Inverse-Compton ghosts and double-lobed radio sources in the X-ray sky

Details Inverse-Compton ghosts and double-lobed radio sources in the X-ray sky Inverse-Compton ghosts and double-lobed radio sources in the X-ray sky

2010-08-12

arxiv.org/abs/1008.2188v3

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

Cosmology and Extragalactic Astrophysics

14 pages, 14 figures

Scientific paper

In this study we predict the total distributions of powerful (FR II) active double-lobed radio galaxies and ghost sources, and their observable distribution in the X-ray sky. We develop an analytic model for the evolution of the lobe emission at radio and X-ray energies. During jet activity, a double radio source emits synchrotron radiation in the radio and X-ray emission due to inverse-Compton (IC) upscattering by gamma~10^3 electrons of the cosmic microwave background. After the jets switch off, the radio luminosity (due to higher gamma electrons) falls faster than the X-ray luminosity and for some time the source appears as an IC ghost of a radio galaxy before becoming completely undetectable in the X-ray. With our model, for one set of typical parameters, we predict radio lobes occupy a volume fraction of the universe of 0.01, 0.03, 0.3 at z=2 (during the quasar era) of the filamentary structures in which they are situated, for typical jet lifetimes 5*10^7 yr, 10^8 yr, 5*10^8 yr; however since the inferred abundance of sources depends on how quickly they fall below the radio flux limit the volume filling factor is found to be a strong function of radio galaxy properties such as energy index and minimum gamma factor of injected particles, the latter not well constrained by observations. We test the predicted number density of sources against the Chandra X-ray Deep Field North survey and also find the contribution to the unresolved cosmic X-ray background by the lobes of radio galaxies. 10-30 per cent of observable double-lobed structures in the X-ray are predicted to be IC ghosts. The derived X-ray luminosity function of our synthetic population shows that double-lobed sources have higher space densities than X-ray clusters at redshifts z>2 and X-ray luminosities above 10^44 erg s^-1.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Inverse-Compton ghosts and double-lobed radio sources in the X-ray sky does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Inverse-Compton ghosts and double-lobed radio sources in the X-ray sky, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Inverse-Compton ghosts and double-lobed radio sources in the X-ray sky will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-587749