Synchrotron aging in radio sources. I - Spatial variations in radio lobes

Details Synchrotron aging in radio sources. I - Spatial variations in radio lobes Synchrotron aging in radio sources. I - Spatial variations in radio lobes

Nov 1990

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1990apj...363..411s&link_type=abstract

Astrophysical Journal, Part 1 (ISSN 0004-637X), vol. 363, Nov. 10, 1990, p. 411-414.

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

11

Galactic Evolution, Galactic Structure, Radio Sources (Astronomy), Synchrotron Radiation, Interstellar Magnetic Fields, Luminosity, Radio Emission

Scientific paper

Some ways in which estimates of ages of radio lobes, and thus the expansion rate of double radio sources can be uncertain, are presented. These estimates are based upon the degrees of steepening of the spectral index in various parts of radio lobes and typically assume uniform magnetic fields based on equipartition arguments. It is shown that if the radio emitting regions are occupied by inhomogeneous distributions of magnetic fields (e.g., filaments of intense fields residing in weaker ambient fields), consideration of the synchrotron radiation of the electrons and their Compton interaction with microwave background photons leads to a modified aging effect. The simple models presented depend upon the fractional volume the filaments occupy and the ratio of filament field strength to ambient field strength as well as the ratio of the observed equipartition field to that equivalent to the cosmic microwave background. The steepening of the spectral index will be similar to the evolution of the spectral index of electrons in a uniform magnetic field, but will typically occur over a longer period of time than that expected from the equipartition assumption.

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