet expansion. PKS 1718–649 is one of a handful of young radio jets with γ-ray emission that has been confirmed by the Fermi/LAT detector. We show that in PKS1718−649 this γ-ray emission can be successfully explained by Inverse Compton scattering of the UV photons, presumably from an accretion flow, off nonthermal electrons in the expanding radio lobes. The origin of the X-ray emission in PKS 1718–649 is more elusive. While Inverse Compton scattering of the IR photons emitted by a cold gas in the vicinity of the expanding radio lobes contributes significantly to the X-ray luminosity, the data require an additional source of X-rays, e.g., a weak X-ray corona or a radiatively inefficient accretion flow, as expected from a LINER-type nucleus, such as that of PKS 1718–649. We find that the jet in PKS 1718–649 has low power, L j ≃ 2 × 1042 erg s−1, and expands in an environment with density n 0 ≃ 3–20 cm−3. The inferred mass accretion rate and gas mass reservoir within 50–100 pc of the galactic center are consistent with estimates from the literature obtained by tracing molecular gas in the innermost region of the host galaxy with SINFONI and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array.

Conditions for Direct Black Hole Seed Collapse near a Radio-loud Quasar 1 Gyr after the Big Bang

Abstract Observations of luminous quasars and their supermassive black holes at z ≳ 6 suggest that they formed at dense matter peaks in the early universe. However, few studies have found definitive evidence that the quasars lie at cosmic density peaks, in clear contrast with theory predictions. Here we present new evidence that the radio-loud quasar SDSS J0836+0054 at z = 5.8 could be part of a surprisingly rich structure of galaxies. This conclusion is reached by combining a number of findings previously reported in the literature. Bosman et al. obtained the redshifts of three companion galaxies, confirming an overdensity of i 775 dropouts found by Zheng et al. By comparing this structure with those found near other quasars and large overdense regions in the field at z ∼ 6–7, we show that the SDSS J0836+0054 field is among the densest structures known at these redshifts. One of the spectroscopic companions is a very massive star-forming galaxy ( log 10 (  ⋆ / M ⊙ ) = 10.3 − 0.2 + 0.3 ) based on its unambiguous detection in a Spitzer 3.6 μm image. This suggests that the quasar field hosts not one, but at least two rare, massive dark matter halos ( log 10 (  h / M ⊙ ) ≳ 12 ), corresponding to a galaxy overdensity of at least 20. We discuss the properties of the young radio source. We conclude that the environment of SDSS J0836+0054 resembles, at least qualitatively, the type of conditions that may have spurred the direct collapse of a massive black hole seed according to recent theory.

A compact symmetric radio source born at one-tenth the current age of the Universe

ABSTRACT Studies of high-redshift radio galaxies can shed light on the activity of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in massive elliptical galaxies, and on the assembly and evolution of galaxy clusters in the Universe. J1606+3124 has been tentatively identified as a radio galaxy at a redshift of 4.56, at an era of one-tenth of the current age of the Universe. Very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) images show a compact triple structure with a size of 68 pc. The radio properties of J1606+3124, including the edge-brightening morphology, peaked GHz radio spectrum, slow variability, and low jet speed, consistently indicate that it is a compact symmetric object (CSO). The radio source size and expansion rate of the hotspots suggest that J1606+3124 is a young (kinematic age of ∼3600 yr) radio source. Infrared observations reveal a gas- and dust-rich host galaxy environment, which may hinder the growth of the jet; however, the ultra-high jet power of J1606+3124 gives it an excellent chance to grow into a large-scale double-lobe radio galaxy. If its redshift and galaxy classification can be confirmed by further optical spectroscopic observations, J1606+3124 will be the highest redshift CSO galaxy known to date.

Unmasking the history of 3C 293 with LOFAR sub-arcsecond imaging

Active galactic nuclei show episodic activity, which can be evident in galaxies that exhibit restarted radio jets. These restarted jets can interact with their environment, leaving signatures on the radio spectral energy distribution. Tracing these signatures is a powerful way to explore the life of radio galaxies. This requires resolved spectral index measurements over a broad frequency range including low frequencies. We present such a study for the radio galaxy 3C 293, which has long been thought to be a restarted galaxy on the basis of its radio morphology. Using the International LOFAR telescope (ILT) we probed spatial scales as fine as ~0.2′′ at 144 MHz, and to constrain the spectrum we combined these data with Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network and Very Large Array archival data at frequencies up to 8.4 GHz that have a comparable resolution. In the inner lobes (~2 kpc), we detect the presence of a spectral turnover that peaks at ~225 MHz and is most likely caused by free-free absorption from the rich surrounding medium. We confirm that these inner lobes are part of a jet-dominated young radio source (spectral age ≲0.17 Myr), which is strongly interacting with the rich interstellar medium of the host galaxy. The diffuse emission surrounding these lobes on scales of up to ~4.5 kpc shows steeper spectral indices (Δα ~ 0.2–0.5, S ∝ ν−α) and a spectral age of ≲0.27 Myr. The outer lobes (extending up to ~100 kpc) have a spectral index of α ~ 0.6–0.8 from 144–4850 MHz with a remarkably uniform spatial distribution and only mild spectral curvature (Δα ≲ 0.2). We propose that intermittent fuelling and jet flow disruptions are powering the mechanisms that keep the spectral index in the outer lobes from steepening and maintain the spatial uniformity of the spectral index. Overall, it appears that 3C 293 has gone through multiple (two to three) epochs of activity. This study adds 3C 293 to the new sub-group of restarted galaxies with short interruption time periods. This is the first time a spatially resolved study has been performed that simultaneously studies a young source as well as the older outer lobes at such low frequencies. This illustrates the potential of the International LOFAR telescope to expand such studies to a larger sample of radio galaxies.

Taking snapshots of the jet-ISM interplay: The case of PKS 0023–26

We present high angular resolution (0.13–0.4 arcsec) ALMA CO(2–1) and 1.7 mm continuum observations of the far-infrared-bright galaxy PKS 0023−26 (z = 0.32), which hosts a young radio source as well as a luminous optical active galactic nucleus (AGN). Although young, the powerful radio source has already grown to a size of a few kiloparsec, making it potentially capable of affecting the interstellar medium (ISM) of the host galaxy. We detect a very extended distribution of molecular gas with a mass between 0.3 and 3 × 1010 M⊙, depending on the XCO conversion factor. The gas has a maximum radial extent of ∼5 arcsec (24 kpc) from the nucleus and is distributed in an asymmetric structure offset from the radio galaxy and with a fairly smooth velocity gradient. At large radii, tails of gas are observed in the direction of companion galaxies, suggesting that tidal interactions may be responsible for the origin of the gas. Overall, the observed properties are reminiscent of the molecular structures observed in some galaxy clusters. However, in the inner few kiloparsec, across the entire extent of the radio continuum, the kinematics of the gas appears to be affected by the radio source. In the central, sub-kiloparsec region, we observe the brightest emission from the molecular gas and the broadest velocity profiles with a full width at zero intensity (FWZI) of ∼500 km s−1, which indicate that in this region a direct interaction of the jet with dense clouds and outflowing molecular gas is happening. On larger, kiloparsec-scales, the molecular gas appears to avoid the radio lobes, while gas with a somewhat smaller velocity dispersion (FWZI of ∼350 km s−1) is observed around the radio lobes. Thus, in these regions, the gas appears to be affected by the expanding cocoon surrounding the radio source, likely dispersing and heating preexisting molecular clouds. The observations suggest that the mode of coupling between radio jets and the ISM changes from an outflowing phase limited to the sub-kiloparsec region to a maintenance phase, excavating cavities devoid of dense gas, at larger radii. This reveals that, already on galaxy scales, the impact of the AGN is not limited to outflows. This is in accordance with predictions from numerical simulations. With a star-formation rate of 25 M⊙ yr−1, PKS 0023−26 is located on the SFR-M* relation for star forming galaxies. Thus, the AGN does not appear to have, at present, a major impact on the host galaxy in terms of the overall level of star-formation activity. However, as the jet and lobes expand throughout the galaxy in the coming few ×107 yr, they will carry enough energy to be able to prevent further gas cooling and/or to inject turbulence and thus affect future star formation.

Parsec‐scale view of CSS/GPS sources at 327 MHz

AbstractGlobal very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations at low frequencies are of great importance since they allow us to test the oldest part of the relativistic electron populations in young radio sources. At 327 MHz ( 92 cm), the most compact regions are self‐absorbed, and the number of cores detected is very small. This could provide useful measurements of the magnetic field in the relativistic plasma, to be compared with the equipartition field derived from minimum energy arguments. Partial self‐absorption takes place also in hot‐spots. However, disentangling the hot‐spot emission from that of the lobe turned out to be rather difficult. On the other hand, a clearer and more complete characterization of the volumes occupied by the magnetized relativistic plasma and its total energy content can be obtained at 327 MHz. In turn, an independent estimate of the source age can be inferred, on the basis of simple assumptions on the jet power. Here, we show that the ages derived in this way (between and year) are consistent with the radiative ages determined from the break frequency in the radio spectrum.

Young radio sources: From newly born to short‐lived objects

AbstractThe evolutionary stage of a powerful radio source originated by an active galactic nucleus is related to its linear size. Following the evolution models, intrinsically compact objects would evolve into the population of classical radio galaxies. However, the fraction of young radio sources in flux density‐limited samples is much larger than what is expected from the number counts of large radio sources, suggesting the existence of short‐lived objects. We present results of multi‐epoch very large array and very long baseline array observations of a sub‐sample of extreme GPS sources that should be at the very beginning of their radio evolution. We also briefly introduce a new project aiming at determining the incidence of short‐lived objects among a statistically complete sample of young radio sources.

The gamma‐ray emission from young radio galaxies and quasars

AbstractAccording to radiative models, radio galaxies are predicted to produce γ‐rays from the earliest stages of their evolution onwards. The study of the high‐energy emission from young radio sources is crucial for providing information on the most energetic processes associated with these sources, the actual region responsible for this emission, as well as the structure of the newly born radio jets. Despite systematic searches for young radio sources at γ‐ray energies, only a handful of detections have been reported so far. Taking advantage of more than 11 years of Fermi‐large area telescope (LAT) data, we investigate the γ‐ray emission of 162 young radio sources (103 galaxies and 59 quasars), the largest sample of young radio sources used so far for a γ‐ray study. We analyzed the Fermi‐LAT data of each source separately to search for a significant detection. In addition, we performed the first stacking analysis of this class of sources in order to investigate the γ‐ray emission of the young radio sources that are undetected at high energies. In this note, we present the results of our study and we discuss their implications for the predictions of γ‐ray emission from this class of sources.

Highly variable γ-ray emission of CTD 135 and implications for its compact symmetric structure

The γ-ray emission properties of CTD 135, a typical compact symmetric object (CSO), are investigated with ∼11-year Fermi/LAT observations. We show that it has bright and significantly variable GeV emission, with the γ-ray luminosity of Lγ ∼ 1047 erg s−1 and a variation index of TSvar = 1002. A quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) with a periodicity of ∼460 days is detected in the global 95% false-alarm level. These γ-ray emission features are similar to that of blazars. Its broadband spectral energy distribution (SED) can be attributed to the radiations of the relativistic electrons accelerated in the core region and the extended region. The SED modeling shows that the γ-rays are from the core region, which has a Doppler boosting factor of δ ∼ 10.8 and relativistically moves with a small viewing angle, being similar to blazar jets. On the base of the analysis results, we propose that the episodic activity of the central engine in CTD 135 results in a blazar-like jet and the bubble-like lobes as the Fermi bubbles in the Galaxy. The strong γ-ray emission with obvious variability is from the jet radiations and the symmetric radio structure is attributed to the bubbles. The jet radiation power and disk luminosity in units of Eddington luminosity of CTD 135 follow the same relation as other young radio sources, indicating that its jet radiation may also be driven by the Eddington ratio.

Gamma-ray emission from young radio galaxies and quasars

ABSTRACT According to radiative models, radio galaxies and quasars are predicted to produce gamma rays from the earliest stages of their evolution. Exploring their high-energy emission is crucial for providing information on the most energetic processes, the origin and the structure of the newly born radio jets. Taking advantage of more than 11 yr of Fermi-LAT data, we investigate the gamma-ray emission of 162 young radio sources (103 galaxies and 59 quasars), the largest sample of young radio sources used so far for such a gamma-ray study. We separately analyse each source and perform the first stacking analysis of this class of sources to investigate the gamma-ray emission of the undetected sources. We detect significant gamma-ray emission from 11 young radio sources, 4 galaxies, and 7 quasars, including the discovery of significant gamma-ray emission from the compact radio galaxy PKS 1007+142 (z = 0.213). The cumulative signal of below-threshold young radio sources is not significantly detected. However, it is about one order of magnitude lower than those derived from the individual sources, providing stringent upper limits on the gamma-ray emission from young radio galaxies (Fγ < 4.6 × 10−11 ph cm−2 s−1) and quasars (Fγ < 10.1 × 10−11 ph cm−2 s−1), and enabling a comparison with the models proposed. With this analysis of more than a decade of Fermi-LAT observations, we can conclude that while individual young radio sources can be bright gamma-ray emitters, the collective gamma-ray emission of this class of sources is not bright enough to be detected by Fermi-LAT.

Tracing the evolution of ultraluminous infrared galaxies into radio galaxies with low frequency radio observations

ABSTRACT We present radio observations of ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs) using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) and combine them with archival multifrequency observations to understand whether ULIRGs are the progenitors of the powerful radio loud galaxies in the local Universe. ULIRGs are characterized by large infrared luminosities (LIR > 1012 L⊙), large dust masses (∼108 M⊙), and vigorous star formation (star formation rates ∼10–100 M⊙ yr−1). Studies show that they represent the end stages of mergers of gas-rich spiral galaxies. Their luminosity can be due to both starburst activity and active galactic nuclei (AGNs). We study a sample of 13 ULIRGs that have optically identified AGN characteristics with 1.28 GHz GMRT observations. Our aim is to resolve any core-jet structures or nuclear extensions and hence examine whether the ULIRGs are evolving into radio loud ellipticals. Our deep, low frequency observations show marginal extension for only one source. However, the integrated radio spectra of 9 ULIRGs show characteristics that are similar to that of GPS/CSS/CSO/young radio sources. The estimated spectral ages are 0.4–20 Myr and indicate that they are young radio sources and possible progenitors of radio galaxies. Hence, we conclude that although most ULIRGs do not show kpc scale extended radio emission associated with nuclear activity, their radio spectral energy distributions do show signatures of young radio galaxies.