The dynamics and environmental impact of 3C452

TL;DR

This study analyzes XMM-Newton data of the FRII radio galaxy 3C452, revealing how its lobes heat and influence the surrounding intragroup medium through overpressure and shock phenomena.

Contribution

It provides new measurements of environmental temperature, pressure profiles, and evidence of shock-driven heating caused by the radio galaxy 3C452.

Findings

Outer lobes are overpressured and drive shocks

Inner lobes are underpressured and contracting

The galaxy significantly impacts its environment despite low power

Abstract

We present a detailed analysis of a new XMM-Newton observation of the FRII radio galaxy 3C452 and its environment. We detect X-ray emission from the hot intragroup medium and measure its temperature as well as obtaining the surface brightness and pressure profiles. We provide evidence that 3C452 is currently heating its environment, measuring a temperature of $1.18\pm0.11$ keV for the immediate environment of the radio source compared to $0.86^{+0.13}_{-0.05}$ keV for the outer environment. We also present evidence that the outer regions of the lobes are overpressured (internal pressure of $2.6\times10^{-13}$ Pa and external pressure of $1.11\pm{0.11}\times10^{-13}$ Pa at the edge of the lobes) and therefore are driving a shock at the lobe edges (with a temperature which we constrain to be $1.7^{+0.9}_{-0.5}$ keV), while the inner regions of the lobes are underpressured and contracting. Taking into account the very large amount of energy stored in the lobes, we show that this relatively low-powered FRII radio galaxy will have an extremely significant impact on its group environment.