Radio Galaxy Zoo Talk

Where's the other jet?

  • Ptd by Ptd

    Anyone have any idea what's going on here?

    Posted

  • 42jkb by 42jkb scientist, admin in response to Ptd's comment.

    Hi Ptd, this is a very interesting case. The radio source at the centre of the image does not have an infrared counterpart (i.e., host galaxy). While the radio source in the bottom left has a very faint infrared counterpart. These two objects are most likely not related to one another.

    The object in the centre could be what we call an infrared faint radio source (#IFRS). The object in the bottom left would be a #one-sided jet.

    You can always click on the FIRST link below the image to see if there a counterpart in the top right (just off the image) as the FIRST image is larger. This is how we search for giants and overedge sources. In this case the FIRST image does not show a radio counterpart in the upper right so I would again say that the two radio sources in this image are unrelated.

    Does this help?

    Posted

  • Ptd by Ptd in response to 42jkb's comment.

    Hi 42jkb
    Many thanks for response, I'd looked in FIRST for a second jet related to the bottom left and couldn't see one, and I didn't think the one in the middle was related. But I don't think I've come across something so clearly one sided before, and hence the question. I'm trying slowly to educate myself about these things, is there a blog post or even a science paper somewhere which explains, how, physically, this can happen? Or will the other jet be there, but for some reason we can't see it?

    Posted

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

    42jkb calls the NE source a one-sided jet; I've been hashtagging them as #corejet.

    Putting that term into RGZ's Search returns 645 hits! 😮

    While many of these are likely not "true" 1-sided jets (and there will be duplicates), the majority likely are. And my quick look at a handful shows that they seem to have quite a few different morphologies (though the one in ARG00034up may not be all that common).

    is there a blog post or even a science paper somewhere which explains, how, physically, this can happen?

    Me too! 😄

    Or will the other jet be there, but for some reason we can't see it?

    I think, somewhere in RGZ Talk, there's a post or two, by a radio astronomer (perhaps even 42jkb), on this. From memory, it's widely expected that there will always be two jets. However, sometimes only one is 'seen'. Certainly in the optical and x-ray this is not uncommon, e.g. M87 and 3C273 (from memory).

    Hope this helps, and happy hunting! 😃

    Posted

  • 42jkb by 42jkb scientist, admin

    645 hits! Excellent.

    I will look into a blog post for this type or radio galaxy - great suggestion!

    Posted