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arXiv 0803.2597astro-ph
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FR I射电星系3C 31的多频VLA观测:形态、光谱和磁场

Multifrequency VLA observations of the FR I radio galaxy 3C 31: morphology, spectrum and magnetic field

R. A. Laing, A. H. Bridle, P. Parma, L. Feretti, G. Giovannini, M. Murgia, R. A. Perley

摘要:

我们提出了高质量的VLA图像的FR I射电星系3C 31在频率范围1365至8440 MHz的角分辨率从0.25至40角秒。我们的新图像揭示了无线电喷流和尾部复杂的,分辨率很高的结构。我们还使用这些图像来探索3C 31在大尺度和小尺度上的光谱结构。我们通过校正法拉第旋转来推断表观磁场结构。喷流中的某些强度子结构显然与其视磁场的结构有关:在线性极化程度增加的地方有发射弧,视磁场平行于弧的脊。光谱指数在核的7弧秒内(0.62)比在7和50弧秒之间(0.52 - 0.57)明显更陡。喷流边缘的光谱也比其周围的平均值略平坦。在更远的距离上,喷流与周围更大尺度的辐射被它们更平坦的射电光谱和尖锐的亮度梯度清楚地分隔开来。3C 31喷流前7角秒的光谱指数为0.62,与其他FR I星系的光谱指数非常接近,后者的喷流首先在射电中变亮,X射线同步辐射最为突出。离原子核越远,光谱越平坦,X射线发射相对于射电来说就越微弱。因此,来自FR I喷流的最明亮的X射线发射与最平坦的射电光谱无关,而是与特征能量指数为2.24的粒子加速过程有关。在我们的相对论性喷流模型需要减速的地方,光谱随着离核的距离变平,喷流边缘的较平光谱可能与横向速度剪切有关。(略有删节)

英文摘要:

We present high-quality VLA images of the FR I radio galaxy 3C 31 in the frequency range 1365 to 8440 MHz with angular resolutions from 0.25 to 40 arcsec. Our new images reveal complex, well resolved filamentary substructure in the radio jets and tails. We also use these images to explore the spectral structure of 3C 31 on large and small scales. We infer the apparent magnetic field structure by correcting for Faraday rotation. Some of the intensity substructure in the jets is clearly related to structure in their apparent magnetic field: there are arcs of emission where the degree of linear polarization increases, with the apparent magnetic field parallel to the ridges of the arcs. The spectral indices are significantly steeper (0.62) within 7 arcsec of the nucleus than between 7 and 50 arcsec (0.52 - 0.57). The spectra of the jet edges are also slightly flatter than the average for their surroundings. At larger distances, the jets are clearly delimited from surrounding larger-scale emission both by their flatter radio spectra and by sharp brightness gradients. The spectral index of 0.62 in the first 7 arcsec of 3C 31's jets is very close to that found in other FR I galaxies where their jets first brighten in the radio and where X-ray synchrotron emission is most prominent. Farther from the nucleus, where the spectra flatten, X-ray emission is fainter relative to the radio. The brightest X-ray emission from FR I jets is therefore not associated with the flattest radio spectra, but with a particle-acceleration process whose characteristic energy index is 2.24. The spectral flattening with distance from the nucleus occurs where our relativistic jet models require deceleration, and the flatter-spectra at the jet edges may be associated with transverse velocity shear. (Slightly abridged)

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