arXivDaily arXiv每日学术速递 周一至周五更新
arXiv 2004.05169astro-ph.GAastro-ph.CO
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巨射电星系星系际磁场的LOFAR观点

The LOFAR view of intergalactic magnetic fields with giant radio galaxies

C. Stuardi, S. P. O'Sullivan, A. Bonafede, M. Brüggen, P. Dabhade, C. Horellou, R. Morganti, E. Carretti, G. Heald, M. Iacobelli, V. Vacca

摘要:

巨射电星系(Giant Radio Galaxies,简称GRG)是一种物理上巨大的射电源,其辐射范围远远超出其所在星系的环境。它们的偏振特性受到在Mpc尺度上渗透星系际介质的约束不良的磁场的影响。现在可以用LOFAR对这类射电源进行低频($<$ 200 MHz)极化研究。在这里,我们调查的偏振特性和法拉第旋转测量(RM)的目录中检测到的GRG的LoTSS。这是第一次对根据物理尺寸选择的射电星系进行大样本低频偏振研究。我们探索了它们的低密度环境的磁离子特性,并利用它们射电瓣的法拉第旋转特性探测星系际磁场。我们使用RM合成在120-168 MHz频段搜索极化发射,并推导出RM和分数极化的每个检测到的源组件。我们研究了1.4 GHz和144 MHz之间的去极化使用NVSS的图像。从240个GRG的样本中,我们检测到37个源的偏振,所有的总通量密度超过56毫焦耳。在1.4 GHz和144 MHz下检测到的GRG的分数极化与少量法拉第去极化(法拉第色散$<$ 0.3 rad m $^{-2}$)一致。我们的分析表明,叶扩展到一个低密度($<10^{-5}$ cm $^{-3}$)的局部环境中渗透的弱磁场($<$ 0.1 $μ$ G)与波动的规模为3至25千秒差距。前景星系团的存在似乎影响偏振探测率高达2 R $_{500}$。在一般情况下,这项工作证明了LOFAR的能力,以量化的稀薄环境中,这些GRG存在,并强调他们作为一个很好的统计样本使用的高精度探头的磁场在星系际介质和银河系。

英文摘要:

Giant radio galaxies (GRGs) are physically large radio sources that extend well beyond their host galaxy environment. Their polarization properties are affected by the poorly constrained magnetic field that permeates the intergalactic medium on Mpc scales. A low frequency ($<$ 200 MHz) polarization study of this class of radio sources is now possible with LOFAR. Here we investigate the polarization properties and Faraday rotation measure (RM) of a catalog of GRGs detected in the LoTSS. This is the first low-frequency polarization study of a large sample of radio galaxies selected on their physical size. We explore the magneto-ionic properties of their under-dense environment and probe intergalactic magnetic fields using the Faraday rotation properties of their radio lobes. We use RM synthesis in the 120-168 MHz band to search for polarized emission and to derive the RM and fractional polarization of each detected source component. We study the depolarization between 1.4 GHz and 144 MHz using images from the NVSS. From a sample of 240 GRGs, we detected 37 sources in polarization, all with a total flux density above 56 mJy. The fractional polarization of the detected GRGs at 1.4 GHz and 144 MHz is consistent with a small amount of Faraday depolarization (a Faraday dispersion $<$ 0.3 rad m$^{-2}$). Our analysis shows that the lobes are expanding into a low-density ($<10^{-5}$ cm$^{-3}$) local environment permeated by weak magnetic fields ($<$0.1 $μ$G) with fluctuations on scales of 3 to 25 kpc. The presence of foreground galaxy clusters appears to influence the polarization detection rate up to 2R$_{500}$. In general, this work demonstrates the ability of LOFAR to quantify the rarefied environments in which these GRGs exist and highlights them as an excellent statistical sample to use as high precision probes of magnetic fields in the intergalactic medium and the Milky Way.

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