MSc Arpita Misra, Astronomical Observatory of the Jagiellonian University. Photo: private.
Radio galaxy jets strikingly remain straight and collimated for distances ranging from a few kiloparsecs to megaparsecs for millions of years. However, since the advent of deep sky surveys, the discovery of radio galaxies with bent radio jets has been ever-increasing. These sources, classified as X-shaped or S-shaped, signify a dynamic interplay between the radio jets, the central active region, and the intergalactic medium. The evolution of such radio sources is explained using several theoretical models, including galaxy mergers, but direct evidence has remained observationally sparse.
In this talk, I will present multifrequency observations and radio analysis of two such unique sources and discuss the possible mechanisms behind their formation.
PKS 2014-55 is the archetypal X-shaped radio galaxy imaged with the MeerKAT telescope. The galaxy emits massive bipolar jets of plasma into intergalactic space, forming the primary pair of radio lobes (depicted in blue), which then reverse direction after encountering intergalactic gas. The material falling from the jets is deflected by the relatively high gas pressure around the host galaxy, leading to the production of a secondary pair of lobes. Image credit: NRAO / AUI / NSF / SARAO / DES
