Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2001-01-15
Mon.Not.Roy.Astron.Soc. 323 (2001) L17
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
6 pages, 3 figures. To appear in MNRAS
Scientific paper
10.1046/j.1365-8711.2001.04341.x
Chandra X-ray Observatory observations of the powerful, peculiar radio galaxy 3C123 have resulted in an X-ray detection of the bright eastern hotspot, with a 1-keV flux density of ~ 5 nJy. The X-ray flux and spectrum of the hotspot are consistent with the X-rays being inverse-Compton scattering of radio synchrotron photons by the population of electrons responsible for the radio emission (`synchrotron self-Compton emission') if the magnetic fields in the hotspot are close to their equipartition values. 3C123 is thus the third radio galaxy to show X-ray emission from a hotspot which is consistent with being in equipartition. Chandra also detects emission from a moderately rich cluster surrounding 3C123, with Lx (2-10 keV) = 2 x 10^44 ergs/s and kT ~ 5 keV, and absorbed emission from the active nucleus, with an inferred intrinsic column density of 1.7 x 10^22 cm^-2 and an intrinsic 2-10 keV luminosity of 10^44 ergs/s.
Birkinshaw Mark
Hardcastle Martin J.
Worrall Diana Mary
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