We identify a source (J1507+3013) with an extended diffuse radio emission around an elliptical galaxy from the Very Large Array (VLA) Faint Images of Radio Sky at Twenty-cm (FIRST) survey. J1507+3013 possesses a morphology similar to the recently identified circular, low-surface-brightness, edge-brightened radio sources commonly known as odd radio circles (ORCs). Such diffuse emissions, as reported in this paper, are also found in mini-haloes and fossil radio galaxies, but the results presented here do not match the properties of mini-haloes or of fossil radio galaxies. The extended emission observed in J1507+3013 around an elliptical galaxy is a very rare class of diffuse emission that is unlike any previously known class of diffuse emission. The extended diffuse emission of J1507+3013 is also detected in the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) at 144 MHz. J1507+3013 is hosted by an optical galaxy near the geometrical centre of the structure with a photometric redshift of z = 0.079. The physical extent of J1507+3013 is approximately 68 kpc, with a peak-to-peak angular size of 44 arcsec. It shows significantly higher flux densities compared with previously discovered ORCs. The spectral index of J1507+3013 varies between −0.90 and −1.4 in different regions of the diffuse structure, which is comparable to the case for previously discovered ORCs but less steep than for mini-haloes and fossil radio galaxies. If we consider J1507+3013 as a candidate ORC, then this would be the closest and most luminous ORC discovered so far. This paper describes the radio, spectral, and optical/IR properties of J1507+3013 in order to study the nature of this source.
- Award ID(s):
- 1714205
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10326552
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Volume:
- 513
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 0035-8711
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 1300 to 1316
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
More Like this
-
more » « less
ABSTRACT -
null (Ed.)ABSTRACT We present the results from an Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder search for radio variables on timescales of hours. We conducted an untargeted search over a 30 deg2 field, with multiple 10-h observations separated by days to months, at a central frequency of 945 MHz. We discovered six rapid scintillators from 15-min model-subtracted images with sensitivity of $\sim\! 200\, \mu$Jy/beam; two of them are extreme intra-hour variables with modulation indices up to $\sim 40{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ and timescales as short as tens of minutes. Five of the variables are in a linear arrangement on the sky with angular width ∼1 arcmin and length ∼2 degrees, revealing the existence of a huge plasma filament in front of them. We derived kinematic models of this plasma from the annual modulation of the scintillation rate of our sources, and we estimated its likely physical properties: a distance of ∼4 pc and length of ∼0.1 pc. The characteristics we observe for the scattering screen are incompatible with published suggestions for the origin of intra-hour variability leading us to propose a new picture in which the underlying phenomenon is a cold tidal stream. This is the first time that multiple scintillators have been detected behind the same plasma screen, giving direct insight into the geometry of the scattering medium responsible for enhanced scintillation.more » « less
-
more » « less
ABSTRACT Blazars are active galactic nuclei (AGNs) observed at small viewing angles to the observer’s line of sight; hence most of them are compact sources in the radio regime. At low radio frequencies, we may observe additional extended structures, considered to be lobes propagating directly towards Earth. However, there are rare cases of blazars whose morphologies are interpreted in the framework of an episodic jet activity with a reorientation of the jet axis. In this paper, we aim to find other candidates for sources of this kind and present Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) observations of seven blazars with rare morphologies composed of kiloparsec-scale jets and elongated multihundred kiloparsec-scale features. Based on their radio images and physical parameters, we propose that jets could change the direction of propagation out of the sky plane during the lifetime of at least some of these sources and with such we may observe morphologically different AGN types simultaneously, similar to the previously discovered blazar SBS B1646+499. Several plausible origin scenarios are presented, including fast realignment and precession. We also derive the 144 MHz fluxes of the compact and extended structures, the total radio luminosities, the spectral indices for the diffuse haloes, and the core-dominance parameters. We also discuss the possibility that these objects are actually giant blazars with rare Fanaroff–Riley I (FR I) morphology. The previously discovered blazar SBS B1646+499 should be classified as a giant independently of its inclination with regard to the observer.
-
more » « less
Abstract The nonthermal filament (NTF) radio structures clustered within a few hundred parsecs of the Galactic center (GC) are apparently unique to this region of the Galaxy. Recent radio images of the GC using MeerKAT at 1 GHz have revealed a multitude of faint, previously unknown NTF bundles (NTFBs), some of which are comprised of as many as 10 or more individual filaments. In this work we present Very Large Array observations at the
C - andX -bands (4–12 GHz) at arcsecond-scale resolutions of three of these newly discovered NTFBs, all located at southern Galactic latitudes. These observations allow us to compare their total-intensity properties with those of the larger NTF population. We find that these targets generally possess properties similar to what is observed in the larger NTF population. However, the larger NTF population generally has steeper spectral indices than what we observe for our chosen targets. The results presented here based on the total-intensity properties of these structures indicate that the NTFs are likely a result of synchrotron emission from relativistic electrons that have been generated either by a nearby compact source or by extended magnetic field structures in which the magnetic field line reconnection has accelerated the electrons. In either scenario, once the relativistic electrons are produced and injected locally into the field they diffuse along the magnetic field lines, producing the filaments. -
more » « less
ABSTRACT We present new radio continuum images and a source catalogue from the MeerKAT survey in the direction of the Small Magellanic Cloud. The observations, at a central frequency of 1.3 GHz across a bandwidth of 0.8 GHz, encompass a field of view ∼7° × 7° and result in images with resolution of 8 arcsec. The median broad-band Stokes I image Root Mean Squared noise value is ∼11 μJy beam−1. The catalogue produced from these images contains 108 330 point sources and 517 compact extended sources. We also describe a UHF (544–1088 MHz) single pointing observation. We report the detection of a new confirmed Supernova Remnant (SNR; MCSNR J0100–7211) with an X-ray magnetar at its centre and 10 new SNR candidates. This is in addition to the detection of 21 previously confirmed SNRs and two previously noted SNR candidates. Our new SNR candidates have typical surface brightness an order of magnitude below those previously known, and on the whole they are larger. The high sensitivity of the MeerKAT survey also enabled us to detect the bright end of the SMC Planetary Nebulae (PNe) sample – point-like radio emission is associated with 38 of 102 optically known PNe, of which 19 are new detections. Lastly, we present the detection of three foreground radio stars amidst 11 circularly polarized sources, and a few examples of morphologically interesting background radio galaxies from which the radio ring galaxy ESO 029–G034 may represent a new type of radio object.
- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
-
Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stac701
