Catalogue with visual morphological classification of 32,616 radio galaxies with optical hosts

We present the catalogue of Radio sources associated with Optical Galaxies and having Unresolved or Extended morphologies I (ROGUE I). It was generated by cross-matching galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7 (SDSS DR 7) as well as radio sources from the First Images of Radio Sky at Twenty Centimetre (FIRST) and the National Radio Astronomical Observatory VLA Sky Survey (NVSS) catalogues. We created the largest handmade catalogue of visually classified radio objects and associated with them optical host galaxies, containing 32,616 galaxies with a FIRST core within 3 arcsec of the optical position. All listed objects possess the good quality SDSS DR 7 spectra with the signal-to-noise ratio $>$10 and spectroscopic redshifts up to $z=0.6$. The radio morphology classification was performed by a visual examination of the FIRST and the NVSS contour maps overlaid on a DSS image, while an optical morphology classification was based on the 120 arcsec snapshot images from SDSS DR 7. The majority of radio galaxies in ROGUE I, i.e. $\sim$ 93%, are unresolved (compact or elongated), while the rest of them exhibit extended morphologies, such as Fanaroff-Riley (FR) type I, II, and hybrid, wide-angle tail, narrow-angle tail, head-tail sources, and sources with intermittent or reoriented jet activity, i.e. double-double, X-shaped, and Z-shaped. Most of FR IIs have low radio luminosities, comparable to the luminosities of FR Is. Moreover, due to visual check of all radio maps and optical images, we were able to discover or reclassify a number of radio objects as giant, double-double, X-shaped, and Z-shaped radio galaxies. The presented sample can serve as a database for training automatic methods of identification and classification of optical and radio galaxies.Comment: Proceedings paper under the IAU symposium "Nuclear Activity in Galaxies Across Cosmic Time", eds. M. Povic, P. Marziani, J. Masegosa, H. Netzer, S. H. Negu, and S. B. Tessem

Constraining jet production scenarios by studies of Narrow-Line-Radio-Galaxies

We study a large sample of narrow-line radio galaxies (NLRGs) with extended radio structures. Using 1.4 GHz radio luminosities, $L_{1.4}$, narrow optical emission line luminosities, L_{\oiii} and $L_{H_{\alpha}}$, as well as black hole masses $M_{BH}$ derived from stellar velocity dispersions measured from the optical spectra obtained with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, we find that: (i) NLRGs cover about 4 decades of the Eddington ratio, $\lambda \equiv L_{bol}/L_{Edd} \propto L_{line}/M_{BH}$; (ii) $L_{1.4}/M_{BH}$ strongly correlates with $\lambda$; (iii) radio-loudness, ${\cal R} \equiv L_{1.4}/L_{line}$, strongly anti-correlates with $\lambda$. A very broad range of the Eddington ratio indicates that the parent population of NLRGs includes both radio-loud quasars (RLQs) and broad-line radio galaxies (BLRGs). The correlations they obey and their high jet production efficiencies favor a jet production model which involves the so-called 'magnetically choked' accretion scenario. In this model, production of the jet is dominated by the Blandford-Znajek mechanism, and the magnetic fields in the vicinity of the central black hole are confined by the ram pressure of the accretion flow. Since large net magnetic flux accumulated in central regions of the accretion flow required by the model can take place only via geometrically thick accretion, we speculate that the massive, 'cold' accretion events associated with luminous emission-line AGN can be accompanied by an efficient jet production only if preceded by a hot, very sub-Eddington accretion phase.Comment: 24 pages, 6 figures, published in ApJ, moderate revisions to match the published versio

On the diversity of the jet production efficiency in Swift/BAT AGNs

We address the very large diversity of the jet production efficiency in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) by using data on low redshift AGNs selected from the Swift/BAT catalog and having black hole (BH) masses larger than $10^{8.5}\,M_{\odot}$. Most of these AGNs accrete at intermediate rates and have bolometric luminosities dominated by mid-IR radiation. Our sample contains $14\%$ radio-loud (RL), $6\%$ radio-intermediate (RI), and $80\%$ radio-quiet (RQ) AGNs. All RL objects are found to have extended radio structures and most of them have classical FR II morphology. Converting their radio loudness to the jet production efficiency, we find that the median of this efficiency is on the order of $(\epsilon_d/0.1)\%$, where $\epsilon_d=L_{\rm bol}/\dot{M}c^2$ is the radiation efficiency of the accretion disk. Without knowing the contribution of jets to the radio emission in the RQ AGNs, we are only able to estimate their efficiencies using upper limits. Their median is found to be $0.002(\epsilon_d/0.1)\%$. Our results suggest that some threshold conditions must be satisfied to allow production of strong, relativistic jets in RL AGNs. We discuss several possible scenarios and argue that the production of collimated, relativistic jets must involve the Blandford-Znajek mechanism and can be activated only in those AGNs whose lifetime is longer than the time required to enter the magnetically arrested disk (MAD). Presuming that MAD is required to collimate relativistic jets, we expect that the weak nonrelativistic jets observed in some RQ AGNs are produced by accretion disks rather than by rotating BHs.Comment: 18 pages, 4 figures. Published in ApJ on 2020 September

Period changes of the sample of eclipsing binaries with active chromospheres

In this work we present results derived from analysis of the O-C behaviour of ten eclipsing binary systems: AR Lac, CG Cyg, HP Aur, MM Her, RS CVn, RT And, SV Cam, V471 Tau, WW Dra and CF Tuc. It was proved on the basis of moments of minima compiled from the literature and new ones determined from recent observations, that these binaries show long term (19-91 years) modulations of their orbital periods, clearly visible in their O-C diagrams. Two possible explanations for this effect are considered: (1) the light-travel time effect due to the presence of a third body orbiting the eclipsing systems; (2) the Applegate mechanism predicting period modulation by changes in the distribution of angular momentum as a star goes through its activity cycles. It was found that in the case of four systems the existence of a third star, orbiting the binary, is a more plausible explanation of observations

Multiwavelength variability of the radio quasar J2042+7508

In this paper, we present our results of study on the long term multiwavelength variability properties of the quasar J2042+7508 (4C +74.26) – a giant radio source located at the redshift of 0.104. This source exhibits interesting emission and structural properties when observed in various wavelengths, including X-ray, optical and radio frequencies. Therefore, exploring these properties through multifrequency variability studies presents a great importance to our understanding of the evolution of quasars and radio-loud unification schemes. We found a trend of anticorrelation with time lag of about three months between optical and radio light curves. A weak correlation with a longer time lag of about 230 days might also exist. Using the structure function method, applied to our six years long, optical data, we arrived at a conclusion that the quasar variability with amplitude of about 0.3 magnitude, is likely caused by an accretion disk instability

Caltech-NRAO Stripe 82 Survey (CNSS) Paper V: AGNs that transitioned toradio-loud state

A recent multi-year Caltech-NRAO Stripe 82 Survey (CNSS) revealed a group of objects that appeared as new radio sources after >5--20 years of absence. They are transient phenomena with respect to the Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty Centimeters (FIRST) survey and constitute the first unbiased sample of renewed radio activity. Here we present the follow-up, radio, optical and X-ray study of them. The group consist of 12 sources, both quasars and galaxies with wide redshift (0.04 24.5) distribution. Their radio properties in the first phase of activity, namely the convex spectra and compact morphology, allow them all to be classified as gigahertz-peaked spectrum (GPS) sources. We conclude that the spectral changes are a consequence of the evolution of newly-born radio jets. Our observations show that over the next few years of activity the GPS galaxies keep the convex shape of the spectrum, while GPS quasars rapidly transform into flat-spectrum sources, which may result in them not being recognized as young sources. The wide range of bolometric luminosities, black hole masses and jet powers among the transient sources indicates even greater population diversity in the group of young radio objects. We also suggest that small changes of the accretion disc luminosity (accretion rate) may be sufficient to ignite low-power radio activity that evolves on the scale of decades

Optical monitoring of FRII-type radio quasars

We present preliminary results of optical monitoring of sample of FRII-type radio quasars. The optical observations were made with three telescopes, among them one robotic, spanning a time interval longer than two years. Variability in the range of a fraction of a magnitude was observed for all eight targets. We applied the structure function to analyse the brightness changes. The slope of the structure function is only consistent with the disk instability model for two sources; the other sources show values between of the disk instability and starburst models. Finally we argue that such monitoring would be most suitable as a long-term, complementary program for robotic telescopes

Radio sources associated with optical galaxies and having unresolved or extended morphologies (ROGUE). I. A catalog of SDSS galaxies with first core identifications

We present the catalog of Radio sources associated with Optical Galaxies and having Unresolved or Extended morphologies I (ROGUE I), consisting of 32,616 spectroscopically selected galaxies. It is the largest handmade catalog of this kind, obtained by cross-matching galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 7 and radio sources from both the First Images of Radio Sky at Twenty Centimetre (FIRST) survey and the NRAO Very Large Array Sky Survey, without imposing a limit on the radio flux densities. The catalog provides a visual classification of radio and optical morphologies of galaxies presenting a FIRST core within 3'' of the optical position. The radio morphological classification is performed by examining the radio–optical overlays of linear sizes equal to 1 Mpc at the source distance, while the 120'' image snapshots from the SDSS database are used for optical classification. The results of our search are as follows: (i) single-component unresolved and elongated radio sources constitute the major group in the ROGUE I catalog (~90%), and ~8% exhibit extended morphologies; (ii) samples of 269, 730, and 115 Fanaroff–Riley (FR) type I, II, and hybrid galaxies, respectively, are presented; (iii) we report 55 newly discovered giant/possible giant, 16 double–double, 9 X-shaped, and 25 Z-shaped radio sources; (iv) on the optical front, most galaxies have elliptical morphologies (~62%) while spirals form the second major category (~17%) followed by distorted (~12%) and lenticular (~7%) morphologies; and (v) division between the FR I and the FR II sources in the radio–optical luminosity plane is blurred, in tune with recent studie

An atlas of dynamical evolution models of 361 Fanaroff–Riley type II radio sources

Dynamical evolution models of 361 extragalactic Fanaroff-Riley type II radio sources selected from the Cambridge 3CRR, 6CE, 5C6, and 5C7 Sky Surveys, as well as the Bologna B2, Green Bank GB, and GB2 Surveys, are presented. Their spectra, compiled mostly from the recent catalogs of radio sources and the available NASA/IPAC and Astrophysical Catalogs Support System databases, along with morphological characteristics of the sources determined from their radio maps, have been modeled using the DYNAGE algorithm and/or its extension (KDA EXT) for the hypothetical case of further evolution after the jet's termination. The best-fit models provide estimates of a number of important physical parameters of the sources, as (i) the jet power, (ii) the density distribution of the external gaseous medium surrounding the radio core and the jet propagating through it, (iii) the initial energy distribution of the relativistic particles accelerated at the shock fronts, and (iv) the age of the observed radio structure. Additionally, estimates of some derivative parameters are provided, e.g., the radio lobes' pressure, their longitudinal expansion velocity, the magnetic field strength, and the total energy deposited in the lobes. The observed spectra and their best-fit models are included. Finally, one of the useful applications of the above models is presented, namely a strong correlation between the ambient medium density and the rest-frame two-point spectral index available directly from the observed spectra