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Synchrotron Thermal Instabilities and Radio Filaments in the Lobes of Cygnus A

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 August 2015

G. Bodo ,
A. Ferrari ,
S. Massaglia  and
E. Trussoni
G. Bodo
Affiliation:
Osservatorio Astronomico di Torino, Pino Torinese, Italy
A. Ferrari
Affiliation:
Osservatorio Astronomico di Torino, Pino Torinese, Italy
S. Massaglia
Affiliation:
Osservatorio Astronomico di Torino, Pino Torinese, Italy
E. Trussoni
Affiliation:
Osservatorio Astronomico di Torino, Pino Torinese, Italy

Extract

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Recent VLA observations of the lobes of Cygnus A exhibit complex “filamentary” structures, with typical scale width ~ 1 arcsec (Dreher, Carilli and Perley, 1987, Perley, 1987). The filaments appear aligned with the magnetic field, as results from polarization measures, suggesting that the field may play a fundamental role in the process of their formation.

We propose a mechanism for the possible formation of these filaments based upon a thermal instability connected with synchrotron emission from relativistic electrons. This type of instability was studied by Simon and Axford (1967), who discussed it in connection with the Crab Nebula filaments, and by Eilek and Caroff (1979), who generalized the previous study for application to quasar atmospheres.

Type
Joint Discussions
Information
Highlights of Astronomy , Volume 8: Highlights of Astronomy. As presented at the XXth General Assembly of the IAU, 1988 , 1989 , pp. 417 - 422
Copyright
Copyright © Kluwer 1989

References

Bodo, G., Ferrari, A., Massaglia, S., and Trussoni, E., 1988, Proc. Int. School Plasma Aatrophysics, Varenna (Italy), September 1988, in press.Google Scholar
Dreher, J.W., Carilli, , and Perley, R.A., 1987, Astrophys. J., 316, 611.Google Scholar
Eilek, J.A. and Caroff, L.J., 1979, Astrophys. J., 233, 463.Google Scholar
Perley, R.A., Cargese Workshop on “Magnetic Fields and Extragalactic Objects”, June 1987, ed. Asseo, E. and Gresillon, D. p. 255.Google Scholar
Simon, M. and Axford, W.I., 1967, Astrophys. J., 150, 105.Google Scholar