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Radio spectra of High Frequency Peakers
Author(s) -
Dallacasa D.,
Orienti M.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
astronomische nachrichten
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.394
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1521-3994
pISSN - 0004-6337
DOI - 10.1002/asna.201512756
Subject(s) - physics , jansky , astrophysics , spectral line , flux (metallurgy) , plasma , spectral index , radiative transfer , radio spectrum , electron , computational physics , astronomy , radio galaxy , optics , chemistry , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics , galaxy
Abstract New radio spectra of High Frequency Peakers (HFP) obtained from the Jansky Very Large Array (JVLA) show that variability is common among this class of sources. A subsample of sources have been observed with a nearly continuous spectral sampling between 1 and 10 GHz. The observed HFP sources were previously classified as F (flat), H (HFP profile with little or no flux density variability) and V (variable, but preserving a peaked spectrum). In general, sources classified as V and H show a decrease of the flux density measured in the optically thin part of the spectrum, while there is a moderate increment in the optically thick region, resulting into a progressive shift of the spectral peak to lower frequencies. This is consistent with the idea of an expanding bubble of radio plasma. The sources with an F classification instead show substantial variability, both in spectral shape and in time evolution. In these HFP sources an irregular production of energy is best observed since the radio emission is dominated by recently generated relativistic plasma, and the contribution of mini lobes, in which old plasma accumulates, is marginal if not absent at all, given the short radiative life of electrons in strong magnetic fields (tens of mG) found in these objects. (© 2016 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)