Radio Observations of AGN in Low Surface Brightness Galaxies

TL;DR

This study uses low frequency radio observations to detect and map AGN activity in the nuclei of low surface brightness galaxies, revealing bright radio cores and extended jet/lobe structures.

Contribution

It provides new evidence that low surface brightness galaxies can host active galactic nuclei detectable in radio frequencies, using GMRT observations.

Findings

Radio cores detected in all three galaxies

Extended jet/lobe structures observed

AGN activity present despite optical dimness

Abstract

We present preliminary results of a study of the low frequency radio continuum emission from the nuclei of Giant Low Surface Brightness (LSB) galaxies. We have mapped the emission and searched for extended features such as radio lobes/jets associated with AGN activity. LSB galaxies are poor in star formation and generally less evolved compared to nearby bright spirals. This paper presents low frequency observations of 3 galaxies; PGC 045080 at 1.4 GHz, 610 MHz, 325MHz, UGC 1922 at 610 MHz and UGC 6614 at 610 MHz. The observations were done with the GMRT. Radio cores as well as extended structures were detected and mapped in all three galaxies; the extended emission may be assocated with jets/lobes associated with AGN activity. Our results indicate that although these galaxies are optically dim, their nuclei can host AGN that are bright in the radio domain.