arXiv subjects

A. Marecki

Publications and source records attributed to A. Marecki.

18 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

What is Inside the Double-Double Structure of the Radio Galaxy J0028+0035?

The radio source J0028+0035 is a recently discovered double--double radio galaxy at redshift z=0.398. Its relic outer lobes are separated by about 3' in the sky, corresponding to ~1 Mpc projected linear size. Inside this large-scale structure, the inner pair of collinear lobes span about 100 kpc. In the arcsec-resolution radio images of J0028+0035, there is a central radio feature that offers the intriguing possibility of being resolved into a pc-scale, third pair of innermost lobes. This would make this radio galaxy a rare triple-double source where traces of three distinct episodes of radio activity could be observed. To reveal the compact radio structure of the central component, we conducted observation with the European Very Long Baseline Interferometer Network and the enhanced Multi Element Remotely Linked Interferometer Network. Our 1.66 GHz image with high (~5 milliarcsec) resolution shows a compact central radio core with no indication of a third, innermost double feature. The observation performed in multi-phase-centre mode also revealed that the physically unrelated but in projection closely separated background source 5BZU J0028+0035 has a single weak, somewhat resolved radio feature, at odds with its blazar classification.

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arXiv2022

The structure at the centre of the giant radio galaxy GRS J0844+4627: a compact symmetric object?

We observed the core region of the giant radio galaxy GRS J0844+4627 with e-MERLIN at 1.52 and 5.07 GHz. These observations revealed that the apparent single feature at the centre of GRS J0844+4627, as seen by GMRT, consists of two components separated by 2.7 kpc in projection. Follow-up observations at 1.66 GHz using the EVN unveiled the complex morphologies of the two components. In particular, the south-western component identified with the SDSS J084408.85+462744.2 galaxy morphologically resembles a compact symmetric object (CSO) with a projected linear size of 115 pc. If the CSO hypothesis turns out to be correct, then the overall radio structure of GRS J0844+4627 is triple-double. Given that CSOs are considered young objects, GRS J0844+4627 would appear as a recently restarted active galaxy.

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arXiv2021

Restarted activity in the 3C328 radio galaxy

As a rule, both lobes of Fanaroff-Riley (FR) type-II radio sources are terminated with hotspots, but the 3C328 radio galaxy is a specimen of an FR II-like object with a hotspot in only one lobe. A conceivable reason for such asymmetry is that the nucleus of 3C328 was temporarily inactive. There was no energy transfer from it to the lobes during the period of quiescence, and so they began to fade out. However, under the assumption that the axis connecting the two lobes makes an appreciable angle with the sky plane, and hence one is considerably farther from the observer than the other, the lobes are observed at two distinct stages of evolution due to the light-travel lag. While the far-side lobe is still perceived as being of the FR II type with a hotspot, decay of the near-side lobe is already apparent. No jets are visible in the VLA images, but the VLBA observations of the inverted-spectrum core component of 3C328 have revealed that it has a jet of a sub-arcsecond length pointing towards the lobe that shows evidence of decay. Since the jet always points to the near side, its observed orientation is in line with the scenario proposed here. The presence of the jet supports the inference that the nucleus of 3C328 is currently active; however, given the fact that the jet is short (approx. 200 pc in projection), the activity must have restarted very recently. The lower and upper limits of the quiescent period length have been calculated.

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arXiv2020

Multifrequency study of a double-double radio galaxy J0028+0035

We report the discovery of a double-double radio source (DDRS) J0028+0035. We observed it with LOFAR, GMRT, and the VLA. By combining our observational data with those from the literature, we gathered an appreciable set of radio flux density measurements covering the range from 74 MHz to 14 GHz. This enabled us to carry out an extensive review of physical properties of the source and its dynamical evolution analysis. In particular, we found that, while the age of the large-scale outer lobes is about 245 Myr, the renewal of the jet activity, which is directly responsible for the double-double structure, took place only about 3.6 Myr ago after about 11 Myr long period of quiescence. Another important property typical for DDRSs and also present here is that the injection spectral indices for the inner and the outer pair of lobes are similar. The jet powers in J0028+0035 are similar too. Both these circumstances support our inference that it is, in fact, a DDRS which was not recognized as such so far because of the presence of a coincident compact object close to the inner double so that the centre of J0028+0035 is apparently a triple.

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arXiv2019

RoboPol: A four-channel optical imaging polarimeter

We present the design and performance of RoboPol, a four-channel optical polarimeter operating at the Skinakas Observatory in Crete, Greece. RoboPol is capable of measuring both relative linear Stokes parameters $q$ and $u$ (and the total intensity $I$) in one sky exposure. Though primarily used to measure the polarization of point sources in the R-band, the instrument features additional filters (B, V and I), enabling multi-wavelength imaging polarimetry over a large field of view (13.6' $\times$ 13.6'). We demonstrate the accuracy and stability of the instrument throughout its five years of operation. Best performance is achieved within the central region of the field of view and in the R band. For such measurements the systematic uncertainty is below 0.1% in fractional linear polarization, $p$ (0.05% maximum likelihood). Throughout all observing seasons the instrumental polarization varies within 0.1% in $p$ and within 1$^\circ$ in polarization angle.

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arXiv2017

Fibre-optic delivery of time and frequency to VLBI station

The quality of Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) radio observations predominantly relies on precise and ultra-stable time and frequency (T&F) standards, usually hydrogen masers (HM), maintained locally at each VLBI station. Here, we present an operational solution in which the VLBI observations are routinely carried out without use of a local HM, but using remote synchronization via a stabilized, long-distance fibre-optic link. The T&F reference signals, traceable to international atomic timescale (TAI), are delivered to the VLBI station from a dedicated timekeeping laboratory. Moreover, we describe a proof-of-concept experiment where the VLBI station is synchronized to a remote strontium optical lattice clock during the observation.

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arXiv2016

RoboPol: The optical polarization of gamma-ray--loud and gamma-ray--quiet blazars

We present average R-band optopolarimetric data, as well as variability parameters, from the first and second RoboPol observing season. We investigate whether gamma- ray--loud and gamma-ray--quiet blazars exhibit systematic differences in their optical polarization properties. We find that gamma-ray--loud blazars have a systematically higher polarization fraction (0.092) than gamma-ray--quiet blazars (0.031), with the hypothesis of the two samples being drawn from the same distribution of polarization fractions being rejected at the 3σ level. We have not found any evidence that this discrepancy is related to differences in the redshift distribution, rest-frame R-band lu- minosity density, or the source classification. The median polarization fraction versus synchrotron-peak-frequency plot shows an envelope implying that high synchrotron- peaked sources have a smaller range of median polarization fractions concentrated around lower values. Our gamma-ray--quiet sources show similar median polarization fractions although they are all low synchrotron-peaked. We also find that the random- ness of the polarization angle depends on the synchrotron peak frequency. For high synchrotron-peaked sources it tends to concentrate around preferred directions while for low synchrotron-peaked sources it is more variable and less likely to have a pre- ferred direction. We propose a scenario which mediates efficient particle acceleration in shocks and increases the helical B-field component immediately downstream of the shock.

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arXiv2016

Multifrequency study of a double-double radio galaxy J1706+4340

We report the outcome of multifrequency radio observations of a double-double radio source J1706+4340 carried out with the Very Large Array and Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope. After supplementing our own data with those available in the literature, we collected a considerable set of radio measurements covering the range from 74 to 8460 MHz. This has enabled us to perform a comprehensive review of physical properties of the source and its dynamical evolution analysis. In particular, we found that, while the age of the large-scale outer lobes is in the range 260-300 Myr, the renewal of the jet activity, which is directly responsible for the double-double structure, took place only about 12 Myr ago after about 27-Myr long period of quiescence. Another important property of J1706+4340 we found is that the injection spectral indices and the jet powers for the inner and the outer doubles are very similar. This implies that it is the spin of the supermassive black hole rather than e.g. an instability of the accretion disc that is likely responsible for the jet production and its properties.

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arXiv2016

RoboPol: Do optical polarization rotations occur in all blazars?

We present a new set of optical polarization plane rotations in blazars, observed during the third year of operation of RoboPol. The entire set of rotation events discovered during three years of observations is analysed with the aim of determining whether these events are inherent in all blazars. It is found that the frequency of the polarization plane rotations varies widely among blazars. This variation cannot be explained either by a difference in the relativistic boosting or by selection effects caused by a difference in the average fractional polarization. We conclude that the rotations are characteristic of a subset of blazars and that they occur as a consequence of their intrinsic properties.

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arXiv2016

RoboPol: optical polarization-plane rotations and flaring activity in blazars

We present measurements of rotations of the optical polarization of blazars during the second year of operation of RoboPol, a monitoring programme of an unbiased sample of gamma-ray bright blazars specially designed for effective detection of such events, and we analyse the large set of rotation events discovered in two years of observation. We investigate patterns of variability in the polarization parameters and total flux density during the rotation events and compare them to the behaviour in a non-rotating state. We have searched for possible correlations between average parameters of the polarization-plane rotations and average parameters of polarization, with the following results: (1) there is no statistical association of the rotations with contemporaneous optical flares; (2) the average fractional polarization during the rotations tends to be lower than that in a non-rotating state; (3) the average fractional polarization during rotations is correlated with the rotation rate of the polarization plane in the jet rest frame; (4) it is likely that distributions of amplitudes and durations of the rotations have physical upper bounds, so arbitrarily long rotations are not realised in nature.

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arXiv2014

Multi-epoch VLBA observations of radio galaxy 0932+075: is this a compact symmetric object?

A part of the radio structure of the galaxy 0932+075 emerged as a possible compact symmetric object (CSO) after the observation with the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) at 5 GHz in 1997. More than a decade later, we carried out observations at 5, 15.4, and 22.2 GHz using the VLBA to test this possibility. We report here that we have found a component whose spectrum is inverted in the whole range from 5 GHz to 22 GHz and we label it a high-frequency peaker (HFP). Using a set of 5 GHz images from two epochs separated by 11.8 years and a set of 15.4 GHz images separated by 8.2 years, we were able to examine the proper motions of the three components of the CSO candidate with respect to the HFP. We found that their displacements cannot be reconciled with the CSO paradigm. This has led to the rejection of the hypothesis that the western part of the arcsecond-scale radio structure of 0932+075 is a CSO anchored at the HFP. Consequently, the HFP cannot be labelled a core and its role in this system is unclear.

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arXiv2006

Signatures of restarted activity in core-dominated, triple radio sources selected from the FIRST survey

Signatures of the re-occurrence of activity in radio-loud AGNs, indicated either by the so-called double-double or X-shaped structures, have been observed in a number of radio sources. All such objects known to date have linear sizes of the order of a megaparsec. A number of the sources that are appreciably more compact than this, but that exhibit hints of a past phase of activity, were found in the VLA FIRST survey. Their structures show symmetric relic lobes straddling relatively bright, unresolved cores. Observations of the cores of 15 such structures with MERLIN at 5 GHz have shown that four of them are doubles or core-jets on the subarcsecond scale. Misalignments of ΔPA \ga 30 degr. between the axis of the inner structure and the line connecting the fitted maxima of the arcminute-scale relic lobes are clearly visible in three of the four sources. From these results, we can infer that a rapid repositioning of the central engine in each of these three radio sources is the most plausible interpretation of the observed morphology and that a merger is most likely the original cause of such a repositioning. In the case of TXS 1033+026, the optical image extracted from the SDSS archives clearly suggests that two objects separated by only 2.7 kpc (projected onto the sky plane) are indeed merging. The inner parts of TXS 0818+214 and TXS 1312+563 could be interpreted as double-lobed, and consequently, these sources could be of the double-double type; but further multifrequency observations are necessary to provide support for such an interpretation.

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arXiv2005

Hybrid morphology radio sources from FIRST survey

The so-called HYbrid MOrphology Radio Sources (HYMORS) are a class of objects that appear to have a mixed Fanaroff-Riley (FR) morphology in a single object; i.e. a HYMORS has an FR I-type lobe on one side of its nucleus and an FR II-type lobe on the other side. Because of this unique feature and given that the origin of the FR morphological dichotomy is still unclear, HYMORS may possibly play a crucial role in our understanding of the FR-dichotomy. As the number of known HYMORS is quite small, we aimed to increase that number by inspecting a few areas of the sky covered by the VLA FIRST survey and by selecting 21 HYMORS candidates based on the morphology shown in the FIRST images. They were observed with the VLA in B-conf. at 4.9 GHz. Three objects from the initial sample turned out to be actual HYMORS and two others very likely to fulfill the criteria. These five were subsequently re-observed with the VLA in A-conf. at 1.4 GHz. Our results provide strong support to the findings of Gopal-Krishna & Wiita (2000), namely that there are two different kinds of jets in HYMORS; consequently, the existence of FR-dichotomy as a whole is difficult to reconcile with the class of explanations that posit fundamental differences in the central engine.

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arXiv2004

Looking for prematurely `dying', young, compact radio sources

We present VLBA 1.6, 5, 8.4 and 15 GHz observations of a new sample of weak, young, compact candidates for radio faders selected from the VLA FIRST survey. We claim that some, or even the majority of young sources, may be short-lived phenomena due to a lack of stable fuelling from the black hole and fade before evolving to large extended objects.

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arXiv2002

FIRST-based survey of Compact Steep Spectrum sources I. MERLIN images of arc-second scale objects

Compact Steep Spectrum (CSS) sources are powerful extragalactic radio sources with angular dimensions of the order of a few arcseconds or less. Such a compactness is apparently linked to the youth of these objects. The majority of CSSs investigated so far have been known since the early 1980s. This paper is the first in a series where we report the results of an observational campaign targeted on a completely new sample of CSSs which are significantly weaker than those investigated before. The ultimate goal of that campaign is to find out how ``weak'' CSSs compare to ``strong'', classical ones, especially with regard to the morphologies. Here we present an analysis of morphological and physical properties of five relatively large sources based on MERLIN observations at 1.6 and 5 GHz.

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arXiv2001

Topological Lensing: Is the Matter Both Here and There?

If the Universe satisfies a perturbed Friedmann-Lema\^ıtre model, then the bright matter (e.g. radio-loud active galactic nuclei, RLAGNs) may be topologically lensed by global geometry. The generation of candidate topological lensing pairs of RLAGNs, which may be double images of single objects seen at very different celestial positions, provides very easily falsifiable (given moderate telescope time) cosmological geometry hypotheses.

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arXiv2000

ISO observations of a sample of Compact Steep Spectrum and GHz Peaked Spectrum Radio Galaxies

We present results from observations obtained with ISOPHOT, on board the ISO satellite, of a representative sample of seventeen CSS/GPS radio galaxies and of a control sample of sixteen extended radio galaxies spanning similar ranges in redshift (0.2 <= z <= 0.8) and radio luminosity (P_2.7 GHz >= 10^26 W/Hz). The observations have been performed at lambda = 60, 90, 174 and 200 microns. Seven of the CSS/GPS sources have detections >= 3 sigma at one or more wavelengths, one of which is detected at >= 5 sigma. By co-adding the data we have obtained average flux densities at the four wavelengths. We found no evidence that the FIR luminosities of the CSS/GPS sources are significantly different from those of the extended objects and therefore there is not any support for CSS/GPS sources being objects "frustrated" by an abnormally dense ambient medium. The two samples were then combined, providing FIR information on a new sample of radio galaxies at intermediate redshifts. We compare this information with what previously known from IRAS and discuss the average properties of radio galaxies in the redshift range 0.2 - 0.8. The FIR emission cannot be accounted for by extrapolation of the synchrotron radio spectrum and we attribute it to thermal dust emission. The average FIR luminosity is >= 6*10^11 L_sun. Over the observed frequency range the infrared spectrum can be described by a power law with spectral index alpha >~1.0 +/- 0.2. Assuming the emission to be due to dust, a range of temperatures is required, from >=80 K to \~25 K. The dust masses required to explain the FIR emission range from 5*10^5 M_sun for the hotter component up to 2*10^8 M_sun for the colder one. (abridged)

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arXiv1999

Gigahertz Peaked Spectrum sources from the Jodrell Bank-VLA Astrometric Survey

Observations with MERLIN at 408 MHz have been used to establish the low-frequency part of the spectra of more than a hundred compact radio sources taken from the part of the Jodrell Bank--VLA Astrometric Survey limited by 35 deg. < δ< 75 deg. These sources were selected from JVAS and other catalogues to have convex spectra between 1.4 and 8.4 GHz, characteristic of Gigahertz Peaked Spectrum (GPS) sources. We have confirmed convex shapes of the spectra of 76 objects (one half of our initial candidates) thereby yielding the largest genuine sample of GPS sources compiled so far. Seven of 17 identified quasars in the sample have large ($z\ga 2$) redshifts.

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