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The jet and counterjet of 3C270 (NGC4261) viewed in the X-ray with Chandra

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Abstract

  • The radio source 3C270, hosted by nearby elliptical galaxy NGC4261, is the brightest known example of counterjet X-ray emission from a low-power radio galaxy. We report on the X-ray emission of the jet and counterjet from 130 ks of Chandra data. We argue that the X-ray emission is synchrotron radiation and that the internal properties of the jet and counterjet are remarkably similar. We find a smooth connection in X-ray hardness and X-ray-to-radio ratio between the jet and one of the X-ray components within the core spectrum. We observe wedge-like depressions in diffuse X-ray surface brightness surrounding the jets, and interpret them as regions where an aged population of electrons provides pressure to balance the interstellar medium of NGC4261. About 20 per cent of the mass of the interstellar medium has been displaced by the radio source. Treating 3C270 as a twin-jet system,

Publication Date

  • 2010

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