Radio Galaxy Zoo: Observational evidence for environment as the cause of radio source asymmetry

• by JeanTate

  P. E. Rodman, R. J. Turner, S. S. Shabala, J. K. Banfield, O. I. Wong, H. Andernach, A. F. Garon, A. D. Kapinska, R. P. Norris, L. Rudnick, arXiv:1811.03726

  Abstract:

  We investigate the role of environment on radio galaxy properties by constructing a sample of large (≳100~kpc), nearby (z<0.3) radio sources identified as part of the Radio Galaxy Zoo citizen science project. Our sample consists of 16 Fanaroff-Riley Type II (FR-II) sources, 6 FR-I sources, and one source with a hybrid morphology. FR-I sources appear to be hosted by more massive galaxies, consistent with previous studies. In the FR-II sample, we compare the degree of asymmetry in radio lobe properties to asymmetry in the radio source environment, quantified through optical galaxy clustering. We find that the length of radio lobes in FR-II sources is anti-correlated with both galaxy clustering and lobe luminosity. These results are in quantitative agreement with predictions from radio source dynamical models, and suggest that galaxy clustering provides a useful proxy for the ambient gas density distribution encountered by the radio lobes.

  Posted November 12, 2018 1:35 PM

• by ivywong scientist, admin

  Well Spotted! Yes, this is the latest Radio Galaxy Zoo preprint!
  Ivy

  Posted November 12, 2018 3:41 PM

• by ivywong scientist, admin

  Here is the link to the blogpost: https://blog.galaxyzoo.org/2018/11/13/radio-galaxy-zoo-what-radio-lobe-shapes-tell-us-about-the-mutual-impact-of-jets-and-intergalactic-gas/

  Posted November 13, 2018 5:07 PM