Inverse-Compton emission from the lobes of 3C353

TL;DR

This study analyzes radio and X-ray data of the radio galaxy 3C353 to understand its particle acceleration, electron spectra, and the environment of its host cluster, providing insights into inverse-Compton emission mechanisms.

Contribution

It presents new multi-frequency radio and X-ray observations of 3C353, revealing spatial variations in electron spectra and the properties of the surrounding merging cluster.

Findings

Detection of inverse-Compton emission from the lobes

Spatial variation in electron energy spectrum

Properties of the merging cluster environment

Abstract

Analysis of the radio synchrotron and X-ray inverse-Compton emission from radio-loud active galaxies allows us to determine their particle acceleration processes and electron energy spectra. Previous studies have provided new constraints on the total energy budget and particle content of powerful radio galaxies and quasars; however, in most cases the sources are too faint in the X-ray to obtain spatial information. We present archival and new multi-frequency radio observations from the VLA and GMRT, and XMM-Newton observations of the bright FRII radio galaxy 3C353 which lies on the edge of the X-ray-luminous cluster Zw 1718.1-0108. The X-ray observations detect both the inverse-Compton emission from the radio galaxy lobes and thermal emission from the hot phase of the intracluster medium. We discuss the properties of the particle energy spectrum as a function of position in the lobe, as well as the properties of the merging cluster.