A. Bushi | Searcharxiv

arXiv2026

The DESI View of the Faint Radio Source Population in LoTSS DR2

The faint radio-source population includes galaxies dominated by both star formation (SF) and active galactic nuclei (AGN), which are two key processes shaping galaxy evolution. To investigate this population, we probabilistically classified 251,413 radio sources from the second data release of the LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey (LoTSS DR2) using spectroscopic data from the first release of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI DR1). Our classification method includes: (i) the identification of radio excess relative to SF, (ii) the Baldwin, Philips & Terlevich (BPT) diagram, (iii) a modified Mass Excitation (MEx) diagram, and (iv) the [OIII]5007 equivalent width. These are combined with Monte Carlo methods to estimate the probability that each source is a star-forming galaxy (SFG), a radio-quiet AGN (RQ AGN), or a low- or high-excitation radio galaxy (LERG or HERG), allowing various thresholds to be applied depending on science goals. Considering classifications above a 90 per cent probability threshold, we identify 68,820 SFGs, 32,288 RQ AGN, 35,210 LERGs and 3,085 HERGs, representing the largest radio sample to date with high-confidence spectroscopic classifications. Using this sample, we show with higher statistical power than previous studies that LERGs typically accrete below 1 per cent of the Eddington limit and HERGs above it. We also identify a small subset of high-accreting LERGs whose stacked spectra reveal prominent star-forming features, highlighting difficulties in interpreting their accretion properties. Our results demonstrate the power of large spectroscopic samples to characterise the radio-source population, providing a foundation for studies in the SKA era.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2025

The head-tail radio galaxy and revived fossil plasma in Abell 1775

Head-tail radio galaxies are characterized by a head, corresponding to an elliptical galaxy, and two radio jets sweeping back from the head, forming an extended structure behind the host galaxy that is moving through the intracluster medium (ICM). This morphology arises from the interaction between the diffuse radio-emitting plasma and the surrounding environment. Sometimes revived fossil plasma is found in galaxy clusters, tracing old active galactic nucleus ejecta with a very steep spectrum re-energized through processes in the ICM, unrelated to the progenitor galaxy. We aim to study the central region of Abell 1775, a galaxy cluster in an unclear dynamical state at z = 0.072. It hosts two giant radio-loud elliptical galaxies, the head-tail radio galaxy that "breaks" at the position of a cold front detected in the X-rays, filamentary revived fossil plasma, and central diffuse emission. This study aims to investigate and constrain the spectral properties and trends along the head-tail, as well as the revived fossil plasma, to better understand the formation process of the non-thermal phenomena in A1775. We make use of LOFAR (144 MHz), and new deep uGMRT observations (400 and 650 MHz). We observe an overall steepening along the tail of the head-tail radio galaxy. In the radio colour-colour diagram, ageing models reproduce the emission of the head-tail. An unexpected brightness increase at the head of the tail suggests a complex bending of the jets. We derived the equipartition magnetic field and minimum pressure along the tail. We recovered the structure of the revived fossil plasma, which appears as thin filaments with ultra-steep spectra. We show that high-sensitivity, high-resolution observations at low frequencies are essential for detecting the full extent of the tail, enabling a deeper spectral analysis and resolving the structure and spectral properties of revived fossil plasma.

astro-ph.CO↗