arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to R. Fanti.
We present preliminary results of a multi-frequency study of the inversion symmetric radio galaxy NGC326 based on VLA observations at 1.4, 1.6, 4.8, 8.5, and 14.9 GHz. These data allow us to investigate in detail the morphological, spectral and polarization properties of this peculiar object at different levels of spatial resolution.
A Hubble Space Telescope snapshot survey of the B2 sample of low luminosity radio galaxies has, at present, produced V and I images of 41 objects. Together with 16 images of B2 sources taken from the HST archive, there are now high resolution optical data for 57 % of the sample. All host galaxies are luminous ellipticals, except one which is a spiral galaxy, while another one turns out to be a misidentification. We present an album of the images of the B2 radio galaxies observed so far, and give a brief description of the optical morphology of the galaxies. Dust features (in the form of disks, lanes or irregular patches) are seen in most of the galaxies of the sample, 58 %. Compact optical cores are also very common (18/57). A preliminary analysis has revealed the presence of an optical jet in three objects, indicating they can be detected in a sizeable percentage in these low luminosity radio sources. Brightness profiles of dust-free galaxies are well represented by a Nuker law and all shows the existence of a resolved shallow cusp.
We present near-infrared J and K band imaging of a sample of powerful radio source host galaxies with the Hubble Space Telescope NICMOS2 camera. These sources have been selected on their double lobed radio structure, and include a wide range of projected radio source sizes. The largest projected linear sizes range from the compact Gigahertz Peaked Spectrum (GPS, <1 kpc) and Compact Steep Spectrum (CSS, < 20 kpc) radio sources, up to the large-scale (> 20 kpc) classical doubles (FR II radio sources). We investigate the dependence of host galaxy properties (including near-IR surface brightness profiles) on radio source size, using both our own and published data. The absolute magnitudes and surface brightness profiles are consistent with the host galaxies being regular giant elliptical galaxies rather than Brightest Cluster Galaxies (BCGs). We find that the GPS, CSS, and FR II host galaxies are a uniform class of objects, consistent with a scenario in which a powerful radio source evolves along this size sequence.
We present the results of HST narrow band imaging of eleven Compact Steep Spectrum (CSS) radio sources. Five of them (3C 48, 3C 147, 3C303.1, 3C 277.1 and 4C 12.50) were part of a dedicated ``pointed'' program of deep line imaging ([OIII]). For six additional sources (3C 49, 3C 93.1, 3C 138, 3C 268.3, 3C305.1 and 3C343.1) ``snapshot'' images ([OIII] or [OII]) were taken from the HST archive. In all but one of the targets (3C 49) line emission has been detected and only in one case (3C 138) is unresolved. In four out five of the sources with deep observations, the line emission extends well beyond the size of the radio source but along the radio axis. Structures of similar surface brightness would have not been seen in the snapshot images. These emission line structures extend to scales of 10 to 30 kpc and cover a projected angle, when seen from the nucleus, of 30 to 110 degrees, indicating that the nuclear illumination is anisotropic. Photon counting arguments also support this interpretation. In six objects the radio emission extends over more than 1 arcsec. In these cases the line emission has an elongated structure, linking the nucleus to the radio-lobes, possibly tracing the path of the invisible radio jets. Nevertheless the emission line morphologies do not show the bow shocks at the extremities of the radio lobes expected if they are sources whose expansion is frustrated by a dense external medium. Our data favour the alternative model in which CSSs are the young phase of the large size radio sources. When ``pointed'' pure continuum images are available, there appears to be no alignment between radio and continuum emission which contradicts previous suggestions based on broad-band HST imaging.
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)
After a brief introduction to the morphological properties of FRI radio sources, we discuss the possibility that FRI jets are relativistic at their bases and decelerate quickly to non-relativistic velocities. From two-frequency data we determine spectral index distributions and consequently the ages of FRI sources. We show that in the large majority of cases synchrotron theory provides unambiguous and plausible answers; in a few objects re-acceleration of electrons may be needed. The derived ages are of the order 10^7-10^8 years, 2-4 times larger than the ages inferred from dynamical arguments and a factor 5-10 larger than the ages of FRII sources. The linear sizes of FRI and FRII sources make it unlikely that many FRII's evolve into FRI's. A brief discussion is given of the possibility that radio sources go through different cycles of activity.
The high-frequency integrated spectra of Compact Steep Spectrum (CSS) sources show breaks with a moderate spectral steepening well fitted by continuous injection synchrotron spectra. In lobe-dominated CSS sources the radiative ages deduced by the synchrotron theory are in the range of up to 0.1 Myears, if equipartition magnetic fields are assumed. These radiative ages are well correlated with the source size indicating that the CSS sources are young. In order to maintain the frustration scenario, in which the sources' lifetimes are about 10 Myears, their equipartition magnetic field would be systematically decreased by a factor of more than 20. To complete the sample used in this work, we conducted observations at 230 GHz with the IRAM 30-m telescope of those sources which did not have such high-frequency observations up to now.
Two frequency observations, mainly at 1.4 and 5 GHz from the VLA, have been used to study spectral variations along the lobes of some nearby low luminosity radio galaxies that constitute a representative sample selected from the B2 catalogue. The variations of the spectral index have been interpreted as being due to synchrotron and inverse Compton losses and characteristic spectral ages are deduced for the relativistic electrons. The radiative ages are in the range of several 10^7 years. These ages correlate well with the source sizes. They also appear to be consistent with dynamical ages determined from ram-pressure arguments, if we make reasonable assumptions about the ambient gas density and allow for very moderate deviations from the equipartition conditions. There appears to be a significant difference between the radiative ages of sources in our sample and those of more powerful 3CR radio sources. We briefly discuss the possibility of re-acceleration processes and indicate some objects where these may occur.
We define a complete sample of thirty-three GHz-Peaked-Spectrum (GPS) radio sources based on their spectral properties. We present measurements of the radio spectra and polarization of the complete sample and a list of additional GPS sources which fail one or more criteria to be included in the complete sample. The majority of the data have been obtained from quasi-simultaneous multi-frequency observations at the Very Large Array (VLA) during 3 observing sessions. Low frequency data from the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope (WSRT) and from the literature have been combined with the VLA data in order to better define the spectral shape. The objects presented here show a rather wide range of spectral indices at high and low frequencies, including a few cases where the spectral index below the turnover is close to the theoretical value of 2.5 typical of self-absorbed incoherent synchrotron emission. Faint and diffuse extended emission is found in about 10% of the sources. In the majority of the GPS sources, the fractional polarization is found to be very low, consistent with the residual instrumental polarization of 0.3%.
We present the first results of BeppoSAX observations of a small sample of low brightness FRI radio galaxies. The flux of all the targets is consistent with a thermal spectrum, as due to the presence of hot intracluster gas or galactic corona. Moreover in three sources a non thermal absorbed spectrum can be present in the MECS spectrum at energies larger than 7 keV, while for a fourth object a high energy flux has been detected in the PDS instrument at energies larger than 15 keV. This component could be related to the inner AGN surrounded by an obscuring torus.
The class of Compact Steep-spectrum Sources is dominated by double-lobed objects (70%). The remaining 30% are jet-dominated objects, with the jet brightened either by Doppler boosting or by interaction with the ambient media. We show that there is both observational and statistical evidence in favour of an interaction between jets and dense gas clouds. Such an interaction should happen in the Narrow Line Regions. The images of four CSSs observed by us with VLBI are also presented. These sources do show large bent jets in the first kpc from the nucleus.
We report X-ray observations of the radio galaxies B2 1615+35 (NGC 6109) and B2 1621+38 (NGC 6137), which belong to poor groups of galaxies and are characterized by a "head-tail" structure. We also analyze the X-ray behaviour of the radio galaxy NGC 6107, present within the field of view and showing a symmetric extended radio structure. The X-ray emission from the group of 1615+35 is complex, including both emission from a hot intergroup gas, and emission from the individual radio galaxies (1615+35 itself, which is pointlike, and NGC 6107, which is extended). In the case of 1621+38, only extended X-ray emission from the galaxy itself is detected. The extended X-ray emission of the galaxies 1621+38 and NGC 6107 is probably related to a gaseous galactic atmosphere. The pointlike emission of the radio galaxy 1615+35, instead, is likely to originate in the nucleus. We discuss the confinement of radio components by the ambient gas, and find that the external thermal pressure exceeds the internal equipartition pressure. The X-ray emitting plasma in the 1615+35 group is characterized by luminosity, temperature and metallitcity typical for groups, i.e. lower than for rich clusters.