LOFAR discovery and wide-band characterisation of an ultra-steep spectrum AGN radio remnant associated with Abell 1318
Artikel i vetenskaplig tidskrift, 2024
We present the discovery of a very extended (550 kpc) and low-surface-brightness (3.3 µJy arcsec−2 at 144 MHz) radio emission region in Abell 1318. These properties are consistent with its characterisation as an active galactic nucleus (AGN) remnant radio plasma, based on its morphology and radio spectral properties. We performed a broad-band (54–1400 MHz) radio spectral index and curvature analysis using LOFAR, uGMRT, and WSRT-APERTIF data. We also derived the radiative age of the detected emission, estimating a maximum age of 250 Myr. The morphology of the source is remarkably intriguing, with two larger, oval-shaped components and a thinner, elongated, and filamentary structure in between, plausibly reminiscent of two aged lobes and a jet. Based on archival Swift as well as SDSS data we performed an X-ray and optical characterisation of the system, whose virial mass was estimated to be ∼7.4 × 1013 M. This places A1318 in the galaxy group regime. Interestingly, the radio source does not have a clear optical counterpart embedded in it, thus, we propose that it is most likely an unusual AGN remnant of previous episode(s) of activity of the AGN hosted by the brightest group galaxy (∼2.6 × 1012 M), which is located at a projected distance of ∼170 kpc in the current epoch. This relatively high offset may be a result of IGrM sloshing sourced by a minor merger. The filamentary morphology of the source may suggest that the remnant plasma has been perturbed by the system dynamics, however, only future deeper X-ray observations will be able to address this question.
galaxies: active
radio continuum: galaxies
Författare
A. Shulevski
Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy
Universiteit Leiden
M. Brienza
Istituto nazionale di astrofisica (INAF)
Universita di Bologna
F. Massaro
Universita degli Studi di Torino
R. Morganti
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
H. T. Intema
Universiteit Leiden
T. Oosterloo
Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
F. De Gasperin
Universität Hamburg
Istituto di Radioastronomia
K. Rajpurohit
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Universita di Bologna
Istituto di Radioastronomia
T. Pasini
Universität Hamburg
A. M. Kutkin
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
D. Vohl
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy
Elizabeth A.K. Adams
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
B. Adebahr
Ruhr-Universität Bochum
M. Brueggen
Universität Hamburg
Kelley Michelle Hess
Chalmers, Rymd-, geo- och miljövetenskap, Onsala rymdobservatorium
Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucía (IAA)
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
M. Loose
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
L. C. Oostrum
Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
Netherlands eScience Center
J. Ziemke
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
Universitetet i Oslo
Astronomy and Astrophysics
0004-6361 (ISSN) 1432-0746 (eISSN)
Vol. 682 A171Ämneskategorier
Astronomi, astrofysik och kosmologi
DOI
10.1051/0004-6361/202346824