The Radio Spectra of High-luminosity Compact Symmetric Objects: Implications for Studies of Compact Jetted Active Galactic Nuclei
This paper addresses, for the first time, a key aspect of the phenomenology of compact symmetric objects (CSOs): the characteristics of their radio spectra. We present a radio-spectrum description of a complete sample of high-luminosity CSOs (CSO-2s), which shows that they exhibit the complete range...
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2024-01-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad89bb |
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| author | P. V. de la Parra A. C. S Readhead T. Herbig S. Kiehlmann M. L. Lister V. Pavlidou R. A. Reeves A. Siemiginowska A. G. Sullivan T. Surti A. Synani K. Tassis G. B. Taylor P. N. Wilkinson M. F. Aller R. D. Blandford N. Globus C. R. Lawrence B. Molina S. O’Neill T. J. Pearson |
| author_facet | P. V. de la Parra A. C. S Readhead T. Herbig S. Kiehlmann M. L. Lister V. Pavlidou R. A. Reeves A. Siemiginowska A. G. Sullivan T. Surti A. Synani K. Tassis G. B. Taylor P. N. Wilkinson M. F. Aller R. D. Blandford N. Globus C. R. Lawrence B. Molina S. O’Neill T. J. Pearson |
| author_sort | P. V. de la Parra |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper addresses, for the first time, a key aspect of the phenomenology of compact symmetric objects (CSOs): the characteristics of their radio spectra. We present a radio-spectrum description of a complete sample of high-luminosity CSOs (CSO-2s), which shows that they exhibit the complete range of spectral types, including flat-spectrum sources ( α ≥ −0.5), steep-spectrum sources ( α < −0.5), and peaked-spectrum sources. We show that there is no clear correlation between spectral type and size, but there is a correlation between the high-frequency spectral index and both object type and size. We also show that, to avoid biasing the data and to understand the various classes of active galactic nuclei (AGN) involved, the complete range of spectral types should be included in studying the general phenomenology of compact jetted AGN, and that complete samples must be used, selected over a wide range of frequencies. We discuss examples that demonstrate these points. We find that the high-frequency spectral indices of CSO-2s span −1.3 < α _hi < −0.3 and hence that radio spectral signatures cannot be used to discriminate definitively between CSO-2s, binary galactic nuclei, and millilensed objects, unless they have α _hi > −0.3. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-718a3fb7eaf54d8285b8402cffb3d85c |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1538-4357 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Astrophysical Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-718a3fb7eaf54d8285b8402cffb3d85c2025-08-20T02:49:36ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal1538-43572024-01-01977219510.3847/1538-4357/ad89bbThe Radio Spectra of High-luminosity Compact Symmetric Objects: Implications for Studies of Compact Jetted Active Galactic NucleiP. V. de la Parra0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5957-1412A. C. S Readhead1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9152-961XT. Herbig2S. Kiehlmann3https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6314-9177M. L. Lister4https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1315-3412V. Pavlidou5https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0870-1368R. A. Reeves6https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5704-271XA. Siemiginowska7https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0905-7375A. G. Sullivan8https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9545-7286T. Surti9A. Synani10https://orcid.org/0009-0004-2614-830XK. Tassis11https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8831-2038G. B. Taylor12https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6495-7731P. N. Wilkinson13M. F. Aller14https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2483-2103R. D. Blandford15https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1854-5506N. Globus16C. R. Lawrence17https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5983-6481B. Molina18https://orcid.org/0009-0000-9963-6874S. O’Neill19https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2454-6828T. J. Pearson20https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5213-6231CePIA, Astronomy Department, Universidad de Concepción , Casilla 160-C, Concepción, Chile ; phvergara@udec.clOwens Valley Radio Observatory, California Institute of Technology , Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Institute of Astrophysics , Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, GR-70013 Heraklion, GreeceTH Masters, LLC, 136 Chichester Road, New Canaan, CT 06840, USAInstitute of Astrophysics , Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, GR-70013 Heraklion, GreeceDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, Purdue University , 525 Northwestern Avenue, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USAInstitute of Astrophysics , Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, GR-70013 Heraklion, Greece; Department of Physics and Institute of Theoretical and Computational Physics, University of Crete , 70013 Heraklion, GreeceCePIA, Astronomy Department, Universidad de Concepción , Casilla 160-C, Concepción, Chile ; phvergara@udec.clCenter for Astrophysics∣Harvard and Smithsonian , 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USAKavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Department of Physics, Stanford University , Stanford, CA 94305, USAOwens Valley Radio Observatory, California Institute of Technology , Pasadena, CA 91125, USADepartment of Physics and Institute of Theoretical and Computational Physics, University of Crete , 70013 Heraklion, GreeceInstitute of Astrophysics , Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, GR-70013 Heraklion, Greece; Department of Physics and Institute of Theoretical and Computational Physics, University of Crete , 70013 Heraklion, GreeceDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of New Mexico , Albuquerque, NM 87131, USAJodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, University of Manchester , Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UKDepartment of Astronomy, University of Michigan , 323 West Hall, 1085 South University Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USAKavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Department of Physics, Stanford University , Stanford, CA 94305, USAKavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Department of Physics, Stanford University , Stanford, CA 94305, USAJet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology , 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109, USACePIA, Astronomy Department, Universidad de Concepción , Casilla 160-C, Concepción, Chile ; phvergara@udec.clDepartment of Physics, Princeton University , Jadwin Hall, Princeton, NJ 08540, USAOwens Valley Radio Observatory, California Institute of Technology , Pasadena, CA 91125, USAThis paper addresses, for the first time, a key aspect of the phenomenology of compact symmetric objects (CSOs): the characteristics of their radio spectra. We present a radio-spectrum description of a complete sample of high-luminosity CSOs (CSO-2s), which shows that they exhibit the complete range of spectral types, including flat-spectrum sources ( α ≥ −0.5), steep-spectrum sources ( α < −0.5), and peaked-spectrum sources. We show that there is no clear correlation between spectral type and size, but there is a correlation between the high-frequency spectral index and both object type and size. We also show that, to avoid biasing the data and to understand the various classes of active galactic nuclei (AGN) involved, the complete range of spectral types should be included in studying the general phenomenology of compact jetted AGN, and that complete samples must be used, selected over a wide range of frequencies. We discuss examples that demonstrate these points. We find that the high-frequency spectral indices of CSO-2s span −1.3 < α _hi < −0.3 and hence that radio spectral signatures cannot be used to discriminate definitively between CSO-2s, binary galactic nuclei, and millilensed objects, unless they have α _hi > −0.3.https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad89bbHigh energy astrophysics |
| spellingShingle | P. V. de la Parra A. C. S Readhead T. Herbig S. Kiehlmann M. L. Lister V. Pavlidou R. A. Reeves A. Siemiginowska A. G. Sullivan T. Surti A. Synani K. Tassis G. B. Taylor P. N. Wilkinson M. F. Aller R. D. Blandford N. Globus C. R. Lawrence B. Molina S. O’Neill T. J. Pearson The Radio Spectra of High-luminosity Compact Symmetric Objects: Implications for Studies of Compact Jetted Active Galactic Nuclei The Astrophysical Journal High energy astrophysics |
| title | The Radio Spectra of High-luminosity Compact Symmetric Objects: Implications for Studies of Compact Jetted Active Galactic Nuclei |
| title_full | The Radio Spectra of High-luminosity Compact Symmetric Objects: Implications for Studies of Compact Jetted Active Galactic Nuclei |
| title_fullStr | The Radio Spectra of High-luminosity Compact Symmetric Objects: Implications for Studies of Compact Jetted Active Galactic Nuclei |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Radio Spectra of High-luminosity Compact Symmetric Objects: Implications for Studies of Compact Jetted Active Galactic Nuclei |
| title_short | The Radio Spectra of High-luminosity Compact Symmetric Objects: Implications for Studies of Compact Jetted Active Galactic Nuclei |
| title_sort | radio spectra of high luminosity compact symmetric objects implications for studies of compact jetted active galactic nuclei |
| topic | High energy astrophysics |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad89bb |
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