Exploring Compact Symmetric Objects with Complex Morphologies
Compact symmetric objects (CSOs) are a unique class of jetted active galactic nuclei defined by subkiloparsec radio emission, showing radio structure on both sides of the central engine. CSOs tend to exhibit little to no relativistic beaming, thereby allowing us to determine their physical character...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2025-01-01
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| Series: | The Astrophysical Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/adcc28 |
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| author | E. E. Sheldahl G. B. Taylor S. E. Tremblay W. Peters S. Kiehlmann R. D. Blandford M. L. Lister T. J. Pearson A. C. S. Readhead F. Schinzel A. Siemiginowska R. Skalidis |
| author_facet | E. E. Sheldahl G. B. Taylor S. E. Tremblay W. Peters S. Kiehlmann R. D. Blandford M. L. Lister T. J. Pearson A. C. S. Readhead F. Schinzel A. Siemiginowska R. Skalidis |
| author_sort | E. E. Sheldahl |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Compact symmetric objects (CSOs) are a unique class of jetted active galactic nuclei defined by subkiloparsec radio emission, showing radio structure on both sides of the central engine. CSOs tend to exhibit little to no relativistic beaming, thereby allowing us to determine their physical characteristics, such as the magnetic field strength and particle energy density. Selected with a literature search, we describe very long baseline interferometry observations, imaging, and analyses of 167 CSO candidates. We identified 65 new bona fide CSOs, thus almost doubling the number of known bona fide CSOs to 144. With our greater breadth of sources, we confirm that edge-dimmed CSOs (CSO-1s) may represent a more diverse population than originally expected. We highlight a number of CSOs with complex morphologies, including candidates for supermassive binary black holes and CSOs that appear to have morphologies akin to wide-angle tail galaxies, which could perhaps indicate that some CSOs are experiencing a galactic merger. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9c76fee20a894e44bcecae647621ec79 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1538-4357 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Astrophysical Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-9c76fee20a894e44bcecae647621ec792025-08-20T02:41:31ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal1538-43572025-01-0198712610.3847/1538-4357/adcc28Exploring Compact Symmetric Objects with Complex MorphologiesE. E. Sheldahl0G. B. Taylor1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6495-7731S. E. Tremblay2W. Peters3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5187-7107S. Kiehlmann4https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6314-9177R. D. Blandford5https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1854-5506M. L. Lister6https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1315-3412T. J. Pearson7https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5213-6231A. C. S. Readhead8https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9152-961XF. Schinzel9https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6672-128XA. Siemiginowska10https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0905-7375R. Skalidis11https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2337-0277Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of New Mexico , Albuquerque, NM 87131, USADepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of New Mexico , Albuquerque, NM 87131, USANational Radio Astronomy Observatory , Socorro, NM 87801, USAU.S. Naval Research Laboratory , 4555 Overlook Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20375, USAInstitute of Astrophysics , Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, GR-71110 Heraklion, GreeceKavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology (KIPAC), Stanford University , Stanford, CA 94305, USADepartment of Physics and Astronomy, Purdue University , 525 Northwestern Avenue, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USAOwens Valley Radio Observatory, California Institute of Technology , Pasadena, CA 91125, USAOwens Valley Radio Observatory, California Institute of Technology , Pasadena, CA 91125, USANational Radio Astronomy Observatory , Socorro, NM 87801, USACenter for Astrophysics-Harvard and Smithsonian , 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USAOwens Valley Radio Observatory, California Institute of Technology , Pasadena, CA 91125, USACompact symmetric objects (CSOs) are a unique class of jetted active galactic nuclei defined by subkiloparsec radio emission, showing radio structure on both sides of the central engine. CSOs tend to exhibit little to no relativistic beaming, thereby allowing us to determine their physical characteristics, such as the magnetic field strength and particle energy density. Selected with a literature search, we describe very long baseline interferometry observations, imaging, and analyses of 167 CSO candidates. We identified 65 new bona fide CSOs, thus almost doubling the number of known bona fide CSOs to 144. With our greater breadth of sources, we confirm that edge-dimmed CSOs (CSO-1s) may represent a more diverse population than originally expected. We highlight a number of CSOs with complex morphologies, including candidates for supermassive binary black holes and CSOs that appear to have morphologies akin to wide-angle tail galaxies, which could perhaps indicate that some CSOs are experiencing a galactic merger.https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/adcc28Active galactic nucleiActive galaxiesRelativistic jets |
| spellingShingle | E. E. Sheldahl G. B. Taylor S. E. Tremblay W. Peters S. Kiehlmann R. D. Blandford M. L. Lister T. J. Pearson A. C. S. Readhead F. Schinzel A. Siemiginowska R. Skalidis Exploring Compact Symmetric Objects with Complex Morphologies The Astrophysical Journal Active galactic nuclei Active galaxies Relativistic jets |
| title | Exploring Compact Symmetric Objects with Complex Morphologies |
| title_full | Exploring Compact Symmetric Objects with Complex Morphologies |
| title_fullStr | Exploring Compact Symmetric Objects with Complex Morphologies |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring Compact Symmetric Objects with Complex Morphologies |
| title_short | Exploring Compact Symmetric Objects with Complex Morphologies |
| title_sort | exploring compact symmetric objects with complex morphologies |
| topic | Active galactic nuclei Active galaxies Relativistic jets |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/adcc28 |
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