Radio Galaxy Zoo Talk

May someone explain the interesting radio shape and how to describe the morphology?

  • supernovahunter87 by supernovahunter87

    I am in need of help with categorizing this radio galax.

    Posted

  • JeanTate by JeanTate in response to supernovahunter87's comment.

    It's a #compact, with #artifacts.

    The radio images we see here in RGZ are from the VLA FIRST Survey, with data taken from the 27 separate VLA radio telescopes and combined using a technique called interferometry (this link has an explanation).

    One result of this techniques, and the Y shape of the VLA, is triangular patterns, or six-pointed stars, in the images; here's an expanded FIRST image of this field:

    enter image description here

    So in this ARG field, the little sources, and the points and ~hexagonal shape of the central source, are #artifacts.

    We're all familiar with artifacts in SDSS sources, say, in the form of "compass point" spikes; here's an example:

    enter image description here

    While the physics behind the two kinds of artifacts is quite different (for example, the optical ones are diffraction spikes, due to the "spider" which supports the secondary mirror), they're both artifacts.

    Hope this helps, and happy hunting! 😃

    Posted