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Compact symmetric objects (CSOs) show radio features such as jets, lobes, and hot spots, which are contained within their host galaxies, and likely represent a recent radio activity. A subpopulation of CSOs with high intrinsic X-ray column densities has been inferred from shallow, soft X-ray band exposures, and observed to cluster in the linear radio size versus 5 GHz radio power plane, which suggests that a dense circumnuclear medium may dramatically influence the growth of compact radio structures. Here, we report on the first detection of two CSOs, 2021+614 and J1511+0518, at energies above 10 keV with NuSTAR. We model the NuSTAR data jointly with the new XMM-Newton data of J1511+0518, and with the archival XMM-Newton data of 2021+614. A toroidal reprocessor model fits the data well and allows us to robustly confirm the X-ray properties of the CSO absorbers and continuum. In both sources, we find intrinsic X-ray absorbing column densities in excess of 1023 cm−2, hard photon indices of the primary emission, Γ ∼ 1.4–1.7, Fe K α line emission, and variability of the intrinsic X-ray flux density on the timescale of years. The studied X-ray continua are dominated by the primary power-law emission at energies above 3 keV, and by the scattered component at energies below 3 keV. An additional soft X-ray component, modeled with a hot, collisionally ionized plasma with temperature kT ∼ 1 keV, is required by the XMM-Newton data in J1511+0518, which is corroborated by the tentative evidence for the extension in the archival Chandra image of the source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate Chandra X-ray observations of the radio-loud quasars J1405+0415 and J1610+1811 at redshifts z = 3.215 and z = 3.122, respectively, for evidence of extended X-ray emission. Observations totalling 95 ks per target are combined, and X-ray jets that are spatially coincident with known radio features are detected at a greater than 4 σ significance. Hardness ratios and emission spectra are determined for all X-ray features, and X-ray fluxes and luminosities are measured. Jet-to-core X-ray flux ratios are estimated for each system, and the ratios are consistent with those observed for nearby and more distant jet systems, although the spread in the parameter is large. These results suggest that to first order the X-ray jet emission mechanisms are redshift invariant. In addition to the extended emission analysis, incorporating also archival data from Swift, we examined the properties of a decline in the Chandra flux from the active galactic nucleus (AGN) of J1610+1811 observed between 2018 and 2021. We conclude that the variability is most likely due to a flaring event that occurred between the years 2017 and 2018 and originated from either the AGN or the inner jet region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present deep X-ray and radio observations of the fast blue optical transient (FBOT) AT 2020xnd/ZTF 20acigmel at z = 0.2433 from 13 days to 269 days after explosion. AT 2020xnd belongs to the category of optically luminous FBOTs with similarities to the archetypal event AT 2018cow. AT 2020xnd shows luminous radio emission reaching Lν ≈ 8 × 1029 erg s−1 Hz−1 at 20 GHz and 75 days post-explosion, accompanied by luminous and rapidly fading soft X-ray emission peaking at LX ≈ 6 × 1042 erg s−1. Interpreting the radio emission in the context of synchrotron radiation from the explosion's shock interaction with the environment, we find that AT 2020xnd launched a high-velocity outflow (v ∼ 0.1c–0.2c) propagating into a dense circumstellar medium (effective yr−1 for an assumed wind velocity of vw = 1000 km s−1). Similar to AT 2018cow, the detected X-ray emission is in excess compared to the extrapolated synchrotron spectrum and constitutes a different emission component, possibly powered by accretion onto a newly formed black hole or neutron star. These properties make AT 2020xnd a high-redshift analog to AT 2018cow, and establish AT 2020xnd as the fourth member of the class of optically luminous FBOTs with luminous multiwavelength counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present Chandra X-ray observations of 14 radio-loud quasars at redshifts 3 < z < 4, selected from a well-defined sample. All quasars are detected in the 0.5–7.0 keV energy band, and resolved X-ray features are detected in five of the objects at distances of 1″–12″ from the quasar core. The X-ray features are spatially coincident with known radio features for four of the five quasars. This indicates that these systems contain X-ray jets. X-ray fluxes and luminosities are measured, and jet-to-core X-ray flux ratios are estimated. The flux ratios are consistent with those observed for nearby jet systems, suggesting that the observed X-ray emission mechanism is independent of redshift. For quasars with undetected jets, an upper limit on the average X-ray jet intensity is estimated using a stacked image analysis. Emission spectra of the quasar cores are extracted and modeled to obtain best-fit photon indices, and an Fe K emission line is detected from one quasar in our sample. We compare X-ray spectral properties with optical and radio emission in the context of both our sample and other quasar surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a comprehensive analysis of Chandra X-ray observations of 15 young radio quasars at redshifts 4.5 < z < 5.0. All sources are detected in the 0.5–7.0 keV energy band. Emission spectra are extracted, and the average photon index for the sample is measured to be 1.5 ± 0.1. Unabsorbed rest-frame 2–10 keV luminosities are found to range between (0.5–23.2) × 1045 erg s−1. The optical–X-ray power-law spectral index is calculated for each source using optical/UV data available in the literature. The –UV relationship is compared with other quasar surveys, and an anticorrelation is observed that agrees with independent estimates. Rest-frame radio and X-ray luminosities are established for the sample, and a correlation between the luminosities is detected. These multiwavelength results reinforce a lack of spectral evolution for quasars over a broad redshift range. We additionally identify three quasars from our multiwavelength analysis that are statistically significant outliers, with one source being a Compton-thick candidate in the early universe, and discuss each in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report results from our deep Chandra X-ray observations of a nearby radio galaxy, 4C+29.30 (z = 0.0647). The Chandra image resolves structures on sub-arcsec to arcsec scales, revealing complex X-ray morphology and detecting the main radio features: the nucleus, a jet, hotspots, and lobes. The nucleus is absorbed (NH ≃ 3.95+0.27-0.33 x 1023 cm-2) with an unabsorbed luminosity of L2-10 keV ≃ (5.08 ± 0.52) x 1043 erg s-1 characteristic of Type 2 active galactic nuclei. Regions of soft (<2 keV) X-ray emission that trace the hot interstellar medium (ISM) are correlated with radio structures along the main radio axis, indicating a strong relation between the two. The X-ray emission extends beyond the radio source and correlates with the morphology of optical-line-emitting regions. We measured the ISM temperature in several regions across the galaxy to be kT ≃ 0.5 keV, with slightly higher temperatures (of a few keV) in the center and in the vicinity of the radio hotspots. Assuming that these regions were heated by weak shocks driven by the expanding radio source, we estimated the corresponding Mach number of 1.6 in the southern regions. The thermal pressure of the X-ray-emitting gas in the outermost regions suggests that the hot ISM is slightly underpressured with respect to the cold optical-line-emitting gas and radio-emitting plasma, which both seem to be in a rough pressure equilibrium We conclude that 4C+29.30 displays a complex view of interactions between the jet-driven radio outflow and host galaxy environment, signaling feedback processes closely associated with the central active nucleus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the X-ray analysis of a deep (~200 ks) Chandra observation of the compact steep spectrum radio-loud quasar 3C 186 (z = 1.06) and investigate the contribution of the unresolved radio jet to the total X-ray emission. The spectral analysis is not conclusive on the origin of the bulk of the X-ray emission. In order to examine the jet contribution to the X-ray flux, we model the quasar spectral energy distribution, adopting several scenarios for the jet emission. For the values of the main physical parameters favored by the observables, a dominant role of the jet emission in the X-ray band is ruled out when a single-zone (leptonic) scenario is adopted, even including the contribution of the external photon fields as seed photons for inverse Compton emission. We then consider a structured jet, with the blazar component that--although not directly visible in the X-ray band--provides an intense field of seed synchrotron photons Compton-scattered by electrons in a mildly relativistic knot. In this case, the whole X-ray emission can be accounted for if we assume a blazar luminosity within the range observed from flat spectrum radio quasars. The X-ray radiative efficiency of such a (structured) jet is intimately related to the presence of a complex velocity structure. The jet emission can provide a significant contribution in X-rays if it decelerates within the host galaxy on kiloparsec scales. We discuss the implications of this model in terms of jet dynamics and interaction with the ambient medium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spectra of BL Lac objects and Fanaroff-Riley I radio galaxies are commonly explained by the one-zone leptonic synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) model. Spectral modeling of correlated multiwavelength data gives the comoving magnetic field strength, the bulk outflow Lorentz factor, and the emission region size. Assuming the validity of the SSC model, the Hillas condition shows that only in rare cases such sources accelerate protons to much above 1019 eV, so ≿1020 eV ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) are likely to be heavy ions if powered by this type of radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Survival of nuclei is shown to be possible in TeV BL Lacs and misaligned counterparts with weak photohadronic emissions. Another signature of hadronic production is intergalactic UHECR-induced cascade emission, which is an alternative explanation of the TeV spectra of some extreme non-variable blazars such as 1ES 0229+200 or 1ES 1101-232. We study this kind of cascade signal, taking into account effects of the structured extragalactic magnetic fields in which the sources should be embedded. We demonstrate the importance of cosmic-ray deflections on the γ -ray flux, and show that required absolute cosmic-ray luminosities are larger than the average UHECR luminosity inferred from UHECR observations and can even be comparable to the Eddington luminosity of supermassive black holes. Future TeV γ -ray observations using the Cerenkov Telescope Array and the High Altitude Water Cerenkov detector array can test for UHECR acceleration by observing >25 TeV photons from relatively low redshift sources such as 1ES 0229+200, and ≿TeV photons from more distant radio-loud AGNs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]