Centaurus A: constraints on the nature of the giant lobe filaments from XMM-Newton observations

TL;DR

Deep XMM-Newton observations of Centaurus A's giant lobe filaments reveal no X-ray excess, constraining magnetic fields and electron densities, and indicating filaments are not overpressured compared to the surrounding lobe.

Contribution

First direct X-ray constraints on the magnetic field and electron density in individual giant lobe filaments of Centaurus A.

Findings

No X-ray excess detected from the filament region.

Magnetic field strength in the filament is higher than in the surrounding lobe.

Filaments are not significantly overpressured relative to the lobe.

Abstract

We report on deep XMM-Newton observations of the vertex filament in the southern giant lobe of the Fanaroff-Riley class I radio galaxy Centaurus A. We find no X-ray excess from the filament region and place a 3 sigma upper limit on the 1 keV flux density of the filament of 9.6 nJy. This directly constrains the electron density and magnetic field strength in the filament. For the first time in an individual filament, we show that so long as the particle index >=2, the excess in synchrotron emissivity cannot be produced purely by excess electrons: the filament magnetic field strength must be higher than in the giant lobes as a whole, and close to or above the equipartition value for the filament. The filaments are not significantly overpressured with respect to the surrounding lobe with a pressure provided by relativistic electrons.