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The X-Ray Cavity Around Hotspot E in Cygnus A: Tunneled by a Deflected Jet
- Publication Year :
- 2020
-
Abstract
- The powerful FR II radio galaxy Cygnus A exhibits primary and secondary hotspots in each lobe. A 2 Msec Chandra X-ray image of Cygnus A has revealed an approximately circular hole, with a radius of 3.9 kpc, centered on the primary hotspot in the eastern radio lobe, hotspot E. We infer the distribution of X-ray emission on our line-of-sight from an X-ray surface brightness profile of the radio lobe adjacent to the hole and use it to argue that the hole is excavated from the radio lobe. The surface brightness profile of the hole implies a depth at least 1.7 $\pm$ 0.3 times greater than its projected width, requiring a minimum depth of 13.3 $\pm$ 2.3 kpc. A similar hole observed in the 5 GHz VLA radio map reinforces the argument for a cavity lying within the lobe. We argue that the jet encounters the shock compressed intracluster medium at hotspot E, passing through one or more shocks as it is deflected back into the radio lobe. The orientation of Cygnus A allows the outflow from hotspot E to travel almost directly away from us, creating an elongated cavity, as observed. These results favor models for multiple hotspots in which an FR II jet is deflected at a primary hotspot, then travels onward to deposit the bulk of its power at a secondary hotspot, rather than the dentist drill model.<br />Accepted to ApJ, 12 pages, 7 figures, 5 tables
- Subjects :
- High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena (astro-ph.HE)
Physics
010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences
Radio galaxy
X-ray
FOS: Physical sciences
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
01 natural sciences
Lobe
medicine.anatomical_structure
Space and Planetary Science
Intracluster medium
0103 physical sciences
Hotspot (geology)
medicine
Outflow
Surface brightness
Cygnus A
Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
010303 astronomy & astrophysics
0105 earth and related environmental sciences
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....eee90b85905470eafa8e67a680d231a1