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DETECTION OF A RELIC X-RAY JET IN CYGNUS A

K. C. STEENBRUGGE

University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3JP, UK

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K. M. BLUNDELL

University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3JP, UK

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, and

P. DUFFY

UCD School of Physics, University College Dublin, Dublin, 4, Ireland

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https://doi.org/10.1142/S0218271808013157Cited by:0 (Source: Crossref)

Abstract

We present a 200 ks Chandra ACIS-I image of Cygnus A, and discuss a long linear feature seen in its counterlobe. This feature has a nonthermal spectrum and lies on the line connecting the brighter hotspot on the approaching side and the nucleus. We therefore conclude that this feature is (or was) a jet. However, the outer part of this X-ray jet does not trace the current counterjet observed in radio. No X-ray counterpart is observed on the jet side. Using light-travel time effects we conclude that this X-ray 50 kpc linear feature is a relic jet that contains enough low-energy plasma (γ ~ 10³) to inverse-Compton scatter cosmic microwave background photons, producing emission in the X-rays.

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