Very Large Telescope Snaps Images of Radio Hot Spots

A research group has imaged hot spots from the radio galaxy 3C 445 using optical and infrared cameras on the Very Large Telescope. The images show knots embedded in a diffuse optical emission that is created by the impact of a particle jet with the intergalactic medium.

Scientists from the European Southern Observatory, the Instituto di Radioastronomia del CNR, the Netherlands Foundation for Research in Astronomy and Radioastronomisches Institut der Universität Bonn reported the work in the Oct. 4 issue of Science. They confirm that Fermi-I processes accelerate the electrons to relativistic speeds. The emission tracing the rims of the front shock and the multiple knots indicate additional continuous reacceleration processes.