Researchers from institutions including Yale University and the University of Calcutta have made intriguing discoveries about a distant cosmic object that could have implications for our understanding of energy production and consumption in the universe. The team, led by Vaidehi S. Paliya, has been studying a giant radio source (GRS) known as NuSTAR J112829+5831.0 (J1128+5831), which was serendipitously detected by the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR).
Giant radio sources are among the largest structures generated by individual galaxies, with sizes exceeding 700 kiloparsecs. These objects have primarily been studied at radio frequencies, but their properties in the high-energy domain have remained poorly understood. The researchers conducted a multiwavelength study of J1128+5831, which was also observed by the Chandra X-ray Observatory, Hubble Space Telescope, and XMM-Newton satellites. Additionally, radio observations were made using the Low Frequency Array, the NRAO VLA Sky Survey, and the Very Large Array Sky Survey.
The study revealed that J1128+5831 has a steep radio spectrum and a low core dominance, indicating that the source is viewed at large angles. X-ray spectral analysis showed that J1128+5831 harbors an obscured active galactic nucleus (AGN) with a high column density of neutral hydrogen. The optical spectrum, taken with the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument, exhibited prominent narrow emission lines but lacked broad components, confirming that J1128+5831 is a Type 2 AGN powered by a radiatively efficient accreting system.
The broadband properties of J1128+5831 are consistent with those observed for the general GRS population. This research provides valuable insights into the high-energy properties of GRSs and their central engines, which are crucial for understanding the energy dynamics in the universe. The findings were published in the Astrophysical Journal.
This article is based on research available at arXiv.