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arXiv:astro-ph/0008467 (astro-ph)
[Submitted on 29 Aug 2000 (v1), last revised 13 Oct 2000 (this version, v2)]

Title:Chandra X-ray Observations of Pictor A: High Energy Cosmic Rays in a Radio Galaxy?

Authors:A. S. Wilson, A. J. Young, P. L. Shopbell
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Abstract: We report X-ray observations of the nearby, powerful radio galaxy Pictor A with the Chandra Observatory and optical and near uv observations of its western radio hot spot with the Hubble Space Telescope. X-ray emission is detected from the nucleus, a 1.9 arcmin (110 kpc) long jet to the west of the nucleus, the western radio hot spot some 4.2 arcmin (240 kpc) from the nucleus, and the eastern radio lobe. The morphology of the western hot spot is remarkably similar to that seen at radio and optical wavelengths, where the emission is known to be synchrotron radiation. The X-ray spectrum of the hot spot is well described by an absorbed power law with photon index \Gamma = 2.07 (+/- 0.11). The X-ray jet coincides with a weak radio jet and is laterally extended by \simeq 2.0 arcsec (1.9 kpc). The observed jet is up to \simeq 15 times brighter in X-rays than any counter jet, a difference ascribed to relativistic boosting as the western radio lobe is probably the closer. The jet's spectrum is well modelled by an absorbed power law with \Gamma = 1.94 (+0.43/-0.49) and poorly fitted by a Raymond-Smith thermal plasma model.
(Abstract truncated).
Comments: 42 pages, 9 figures (3 JPEG, 6 Postscript), accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal, Vol 546, Jan 10 2001 issue. Section 4.3.2 revised October 12
Subjects: Astrophysics (astro-ph)
Cite as: arXiv:astro-ph/0008467
  (or arXiv:astro-ph/0008467v2 for this version)
  https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.astro-ph/0008467
Related DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/318412

Submission history

From: Andrew J. Young [view email]
[v1] Tue, 29 Aug 2000 21:40:10 UTC (279 KB)
[v2] Fri, 13 Oct 2000 00:17:46 UTC (280 KB)
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