Structure and environment of the giant radio galaxy 4C 73.08

The giant radio galaxy 4C 73.08 has been observed with the Westerbork Telescope at a wavelength of 21 cm. The radio map obtained is a significant improvement upon previous maps in terms of the combination of high dynamic range, sensitivity and angular resolution. The new map shows that the jet, previously thought to be one-sided, is probably symmetrical with one arm almost lost in the background of extended lobe emission. The brighter, more compact lobe also displays more intense emission from its hotspot and jet. The jets line up well with the nucleus and hotspots, although the hotspot on one side deviates from the lobe major axis. The unusual feature of the radio source's morphology is the existence of curved ridges running transverse to the source major axis. Three of the other galaxies in the 4C 73.08 group are also weak radio sources. We further detect radio emission from the foreground galaxies NGC 2957 and 2963, which form a small group. A background galaxy has double radio components of moderate size which we have mapped; there is an optical companion at the same redshift. Another extended source may be associated with a Two Micron All Sky Survey galaxy