The Chandra 3C Snapshot Surveys

Abstract

The Chandra X-ray Observatory is the only X-ray facility with sub arcsec resolution, permitting detailed studies of radio galaxies and quasars. We review a short list of projects contributing to our goal of obtaining Chandra observations of all 3C extragalactic sources. Radio source samples, unlike most surveys at other wavelengths, should be completely unbiased with respect to viewing angle: the radio lobes are sign posts indicating the location of AGN (obscured or unobscured nuclei). The X-ray data allow us to estimate excess absorption towards nuclei, to find new examples of X-ray emission from jet knots and hotspots, and to isolate sources in clusters of galaxies together with signatures of feedback (e.g. cavities in the ICM). This work is supported by NASA grants GO1-12125A and GO2-13115X.