Probing AGN duty cycle and cluster-driven morphology in a giant episodic radio galaxy

TL;DR

This study investigates a giant radio galaxy within a galaxy cluster, revealing recurrent jet activity, complex morphology, and star formation, providing insights into jet-environment interactions and galaxy evolution.

Contribution

It presents a detailed multiwavelength analysis of a giant radio galaxy with evidence of restarted jets and complex morphology, linking environmental effects to AGN activity.

Findings

Recurrent jet activity observed at multiple frequencies.

Host galaxy is an evolved elliptical with high dust-obscured star formation.

Unique combination of restarted jets, tail structures, and spectral features.

Abstract

The evolution of radio jet morphology and its energetics is significantly influenced by the environment in which the host galaxy resides. As giant radio galaxies (GRGs) often extend to the scale of entire galaxy clusters ($\sim$Mpc) and beyond, they are a suitable class of objects for studying jet--intracluster medium interactions. This paper presents a multiwavelength study of a GRG, J1007+3540, using the LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey second data release (LoTSS DR2) at 144 MHz and the upgraded Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (uGMRT) at 400 MHz. The source has a projected linear extension of 1.45 Mpc and is hosted by MaxBCG J151.77665+35.67813, within the WHL 100706.4+354041 cluster. At both frequencies, the source exhibits clear signatures of recurrent jet activity, a one-sided, extended, tail-like diffuse structure with a morphological break in the tail. The estimated radiative ages of the inner lobes and outer north lobe are $\sim$140 Myr and $\sim$240 Myr, respectively. In addition to the radio analysis, we performed optical--to--infrared spectral energy distribution modelling. The host galaxy is an evolved elliptical system with a stellar mass of $\log_{10}(M_\star/M_\odot) = 11.0$ and an old stellar population age of $\sim$12 Gyr. The high infrared-derived star formation rate ($\sim106~M_\odot$~yr$^{-1}$) of the source implies significant dust-obscured star formation, potentially linked to merger-driven gas inflows. J1007+3540 presents a rare combination of a restarted jet, a detached tail-like structure, and unusual spectral flattening beyond the tail break, which is very rare to report together in a GRG. This rare and remarkable system offers a unique laboratory for probing the interplay between active galactic nucleus activity, star formation, and environmental effects in cluster-surrounded GRGs.