Discovery of an infrared nucleus in Cygnus A - An obscured quasar revealed

Journal Article · Wed May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1991 · Astrophysical Journal; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/186025· OSTI ID:5587566

Djorgovski, S; Weir, N; Matthews, K; Graham, J R ^[1]

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1. Palomar Observatory, Pasadena, CA (USA)

This paper reports on the discovery of a compact, unresolved infrared nucleus, coincident with the radio core, in the prototypical powerful radio galaxy Cygnus A (3C 405). The infrared colors and magnitudes of the nucleus can be explained as a highly reddened extension of the radio continuum. The implied restframe extinction is A(V) equal to about 50 + or {minus} 30 magnitudes. The extinction-corrected luminosity of the object is in the quasar range. This discovery gives some support to the unification models for quasars and powerful radio galaxies. 35 refs.

• OSTI ID: 5587566
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal; (United States), Vol. 372; Other Information: L67-L70. Research supported by Alfred P. Sloan Foundation; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
GALAXY NUCLEI
INFRARED RADIATION
RADIO GALAXIES
COLOR
LUMINOSITY
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
QUASARS
COSMIC RADIO SOURCES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
GALAXIES
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
ORGANOLEPTIC PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RADIATIONS
640105* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Galaxies