Bent-Double Radio Sources as Probes of the Intragroup Medium

TL;DR

This paper explores how bent-double radio sources can be used to investigate the density and properties of the intragroup medium in galaxy groups, providing new insights into the baryonic content of the universe.

Contribution

It introduces a novel method combining radio and optical observations to probe the intragroup medium's density through radio jet interactions.

Findings

Radio jets show signs of interaction with the IGM.

The method provides constraints on IGM density.

Early results demonstrate the technique's effectiveness.

Abstract

Galaxy groups likely contain a significant fraction of the total baryonic mass in the local universe within their intragroup medium (IGM). However, aside from a handful of UV absorption line and X-ray observations, almost nothing is known about the IGM. We present early results from a research program that combines low-frequency radio continuum observations and optical spectroscopy of bent-double radio sources and their neighbors in groups of galaxies. These observations allow us to probe the density of the IGM to an unprecedented degree by examining its impact on the jets of radio galaxies.