The last breath of the young gigahertz-peaked spectrum radio source PKS 1518+047

TL;DR

This study investigates the spectral properties and age of the young, fading gigahertz-peaked spectrum radio source PKS 1518+047 using multi-frequency VLBA and VLA data, revealing its recent shutdown and particle depletion.

Contribution

It provides detailed spectral analysis and age estimation of PKS 1518+047, highlighting its recent cessation of activity and particle depletion, which advances understanding of young radio source evolution.

Findings

Source components have steep spectral indices, indicating no current particle re-acceleration.

Electrons with energies above γ<600 are depleted, with a radiative lifetime of about 2700 years.

The source was active for approximately 2150 years before shutting off, with 20% of its lifetime inactive.

Abstract

We present the results from multi-frequency VLBA observations from 327 MHz to 8.4 GHz of the gigahertz-peaked spectrum radio source PKS 1518+047 (4C 04.51) aimed at studying the spectral index distribution across the source. Further multi-frequency archival VLA data were analysed to constrain the spectral shape of the whole source. The pc-scale resolution provided by the VLBA data allows us to resolve the source structure in several sub-components. The analysis of their synchrotron spectra showed that the source components have steep spectral indices, suggesting that no supply/re-acceleration of fresh particles is currently taking place in any region of the source. By assuming the equipartition magnetic field of 4 mG, we found that only electrons with $\gamma$ < 600, are still contributing to the radio spectrum, while electrons with higher energies have been almost completed depleted. The source radiative lifetime we derived is 2700+/-600 years. Considering the best fit to the overall spectrum, we find that the time in which the nucleus has not been active represents almost 20% of the whole source lifetime, indicating that the source was 2150+/-500 years old when the radio emission switched off.