One Source, Two Source(s): Ribs and Tethers

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery of unique filamentary structures called ribs and tethers in a radio galaxy within Abell 3266, revealing complex interactions with the intracluster medium and a background AGN.

Contribution

It introduces the first observation of ribs and tethers in a radio galaxy, highlighting complex filamentary phenomena in the intracluster medium.

Findings

Identification of ribs and tethers as new filamentary structures

Spectral and Faraday rotation similarity indicating a single source

Potential link between radio structures and intracluster medium filaments

Abstract

We present the unique and challenging case of a radio galaxy in Abell 3266 observed as part of the MeerKAT Galaxy Cluster Legacy Survey. It has quasi-periodic bright patches along the tail which connect to never-before-seen thin transverse extensions, which we call `ribs', reaching up to approx. 50 kpc from the central axis of the tail. At a distance of approx. 400 kpc from the host (assuming the z=0.0594 redshift of Abell 3266) we find what appears to be a triple source with its own apparent host at a photometric redshift of 0.78. Mysteriously, the part of the tail far from the host and the triple are connected by a series of thin filaments, which we call "tethers." The far tail, tethers and triple also have similar spectra and Faraday rotation measures, suggesting that there is only one -- quite complicated -- source, with a serendipitous background AGN in the triple. We look at possible causes for the "rib" and "tether" structures, and the emerging phenomena of intracluster medium filaments associated with radio galaxies.