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Veeresh Singh

Publications and source records attributed to Veeresh Singh.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

SuperMIGHTEE : Spectral Ages of Remnant Radio Galaxy Candidates in the XMM-LSS Field

Remnant radio galaxies, whose lobes are no longer replenished by jets from the active galactic nucleus (AGN), offer key constraints on AGN duty cycles and the timescales of radio jets. We present a spectral-ageing study of 14 candidate remnant radio galaxies in the XMM-LSS field, combining new broad-band data from the MeerKAT MIGHTEE (L-band) and uGMRT superMIGHTEE (band-3 and band-4) surveys with complementary observations from LOFAR, GMRT, and JVLA, covering 144 MHz-1.5 GHz. Spectral modeling confirms 12 sources as genuine remnants, while two are reclassified as active, emphasising the importance of sensitive, multi-frequency coverage for robust remnant identification. Pixel-based spectral age maps yield results (~3-43 Myr) broadly consistent with integrated estimates, revealing relatively short spectral ages (~8-42 Myr). These ages likely reflect enhanced inverse-Compton losses at higher redshifts (0.35 < z < 2.85; median z = 1.25) and possible rapid lobe expansion in low-density environments. The ratios of remnant to total source ages (t_OFF}/t_s) span 0.04-0.83, indicating that the sample traces a broad range of evolutionary stages. Our findings reveal a previously underrepresented population of faint, rapidly fading remnants, suggesting that the remnant phase may be shorter and more dynamic than previously thought. This study highlights the crucial role of MIGHTEE and superMIGHTEE surveys in reliably classifying genuine remnants and provides a framework for constraining AGN life cycles in preparation for forthcoming SKA surveys.

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Broad-band temporal and spectral study of TeV blazar TXS 0518+211

We present a long-term broad-band temporal and spectral study of a TeV BL Lac source TXS 0518+211 by analyzing nearly 16 years (MJD 54682 -- 60670) of simultaneous optical, UV and X-ray light curves from \textit{Swift}-XRT/UVOT and gamma-ray light curves from \textit{Fermi}-LAT. Based on the availability of simultaneous multi-wavelength data and considering flux level as the depiction of AGN-jet activity we identified 11 epochs (named as Epoch-A to Epoch-K) and investigated temporal as well as spectral variability during these epochs to understand the emission properties in this source. The fractional variability analysis reveals that, in all epochs, X-ray light curve exhibits relatively high degree of variability in compared to the optical, UV and gamma-ray light curves. The flux-flux plots among different bands, in general, show weak to moderate correlation with Spearman correlation coefficient ranging from 0.29 to 0.58. Notably, during Epoch-I, we detect a possible orphan flare exhibiting increase in the X-ray flux level ($\sim$ 2.4 times of the total average flux) but with no corresponding counterpart seen in the optical, UV bands. In contrast, during Epoch-K, we detect a significant decrease in the X-ray flux but no corresponding decrease in optical, UV and gamma-ray bands. Overall, our study reveals several changes in the flux states and complex nature of jet dominated emission processes. We tested one-zone and two-zone leptonic scenarios and for most of the epochs, the latter one provides a better description of the broad-band emission in this TeV BL Lac source.

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Tracing AGN-Galaxy Co-Evolution with UV Line-Selected Obscured AGN

Understanding black hole-galaxy co-evolution and the role of AGN feedback requires complete AGN samples, including heavily obscured systems. In this work, we present the first UV line-selected ([Nev]3426 and CIV1549) sample of obscured AGN with full X-ray-to-radio coverage, assembled by combining data from the Chandra COSMOS Legacy survey, the COSMOS2020 catalogue, IR photometry from XID+, and radio observations from the VLA and MIGHTEE surveys. Using CIGALE to perform spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting, we analyse 184 obscured AGN at 0.6 < z < 1.2 and 1.5 < z < 3.1, enabling detailed measurements of AGN and host galaxy properties, and direct comparison with SIMBA hydrodynamical simulations. We find that X-ray and radio data are essential for accurate SED fits, with the radio band proving critical when X-ray detections are missing or in cases of poor IR coverage. Comparisons with matched non-active galaxies and simulations suggest that the [NeV]-selected sources are in a pre-quenching stage, while the CIV-selected ones are likely quenched by AGN activity. Our results indicate that [NeV] and CIV selections target galaxies in a transient phase of their co-evolution, characterised by intense, obscured accretion, and pave the way for future extensions with upcoming large area high-z spectroscopic surveys.

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Intra-night optical variability and radio characteristics of extremely radio-loud narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies

Narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies (NLS1s) are generally known to be radio-quiet Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN), but a tiny subset of them are found to be extremely radio-loud with radio loudness parameter ($R_{\rm 1.4~GHz}$) $>$ 100. Given their rarity we investigated intra-night optical variability (INOV) and radio characteristics of a sample of 16 extremely radio-loud NLS1s. For all but four sample sources we report intra-night photometric monitoring for the first time with at least one monitoring session per source lasting for a minimum of 3.0 hours duration. In our sample, we detect INOV with a high duty cycle (up to 25 per cent) and large average amplitude ($\overline{\psi}$ $\sim$ 0.16) similar to that found in blazars. Using 3.0 GHz Very Large Array Sky Survey (VLASS) and auxiliary multi-frequency radio data we find that our RL-NLS1s are luminous ($L_{\rm 3.0~GHz}$ $\geq$ 10$^{24}$ W~Hz$^{-1}$), compact (less than a few kpc), variable, flat spectrum (${\alpha}_{\rm radio}$ $>$ -0.5) radio sources. The INOV, radio characteristics, and radio luminosity ($L_{\rm 1.4~GHz}$) versus super-massive black hole mass ($M_{\rm SMBH}$) plot infer that extremely radio-loud NLS1s are low-$z$ and low-luminosity analogs of flat spectrum radio quasars wherein the former are powered by, on average, one order-of-magnitude less massive SMBHs.

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X-ray spectral properties of dust-obscured galaxies in the XMM-SERVS coverage of the XMM-LSS field

With an aim to unveil the population of obscured AGN hosted in high-$z$ dust-obscured galaxies (DOGs), we performed X-ray spectral study of $34$ DOGs ($0.59$ $\leq$ $z$ $\leq$ $4.65$) lying within $5.3$ deg$^{2}$ of the XMM-SERVS coverage in the XMM-LSS field. To improve the spectral quality of individual sources, we combined all the existing $\textit{XMM-Newton}$ data and also included $\textit{Chandra}$/ACIS data, whenever available. We find that the X-ray spectra of our DOGs can be fitted with a simple absorbed power law or with a physically-motivated BORUS02 model. The line-of-sight column densities ($N_{\textrm{H}}$) in our sources span across a wide range ($1.02$ $\times$ $10^{22}$ cm$^{-2}$ $\leq$ $N_{\textrm{H}}$ $\leq$ $1.21$ $\times$ $10^{24}$ cm$^{-2}$), with a substantial fraction ($\sim$ $17.6$ per cent) of them being heavily obscured ($N_{\textrm{H}}$ $\geq$ $10^{23}$ cm$^{-2}$). We also identified one new CT-AGN candidate, yielding the CT-AGN fraction in our sample to be only $3$ per cent. The absorption-corrected $2.0-10$ keV X-ray luminosities of our sources ($2.00~\times~10^{43}$ erg s$^{-1}$ $\leq$ $L_{\textrm{2-10 keV}}^{\textrm{int}}$ $\leq$ $6.17~\times~10^{45}$ erg s$^{-1}$) suggest them to be luminous quasars. The $N_{\textrm{H}}$ versus Eddington ratio diagnostic plot infers that our sample consists of a heterogeneous population that includes a small fraction ($\sim$ $12$ per cent) of DOGs belonging to an early phase (Hot DOGs) during which accretion and obscuration peaks, while the remaining DOGs belong to an intermediate or late phase during which radiative feedback from the dominant AGN blows away surrounding obscuring material.

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Intra-night optical variability of peculiar narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies with enigmatic jet behavior

Variability studies of active galactic nuclei are a powerful diagnostic tool in understanding the physical processes occurring in disk-jet regions, unresolved by direct imaging with currently available techniques. Here, we report the first attempt to systematically characterize intra-night optical variability (INOV) for a sample of seven apparently radio-quiet narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies (RQNLSy1s) that had shown recurring flaring at 37 GHz in the radio observations at Metsahovi Radio Observatory (MRO), indicating the presence of relativistic jets in them, but no evidence for relativistic jets in the recent radio observations of Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (JVLA) at 1.6, 5.2, and 9.0 GHz. We have conducted a total of 28 intra-night sessions, each lasting $\geq$ 3 hrs for this sample, resulting in an INOV duty cycle ($\overline{DC} ~\sim$20%) similar to that reported for $γ$-ray-NLSy1s (DC $\sim$25% - 30%), that display blazar-like INOV. This in turn infers the presence of relativistic jet in our sample sources. Thus, it appears that even lower-mass (M$_{BH} \sim$10$^{6}$ M$_{\odot}$) RQNLSy1 galaxies can maintain blazar-like activities. However, we note that the magnetic reconnection in the magnetosphere of the black hole can also be a viable mechanism to give rise to the INOV from these sources.

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AGN Feedback Through Multiple Jet Cycles in the Seyfert Galaxy NGC 2639

The Seyfert galaxy NGC 2639 was known to exhibit three episodes of AGN jet/lobe activity. We present here the upgraded Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (uGMRT) 735 MHz image of NGC 2639 showing a fourth episode as witnessed by the discovery of $\sim9$ kpc radio lobes misaligned with the previously known $\sim1.5$ kpc, $\sim360$ parsec, and $\sim3$ parsec jet features detected through the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) and the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA), respectively. Using the spectral ageing software BRATS, we derive the ages of the $\sim9$ kpc, $\sim1.5$ kpc, and $\sim360$ parsec episodes to be, respectively, $34^{+4}_{-6}$ Myr, $11.8^{+1.7}_{-1.4}$ Myr, and $2.8^{+0.7}_{-0.5}$ Myr, and conclude that minor mergers occurred $9-22$ Myr apart. NGC 2639 shows a deficit of molecular gas in its central $\sim6$ kpc region. The GALEX NUV image also shows a deficiency of recent star-formation in the same region, while the star formation rate (SFR) surface density in NGC 2639 is lower by a factor of $5-18$ compared to the global Schmidt law of star-forming galaxies. This makes NGC 2639 a rare case of a Seyfert galaxy showing episodic jet activity and possible signatures of jet-driven AGN feedback.

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Multi-epoch hard X-ray view of Compton-thick AGN Circinus Galaxy

The circumnuclear material around Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) is one of the essential components of the obscuration-based unification model. However, our understanding of the circumnuclear material in terms of its geometrical shape, structure and its dependence on accretion rate is still debated. In this paper, we present the multi-epoch broadband X-ray spectral modelling of a nearby Compton-thick AGN in Circinus galaxy. We utilise all the available hard X-ray ($> 10$ keV) observations taken from different telescopes, $i.e.,$ $BeppoSAX$, $Suzaku$, $NuSTAR$ and $AstroSat$, at ten different epochs across $22$ years from $1998$ to $2020$. The $3.0-79$ keV broadband X-ray spectral modelling using physically-motivated models, namely MYTORUS, BORUS02 and UXCLUMPY, infers the presence of a torus with a low covering factor of $0.28$, an inclination angle of $77^{\circ}$ $-$ $81^{\circ}$ and Compton-thick line-of-sight column densities ($N_{\rm H,LOS} = 4.13~-~9.26~\times~10^{24}$ cm$^{-2}$) in all the epochs. The joint multi-epoch spectral modelling suggests that the overall structure of the torus is likely to remain unchanged. However, we find tentative evidence for the variable line-of-sight column density on timescales ranging from one day to one week to a few years, suggesting a clumpy circumnuclear material located at sub-parsec to tens of parsec scales.

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Search and characterization of remnant radio galaxies in the XMM$-$LSS deep field

The remnant phase of a radio galaxy is characterized by the cessation of AGN activity resulting in the stoppage of jets supplying plasma to radio lobes. In this paper, we present the search and characterization of remnant candidates in 12.5 deg$^{2}$ of the {\em XMM$-$Newton} Large$-$Scale Structure (XMM$-$LSS) field by using deep radio observations at 325 MHz from the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT), at 150 MHz from the LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR), at 1.4 GHz from the Jansky Very Large Array (JVLA), and at 3 GHz from the VLA Sky Survey (VLASS). By using both morphological criteria {\viz}undetected radio core as well as spectral criteria {\viz}high spectral curvature, and ultra$-$steep spectrum, we identify 21 remnant candidates that are found to reside mostly in non$-$cluster environments, and exhibit diverse properties in terms of morphology, spectral index ($α_{\rm 150}^{\rm 1400}$ in the range of $-1.71$ to $-0.75$ with a median of $-1.10$), and linear radio size (ranging from 242 kpc to 1.3 Mpc with a median of 469 kpc). Our study attempts to identify remnant candidates down to the flux density limit of 6.0 mJy at 325 MHz, and yields an upper limit on the remnant fraction ($f_{\rm rem}$) to be around 5$\%$. The observed $f_{\rm rem}$ seems consistent with the predictions of an evolutionary model assuming power law distributions of the duration of active phase and jet kinetic power with index $-0.8$ to $-1.2$.

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Characteristics of remnant radio galaxies detected in the deep radio continuum observations from the SKA pathfinders

The cessation of AGN activity in radio galaxies leads to a remnant phase during which jets are no longer sustained, but lobes can be detected for a period of time before they fade away due to radiative and dynamical energy losses. The time-scale of the remnant phase and AGN duty cycle are vital to understanding the evolution of radio galaxies. In this paper, we report new band-3 observations with the upgraded Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope (uGMRT) for five remnant radio galaxies. Our uGMRT observations reveal emission of low-surface-brightness in all five remnants with 400 MHz surface brightness in the range of 36$-$201 mJy arcmin$^{-2}$. With band-3 uGMRT observations, we discover wing-shaped radio morphology in one of our sample sources. Using radio observations at 150 MHz, 325 MHz, 400 MHz, and 1.5 GHz, we model the radio spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of our sample sources with the continuous injection-off model (CI$_{\rm OFF}$), that assumes an active phase with continuous injection followed by a remnant phase. We obtain total source ages ($t_{\rm s}$) in the range of 20.3 Myr to 41.4 Myr with $t_{\rm OFF}$/$t_{\rm s}$ distributed in the range of 0.16 to 0.63, which in turn suggests them to belong to different evolutionary phases. We note that, in comparison to the remnants reported in the literature, our sample sources tend to show lower spectral ages that can be explained by the combined effects of more dominant inverse Compton losses for our sources present at the relatively higher redshifts and possible rapid expansion of lobes in their less dense environments.

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Detection of radio-AGN in dust-obscured galaxies using deep uGMRT radio continuum observations

Radio observations being insensitive to the dust-obscuration, have been exploited to unveil the population of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) residing in galaxies with large dust content. In this paper, we investigate the radio characteristics of 321 dust-obscured galaxies (DOGs; S$_{\rm 24 μm}$/S$_{\rm r band}$ $\geq$1000) by using mainly deep band-3 (250$-$550 MHz) observations from the upgraded Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (uGMRT) and 1.5 GHz Jansky Very Large Array (JVLA) observations. We find that, for our sample of DOGs, deep (median noise-rms $=$ 30 $μ$Jy beam$^{-1}$) 400 MHz band-3 uGMRT observations yield the highest detection rate (28 per cent) among those obtained with the JVLA, and the LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR) radio observations and the ${\it XMM-N}$ X-ray observations. The radio characteristics of our sample sources, ${\it i.e.,}$ linear extent ($<$40 kpc at $z$ $<$1.2), bimodal spectral index ($α_{\rm 400 MHz}^{\rm 1.5 GHz}$) distribution and the radio luminosities (L$_{\rm 1.5 GHz}$ $>$5.0 $\times$ 10$^{23}$ W Hz$^{-1}$), suggest them to be mainly consist of Compact$-$Steep$-$Spectrum (CSS) or Peaked-Spectrum (PS) sources representing an early phase of the AGN-jet activity in dust-obscured environments. With stacking we find the existence of faint radio emission (S$_{\rm 400 MHz}$ = 72.9 $μ$Jy beam$^{-1}$ and S$_{\rm 1.5 GHz}$ = 29 $μ$Jy beam$^{-1}$ with signal-to-noise ratio $\sim$ 20) in otherwise radio-undetected DOGs. Our study revealing the faint emission at a few tens of $μ$Jy level in high$-z$ DOGs can be used as a test-bed for the deeper radio continuum surveys planned with the Square-Kilometer Array (SKA) and its pathfinders.

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Evidence of jet induced optical microvariability in radio-loud Narrow Line Seyfert 1 Galaxies

To quantify the role of radio jets for Intra-Night Optical Variability (INOV) in Radio-Loud Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 (RLNLSy1) galaxies, we report the first systematic comparative INOV study of 23 RLNLSy1 galaxies, with 15 RLNLSy1s having confirmed detection of jets (jetted) and the remaining 8 RLNLSy1s having no detection of jets (non-jetted) based on their Very Long Baseline Array observations. We have monitored these two samples, respectively, in 37 and 16 sessions of a minimum 3-hour duration each. Based upon F$^η$-test at 99\% confidence level with a typical INOV amplitude ($ψ$) detection threshold of $>$ 3\%, we find the INOV duty cycles of 12\% for the sample of jetted RLNLSy1s, however, none of the sources showed INOV in the sample of non-jetted RLNLSy1s. Among the jetted RLNLSy1s, we find that the Duty Cycle (DC) for jetted $γ$-ray detected ($γ$-ray) RLNLSy1s is found to be 34\% in contrast to null INOV detection in the case of non-$γ$-ray RLNLSy1s. It suggests that instead of the mere presence of a jet, relativistic beaming plays a significant role for INOV in the case of low-luminous high accreting AGNs such as NLSy1s in which dilution of the AGN's non-thermal optical emission by the (much steadier) optical emission contributed by the nuclear accretion disc is quite likely. Our study of jetted $γ$-ray RLNLSy1s shows more frequent INOV detection for sources with higher apparent jet speed. Further, our results also suggest that among the NLSy1s, only jetted $γ$-ray RNLSy1 galaxies DC approaches blazar like DC.

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Remnant radio galaxy candidates of small angular sizes

Remnant radio galaxies (RRGs), characterized by the cessation of AGN activity, represent a short-lived last phase of radio galaxy's life-cycle. Hitherto, searches for RRGs, mainly based on the morphological criteria, have identified large angular size sources resulting into a bias towards the remnants of powerful FR-II radio galaxies. In this study we make the first attempt to perform a systematic search for RRGs of small angular sizes ($<$30$^{\prime\prime}$) in the XMM-LSS field. By using spectral curvature criterion we discover 48 remnant candidates exhibiting strong spectral curvature ${\it i.e.}$; $α_{\rm 150~MHz}^{\rm 325~MHz}$ - $α_{\rm 325~MHz}^{\rm 1.4~GHz}$ $\geq$0.5. Spectral characteristics at higher frequency regime ($>$1.4 GHz) indicate that some of our remnant candidates can depict recurrent AGN activity with an active core. We place an upper limit on the remnant fraction ($f_{\rm rem}$) to be 3.9$\%$, which increases to 5.4$\%$ if flux cutoff limit of S$_{\rm 150~MHz}$ $\geq$10 mJy is considered. Our study unveils, hitherto unexplored, a new population of small-size ($<$200 kpc) remnant candidates that are often found to reside in less dense environments and at higher redshifts ($z$) $>$1.0. We speculate that a relatively shorter active phase and/or low jet power can be plausible reasons for the small size of remnant candidates.

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uGMRT detection of associated HI 21 cm absorption at $z \approx 3.5$

We report a uGMRT detection of HI 21-cm absorption associated with the radio source 8C 0604+728, at $z = 3.52965$. The source is at the highest redshift at which associated HI 21-cm absorption has been discovered to date, surpassing earlier known absorber at $z \approx 3.39$. We estimate ultraviolet luminosities of $\rm (3.2 \pm 0.1) \times 10^{23} W \ Hz^{-1}$ and $\rm (6.2 \pm 0.2) \times 10^{23} W \ Hz^{-1}$ , and ionising photon rates of $\rm (1.8 \pm 0.1) \times 10^{56} s^{-1}$ and $\rm (5.0 \pm 0.1) \times 10^{56} s^{-1}$, using data at different epochs; the source shows year-scale variability in both its luminosity and photon rate. The luminosity and photon rate at later epochs are $\approx 6.2$ and $\approx 1.7$ times higher than thresholds suggested in the literature above which all the neutral hydrogen in the AGN host galaxy is expected to be ionised. The detection demonstrates that neutral hydrogen can survive in the host galaxies of AGNs with high ultraviolet luminosities. We estimate a high equivalent width ratio of $15.2$ for the $\rm Ly α$ and HeII emission lines detected in the optical spectrum, that is consistent with AGN photoionisation models. However, a significant contribution from young stellar populations to the excess $\rm Ly α$ flux cannot be ruled out.

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Kpc-scale radio-jets in narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies

Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 galaxies (NLS1s) are generally believed to be radio-quiet Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) with relatively less-massive (10$^{5}$$-$10$^{8}$~M$_{\odot}$) Super-Massive Black Holes (SMBH). Using the FIRST radio detections of hitherto the largest sample of 11101 optically-selected NLS1s we find a rather uncommon population of 55 NLS1s with Kiloparsec-Scale Radio structures (KSRs). We note that the number of NLS1s with KSRs found in our study is only a lower limit considering the effects of sensitivity, spatial resolution and projection, and hence, the number of NLS1s with KSRs may be more common than thought earlier. The NLS1s with KSRs are distributed across a wide range of redshifts, flux densities and luminosities. NLS1s with KSRs tend to exhibit steep radio spectra and are likely to be misaligned version of blazar-like NLS1s. The ratio of IR to radio flux density (q$_{\rm 22~μm}$ $=$ log[S$_{\rm 22~μm}$/S$_{\rm 1.4~GHz}$]) versus radio luminosity plot suggests that KSRs are mostly powered by AGN, while KSRs in NLS1s with low radio luminosity (L$_{\rm 1.4~GHz}$ $<$ 10$^{23.5}$ W~Hz$^{-1}$) may have a contribution from circumnuclear starburst. The trend shown by KSRs in radio luminosity versus radio-size plot indicates that the radio-jets resulting in KSRs are either in the early phase of their evolution or inefficient to grow beyond the host galaxy.

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Investigating kpc-scale radio emission properties of narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies

In recent years, several Radio-Loud Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 galaxies (RL-NLS1) possessing relativistic jets have come into attention with their detections in Very Large Baseline Array (VLBA) and in $γ$-ray observations. In this paper we attempt to understand the nature of radio-jets in NLS1s by examining the kpc-scale radio properties of, hitherto, the largest sample of 11101 optically-selected NLS1s. Using 1.4 GHz FIRST, 1.4 GHz NVSS, 327 MHz WENNS, and 150 MHz TGSS catalogues we find the radio-detection of merely $\sim$ 4.5 per cent (498/11101) NLS1s, with majority (407/498 $\sim$ 81.7 per cent) of them being RL-NLS1s. Our study yields the highest number of RL-NLS1s and it can only be a lower limit. We find that the most of our radio-detected NLS1s are compact ($<$ 30 kpc), exhibit both flat as well as steep radio spectra, and are distributed across a wide range of 1.4 GHz radio luminosities (10$^{22}$ $-$ 10$^{27}$ W Hz$^{-1}$). At the high end of radio luminosity our NLS1s often tend to show blazar-like properties such as compact radio-size, flat/inverted radio spectrum, radio variability and polarization. The diagnostic plots based on the mid-IR colours suggest that the radio emission in NLS1s is mostly powered by AGN, while nuclear star-formation may have a significant contribution in NLS1s of low radio luminosities. The radio luminosity versus radio-size plot infers that the radio-jets in NLS1s are either in the early evolutionary phase or possibly remain confined within the nuclear region due to low-power or intermittent AGN activity.

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On the nature of infrared-faint radio sources in the SXDF and VLA-VVDS fields

Infrared-Faint Radio Sources (IFRSs) are an unusual class of objects that are relatively bright at radio wavelengths but have faint or undetected infrared counterparts even in deep surveys. We identify and investigate the nature of IFRSs using deep radio (S$_{\rm 1.4~GHz}$ $\sim$ 100 $μ$Jy beam$^{-1}$ at 5$σ$), optical (m$_{\rm r}$ $\sim$ 26 - 27.7 at 5$σ$), and near-IR (S$_{\rm 3.6~μm}$ $\sim$ 1.3 - 2.0 $μ$Jy beam$^{-1}$ at 5$σ$) data available in two deep fields namely the Subaru X-ray Deep Field (SXDF) and the Very Large Array - VIMOS VLT Deep Survey (VLA-VVDS) field. In 1.8 deg$^{2}$ of the two fields we identify a total of nine confirmed and ten candidate IFRSs. We find that our IFRSs are high-redshift radio-loud AGN, with 12/19 sources having redshift estimates in the range of $z$ $\sim$ 1.7 - 4.3, while a limit of $z$ $\geq$ 2.0 is placed for the remaining seven sources. Notably, our study finds, for the first time, IFRSs with measured redshift $>$ 3.0, and also, the redshift estimates for IFRSs in the faintest 3.6 $μ$m flux regime i.e., S$_{\rm 3.6~μm}$ $<$ 1.3 $μ$Jy. Radio observations show that our IFRSs exhibit both compact unresolved as well as extended double-lobe morphologies, and have predominantly steep radio spectra between 1.4 GHz and 325 MHz. The non-detection of all but one IFRSs in the X-ray band and the optical-to-MIR colour (m$_{\rm r}$ - m$_{\rm 24~μm}$) suggest that a significant fraction of IFRSs are likely to be hosted in dusty obscured galaxies.

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J1216+0709 : A radio galaxy with three episodes of AGN jet activity

We report the discovery of a `Triple-Double Radio Galaxy (TDRG)' J1216+0709 detected in deep low-frequency Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) observations. J1216+0709 is only the third radio galaxy, after B0925+420 and Speca, with three pairs of lobes resulting from three different episodes of AGN jet activity. The 610 MHz GMRT image clearly displays an inner pair of lobes, a nearly co-axial middle pair of lobes and a pair of outer lobes that is bent w.r.t. the axis of inner pair of lobes. The total end-to-end projected sizes of the inner, middle, and outer lobes are 40$^{{\prime}{\prime}}$ ($\sim$ 95 kpc), 1$^{\prime}$.65 ($\sim$ 235 kpc) and 5$^{\prime}$.7 ($\sim$ 814 kpc), respectively. Unlike the outer pair of lobes both the inner and middle pairs of lobes exhibit asymmetries in arm-lengths and flux densities, but in opposite sense, i.e., the eastern sides are farther and also brighter that the western sides, thus suggesting the possibility of jet being intrinsically asymmetric rather than due to relativistic beaming effect. The host galaxy is a bright elliptical (m$_{\rm r}$ $\sim$ 16.56) with M$_{\rm SMBH}$ $\sim$ 3.9 $\times$ 10$^{9}$ M$\odot$ and star-formation rate of $\sim$ 4.66$_{\rm -1.61}^{\rm +4.65}$ M$_{\odot}$ yr$^{-1}$. The host galaxy resides is a small group of three galaxies (m$_{\rm r}$ $\leq$ 17.77) and is possibly going through the interaction with faint, dwarf galaxies in the neighbourhood, which may have triggered the recent episodes of AGN activity.

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