The radio galaxies and the magnetic field in Abell 119

TL;DR

This study uses multiwavelength VLA observations to analyze the radio galaxies in Abell 119, revealing polarization patterns influenced by the cluster's magnetic field, which is estimated at 5-10 microGauss.

Contribution

It provides detailed polarization and magnetic field measurements of radio galaxies in Abell 119, highlighting the impact of the intracluster medium on radio source properties.

Findings

Polarization increases closer to the cluster center.

Magnetic field in the intracluster medium estimated at 5-10 microG.

Radio galaxy morphologies vary with location in the cluster.

Abstract

We present new, multiwavelength Very Large Array observations of the 3 radio galaxies in the cluster Abell 119: 0053-015, 0053-016 and 3C 29. The first two radio galaxies, which lie close to the cluster center, show a narrow-angle-tailed structure, with many twists in the tails. The third radio source is located at the cluster periphery, and shows an undistorted FR I morphology. All three radio sources are strongly polarized at the highest frequencies, and all three show both more depolarization and higher Faraday Rotation Measures with increasing proximity to the cluster center. We interpret this polarization behaviour as induced by the magneto-ionized intracluster medium, whose magnetic field is estimated to be in the range 5-10 microG.