Giant radio galaxies as effective probes of X-ray gas in large-scale structure
Abstract
Giant radio galaxies are AGNs with relativistic jets that dynamically evolve into Mpc scale synchrotron lobes around the host elliptical. The thermal gas environment influences the jet advance and lobe formation. Since the host ellipticals are in filamentary low-density galaxy environments, the ambient gas for the Mpc-scale radio structures is likely the warm-hot X-ray gas inhabiting the intergalactic medium. We have, therefore, used large radio galaxies as probes of the distribution of hot and tenuous gas on mega-parsec scales in these relatively low density large-scale structures.For a sample of 19 giant radio galaxies we obtained radio continuum images of the synchrotron structures, and redshifts of a total of nearly 9000 galaxies in their vicinity. The 2-degree field redshift data traces the large-scale galaxy structure around the radio sources. The radio-optical data allows an estimation of the pressure, temperature and distribution of hot thermal gas associated with the large-scale structure in the vicinity of the radio AGN (Malarecki, Staveley-Smith, Saripalli, Subrahmanyan, Jones, Duffy, Rioja 2013, MNRAS 432, 200).Strong correspondence between radio galaxy lobes and galaxy distribution is observed. The data suggests that galaxies trace gas, and that radio jets and lobes of giant radio galaxies are sensitive tracers of gas on mega-parsec scales and may be used as effective probes of the difficult-to-detect IGM (Malarecki, Jones, Saripalli, Stavele-Smith, Subrahmanyan, 2015, MNRAS in press; arXiv150203954).
- Publication:
-
IAU General Assembly
- Pub Date:
- August 2015
- Bibcode:
- 2015IAUGA..2253030S