arXiv subjects

Ishwara-Chandra C. H.

Publications and source records attributed to Ishwara-Chandra C. H..

8 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Investigation of the Axe-shaped Radio Galaxy J1051+5523 with uGMRT

We present a multi-frequency study of the bent-tail radio galaxy J1051+5523, located in the galaxy cluster WHL J105147.4+552309. This wide-angle tail (WAT) galaxy exhibits a complex radio morphology, characterised by a right-angled bend in the northern jet, which resembles an axe, and multiple kinks in the southern jet, as observed in the deep uGMRT radio observations. The radio power of J1051+5523 at 150 MHz is estimated to be $2.91 \times 10^{25}\,\mathrm{W\,Hz^{-1}}$, placing it in the transition zone between FRI and FRII radio galaxies. The spectral index map reveals a flat core and relatively flat lobes, which may indicate ongoing particle acceleration or a relatively young population of relativistic electrons in the lobes. Further, we estimate the equipartition magnetic fields, and spectral ages of the northern and southern lobes to be approximately 150 Myr and 153 Myr, respectively, suggesting a long-lived radio source with sustained AGN activity. A relative velocity of 278 $\pm$ 2643 $\mathrm{km\,s^{-1}}$ is obtained for the host galaxy. Due to the large uncertainty associated with the relative velocity estimates, the contribution of ram pressure to the jet bending remains inconclusive. The low mass of the host cluster ($\sim 2 \times 10^{14}\,M_\odot$) and the lack of diffuse X-ray emission indicate a reduced likelihood of major mergers, but minor mergers or interactions remain possible. We propose that the observed WAT morphology of J1051+5523 is likely shaped by a combination of ram pressure and/or buoyant forces within the cluster environment.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2025

A Multi-frequency Study of the Candidate Double-Double Radio Galaxy J2349-0003 with a Possible Misalignment

We present a multi-frequency analysis of the candidate double-double radio galaxy (DDRG) J2349-0003, exhibiting a possible lobe misalignment. High-resolution uGMRT observations at Bands 3 and 4 reveal a complex radio morphology featuring a pair of inner and outer lobes, and the radio core, while the Band 5 image detects the core and the compact components. The positioning of both pairs of lobes with the central core supports its classification as a DDRG. Spectral age estimates for the inner and outer lobes indicate two distinct episodes of active galactic nucleus (AGN) activity interspaced by a short quiescent phase. The possible compact steep spectrum nature of the core, together with its concave spectral curvature, suggests ongoing or recent jet activity, suggesting the possibility that J2349-0003 may be a candidate triple-double radio galaxy. With a projected linear size of 1.08 Mpc, J2349-0003 is classified as a giant radio galaxy (GRG), although its moderate radio power (~10^24 W/Hz) suggests a sparse surrounding environment. Arm-length (R_theta) and flux density ratios (R_S) indicates environmental influences on source symmetry. The observed lobe misalignment and the presence of nearby galaxies in the optical image suggest that merger-driven processes may have played a key role in shaping the source's evolution.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2020

CAPTURE: A continuum imaging pipeline for the uGMRT

We present the first fully automated pipeline for making images from the interferometric data obtained from the upgraded Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (uGMRT) called CAsa Pipeline-cum-Toolkit for Upgraded Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope data REduction - CAPTURE. It is a python program that uses tasks from the NRAO Common Astronomy Software Applications (CASA) to perform the steps of flagging of bad data, calibration, imaging and self-calibration. The salient features of the pipeline are: i) a fully automatic mode to go from the raw data to a self-calibrated continuum image, ii) specialized flagging strategies for short and long baselines that ensure minimal loss of extended structure, iii) flagging of persistent narrow band radio frequency interference (RFI), iv) flexibility for the user to configure the pipeline for step-by-step analysis or special cases and v) analysis of data from the legacy GMRT. CAPTURE is available publicly on github (https://github.com/ruta-k/uGMRT-pipeline, release v1.0.0). The primary beam correction for the uGMRT images produced with CAPTURE is made separately available at https://github.com/ruta-k/uGMRTprimarybeam. We show examples of using CAPTURE on uGMRT and legacy GMRT data. In principle, CAPTURE can be tailored for use with radio interferometric data from other telescopes.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2019

Investigation of the WR 11 field at decimeter wavelengths

The massive binary system WR11 has been recently proposed as the counterpart of a Fermi source. If correct, it would be the second colliding wind binary detected in GeV gamma-rays. However, the reported flux measurements from 1.4 to 8.64GHz fail to establish the presence of non-thermal (synchrotron) emission from this source. Moreover, WR11 is not the only radio source within the Fermi detection box. Other possible counterparts have been identified in archival data, some of which present strong non-thermal radio emission. We conducted "-resolution observations towards WR11 at very low frequencies (150 to 1400~MHz) where the NT emission is expected to dominate, and present a catalog of more than 400 radio-emitters, among which a significant part is detected at more than one frequency, including limited spectral index information. A search for counterparts for this last group pointed at MOST0808-471, a source 2' away from WR11, as a promising candidate for high-energy emission, with resolved structure along 325 - 1390 MHz. For it, we reprocessed archive interferometric data up to 22.3 GHz and obtained a non-thermal radio spectral index of -0.97 +- 0.09. However, multiwavelength observations of this source are required to establish its nature and to assess whether it can produce (part of) the observed gamma-rays. WR11 spectrum follows a spectral index of 0.74 +- 0.03 from 150 to 230 GHz, consistent with thermal emission. We interpret that any putative synchrotron radiation from the colliding-wind region of this relatively short-period system is absorbed in the photospheres of the individual components. Notwithstanding, the new radio data allowed to derive a mass loss rate of 0.000025 Mo/yr, which, according to the latest models for gamma-ray emission in WR 11, would suffice to provide the required kinetic power to feed non-thermal radiation processes.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2017

`Zwicky's Nonet': a compact merging ensemble of nine galaxies and 4C 35.06, a peculiar radio galaxy with dancing radio jets

We report the results of our radio, optical and infra-red studies of a peculiar radio source 4C~35.06, an extended radio-loud AGN at the center of galaxy cluster Abell 407 ($z=0.047$). The central region of this cluster hosts a remarkably tight ensemble of nine galaxies, the spectra of which resemble those of passive red ellipticals, embedded within a diffuse stellar halo of $\sim$1~arcmin size. This system (named the `Zwicky's Nonet') provides unique and compelling evidence for a multiple-nucleus cD galaxy precursor. Multifrequency radio observations of 4C~35.06 with the Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope (GMRT) at 610, 235 and 150 MHz reveal a system of 400~kpc scale helically twisted and kinked radio jets and outer diffuse lobes. The outer extremities of jets contain extremely steep spectrum (spectral index -1.7 to -2.5) relic/fossil radio plasma with a spectral age of a few$\,\times (10^7 - 10^8)$ yr. Such ultra-steep spectrum relic radio lobes without definitive hot-spots are rare, and they provide an opportunity to understand the life-cycle of relativistic jets and physics of black hole mergers in dense environments. We interpret our observations of this radio source in the context of the growth of its central black hole, triggering of its AGN activity and jet precession, all possibly caused by galaxy mergers in this dense galactic system. A slow conical precession of the jet axis due to gravitational perturbation between interacting black holes is invoked to explain the unusual jet morphology.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2014

GMRT observations of the radio source 4C 35.06: precessing jets from a cD galaxy under assembly?

We report GMRT observation of the strong radio source 4C 35.06, an extended (z=0.047) radio-loud AGN at the center of galaxy cluster Abell 407. The radio map at 610 MHz reveal a striking, helically twisted jet system emanating from an optically faint AGN host. The radio morphology closely resembles the precessing jets of the galactic microquasar SS 433. The optical SDSS images of central region show a complex ensemble of nine galactic condensations within 1 arc minute, embedded in a faint, diffuse stellar halo. This system presents a unique case for studying the formation of a giant elliptical galaxy (cD) at the cluster center.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2014

Unveiling the population of high-redshift radio galaxies using centimeter GMRT survey

Ultra Steep Spectrum (USS) radio sources are one of the efficient tracers of High Redshift Radio Galaxies (HzRGs). To search for HzRGs candidates, we investigate properties of a large sample of faint USS sources derived from our deep 325 MHz GMRT observations combined with 1.4 GHz VLA data on the two subfields (i.e., VLA-VIMOS VLT Deep Survey (VVDS) and Subaru X-ray Deep Field (SXDF)) in the XMM-LSS field. The available redshift estimates show that majority of our USS sample sources are at higher redshifts with the median redshifts ~ 1.18 and ~ 1.57 in the VLA-VVDS and SXDF fields. In the VLA-VVDS field, ~ 20% of USS sources lack the redshift estimates as well as the detection in the deep optical, IR surveys, and thus these sources may be considered as potential high-z candidates. The radio luminosity distributions suggest that a substantial fraction (~ 40%) of our USS sample sources are radio-loud sources, distributed over redshifts ~ 0.5 to 4.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2013

Low-frequency radio observations of Seyfert galaxies: A test to the unification scheme

Aims. We present low-frequency radio imaging and spectral properties of a well defined sample of Seyfert galaxies using GMRT 240/610 MHz dual frequency observations. Radio spectra of Seyfert galaxies over 240 MHz to 5.0 GHz are investigated using 240 MHz, 610 MHz flux densities derived from GMRT, and 1.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz flux densities mainly from published VLA data. We test the predictions of Seyfert unification scheme by comparing the radio properties of Seyfert type 1s and type 2s. Methods. We choose a sample such that the two Seyfert subtypes have matched distributions in parameters that are independent to the orientation of AGN, obscuring torus and the host galaxy. Our sample selection criteria allow us to assume that the two Seyfert subtypes are intrinsically similar within the framework of the unification scheme. Results. The new observations at 240/610 MHz, together with archival observations at 1.4 GHz, 5.0 GHz show that type 1s and type 2s have statistically similar radio luminosity distributions at 240 MHz, 610 MHz, 1.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz. The spectral indices at selected frequency intervals as well as index measured over 240 MHz to 5.0 GHz for the two Seyfert subtypes have similar distributions with median spectral index $/sim$ -0.7, consistent with the synchrotron emission from optically thin plasma. In our snap-shot 240/610 MHz GMRT observations, most of the Seyfert galaxies show primarily an unresolved central radio component, except a few sources in which faint kpc-scale extended emission is apparent at 610 MHz. Our results on the statistical comparison of the multifrequency radio properties of our sample Seyfert galaxies are in agreement with the predictions of the Seyfert unification scheme.

astro-ph.CO↗