Detection of a relic X-ray jet in Cygnus A
Abstract
We present a 200 ks Chandra ACIS-I image of Cygnus A, and discuss a long linear feature seen in its counterlobe. This feature has a non-thermal spectrum and lies on the line connecting the brighter hotspot on the approaching side and the nucleus. We therefore conclude that this feature is (or was) a jet. However, the outer part of this X-ray jet does not trace the current counterjet observed in radio. No X-ray counterpart is observed on the jet side. Using light-travel time effects we conclude that this X-ray 50 kpc linear feature is a relic jet that contains enough low-energy plasma (gamma ~ 10^3) to inverse-Compton scatter cosmic microwave background photons, producing emission in the X-rays.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.0712.3024,
title = {Detection of a relic X-ray jet in Cygnus A},
author = {K. C. Steenbrugge and K. M. Blundell and P. Duffy},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0712.3024},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
4 pages. Proceedings of "High Energy Phenomena in Relativistic Outflows", held in Dublin, Ireland, September 24-28, 2007