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Radio and X-Ray Structure of Centaurus A

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 August 2015

Eric D. Feigelson*
Affiliation:
Center for Space Research and Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139

Abstract

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Recent studies of the nearby radio galaxy Centaurus A with the Very Large Array and the Einstein X-Ray Observatory reveal complex radio and X-ray structures. A prominent one-sided jet comprised of resolved knots located 0.2–6 kpc from the nucleus is seen in both radio and X-rays. The X-ray emission is probably synchrotron, requiring in situ reacceleration up to Γ ≃ 107. Inverse Compton emission is not a likely explanation though a thermal model in which the nucleus ejects dense 105M0 clouds cannot be excluded. An elongated X-ray region is also found near the “middle” radio lobe and optical HII regions ∼ 30 kpc NE of the nucleus. Conditions around the active nucleus, the absence of X-rays from the inner radio lobes, and X-ray evidence for a hot interstellar medium are briefly discussed.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Reidel 1982 

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