arXiv subjects

B. Barkus

Publications and source records attributed to B. Barkus.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

The diverse morphologies and evolution of low-luminosity edge-brightened radio galaxies

Fanaroff-Riley class I (FRI) radio galaxies show centre-brightened emission from disrupted lower power jets, while traditionally more luminous class II (FRIIs), are edge-brightened, with relativistic jets terminating in hotspots. Population studies of radio-loud AGN (RLAGN) with low frequency, deep, wide-field surveys have revealed FRII-like radio structures at lower luminosities. We present the first high-resolution morphological investigation of a representative LOFAR-selected sample of low-luminosity FRIIs, to determine whether this new population is physically distinct from traditional high-luminosity FRIIs. Using new $1.5$-GHz Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) observations for a sample of 19 low-luminosity FRIIs, from the LOFAR Two Metre Sky Survey Data Release 1 (LoTSS DR1), with luminosities up to three orders of magnitude lower than the typical FR break ($L_{150} = 10^{26}$ W Hz$^{-1}$). We examine the compact features and perform spectral index analysis to identify hotspots, cores and signatures of restarting or remnant activity. We find a higher prevalence of cores and a comparable number of hotspots in the low-luminosity FRII sample compared to a randomly-selected sample of luminous ($L_{150}>10^{26}$ W Hz$^{-1}$) FRIIs selected from the same parent LOFAR sample. Approximately 32 per cent of low-luminosity FRIIs show restarting or remnant behaviour, while $\sim 32$ per cent are active FRIIs with compact hotspots. Our results show that FRII source dynamics occur at low radio luminosities, but reinforce earlier conclusions that the population of low-luminosity edge-brightened RLAGN is highly diverse. Binary morphological classifications should be used cautiously as a first step towards more nuanced investigations of the complexity of jet life cycles and evolution.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2026

The LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey: VII. Third Data Release

We present the third data release of the LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey (LoTSS-DR3). The survey images cover 88% of the northern sky and were created from 12,950 hrs of data (18.6 PB) accumulated over 10.5 years. The images were produced through direction-independent and direction-dependent calibration pipelines that correct for instrumental effects as well as spatially and temporally varying ionospheric distortions. In our 120-168 MHz continuum mosaic images with an angular resolution of 6 arcsec (9 arcsec below declination 10$^\circ$) we catalogue 13,667,877 sources, formed from 16,943,656 Gaussian components. The scatter in the astrometric precision approximately follows the expected noise-like behaviour but with an additional systematic component of at least 0.24 arcsec that is likely due to calibration imperfections. The random flux density scale error is 6%, while the systematic offset was previously shown to be within 2%. The median sensitivity of our mosaics is 92$\mu$Jy beam$^{-1}$. Completeness simulations, accounting for realistic source models, time- and bandwidth-smearing effects, and astrometric errors, indicate that we detect more than 95% of compact sources with integrated flux densities exceeding 9 times the local root mean square (RMS) noise. However, the recovered source counts in a particular integrated flux density bin do not match the injected counts until flux densities exceed 45 times the local RMS noise. The Euclidean-normalised differential source counts derived from the survey constrain the radio source population over five orders of magnitude and are in good agreement with previous deep and wide-area surveys. All data products are publicly available, including catalogues, individual-field Stokes I, Q, U, and V images, mosaicked Stokes I images, and $uv$ data with associated direction-dependent calibration solutions.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2025

Radio-loud AGN morphology and host-galaxy properties in the LOFAR Two-Metre Sky Survey Data Release 2

Radio-loud active galaxies (RLAGN) can exhibit various morphologies. The Fanaroff-Riley (FR) classifications, which are defined by the locations of peaks in surface brightness, have been applied to many catalogues of RLAGN. The FR classifications were initially found to correlate with radio luminosity. However, recent surveys have demonstrated that radio luminosity alone does not reliably predict radio morphology. We have devised a new-semi automated method involving ridgeline characterisations to compile the largest known classified catalogue of RLAGN to date with data from the second data release of the LOFAR Two-Metre Sky Survey (LoTSS DR2). We reassess the FR divide and its cause by examining the physical and host galaxy properties of $3590$ FRIIs and $2354$ FRIs (at $z \leq 0.8$). We find that RLAGN near the FR divide with $10^{25} \le L_{144} \le 10^{26} $ WHz$^{-1}$ are more likely to show FRI over FRII morphology if they occupy more massive host galaxies. We find no correlation, when considering selection effects, between the FR break luminosity and stellar mass or host-galaxy rest-frame absolute magnitude. Overall, we find the cause of different radio morphologies in this sample to be complex. Considering sources near the FR divide with $10^{25} \le L_{144} \le 10^{26} $ WHz$^{-1}$, we find evidence to support inner environment having a role in determining jet disruption. We make available a public catalogue of morphologies for our sample, which will be of use for future investigations of RLAGN and their impact on their surroundings.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2024

Constraining the giant radio galaxy population with machine learning and Bayesian inference

Large-scale sky surveys at low frequencies, like the LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey (LoTSS), allow for the detection and characterisation of unprecedented numbers of giant radio galaxies (GRGs, or 'giants'). In this work, by automating the creation of radio--optical catalogues, we aim to significantly expand the census of known giants. We then combine this sample with a forward model to constrain GRG properties of cosmological interest. In particular, we automate radio source component association through machine learning and optical host identification for resolved radio sources. We create a radio--optical catalogue for the full LoTSS Data Release 2 (DR2) and select all possible giants. We combine our candidates with an existing catalogue of LoTSS DR2 crowd-sourced GRG candidates and visually confirm or reject them. To infer intrinsic GRG properties from GRG observations, we develop further a population-based forward model that takes into account selection effects and constrain its parameters using Bayesian inference. We confirm 5,647 previously unknown giants from the crowd-sourced catalogue and 2,597 previously unknown giants from the ML-driven catalogue. Our confirmations and discoveries bring the total number of known giants to at least 11,585. We predict a comoving GRG number density $n_\mathrm{GRG} = 13 \pm 10\ (100\ \mathrm{Mpc})^{-3}$, close to a recent estimate of the number density of luminous non-giant radio galaxies. We derive a current-day GRG lobe volume-filling fraction $V_\mathrm{GRG-CW}(z = 0) = 1.4 \pm 1.1 \cdot 10^{-5}$ in clusters and filaments of the Cosmic Web. Our analysis suggests that giants are more common than previously thought. Moreover, tentative results imply that it is possible that magnetic fields once contained in giants pervade a significant ($\gtrsim 10\%$) fraction of today's Cosmic Web.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2023

The LOFAR Two-Metre Sky Survey (LoTSS): VI. Optical identifications for the second data release

The second data release of the LOFAR Two-Metre Sky Survey (LoTSS) covers 27% of the northern sky, with a total area of $\sim 5,700$ deg$^2$. The high angular resolution of LOFAR with Dutch baselines (6 arcsec) allows us to carry out optical identifications of a large fraction of the detected radio sources without further radio followup; however, the process is made more challenging by the many extended radio sources found in LOFAR images as a result of its excellent sensitivity to extended structure. In this paper we present source associations and identifications for sources in the second data release based on optical and near-infrared data, using a combination of a likelihood-ratio cross-match method developed for our first data release, our citizen science project Radio Galaxy Zoo: LOFAR, and new approaches to algorithmic optical identification, together with extensive visual inspection by astronomers. We also present spectroscopic or photometric redshifts for a large fraction of the optical identifications. In total 4,116,934 radio sources lie in the area with good optical data, of which 85% have an optical or infrared identification and 58% have a good redshift estimate. We demonstrate the quality of the dataset by comparing it with earlier optically identified radio surveys. This is by far the largest ever optically identified radio catalogue, and will permit robust statistical studies of star-forming and radio-loud active galaxies.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2021

The Application of Ridgelines in Extended Radio Source Cross-Identification

Extended radio sources are an important minority population in modern deep radio surveys, because they enable detailed investigation of the physics governing radio-emitting regions such as active galaxies and their environments. Cross-identification of radio sources with optical host galaxies is challenging for this extended population, due to their morphological complexity and multiple potential counterparts. In the first data release of the Low-frequency array (LOFAR) Two-metre Sky Survey (LoTSS DR1) the automated likelihood ratio for compact sources was supplemented by a citizen science visual identification process for extended sources. In this paper we present a novel method for automating the host identification of extended sources by using ridgelines, which trace the assumed direction of fluid-flow through the points of highest flux density. Applying a new code, RL-Xid, to LoTSS DR1, we demonstrate that ridgelines are versatile; by providing information about spatial structure and brightness distributions, they can be used both for optical host identification and morphological studies in radio surveys. RL-Xid draws ridgelines for 85 per cent of sources brighter than 10 mJy and larger than 15 arcsec, with an improved performance of 96 per cent for the subset >30 mJy and >60 arcsec. Using a sample of sources with known hosts from LoTSS DR1, we demonstrate that RL-Xid successfully identifies the host for 98 per cent of the sources with successfully drawn ridgelines, and performs at a comparable level to visual identification via citizen science. We also demonstrate that ridgeline brightness profiles provide a promising automated technique for morphological classification.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2020

A population of galaxy-scale jets discovered using LOFAR

The effects of feedback from high luminosity radio-loud AGN have been extensively discussed in the literature, but feedback from low-luminosity radio-loud AGN is less well understood. The advent of high sensitivity, high angular resolution, large field of view telescopes such as LOFAR is now allowing wide-area studies of such faint sources for the first time. Using the first data release of the LOFAR Two Metre Sky Survey (LoTSS) we report on our discovery of a population of 195 radio galaxies with 150 MHz luminosities between $3\times10^{22}$ and $1.5\times10^{25}\text{ W Hz}^{-1}$ and total radio emission no larger than 80 kpc. These objects, which we term galaxy-scale jets (GSJ), are small enough to be directly influencing the evolution of the host on galaxy scales. We report upon the typical host properties of our sample, finding that 9 per cent are hosted by spirals with the remainder being hosted by elliptical galaxies. Two of the spiral-hosted GSJ are highly unusual with low radio luminosities and FRII-like morphology. The host properties of our GSJ show that they are ordinary AGN observed at a stage in their life shortly after the radio emission has expanded beyond the central regions of the host. Based on our estimates, we find that about half of our GSJ have internal radio lobe energy within an order of magnitude of the ISM energy so that, even ignoring any possible shocks, GSJ are energetically capable of affecting the evolution of the host. The current sample of GSJ will grow in size with future releases of LoTSS and can also form the basis for further studies of feedback from low-luminosity radio sources.

astro-ph.GA↗