arXiv subjects

Takuya Akahori

Publications and source records attributed to Takuya Akahori.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Unravelling Turbulence and Magnetic Fields in Galaxy Clusters with SKA and XRISM

This chapter proposes a research framework to quantitatively investigate non-thermal components in the Intracluster Medium (ICM) of galaxy clusters, which are critical ingredients for governing energy transport, structure formation, and particle acceleration. Turbulence, primarily driven by cluster mergers, is the leading mechanism for re-accelerating cosmic ray electrons (forming radio halos) and amplifying magnetic fields (via the turbulent dynamo). Observational understanding of both the turbulence and magnetic fields is rapidly evolving: the high-resolution X-ray spectrometer XRISM is directly measuring the velocity properties of the thermal ICM, providing insights into the kinetic energy of turbulence. Concurrently, high-sensitivity low-frequency radio observations, including SKA pathfinders, are mapping non-thermal components and magnetic structures through diffuse synchrotron emission and high-density Faraday Rotation Measure (RM) grids. The synergy between XRISM and SKA offers a decisive paradigm shift. XRISM's velocity maps, with its high energy resolution (<7 eV FWHM), combined with SKA-Mid's capability to deliver high-resolution RM grids ($\sim 100$--$200~\rm deg^{-2}$) and high-dynamic-range imaging, will allow for the first direct, multi-wavelength comparison of the turbulent energy properties (from X-ray) and the magnetic field properties (from radio). This joint analysis will validate Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation predictions, clarify the process of turbulent energy cascade and decay, and ultimately lead to a comprehensive understanding of the co-evolution of turbulence, magnetic fields, and cosmic rays in the largest laboratories of the Universe.

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arXiv2026

Helical radio jets as probes of magnetised cluster environments: Periodic Faraday Rotation Revealed in the Corkscrew Galaxy by POSSUM

Jets from active galactic nuclei (AGN) that exhibit regular plane-of-sky oscillations may provide a probe of magnetised plasma within the jets and their local intracluster medium (ICM). If such morphologies trace three-dimensional helices, path length differences between near and far sides of the flow might imprint quasi-periodic signatures in Faraday rotation. We present ASKAP Band 2 (1296-1440 MHz) polarimetric observations of a helical-tailed radio galaxy (the "Corkscrew Galaxy") from early science data from the POlarisation Sky Survey of the Universe's Magnetism (POSSUM), and test whether its quasi-periodic morphology produces signatures in Faraday rotation. We detect significant RM oscillations with a spatial period of (342 +/- 101) arcsec, consistent within the Rayleigh resolution limit with the jet's lateral deviations ((290 +/- 72) arcsec). Cross-correlation analysis reveals systematic variation along the jet: the eastern section shows alignment between jet deviation and RM, consistent with a jet-associated or sheath-like Faraday screen, while the western section exhibits a phase shift, indicating a transition in the dominant Faraday-rotating medium and possible contribution from the local ICM. These results demonstrate that quasi-periodic RM signatures can disentangle the dominant Faraday-rotating medium in AGN jets, and show that in some embedded radio galaxies the dominant RM contribution arises near the source rather than the cluster foreground. We also outline reliability criteria required to avoid false positive detections and inadequate sampling. Helical jet structures therefore show strong promise as probes of magnetised cluster environments, a capability that will expand in the SKA era.

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arXiv2026

Magnetic Reconnection in Galaxy Clusters

Galaxy clusters contain an intra-cluster medium (ICM) with temperatures of tens of millions of Kelvin. Cosmological structure formation simulations show that this diffuse gas is heated not only by adiabatic gravitational compression but also by shock waves and turbulence generated during mergers of galaxy groups and clusters. These processes are expected to produce magnetic fields and cosmic rays, observed through synchrotron polarization. One structure formed during cluster evolution is the cold front, a contact discontinuity created when colder gas moves transonically through hotter gas. Using MeerKAT, GMRT, and ATCA, we recently discovered radio emission along cold fronts in two galaxy clusters, with spectra indicating re-acceleration at the discontinuity. This presents a new puzzle because the standard mechanism in galaxy clusters, Fermi acceleration, is not naturally expected there. We propose magnetic reconnection as the re-acceleration mechanism. Compression and stretching of magnetized plasma at the discontinuity can generate current sheets that trigger reconnection, as also suggested by simulations. With AA*, we will probe broadband radio spectra at high spatial resolution to constrain where re-acceleration occurs. Polarization measurements will reveal magnetic-field structures and clarify the conditions required for magnetic reconnection.

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arXiv2026

VLBI Astrometry of Magnetars

The origin of the strongest magnetic fields in the Universe, i.e., the origin of magnetars, is a longstanding question. An enhanced dynamo effect in an irregular supernova explosion is a possible origin, which implies a stronger kick velocity and a higher proper motion of the magnetar compared to those of ordinary pulsars as well as an irregular morphology of the host supernova remnant (SNR). However, this hypothesis is not well studied yet, because there is a lack of precise measurement of the proper motion of magnetar and of identification of the host SNR. VLBI astrometry of magnetars is a unique tool to examine the hypothesis. In this chapter, we introduce the MONSTER (Monitoring Observations of the Neutron Stars That Evolve Rapidly) Project. SKA-VLBI's unprecedented sensitivity and the highest angular resolution will allow us to dramatically expand the survey volume in which we can measure the proper motion of magnetars within a radio outburst period of a few months.

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arXiv2026

VLBI-Enabled Localization of Continuous GW Sources

Pulsar timing arrays (PTAs) are opening the nanohertz gravitational-wave (GW) band by timing millisecond pulsars (MSPs) to target signals from supermassive black hole binaries (SMBHBs). Beyond evidence for a stochastic background, a central SKA-era objective is detecting individual continuous-wave (CW) sources. The scientific payoff hinges on localization: conventional PTA searches yield uncertainties of tens-hundreds of deg$^2$, too large to identify a unique host, obtain a redshift, infer intrinsic masses, or pursue electromagnetic counterparts. This limitation is chiefly geometric: the CW response includes Earth and pulsar terms, and poorly known pulsar distances make the pulsar-term phase a free parameter that degrades triangulation. If distances to a few MSPs are known to better than a GW wavelength ($\sim$ 1 pc), these phases are fixed and localization improves by orders of magnitude. Simulations indicate that with sub-parsec distances for a handful of nearby MSPs, the uncertainty can shrink to $\sim 10^{-3}$ deg$^2$ (arcminute scale), enabling unique host association and multi-messenger follow-up. Achieving such distances requires $\sim$ 10 $\mu$arcsec parallaxes for MSPs within a few hundred parsecs, a precision now approached with Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) and expected to become practical with phased-array SKA1-Mid operating as a sensitive VLBI element. SKA1's multi-beam, multi-calibrator astrometry will provide the independent distance priors needed for PTAs to localize nanohertz GW sources and measure SMBHB parameters and environments. We assess VLBI's role in PTA CW searches and propose a concrete SKA1-Mid observing strategy for nearby MSPs to deliver the required sub-parsec distances.

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arXiv2026

The Rapid ASKAP Continuum Survey VII: Spectra and Polarisation In Cutouts of Extragalactic Sources (SPICE-RACS) Second Data Release -- Unveiling the Magnetised Sky

We present the second data release (DR2) of Spectra and Polarisation in Cutouts of Extragalactic sources from RACS (SPICE-RACS). SPICE-RACS DR2 is derived from the third low-band epoch of the Rapid ASKAP Continuum Survey (RACS-low3) and covers the entire sky from the South celestial pole up to a declination of $+49^\circ$; approximately 87.5% of the celestial sphere. We produce 'cutout' spectral cubes in Stokes $I$, $Q$, $U$ around 4 million radio sources and extract spectra towards 5 million radio components. Across our observed band of 799.5--1087.5 MHz we find an $rms$ noise of $\sim200μ\mathrm{Jy/PSF}$, an angular resolution of $\sim15''$, and residual wide-field instrumental polarisation on the order of 0.1%. After de-duplication, our polarisation catalogue contains the detection of $2.5\times10^5$ ($3.4\times10^5$) Faraday rotation measures (RM) for components with a linearly polarised signal above $8σ$ ($6σ$). This places SPICE-RACS DR2 as the largest single RM catalogue ever produced by nearly an order of magnitude; the number of RMs in our catalogue alone is $\sim5$ times larger than every previous RM catalogue combined. Our resulting RM grid has an areal density of $6.7^{+1.8}_{-1.7}\mathrm{deg}^{-2}$, providing an effective 'resolution' of $\sim23'$, and reveals striking features across the sky. The broad-band RMs have a median uncertainty of $\sim2\ \mathrm{rad\ m}^{-2}$, and include complexity metrics and information from the time domain. The breadth and quality of the SPICE-RACS DR2 dataset will enable a new generation of RM science. Further, SPICE-RACS will provide an ideal reference for forthcoming deep polarisation surveys such as the ASKAP POSSUM survey. All of our data products are publicly available on the CSIRO Data Access Portal (DAP) and the CSIRO ASKAP Science Data Archive (CASDA).

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arXiv2026

Magnetised CGM Gas at z~1 revealed by SPICE-RACS

Magnetic fields are expected to permeate the circumgalactic medium (CGM) of galaxies, yet direct constraints at high redshift remain limited by the lack of high-quality Faraday rotation measure (RM) data. Using the RMs from SPICE-RACS DR2 combined with the DESI DR1 quasar catalogue, we compile the largest sample to date of 2483 quasar sightlines with associated RMs, including 612 with intervening Mg II absorbers tracing foreground galaxies and 1871 control sightlines without Mg II absorbers. After subtracting the Galactic RM contribution and restricting the analysis to sightlines with low Milky Way HI column density and H$\alpha$ intensity, we obtain a foreground-cleaned sample of 757 quasars (191 Mg II / 566 control) spanning redshifts $0.13<z<3.45$. In this foreground-cleaned sample, Mg II sightlines exhibit a $4.5\sigma$ excess in the residual RM dispersion of $4.13 \pm 0.91~\mathrm{rad\,m^{-2}}$ relative to the control sample, at a median absorber redshift of $z\sim1.14$. This implies model-dependent CGM magnetic field strengths of $\sim0.4 - 0.8\, \mu$G over projected radii of $20 - 150$ kpc. This indicates that substantial CGM magnetisation was already established by $z\sim1$, enabling new constraints on the growth and amplification of magnetic fields in galaxy halos over cosmic time.

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arXiv2026

Constraints on the Physical Association between ICECAT1 Neutrinos and Fast Radio Bursts Using the Second CHIME/FRB Catalogue

We present a search for neutrino counterparts to fast radio bursts (FRBs) using temporal and spatial cross-matching between the Second CHIME/FRB catalogue and the IceCube high-energy alert-track catalogue ICECAT1. Because current FRB--neutrino models do not provide a unique consensus on emission ordering, our primary significance test adopts a two-sided, order-agnostic temporal hypothesis. The analysis accounts for declination-dependent CHIME/FRB exposure and the look-elsewhere effect across multiple trials. No statistically significant FRB--neutrino association is found. The most significant pair is FRB\,20190630C--IC\,190629A, with a post-trial probability of $p=0.076$ ($1.43σ$), consistent with a chance coincidence. Within our statistical framework, a detectable physical association would require a time offset shorter than $\sim256$~s at $3σ$ or $\sim63$~ms at $5σ$. Using a population-level stacking analysis, we derive 90\% upper limits on the neutrino-to-radio luminosity ratio of FRBs, $ξ\lesssim 10^{8}-10^{11}$ for neutrino power-law spectral indices $γ=1.0-3.0$. These limits improve upon previous constraints by approximately two orders of magnitude and represent the most stringent bounds from FRB--neutrino coincidence searches to date. Although the current limits remain above the predictions of most magnetar-based models, they begin to constrain scenarios involving exceptionally efficient hadronic energy dissipation.

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arXiv2026

A Robust Analysis of QU-fitting Behavior for 800-1088 MHz and 1296-1440 MHz

QU-fitting is a powerful tool for interpreting spectro-polarimetric radio continuum observations by linking them to physical models, enabling estimates of the magnetic fields in, for example, the Milky Way, galaxy clusters, and radio jets. We present a comprehensive investigation into the effectiveness and limitations of QU-fitting within the ASKAP POSSUM survey frequency ranges (800-1088 MHz and 1296-1440 MHz) with projections to other spectro-polarimetric radio observations. We simulate different physical polarization sources: Faraday simple, Burn slab, internal turbulence, external turbulence, and two-component models in the POSSUM frequencies, and assess their observational degeneracies and fit accuracies. Our results highlight the model-dependent nature of reliable fitting and identify specific regions of parameter space where model selection, and therefore characterization of the physical medium, becomes ambiguous. For QU-fitting we find the Bayes factor, computed using the marginal likelihood, outperforms more traditionally used goodness-of-fit metrics such as Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC), Akaike Information Criterion (AIC), and chi-squared for model selection. We provide empirical relationships to delineate the boundaries where model distinguishability is impossible. Finally, we evaluate how accurately QU-fitting recovers model parameters and their associated uncertainties, thereby assessing its ability to correctly characterize the Faraday-rotating medium in both point and extended sources in Faraday depth space.

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arXiv2026

RM-Tools: Software for Analyzing Polarized Radio Spectra

Polarization observations using modern radio telescopes cover large numbers of frequency channels over broad bandwidths, and require advanced techniques to extract reliable scientific results. We present RM-Tools, analysis software for deriving polarization properties, such as Faraday rotation measures, from spectropolarimetric observations of linearly polarized radio sources. The software makes use of techniques such as rotation measure synthesis and QU-model fitting, along with many features to simplify and enhance the analysis of radio polarization data. RM-Tools is currently the main software that large-area polarization sky surveys such as POSSUM and VLASS deploy for science-ready data processing. The software code is freely available online and can be used with data from a wide range of telescopes.

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arXiv2025

Revealing the magnetization of the intracluster medium of Abell 3581 using background Faraday rotation measures from the POSSUM survey

The line-of-sight magnetic field of galaxy clusters can be probed using Faraday rotation measure (RM) data. However, our understanding of cluster magnetism is limited due to the scarcity of polarized background radio sources, with most previous studies being constrained to $\sim 10$ sources per cluster. Leveraging the increased source density of the POlarisation Sky Survey of the Universe's Magnetism (POSSUM), we probe the magnetic field properties of the galaxy cluster Abell 3581 {(A3581)} with 111 RMs. We find that the standard deviation in the RM declines monotonically with increasing radius up to 0.75 Mpc{, agreeing with a radially declining magnetic field and electron density profile modeled as Gaussian and lognormal random fields, respectively. {We compare our observations of the inner 0.75 Mpc of A3581 to various semi-analytic models of the magnetic field and electron density, and obtain several best-fit models.} For the first time, we compare the observed RMs in a cluster to full magnetohydrodynamic simulated clusters from TNG-Cluster and find that the non-monotonic trend in RM standard deviation past 0.75 Mpc in A3581 is likely caused by past or present merger activity. We identify a possible candidate for a merger to be the galaxy group [DZ2015b] 276, which would be the first group detected in RMs that is not strongly emitting in X-rays. We find a possible merger axis of A3581 with this group at a position angle of $θ= 52\pm 4$ deg.

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arXiv2025

Origin and Evolution of the $Ω$ Structure in the Head-Tail Radio Galaxy of Abell 3322

A head-tail galaxy is thought to be a radio galaxy with bent active galactic nuclei (AGN) jets interacting with the intracluster medium (ICM). Study of head-tail galaxies provides us with fruitful insights into the mechanisms of shock waves and turbulence, as well as magnetic-field amplification and cosmic-ray acceleration. A recent MeerKAT observation revealed that a head-tail galaxy in the galaxy cluster, Abell 3322, exhibits a peculiar ``Omega" structure in its shape. In this paper, we investigated this Omega-tail galaxy using the upgraded Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope (GMRT) and the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA). We found that the southern jet tends to be brighter than the northern jet, with a brightness ratio of about 2. This can be attributed to Doppler boost and the inclination of the jets. Our broadband data suggest that the radio spectrum becomes steeper along the jet propagation direction, and the cosmic-ray aging model with a weak reacceleration of cosmic rays is preferable to explain the index profile. We further found a gradient of the spectral index perpendicular to the jet propagation. We discussed the origin of the gradient and suggested that a shock wave along one side of the jets is present. The resultant ram pressure as well as the backflow made at the early stage of the jet may produce the tail component of this Omega-tail galaxy, while the observed Omega-shape structure is more likely due to a twin vortex seen in the low Reynolds number flow.

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arXiv2025

Three-Dimensional Polarimetric Structure of Jets from Radio Galaxy MRC 0600-399 in A3376

MRC 0600-399, in the merging galaxy cluster Abell 3376, is one of the unique Head-Tail radio galaxies having abruptly bending structures, the origin of which is still under discussion. A previous study suggested that the interaction between the jets and the magnetic fields on the cold front has produced such an outstanding feature; however, it is still not known how the jet propagates the long distance keeping the sharp shape. In this study, we performed a polarization analysis of MRC 0600-399 and a nearby radio source using MeerKAT L-band data. To interpret the Faraday structure, we constructed the Pseudo-3D visualization map of the reconstructed Faraday dispersion function 3D cube. MRC 0600-399 has a complicated Faraday depth structure, and some of the Faraday depth features are in good agreement with the 2D structure on the celestial sphere. For the northern jet of MRC 0600-399, the Faraday depth values show a clear gap at the tip region. Based on the polarization analysis and comparison with the other observation, we concluded that the synchrotron radiation from the tip region of the northern jet originates from the magnetic field on the cold front.

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arXiv2025

A new window into the sub-parsec scale magnetic field in the Milky Way? Unveiling small-scale magneto-ionic structures with Faraday complexity

Radio broadband spectro-polarimetric observations are sensitive to the spatial fluctuations of the Faraday depth (FD) within the telescope beam. Such FD fluctuations are referred to as "Faraday complexity", and can unveil small-scale magneto-ionic structures in both the synchrotron-emitting and the foreground volumes. We explore the astrophysical origin of the Faraday complexity exhibited by 191 polarised extragalactic radio sources (EGSs) within 5 deg from the Galactic plane in the longitude range of 20-52 deg, using broadband data from the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array presented by a previous work. A new parameter called the FD spread is devised to quantify the spatial FD fluctuations. We find that the FD spread of the EGSs (i) demonstrates an enhancement near the Galactic mid-plane, most notable within Galactic latitude of +-3 deg, (ii) exhibits hints of modulations across Galactic longitude, (iii) does not vary with the source size across the entire range of 2.5"-300", and (iv) has an amplitude higher than expected from magneto-ionic structures of extragalactic origin. All these suggest that the primary cause of the Faraday complexity exhibited by our target EGSs is <2.5"-scale magneto-ionic structures in the Milky Way. We argue that the anisotropic turbulent magnetic field generated by galactic-scale shocks and shears, or the stellar feedback-driven isotropic turbulent magnetic field, are the most likely candidates. Our work highlights the use of broadband radio polarimetric observations of EGSs as a powerful probe of multi-scale magnetic structures in the Milky Way.

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arXiv2025

The Polarisation Sky Survey of the Universe's Magnetism (POSSUM): Science Goals and Survey Description

The Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP) offers powerful new capabilities for studying the polarised and magnetised Universe at radio wavelengths. In this paper, we introduce the Polarisation Sky Survey of the Universe's Magnetism (POSSUM), a groundbreaking survey with three primary objectives: (1) to create a comprehensive Faraday rotation measure (RM) grid of up to one million compact extragalactic sources across the southern ~50 per cent of the sky (20,630 deg$^2$); (2) to map the intrinsic polarisation and RM properties of a wide range of discrete extragalactic and Galactic objects over the same area; and (3) to contribute interferometric data with excellent surface brightness sensitivity, which can be combined with single-dish data to study the diffuse Galactic interstellar medium. Observations for the full POSSUM survey commenced in May 2023 and are expected to conclude by mid-2028. POSSUM will achieve an RM grid density of around 30-50 RMs per square degree with a median measurement uncertainty of ~1 rad m$^{-2}$. The survey operates primarily over a frequency range of 800-1088 MHz, with an angular resolution of 20'' and a typical RMS sensitivity in Stokes $Q$ or $U$ of 18 $μ$Jy beam$^{-1}$. Additionally, the survey will be supplemented by similar observations covering 1296-1440 MHz over 38 per cent of the sky. POSSUM will enable the discovery and detailed investigation of magnetised phenomena in a wide range of cosmic environments, as well as the interplay between these components. This paper reviews the current science case developed by the POSSUM Collaboration and provides an overview of POSSUM's observations, data processing, outputs, and its complementarity with other radio and multi-wavelength surveys, including future work with the SKA. [Abstract abridged]

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arXiv2024

ALMA observations of the gamma-ray binary system PSR B1259-63/LS 2883 during the 2024 periastron passage

We present observations of the gamma-ray binary PSR B1259-63/LS 2883 with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) at Bands 3 (97 GHz), 6 (233 GHz), and 7 (343 GHz). PSR B1259-63/LS 2883 consists of a pulsar in a highly eccentric orbit around a massive companion star, with the pulsar passing through the circumstellar disk near periastron. Our new data were obtained over several epochs, ranging from -61 to +29 days from the periastron passage in 2024. We report an increase in flux in all bands near the periastron. The significant change in Band 3 flux suggests synchrotron emission from the interaction between the pulsar wind and the stellar wind or disk. The Band 6 flux shows an increase around periastron and a transition from thermal emission from the circumstellar disk to synchrotron emission. The Band 7 observation +24 days after periastron shows a brightening, suggesting that the pulsar's passage through the disk does not result in its immediate destruction. We discuss the implications of these results for the interaction between the pulsar wind and the circumstellar disk, such as the possible disk expansion after periastron.

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arXiv2024

The Japanese Vision for the Black Hole Explorer Mission

The Black Hole Explorer (BHEX) is a next-generation space very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) mission concept that will extend the ground-based millimeter/submillimeter arrays into space. The mission, closely aligned with the science priorities of the Japanese VLBI community, involves an active engagement of this community in the development of the mission, resulting in the formation of the Black Hole Explorer Japan Consortium. Here we present the current Japanese vision for the mission, ranging from scientific objectives to instrumentation. The Consortium anticipates a wide range of scientific investigations, from diverse black hole physics and astrophysics studied through the primary VLBI mode, to the molecular universe explored via a potential single-dish observation mode in the previously unexplored 50-70\,GHz band that would make BHEX the highest-sensitivity explorer ever of molecular oxygen. A potential major contribution for the onboard instrument involves supplying essential elements for its high-sensitivity dual-band receiving system, which includes a broadband 300\,GHz SIS mixer and a space-certified multi-stage 4.5K cryocooler akin to those used in the Hitomi and XRISM satellites by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. Additionally, the Consortium explores enhancing and supporting BHEX operations through the use of millimeter/submillimeter facilities developed by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, coupled with a network of laser communication stations operated by the National Institute of Information and Communication Technology.

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arXiv2023

Discovery of Diffuse Radio Source in Abell 1060

Non-thermal components in the intra-cluster medium (ICM) such as turbulence, magnetic field, and cosmic rays imprint the past and current energetic activities of jets from active galactic neuclie (AGN) of member galaxies as well as disturbance caused by galaxy cluster mergers. Meter- and centimeter-radio observations of synchrotron radiation allow us to diagnose the nonthermal component. Here we report on our discovery of an unidentified diffuse radio source, named the Flying Fox, near the center of the Abell 1060 field. The Flying Fox has an elongated ring-like structure and a central bar shape, but there is no obvious host galaxy. The average spectral index of the Flying Fox is -1.4, which is steeper than those for radio sources seen at meter wavelength. We discussed the possibilities of radio lobes, phoenixes, radio halos and relics, and Odd Radio Circle (ORC). In conclusion, the Flying Fox is not clearly explained by known radio sources.

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