Optical continuum structure of Cygnus A
Abstract
As a prerequisite for interpreting new observations of the most distant radio galaxies, we make an optical study of the closest powerful radio source, Cygnus A. Using Keck imaging- and spectro-polarimetry in conjunction with HST, WFPC2 broad and narrow band imaging, we are able to identify specific geometrical structures in the galaxy with optical continuum components distinguished by both colour and polarimetric properties. A 4 kpc diameter dusty ring of young stars forms the equator of a double ionization cone which is co-axial with the radio jets.
Cite
@article{arxiv.astro-ph/9803310,
title = {Optical continuum structure of Cygnus A},
author = {R. A. E. Fosbury and J. Vernet and M. Villar-Martin and M. H. Cohen and P. M. Ogle and H. D. Tran and R. N. Hook},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:astro-ph/9803310},
year = {2007}
}
Comments
11 pages in PDF format. Last page is a colour plate. To be published in the KNAW colloquium on: "The most distant radio galaxies", Amsterdam, 15-17 October 1997, Roettgering, Best and Lehnert, eds, Reidel